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prison populat'on. wliere in the world visit the
Shabazz Center when they are
Q: A French journalist said iii New York City. We want to
that, in the US, minor cri- be a place for joui'nalists, who
mes that would not be speak from a broad perspective,
punished in Europe are are able to engage in dialogue.
strongly punished here. But not just joui'nalists-acti-
You are sent to jail. vists, other intellectuals, creati-
ve people of various types. We
Absolutely, and if yori liave want tlus to become a gatlteig
been a convict yori lose yoir place for them. The Board of
right to vote. This is tlie case in Directors aiid I are discussiiig
most states aiid is a luige pro- these issues now.
blein. There has been a big

movement to undo that and I I personally worild like to see
believe some shifts liave been the Sliabazz Center work close-
dealt with these issries? There is maintain the global vision that made in New York. Tliese ly with another iiistitution tliat
a grorip sayiiig tliat: "They look Malcolm X had. Dr Shabazz issues then iinpact on liow tlie can lielp translate the ideas that
like me, and yet they distance had been working globally with civil society is defined and the our constituency speak to iiito
tliemselves from me. I do not UNIFEM and other NGOs. We way that people feel. meaningful legislation-to
understand why lliey distance are a yoru'ig institution, and we create bills and foi'ums Job-
tliemselves." So they came to liave only been hosting public One of tlie iiripoitant paits of bying for ideas and making
participate in the dialogue. This prograinmes for two years. Malcohn X's legacy was that lie clianges. I tlm* that was one of
is part of what we do. When and wliere we caii, we was the first one of the liuirian tlie thiiigs that Malcohn X hied
bi'ing in otlier organizations as rights activist to say tliat we to do when he set up lffs own
We have also created a voice partners. have to take the African- iiistitution, Temple Number
for a broad range of political Ainei'ican sh'uggle beyond tlie Seven. Ai'iother was tlie
sensibilities-from the leff to In terins of more iiiten'iational boundaries of tlie United States. Organization for African-
the centrc to the right. (There and global work, I can say that He placed it iii the liunnan riglits Ainei'ican Unity and, of coru'se,
liave not been many people we took oit first step towards arena so that this counhy is it was ruider that uribrella tliat
from tlie political i'iglit coming tliat last year wlien Dr Satni accountable to the rest of the lie went to Cairo to tlie

here! This is not because we are Ariaiuie, wlio is a Palestiiuan world. We are puslig for tliese Organization of Afi'ican Unity
not makii'ig it available to them, luunan i'ights activist, was dialogues. meeting (today it's called the
but becarise it worild be tlie last wrongly detaiiied by the United African Union). You cannot
place wliere tliey would like to States Goveininent. We were Q: Where would you like engage in )uunan i'iglits dialo-
show up!) On the otlier hand, one of the few Ainei'ican iiisti- to see your Centre five giie and address sometl'iing like
from tlie centre to left we have tutions that worked with the years from now? the Ui'iited Nations tuiless you
voices from eveiy kind of poli- Ainerican Muslim task force to liave a certaiii organizational
tical spectnun. We are proud of host a press conference deman- As a living men'ioiial, 11011011- stnictiire behiiid you.

tliat record because this is l'iow diiig his release. That was an i'ing botli Malcohn X aiid Betty
tlie Shabazz Center creates iinportant first step. Sliabazz, WIIO both had global Q: If people want to get in
civic discorirse. We engage visions, we iiitend to become a contact with you what they
civil society iii a meaningful Pait of what we do here at tlie local organization with a global should do?

way. Eacli one of ris has their Sl'iabazz Centre is to coiu'iect iinpact. We caiinot lose siglit of
own beliefs and position. We local witli global issues. We wliere we are pliysically loca- The website is: wvirw.theslia-
create a neutral space for them lield a luunan i'iglits round-table ted, but at the same tiine we do bazzcenter:net or they cart write

to paiticipate and engage as tliat dealt with tlie Haitian com- want to liave some impact. We to us at: info@theshebazzcen-

actors in society, regardless of mru'uty. want evenhially to acqriire tei:org
ethnic, racial, religioris and NGO status witli tlie United
political orientation. We had anotlier sector oriented Nations and become a place
discussion dealing witli youtli wliere dignitaries fi'om any-
Q: Malcolm X was very and education. A i-idiculously
engaged in the fight for dispropoitionate munber of
civic and human rights - African-Americans and
first in the United States Hispaiffc yormg men, and a
and later globally. What is growiiig population of young
the relationship between women, are beiiig incarcerated.
the Shabazz Centre and Tliere is a ciiiniiialization of the
other institutions in the cultiire of yorith.
world? Have you started
partnerships with other Q: I have heard that a i
organizations? Are you black man has ten times
open for this kind of part- more chances of going to
nership? jail than a white man.
Yes, absotutely! We liave to We are only 13% of the popula-
tion, but represent 35% of tlie
30 3 2009 Diva

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