Oriel College of Oxford University has decided that it will not remove the statue of Cecil Rhodes from campus. Rhodes was a pre-eminent British imperialist who dreamed of British colonies in Africa spanning from Egypt to South Africa. He also endowed the money that funds the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, one of the most competitive academic awards available to US college graduates. Many believe that imperialism was a horrific crime against humanity and that those who were central to the enterprise should be pilloried, not honored. The debate over the statue is incredibly important and central to thinking about the different ways one can remember the past without necessarily honoring it.
Cecil Rhodes
France has indicated that it will unilaterally recognize Palestine as an independent nation-state if progress toward an Israeli-Palestinian negotiated agreement is not forthcoming in the near future. The French statement, in tandem with the speech by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon criticizing Israeli settlements in the West Bank, suggests that many have given up on the US-led moves to secure a negotiated two-state agreement. Without US support, the Israeli position has become increasingly isolated.
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