Barbara Walker at Arnolfini

 

Photos by myself.

Barbara Walker is a British artist described by art historian Eddie Chambers as “one of the most talented, productive and committed artists of her generation.” Her first major survey exhibition is on show at Arnolfini, Bristol, this Spring 2025 (since 08 March - and until 25 May 2025 ).

Being Here charts the artist’s compelling figurative practice, from the 1990s to our days. British artist Barbara Walker was described as one of the most important British artists working today. 

Following a hugely successful run at The Whitworth Being Here presents almost 60 extraordinary artworks, including rarely seen early paintings of Walker’s family, friends and community in her home city of Birmingham, along with her Turner Prize nominated monumental drawing series Burden of Proof (2022-23), which illustrates the impact on the lives of those affected by the Windrush scandal.

“To be an artist to create in times of adversity, is, I believe, to be optimistic. In my work as an artist, I have sought to make ‘positive images’, or perhaps images that will have a positive impact. I love working with people who are not used to having their voices heard. People who are often made visible in only the worst ways. I want to help make people visible in the best ways possible, by creating affirming images that speak of and to humanity.” - Barbara Walker

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Barbara Walker: Being Here at Arnolfini is accompanied by a programme of workshops, community and live events.

Fanon - film

 

March newsletter

 

Empowering women, for women and for everyone

Honouring women's achievements and empowerment on 'IWD' seems timelier than ever, in this age of masculinist tech bros. Here are my feminine stories from beyond the West.

Melissa Chemam

Mar 04, 2025

Empowering women, for women and for everyone

Honouring women's achievements and empowerment on 'IWD' seems timelier than ever, in this age of masculinist tech bros. Here are my feminine stories from beyond the West.

Melissa Chemam

Mar 04, 2025

Nahel: French police officer should stand trial for murder of teenager, prosecutors say

 

Big news here in France for the fight against police's brutality and impunity:

French police officer should stand trial for murder of teenager, prosecutors say

PARIS, March 4 (Reuters) - Prosecutors have requested that a French police officer stands trial for murder after the deadly shooting of a teenager in 2023 that sparked violent protests across the country, the Nanterre prosecutor's office said on Tuesday.

In a statement, prosecutors said they had concluded their investigation into the shooting of 17-year-old Nahel M. by a police officer on June 27, 2023 in the Paris suburb of Nanterre, an incident over which two officers were investigated.

They requested that one of the officers faces a court trial.

It is now up to a judge to decide whether a trial will take place. Murder complicity charges against the other officer were dropped.

The police officer who was charged with murder fired at Nahel after the latter failed to comply with an order to stop his car. The boy of North African descent subsequently died from his wounds.

The police officer's lawyer wasn't immediately available for comment.

A video shared on social media, verified by Reuters, showed two police officers beside the car, a Mercedes AMG, with one firing his weapon as the driver pulled away.

death and the video were shared on social media, drawing widespread anger and provoking several nights of unrest in Nanterre and other cities across France.

At the heart of the unrest were long-standing accusations by rights group of systemic racism in the police.

The lawyer for Nahel's family wasn't immediately available for comment.

(Reporting by Juliette Jabkhiro; Editing by Bernadette Baum)

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For background, my piece from 2023:

On Channel 4: https://www.channel4.com/news/people-feel-like-the-police-are-constantly-attacking-them-says-french-algerian-journalist-melissa-cheman

In the i Paper: https://inews.co.uk/news/world/french-algerian-journalist-riots-rocked-hometown-2449948?srsltid=AfmBOopDruZjaZ1FI2lu65GmvYJNiaaZh11ISNz1UP76MibEEwa_BFAI 

UN rights chief deeply worried about 'fundamental shift in direction' in US

 

Addressing the United Nations Human Rights Council, Volker Turk voiced his strongest rebuke to date of the dramatic about-face seen in the United States in recent weeks.

"We have enjoyed bipartisan support from the United States of America on human rights over many decades," he said, before adding: "I am now deeply worried by the fundamental shift in direction that is taking place domestically and internationally", the UN rights chief, Volker Turk, said on Monday.

He voiced deep concern over the United States' "fundamental shift" in direction since the last election, and decried the "unchecked power" of "unelected tech oligarchs".

Without naming Trump, he decried that "policies intended to protect people from discrimination are now labelled as discriminatory".

'Fear and anxiety'

Since returning to the White House on 20 January, President Donald Trump has signed a whopping 79 executive orders touching on issues from foreign policy to transgender rights.

With his Republican Party only holding narrow majorities in Congress, and seeking to move quickly to remake the US government, Trump has brandished his pen as a weapon targeting trade, civil rights and federal bureaucracy.

"This is generating fear and anxiety among many," Volker Turk warned. "On these issues and more, my office will continue building on our long history of constructive engagement."

"Progress is being rolled back on gender equality. Disinformation, intimidation and threats, notably against journalists and public officials, risk undermining the work of independent media and the functioning of institutions, Turk also lamented adding that "divisive rhetoric is being used to distort, deceive and polarise".

