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VOICES (2) : Destruction of the Community - Joshua Arthur - Artist, shopowner and bereaved - East Ridge, Accra - [english]

Joshua Arthur is speaking on monday September 15th 2014 about the happenings one day ago when bulldozers destroyed his home, his possesions and his living ground in a few hours. Tonight he had sleep in his shop. On sunday 14th of September nearly half of the community areal behind the Center of National Art and Culture got crushed down by huge bulldozers. Some days before the mayor of Accra ordered the people to leave the location which developed through the years into a slum and poverty areal. The city runs out of land and this estate should get sold to some companies, so the people have to move. A lots of houses have been marked with a red "X" or there have been written commands like "move out" or "stop working". Most of the people who live there just moved there from many different regions or even countries, but in a lot of these houses lived as well the owners and sellers of the shops at the arts center or people who produce artwork or are in some way connected to these handcrafts. The bulldozers arrived with some security guards and policemen for the guarantee of a save continuing of the demolition work. Fotographes and filming haven´t been allowed. There was and is still no plan for an alternative place to go, to live and to settle for all these people. Now they are moving around, frustrated, depressed, homeless and without any perspective of future. Some still searching in the fields for belongings, others built up provisorial barracks on the beach. Some new "X" markings are already made on other buildings and even the Solid Rock Association will have to move with their headquarters. The planing of these urban project is without considering of these people, their lives and their future. Not only in terms of human rights and respect for living beeings there is as well a cholera epidemic problem in the Accra suburbs and the ebola virus is haunting in countries nearby. These kind of dealings with the own citizens increase the risk level of infectious spreadings a lot instead of shutting it down by providing adequate living standards in a cleaned up environment.

Here you can find a short video of the destruction of the areal from 16.09.14: youtube.com/watch?v=aULIrgFNzvc

As well here is a short documentary video about Joshua Arthur and the Arts Center from 12.09.14: youtube.com/watch?v=pbGXpEYsRMQ

Here you can find a report about Joshua Arthur and the Arts Center at the online magazine MyUNI.TV with more information, pictures, interviews, a documentary movie and contact details: myuni.tv/african-art-represents/5373

Moderation: Günther Michels