About asabagna
I go by the name of Asabagna Alatentou, "Asa" for short. I took this name as my African/Spiritual name when I went on a pilgrimage to West Africa in 1997. I visited Senegal, The Gambia and Ghana. "Asabagna" means "hunter" and I received that name during a naming ceremony when I visited a village in northern Ghana. "Alatentou" is Mandingo for "God is gracious" and I received that name from a village Griot in Senegal. I was born in England and my parents are of Jamaican heritage. I spent most of my formative years in Jamaica, but grew up primarily in Toronto Canada. I currently live in Ottawa, the national capital of Canada. I am professionally employed, married, 2 wonderful kids and regularly attend a Pentecostal church. I am a born-again Christian. I do not consider myself conservative or liberal, right-wing or left-wing, centrist etc., or any of the multiple categories that society likes to confine and define people by. However, I do have strong views, beliefs and opinions but I also consider myself open to listening and contemplating other viewpoints. I am a firm believer that "if you don't believe in something, you will fall for anything".
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Thank you so much for sharing this.
To label any ethnic group of people born and living within the boundaries of any legitimate nation-state as stateless in my opinion is to violate their human rights. This case should be looked into by organizations like Amnesty International,the Organization of American States and even the United Nations.
I wonder if the Dominican government would want Dominicans living outside of the Dominican Republic and their children born there to be treated like this by their host country. And the truth is, there is not much difference btetween the average Dominican and the average Haitian. The Dominican Republic is not Sweden.
Slaves are stateless people. It appears the Dominican government is using these people as slaves and by keeping them in a state of statelessness they are confirming what they have turned the people into slaves. This was the issue with the newly emancipated people living in the U.S. after the proclaimation of anuary, 1865. Evenutally the people were given blanket U.S. citizenship via the 14th amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Citizens under the colour of law.
Fortunately, there are people taking this to the courts in the Dominican Republic and maybe one day soon they will become legal citizens even if under the colour of law such as with the 14th amendment.
Now the richest statements made in the film was when the children were grieving the loss of their father they each said their biggest regret was not have the opportunity to now suupport their father.
Yes, I was moved by the fact that although their condition was so uncertain, their faith, hope, self esteem , sense of identity,family values, pride and dignity as human beings were palpable.
I had to give it to their father as head of the household and leader of the family.
Yes, what a pity that he died like that, so tragic, and still fighting for the rights of his wife and children.
I have learned that sometimes it is the little people, the ones who are not given much, but a life of anguish , despair and misery, are usually the ones who stand very tall and teach us what Human Dignity really is.
Human dignity has always been one. And it is essential that we notice and do something about it when it is being chipped away from others. Our humanity slowly disappears when we stand blind and ignore the suffering and injustice so many people are forced and burdened to live daily.