'Oligarchs'

Without mentioning anyone by name, Turk expressed concern over the growing influence wielded by "a handful of unelected tech oligarchs", who have people's data.

The US President has also made X and Tesla owner Elon Musk his cost-cutter-in-chief, as head of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

In comments not limited to the situation in the United States, Turk warned that such tech oligarchs "know where we live, what we do, our genes and our health conditions, our thoughts, our habits, our desires and our fears".

"They know us better than we know ourselves. And they know how to manipulate us."

Turk stressed that "any form of unregulated power can lead to oppression, subjugation, and even tyranny: the playbook of the autocrat".

He called on countries everywhere to "adapt -- fast".

"States must fulfil their duty to protect people from unchecked power, and work together to achieve this," he said.

UK is cutting aid... to fund defence spending

 

Charities are appalled by UK's cut to aid budget... to fund defence spending

Humanitarian charities said they were "stunned" and "appalled" by Britain's decision to cut its international aid budget to boost defence spending, warning it would damage UK influence and have a devastating impact on those they support.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Tuesday he would increase Britain's annual defence spending to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2027, with a target to hit 3 percent at a later date, a move he said was needed to provide Ukraine and Europe with support in a "new era".

To fund the move, Britain will cut its aid budget from 0.5 percent of gross national income, to 0.3 percent.

David Miliband, a former foreign secretary from the governing Labour Party and now head of the International Rescue Committee charity, said the move was "a blow to Britain's proud reputation as a global humanitarian and development leader".

Britain is the fifth largest international aid donor, giving over 19 billion dollars in 2023, according to data from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The United States tops the ranking, followed by Germany, European Union institutions and Japan.

Later, this week Starmer will meet US President Donald Trump, whose advisor Elon Musk has boasted of gutting Washington's own foreign aid agency by "feeding USAID into the wood chipper".

Nick Dearden, director of campaign group Global Justice Now, thinks that "to appease Trump, he will cut aid to its lowest level in a generation. It is a day of shame for Britain."

United Nations children's agency Unicef said the British aid cut would "undoubtedly risk lives". Oxfam accused Starmer of "bending to populist pressures".

Changing course

Britain used to devote 0.7 percent of its gross national income to overseas development before it was cut by the previous Conservative government to 0.5 percent in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Starmer's government had pledged to restore the aid budget back to 0.7 percent before it sharply changed course.

"This is a short-sighted and appalling move," said Romilly Greenhill, CEO of London-based Bond, a network for humanitarian organisations. "Slashing the already diminished UK aid budget to fund an uplift in defence is a reckless decision."

ActionAid described it as a political choice that could have devastating consequences for people affected by humanitarian crisis, such as in Gaza, the Democratic Republic of Congo and even Ukraine.

But Starmer's announcement on aid was met with little immediate political criticism in the House of Commons.

Sarah Champion, Labour lawmaker and chair of the International Development Select Committee, was a rare voice opposing the move, saying aid spending could prevent wars.

"Aid vs defence isn't a realistic narrative for keeping the world safe," she said.

 (Reuters)

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Read my work on this issues in South Africa here:

South Africa faces HIV crisis as Trump’s aid freeze halts treatment and research

All about DRC here:

ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan arrives in DRC amid escalating eastern conflict

There:

DRC president suggests unity government to respond to the crisis in the east

And there:

Rwandan-backed M23 gains in eastern DRC spark UN warnings and regional fears

More on Kenya soon.

DRC: Increasing diplomatic pressure on Rwanda

 

Diplomatic pressure on Rwanda is increasing. 

The Rwandan ambassador in Brussels was summoned by the services of the head of European diplomacy, while until now the Europeans had not yet shown their unity on the conflict in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). 

The M23 has captured the two largest cities in eastern Congo and stoked fears of a wider war.

And at the UN, the Security Council is calling on Rwanda to withdraw its troops from the DRC.

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Meanwhile, in Africa, the chiefs of Staff of the East Africa Community (EAC), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union call for the creation of a hybrid force to secure territories under M23 occupation in the DRC. 

A new meeting of the two regional organisations is scheduled for Monday 24 February, in Dar es Salaam.

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Finally, the U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday imposed sanctions on a Rwandan government minister and a senior member of an armed group for their alleged role in the conflict in the eastern DRC.

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Fore more on the previous weeks and the context, check my newsletter:

Why the war in eastern DR Congo matters

As the global leaders look at the future of Ukraine from DC to Paris and Johannesburg, the two-decade old country at the heart of Africa gets neglected... Is this fair in today's world?

Melissa Chemam

Feb 21, 2025

Newsletter: February's new post, on the DR Congo

Details below

Why the war in eastern DR Congo matters

As the global leaders look at the future of Ukraine from DC to Paris and Johannesburg, the two-decade old country at the heart of Africa gets neglected... Is this fair in today's world?

Melissa Chemam

Feb 21, 2025