please log in to view this image Shepherd's Bush - Demographics - Significant communities of travellers from Australia and New Zealand exist in Shepherds Bush. Street names in the area suggest links to South Africa but these were inspired by places and personalities from the Boer War or by their proximity to the former position of the South Africa Pavilion in the White City exhibition area. There is a Polish community, with a community centre in nearby Hammersmith. Somali, West Indian, Syrian, Lebanese, Iranian, Irish, Moroccan and Afghan communities have a strong association with the area. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepherd's_Bush
Quite right - on the moves between Mandela and De Clerk Stainesy. Very cute chess game between the two that brought about a win-win situation for once. One of the key points that many miss about Mandela when looking into his social position or whether he was a terrorist etc. is that he was from aristocratic stock. His own family had been robbed of their land as well as all of the obvious atrocities that emerged out of apartheid SA. For those interested in looking at other key players linked to Mandela's movement might want to look into the journeys of Steve Biko and Walter Sisulu as well. Steve Biko's story is particularly moving and would assist in setting the context for why Mandela and many others might have leant towards violent response as a means of resistance. They helped develop understanding of what people can and do take in standing for their principles and both contributed actively to exposing a corrupt regime and driving for an eradication of the colour bar. Anybody who can't see the admiration and dignity that emerges from merely taking a stand for what is principally right isn't worth reasoning with anyway!
Great post SW2. If I may, I would also like to add Donald Woods as a major contributor to ending apartheid. It was his publishings after escaping from house arrest in South Africa that told the world of the atrocities happening there. Woods was against Steven Biko's ideologies initially but after meeting with him they formed a friendship and Woods began a quest to write about the suppression of black Africans under apartheid. This went totally against the grain for a white man to do this in South Africa back in the seventies. This story is of course depicted in the film 'Cry Freedom.' The events of Steven Biko's death are truly horrendous. This is the reason why people like Mandela and others who have had to face a struggle that hopefully none of us on here ever have to witness, are so important to humanity.
Even with the NSA, GCHQ etc. looking through our Instagram photos of our morning coffee, we probably still live in a little part of the world in which merely hoping for the violent death of some actor on the world stage will not get us in real trouble. Doing anything about it, of course, will get us labelled as terrorists, maniacs or whatever. So I feel quite secure in only hoping to see the public beheadings and disembowelments of, say, Rupert Murdoch, Queen Elizabeth II, Gary Barlow and the CEO of First Group.
Too right the list would be long and deep. Lots of people getting away with it everyday. The world isn't working for everybody Some don't like but there is isn't a clearer voice to me [video=youtube;nF46BMSYUDA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nF46BMSYUDA[/video]