THE NATIONS WITHOUT STATES group was founded at a National Liberal Party meeting earlier this year. According to the ‘mission statement’ of Nations without States:

“The National Liberal Party is sponsoring this pressure group called Nations without States to highlight the plight of peoples who aspire to nationhood. These might be based on peoples or tribes based within a state or even across borders that may or may not have been independently organised in the past. They might have a linguistic or historical separateness from their neighbours or fellow citizens. All will aspire to recognition, autonomy or independence.

As nationalists the group NwS will support all such peoples to determine their future whatever they wish that to be. This includes for example the Kurds, Flemish, Sikhs and Tamils. A genuine nationalist supports the right of self-determination where it is based upon a sound and just position and is supported by the majority of its ‘national’ community. The slogan ‘what is right for me is right for you’ simplifies why nationalism is actually an inter-nationalist creed, quite separate to chauvinism which seeks advantage for one nation at the expense of others.”

Self-Determination for Matebeleland!

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Operating via Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/groups/184919468292372/) Nations without States has gone from strength to strength with people from various different continents being involved. Eventually the aim is to have a representative from every group striving for self-determination active with the NwS group.

With this in mind, the latest folks to join have been representatives of those advocating self-determination for Matebeleand. Paul Siwela – from the Matebeleland Liberation Organisation – has kindly provided some background information relating to the more recent suffering of his people:

Paul Siwela of the Matebeleland Liberation Organisation. Representatives of the Matabele are the latest group to join Nations without States.

“over 40,000 men, women and children were savagely killed by being thrown alive into disused mine shafts, shot at point blank range, pregnant women bayoneted, locked up in thatched huts or houses and burnt alive and some made to dig shallow graves and made to kneel on shallow graves and shot. The surviving members of the family and neighbours would then be forced to dance on such graves singing songs to praise President Robert Mugabe and his party. All these people were killed by the government soldiers who were in the 5th Brigade almost entirely composed of Mugabe ethnic group.

Over 100,000 Ndebele women were raped and some impregnated and some later killed. Over 1,000,000 Ndebele people were dispersed mostly into South Africa, Botswana and even far afield into UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The remaining population of around 3,500,000 are marginalised and discriminated in all spheres of life on a daily basis.”

In order to promote the idea of self-determination for Matebeleland – as well as all other nations – it’s been suggested that NwS initially produces three different newspapers. These will be aimed at readers of ‘red tops’ like the Star, Mirror and Sun, readers of the Daily Mail and Daily Express and readers of ‘broadsheets’ like The Times, Guardian and Daily Telegraph.

The NwS papers have provisionally been titled Freedom, Nation and The Phoenix. They will aim to raise awareness (throughout the British Isles) of the plight of the various captive nations around the world. Initially they will be e-publications – but it’s hoped that British-based representatives of these dispossessed nations and peoples will be able to leaflet with them in the not too distant future.

It’s also anticipated that – in due course – NwS will also produce various magazines and newsletters, as well as hosting conferences, lectures, workshops and arranging joint demonstrations. Translation services, a dedicated Nations without States web-site and increased use of social media are also on the cards.

Those wishing to help with any of these tasks should contact natliberal@aol.com