Fhe June 17 incident led to bilateral talks and a “provisional” agreement between Manila and Beijing. This turned out to be only a temporary respite. Barely had the ink dried on the deal, when its details were disputed by both sides. The agreement was followed by a incident-free resupply mission, but interpretations of this success too differed sharply. Most recently, Manila stated that the agreement could be reviewed.
Beijing has consistently insisted that while the Philippine military position on the Second Thomas Shoal (known as Ayungin Shoal in the Philippines and Renai Reef in China) could be supplied with “living necessities,” any materials or equipment to strengthen the beached ship could not be permitted. Manila, with a 2016 international tribunal ruling at the Hague in its favor, has maintained its absolute legal right to unimpeded access to the shoal and surrounding waters.
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Volume 1: Climate Change and Freshwater
Intro: Why did Lake Chad collapse and why are Cameroonians so thirsty?
Chapter 1: Desertification of the Sahel and Cameroon’s water infrastructure
Chapter 2: Cameroon gains “independence” from France
Chapter 3: Poverty, structural adjustments, and dictators
Chapter 4: The US New Deal’s Soil Conservation Service is a proven model
Bonus 1: Colonial Cameroon
Bonus 2: Could a commodity cartel have prevented Cameroon’s economic collapse?
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Volume 1 is also available as a podcast
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“It Was My Church”
Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana are the world’s largest and second largest cocoa producers, respectively, together accounting for 65% of the global cocoa supply as of 2024.[1] In 2017, a 20% drop in global cocoa prices negatively impacted the livelihoods of millions of cocoa farmers in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, prompting the presidents of both countries to sign an agreement for a strategic partnership in cocoa production.[1][2] The following year, on 26 March 2018, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana made the “Abidjan Declaration”, promising to work together to raise revenues for cocoa farmers, create a strategy for sustainable cocoa farming, and conduct scientific research on cocoa production and swollen shoot disease.[2] Shortly thereafter, the Côte d’Ivoire–Ghana Cocoa Initiative (CIGCI) was established with a charter aligning with the previous two agreements.[3]
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In his forthcoming book, Blue-Collar Empire: The Untold Story of US Labor’s Global Anticommunist Crusade, historian Jeff Schuhrke traces the AFL-CIO’s relationship with US foreign policy from the beginnings of the Cold War through the 1990s. He reveals how, in partnership with the CIA and other US government bodies, the AFL-CIO suppressed left-wing labor movements in Europe, Latin America, and Asia. Sara Van Horn and Cal Turner spoke to Schuhrke for Jacobin about the harm the AFL-CIO’s interventions caused in places like Guyana, Chile, and Brazil, the ways suppressing labor organizing abroad hurt American workers, and what the labor movement can learn from its complicated history.
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On 18 April 2024, the permanent headquarters of the CIGCI was inaugurated by Ghanian president Nana Akufo-Addo in Accra. At the inauguration ceremony, Assanvo commented that the CIGCI “reaffirmed the vision to put the producer back at the centre of the cocoa value chain” and was “another example of how the two countries [Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana], through their respective heads of state, could overcome challenges.”[1] Ivorian prime minister Robert Beugré Mambé (representing the Ivorian president) and Ghana Cocoa Board CEO Joseph Boahen Aidoo attended the inauguration.[1][9][10]
As a result, more than 500,000 books in our collection are not currently available for borrowing, including more than 1,300 banned and challenged books. We understand that this is a devastating loss for our patrons, and we are fighting back through the courts to restore access to these books. Fortunately, other countries and international library organizations are moving to support controlled digital lending. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we fight this long battle. For inquiries, please contact patron services at info@archive.org.
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Most recent issues
Vol 1 | Climate change and drinking water
Vol 2 | Green energy vs nuclear energy
Vol 3 | How social movements win
Recommended issues
Vol 4 | Recycling and other corporate conspiracies
Vol 5 | …on happiness
Vol 6 | Healthcare (for whom the bill tolls)
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The area of present-day Cameroon was claimed by Germany as a protectorate during the “Scramble for Africa” at the end of the 19th century. The German Empire named the territory Kamerun. During World War I, French and British troops invaded the German colony Kamerun (Present day Cameroon) and decided to divide the German colony into two regions.[3] One of the regions would be French administered (French Cameroon) and the other would be British administered (British Cameroons).[3] The British were more concerned with other areas of Africa, specifically Nigeria.[3] Thus, the French gained a larger portion of Cameroon when the country was divided.[3]