AFRICAN American civil rights leader Reverend Jesse Jackson has urged President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai to show their commitment to peace through negotiation and offered to broker talks between the two leaders to end the crisis in the country.
Jackson who was speaking to Voice of America radio said he was aggrieved by the suffering of the Zimbabwean people.
"We are pained, given the tremendous role that Zimbabwe played in liberating southern Africa from colonial rule. Now we must work diligently, together with President Mugabe and Mr. Tsvangirai to get Zimbabwe back into a reconstruction mode again," he said.
Jackson called on all people to assist the people of Zimbabwe find a way out of their current political crisis.
"If this were a white regime in Zimbabwe seen as holding up an election, the world would cry out to ask for fairness and open, free fair election without violence so we can again begin to get resources back into Zimbabwe to reduce inflation, to revive the economy. Zimbabweans need food and health and housing and capacity to restart their economy," Jackson said.
Jackson said some Western voices have not been loud enough about elections in other countries where the opposition there had complained about irregularities. But he said Africans should not look for a reason not to work for peace.
"We should not stand idly by and by some romantic notion of friendship be too weak to take a stand for openness, fairness and democracy for all of the people. If the AU (African Union) cannot resolve this crisis, it weakens itself by its inaction. If it cannot address in a meaningful way Zimbabwe, it cannot address in a meaningful way the Congo, Kenya, or Liberia, or Ethiopia, or any place else on the continent," Jackson said.
Jackson said it is time for leaders to step forward to help build a bridge over Zimbabwe's troubled waters.
He said if need be, he's willing to make himself available to help bring about what he called the restoration of growth in Zimbabwe.
"We must attempt to get some leaders who will take the risk and the burden of trying to build a bridge. And I'm certainly willing to reach out to other leaders and be available myself to help do what must done to help bring about the restoration of growth in Zimbabwe. It's our moral obligation. We did it for the freedom of South Africa and we cannot stop now in this quest for people to live freely and without fear and with hope," Jackson said.
N/a • n/a Subject: JESSE RENOUNCE SANCTIONS FIRST Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:51:36 • Lets accept Jesse Jackson on conditions he tells Bush, Obama or McCain to repeal ZIDERA, call off sanctions then negotiations are on a level playing field. If Sanctions are there, anyone has a right to counter those using means that seem plausible to him even if it means kicking the a...s of who ever stands in the way of the revolution. Lets have a level playing field no sanctions no violence Zimbabweans have full stomachs, then let them change the government the way they want.Not to force them to vote against their leaders because of an empty stomach. Shame on you who use sanctions as methods.Free and fair elections means no sanctions and no violence, to say no violence only for a free and fair elections, is stuff that comes from kindergarten..
Omugabe • Dziva@sanandresano.com Subject: Look Inward & Look East for Self-development, Zim Patriots! Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:28:22 • What can the mentally enslaved 'broker' for LIBERATED Zim Patriots?
Can the enslave know the sweetness and significance of liberty? NO!
Jackson should go broker better conditions for Africans in America, who continue to endure centuries of racism and white supremacy!
Jackson is going to instruct Zim Patriots how to endure a life of subservience to white supremacy? lol
No thanks!
zimbo rhodie • zimrhodie@freetheland.com Subject: JJ gara kumusha Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:26:58 • Jesse Jackson is on a self serving mission, we don't want him here. if the worst comes to the worst, all young patriotic zimbabwean must go back to war and once again free our country from an oppressive regime. only this time just bkoz munhu uri war vet won't mean you can trample over the rights of others willy-nilly. non-violent approach haishandi muZimbabge, the pen's freedom to choose must be defended by the gun's capability to defend pasi neZanu yaMugabe
da saint • na.germany Subject: BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATERS... Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:36:16 • What the world does not seem to get to grips with is that both Mugabe and Morgan are willing to go forward and build that bridge JJ talks about - however, this is on the proviso that he does it the way each one of them wants and not the others way.
n/a • n/a Subject: why now? Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:26:48 • Strange how now that things should settle down--with the MDC pulling out, everybody is getting more excited than ever.
These Globalists are getting desperate and they are starting to shapeshift.
It's funny how two of formally the smallest and most oppressed Nations on earth--the Irish and the Zimbabweans, are taking such a stand on behalf of all of Mankind.
They reaaally wanted Mugabe to lose. The more the thought of things calming down in Zimbabwe the more they are agonising.
It's clear that Mugabe certainly has no need to get violent now with people--if he ever did.
I've seen some of the pictures of the crowds that met Mugabe during his campaign--they looked 3 miles deep.
Yet we still hear all this yap about what the people of Zimbabwe want. If the MDC thought they could win, they wouldn't have pulled out.
As for free and fair elections; How is it fair to the Zimbabwean government that they have the deal with the interference of all the powers in the world and all their stooges, to win a campaign?
The fact that Mugabe still has the support of the majority of his people at this point is simply amazing.
And Zimbabweans--like the stubborn Irish will hopefully one day be recognized for the stand they took on behalf of all Nations and peoples to maintain their identity and soverignty.
We don't all have to melt into one to have world peace. The poor of the earth always get the shaft in
this world where nobody can fight for anything and one power controls everything.
It's not going to work anyway. Globalization may take away all the guns from the little man and control all the wealth, money and food, but it will never be able to contain that spirit in man that is to be free.
The only reason there aren't more rebellions now is because this fake Democracy thing has people believing they have a say in how their lives are run.
But even that charade is losing it's cloak.
People know there are nothing given or ceded to them by the Elites on this earth, except what they stand up and fight for.
No form of government can stand unless the majority of the governed feel they are having their needs met.
And it don't matter what you label a government, it is only as good, bad, just or injust, as the people leading it.
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