Finally, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has come to its own sense, and reversed all-together its earlier decision taken in 2008 to establish an award of US$3 million endowment from Equatorial Guinea’s president Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, whose government is widely accused of corruption and gross human rights violations.
UNESCO’s decision comes after a public outcry and a torrent of criticism from civil society groups, and prominent African figures (including Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Graça Machel, Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, and author, Chinua Achebe) calling for the cancellation of the “UNESCO-Obiang Nguema Mbasogo Prize for Research in the Life Sciences.”
The disputed award not only has thrown UNESCO into disarray, but also split UNESCO member states into two opposing camps, with African countries in favor of the award. The African Union is also reported of approving the award. No surprise there, but the knowledge that UNESCO, a reputable organization, agreed in the first place to establish this award, is beyond me! What does it say about UNESCO in general? Has this organization become that out of touch with reality on the ground that they cannot separate credible Africans who deserve to be honored with this kind of awards?
There is no doubt in my mind that Obiang was tying to use this award to renew and rebrand his government’s tarnished image. Apparently, the Obiang government not only was trying to use UNESCO, but also is reported of contracting high-powered U.S. public relations consultants, including a former adviser to former U.S. president Bill Clinton.
A few months ago, I wrote about the early stages of the conflict in Ukraine through the lens of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. While it appears likely that the war will carry on into the foreseeable future, enough time has passed for us to make an honest assessment of each side’s relative […]
The Ukrainian Army has made dramatic strides in the last few weeks. Ukraine’s tactical commanders have outfoxed their Russian counterparts, and by issuing a feint towards the south the UA has been able to earn substantial gains in the north of their country. The impact of these efforts have been compounded by the steady stream […]
In mid-May the Irish political party, Sinn Féin, won the plurality of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Many American readers might not fully understand the significance of Sinn Féin’s political victory- but rest assured that subjects of the United Kingdom and a wide range of political movements the world over have heard the message […]
The first wave of the Russian offensive in Ukraine has fallen short of Russian autocrat Vladmir Putin’s ambitions. Most analysts deduced that Putin had hoped to achieve a decapitation strike of the Ukrainian government- taking Kiev and replacing Ukrainian President Vladimir Zolinski with a pro-Kremlin voice. Kiev has been threatened repeatedly through the course of […]
On the weekend of March 26th, the notorious MS-13 gang went on a massive killing spree in El Salvador which left more than 70 people dead by Sunday. Even for a country where powerful gangs hold massive sway, this recent tragedy stands out considering that it was the bloodiest day on record since the civil […]
