3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

⁶Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, ⁷but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. — Phil 2:3-7

Michelle Obama, wife of former US President Barack Obama once said that her husband advised her that “when they (people) go low, you go high.” This is a piece of extremely sound advice similar to “a farmer does not wallow in the mud with the pigs.” However, in recent media reports, it is evident that at international meetings and even in our own back yards, it is extremely hard to counter carefully or with kid gloves, the blatantly open racism, and disheartening cruelty and dishonesty of non-black people, especially when it comes to rich countries against the poor countries (mostly made up of black and other non-white peoples). The people of the ACP (the poor non-whites) must call a spade a spade to the European and Chinese (the rich), and basically demand equal standing in charge at the international agreement meetings or where wrong is done.

The drafters of the United Nations that took place on June 26, 1945 (and ratified on October 24, 1945), established to maintain peace, dignity, and equality on a healthy planet, some elements are blatantly clear and unalterable: the sovereignty of nations,  one nation, one vote and other clear-cut “we are all part of the human race” elements that make living on this planet an entity of civilized peoples. However, the members of the rich countries that are mostly the non-blacks, plus China, because of the affluence of their countries in monetary measures, appear at every corner to be desirous to beat into submission the poorer countries (the majority of them being the continent of Africa followed by the Caribbeans). /the rich nations want poor nations to bow down to the rich nations’ way of living, their values, and their standards, however vile, changing, or counter-to-other standards and norms.

All customs, norms, and values of the poor nations are deemed backward, and uncivilized, and these nations must bend to the customs, norms, and values of the richer nations. Nothing could be further from the mandate set down in the United Nations Charter!

In recent reports on this column, it was heavily advanced that the African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries must not sign the new ACP-EU Agreement that would replace the Cotonou Agreement and would be the guiding instrument for the next 20 years. The advice comes in the wake of the devious manner in which various portions of the new ACP-EU Agreement (to come into effect, once signed, in 2023), raise various sections to treaty (therefore binding) status. This inherently renders mute any customs, norms, or values the ACP countries have on issues that the EU raises or declares to human rights standards. Three examples of the dishonest dealing of the Europeans suffice that the EU is operating in bad faith and treating the ACP member states as non-equals, easily to be baited with monetary segments in the “Treaty-form Agreement.”

The first example is in the area of human rights and the issue of the rights of parents. This right of parents is mentioned in the UN Charter on Human Rights declares in Article 18:1 that “States Parties shall use their best efforts to ensure recognition of the principle that both parents have common responsibilities for the upbringing and development of the child. Parents or, as the case may be, legal guardians, have the primary responsibility for the upbringing and development of the child.”

In the new ACP-EU Agreement, however, there are numerous examples such as the provision of comprehensive sexuality education (CSE); in this, the EU and like-minded member states have raised the issue of CSE to a human rights one wherein it steps in and usurps the role of parents in the upbringing of children in ACP member states. The provision of CSE is filled with teachings on sexuality, the right to abortion and contraceptives plus a variety of other norms and value-laced elements that go counter to ACP member state’s customs, laws, and beliefs. Parents are the custodians of the upbringing of their children. But the member states do not have the right to decide what is appropriate in the CSE teaching for their children, or what is not appropriate.

What appears to be certain in the intent here is that the European Union Commission member states want to sexualize young ACP member state children as young as five and six-year-olds about abortion rights, access to contraceptives, gay and lesbian rights, the anatomy of male and female bodies and a series of other elements in the sexualized teachings. This thereby introduces sex industry facts and elements to minors. A question that should loom large here is “where are the Rights of the Child in all these teachings? This EU back-door attempt to usurp the parental rights roles of ACP member states must stop.

The duplicity, deceit, dishonesty, and deception of the Europeans in the ACP-EU Agreement discussions have also become clear in the last month and as recent as this week. The first is the EU has imposed itself on the three councils of ministers of the ACP countries where there will be an EU minister that sits as a co-chair in the ACP regional councils. Yet there is no ACP co-chair on the EU council of ministers. There is no equality in this proposed section. This highlights the very nature of the new agreement as an attempt to usurp the power of the vote, rights, and powers of the ACP member states on one side and at the same time keep the ACP states out in the EU council of minister discussions. This also must stop. The EU has 27 members; the new ACP-EU Agreement, coupled with its co-chair presence in ACP regional ministers’ councils, plonks sturdily in the lead position with a clear 106 voting bloc (and illegal by UN standards since it muzzles 97 member states) in international agreements.

 The third example is the Summit of the Americas in the USA and the Council Meeting of the Organization of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS), held in Brussels, Belgium, which concluded last week (June 7-8). A problem arose with the signing; this seems to be on the side of the European Union (EU) and involves its member, Hungary, which is continuing to object to the provisions on migration. Hungary is holding to its view that people, especially non-Europeans (of course this means the black people), must be encouraged to stay in their homelands.

This is deep-steeped racism.

Speaking of racism, a BBC documentary by a Chinese-speaking black journalist discovered a website where Chinese people are uploading videos for sale. One that has gone viral is where Malawian children are depicted being taught how to say demeaning things in Chinese about themselves. The journalist discovered that if the children did not attend the Chinese “teacher’s” class, the child would be beaten. For appearing in the video, the Chinese, known as Lu Ke, gave the children $1.00. The racist videos are currently on sale on the Chinese market for $10.00. Using racist videos to make money out of unsuspecting African children is deplorable.

This is very sad, shameful, and disgusting racism at its worst. What is severely disappointing is the lukewarm apology from the Chinese Embassy in Lilongwe, and worse still, they said “The Embassy noted with concern the video Racism for Sale. We strongly condemn racism in any form, by anyone, or happening anywhere. We also noted that the video was shot in 2020. It shall be stressed that the Chinese government has zero-tolerance for racism.”

The willful actions of Lu Ke are disgusting, exploiting, and a clear violation of children’s education and upbringing and parental rights. One would be given the ninja or kung fu treatment if one did that to Chinese children.

Applause  goes to no-nonsense Rwanda President Paul Kagame for deporting 18 Chinese investors that were found guilty of mistreating workers, who were made to work abnormal hours and grubbing land.“

“Africa is for Africa. We can’t be slaves in Africa. We don’t tolerate the nonsense of discrimination here. Rwanda is for Africans and those who mean well to us. I am directing the 18 Chinese investors to leave Rwanda immediately and must never return back. Rwanda people must enjoy their rights in their country. Let this be a lesson to the remaining Chinese investors.” President Kagame warned.

Let President Kagame’s giant and gallant stand be the rallying clarion call of the ACP member states and other countries where racism is lurking around in the corridors of international collaboration!

Sign the petition against the EU’s threat to international democratic processes and rights of sovereign nations on deviouseutreaty.org/petition/