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CORE's Niger Innis Discusses aIDS Epidemic and the Politics of "Eco-Environmentalism"

by alan Caruba

July 23, 2004

Niger Innis, the energetic son of Roy Innis, the founder of the Congress of Racial Equality, is the spokesman for the organization that, over the passed 63 years, has broadened its mandate from ending segregation to embracing many international problems, not the least of which is the spread of aIDS in Third World nations and efforts to keep these nations from successfully developing their economies through modernization.

Innis is in Reno, Nevada, to participate in the fifth annual Freedom21 Conference. It is sponsored by a number of activist organizations concerned about issues that include property rights, the United Nations, national sovereignty and rights protected by the Constitution,

In an exclusive interview, Innis pointed out that aIDS "has captured the attention of the international community because it has tragically infected millions of people in the developed world" but that "its worst effect on the continent of africa." Less noted, said Innis, are comparable epidemics of tuberculosis and malaria. "These and other diseases are crippling the developing world."

"Millions of africans and others die needlessly every year due to the United Nations’ ban on DDT," said Innis, "and this is the direct result of eco-imperialism that seeks to deter the advances of modern technology from benefiting people in underdeveloped nations."

Innis cited a UN Conference in which introducing modern toilets to african communities was protested as harmful to the environment.

Innis said CORE is supporting the President’s Emergency Plan for aIDS Relief (PEPFaR) and praised President Bush’s call for a $15 billion investment in efforts to reduce aIDS in africa and other third world nations. "It took political courage to get that program passed in a conservative Congress," said Innis. He noted that people in 14 developing nations are already receiving help and treatment as a result.

It was Roy Innis who, in the early 1980s, made efforts to communicate the danger of the growing aIDS threat. "Not many leaders heeded the call", said Niger Innis, but among those that did was the man who would become president of Uganda, Yoweri K. Musevani, whose program there has dramatically rolled back the rates of aIDS in that nation. The aBC program calls for people to "abstain", to "Be faithful" in marriage, and "use a Condom". at a recent international conference on aIDS which Niger Innis attended, "this approach was actually boo’ed despite its record of success." He noted, too, that the US representative was poorly received, "despite the huge commitment of billions of US dollars to reduce the aIDS threat."

"Unfortunately, elites within the international community and the developed world often promote nostalgia for primitive life in the developing world," said Innis, "In doing so, they stifle development for reasons that have more to do with politics and ideology within the developed world, as opposed to progress for the developing world.

"These ideologies frequently have little to do with addressing the real needs of those suffering in the undeveloped world," said Innis.

On august 7th, CORE will sponsor a Health awareness Festival in New York City’s Times Square and Innis anticipates that between a half million and a million people will participate in the event.