Date
INEQUALITY ANYWHERE IS INEQUALITY
Kitwe, Zambia, 21 June 2019 - A time like this last year, Fight Inequality Alliance was born with a goal to amplify the voices of the people. A year later, representatives from 19 countries, converged in Kitwe, Zambia for the Fight Inequality Global Gathering to stand in solidarity with the movement.
It was a moment of sharing, learning and reflection. The speakers narrated with eloquence, passion and at times emotions about their journey to fight inequality. From Latin America, to United Kingdom and back to Africa, it was a narrative of the ‘Animal farm’.
Pilato Fumba cited an information gap amongst the youth. He expounded on how the youth could not progress to institutions of higher learning due to lack of funds yet there is a kitty for the same. The downside of this is, when they decided to demonstrate and face the Ministry in charge, just a handful turned up.
The Fight Inequality National Coordinator, from Zambia painted a picture of how patriarchy was killing the dreams of women. Employers encourage women to apply for jobs in the advertisements but bias comes to play in selectioon. Employers believe that men have more responsibilities and favour male applicants for positions.
A practical example of intolerable inequality was drawn from the Kankoyo community. Kankoyo is in the Copper-belt province where extensive mining by foreign companies is ongoing. The sad reality is that besides the community sitting on such a valuable resource, one can see and smell poverty. There is also Sulphur plant in close proximity to homesteads whose emissions caused deaths and diseases. Soil in Kankoyo is no longer productive. The air is polluted. Water is unfit for consumption. Due to the mechanical underground activities, houses have cracked and collapsed. The Sulphur mist ages iron sheets. Kankoyo is inhabitable.
Actionaid International and Green Justice, a Community Based Organisation intervened to sensitize the community on their human rights. They accessed the agreements signed by government and concluded that the privatization was done in bad faith and the community direly needed legal litigation.
The five days gathering concluded that inequality is a journey and the voices of the people must be amplified. An open letter was written to be shared with heads of states and governments during the G7 meeting in France in August.
For more information, please contact Fridah Bwari on fbwari@taxjusticeafrica.net, Tel: +254 724 519299.