Adonis Diaries

He is 94 years old and still kicking, engaged, and totally outraged.  Stephane Hessel wrote several books, the latest is “Ten steps into the new century” when he was over 80 of age. 

Hessel collected the opinions of ten engaged experts in many fields, spanning from global economy, global warming, social inequalities and injustices, reflecting on alternatives for world community solidarity, sustainable development, economic aids and programs to the least developed countries, creating and encouraging formation of civic organizations around the world, involvement in this troubled world, changes in political structures and financial capitalist systems…

The question was: “What should be tomorrow the politics of France, if France wants to participate in the building of newer solidarity that the new century is demanding?”

The purpose of the book was to propose concrete ideas and programs to the new President of France, due in 2002.  The propositions were ready to be disseminated and discussed publicly when the Twin Tower tragedy hit.

On the morning of September 11, Hessel was meeting with President of Slovenia, Milan Kucan. Kucan was determined to pulling off his idea of the “College of wise men”, a gathering of peace Nobel laureates and renowned personalities whose opinions can make a difference on the global scene.   The UN and the Gallup International agency were contributing in setting up this famous college.

For decades, Hessel militated within the UN and French Administrations toward a cohesive and efficient Cooperation programs among State ministries for developing the poorest countries.  It is to be noted that most of the least developed States (around 50 and increasing) are francophone and located in western Africa, colonized by and under French mandated power for a century.

France have not be treating the people in the newly independent States as mature and ready to take on the responsibilities of independent nations.  Hessel had suggested to dispatch successive missions on locations in oder to listen and dialogue with the populations on what they expect from France and the developed nations.

The conference North-South of 1975, convoked by President Valery D’ Estaing was a failure.  In 1981, the French ministry of Cooperation was to be integrated in the ministry of Foreign Affairs.  France was aligning with the “Washington Consensus” that forced poor States to open up their markets to foreign goods and finance:  Depriving these States from developing their own potentials.  Another report was submitted in 1990 but President Mitterrand was not agreeable to it.

The new generation, with access to ready information, is asked to get engaged massively in solidarity with the dispossessed people.  Networks of associative movements in their diversities and complexities have clear-cut principles:  Giving priority to justice, equity, participation, democratic inclusion of all minorities, refusing physical and moral oppression, fighting super-privilege classes, and putting a brake on wasteful productions.

The new “hydraulic” system of connections by youth movements can move mountains and depose dictators, absolute monarchs, and oligarchic regimes.  The energy deployed by tsunami of wrath is insurmountable and cannot be controlled by apathetic, amoral technocratic institutions.

The spirit of Hessel must be more at peace now:  The determined and victorious Arab mass uprisings have confirmed that human rights are priority, indivisible, and universal.  Human rights as defined by the Charters of the UN, rights to life, opportunities, education, health, security, freedom of expressions, freedom to gather, to discuss, to organize…Rights not to be discriminated against in genders, race, language, ethnicity…