Feature: Year Of The Potato?

So ends The International Year of The Potato [1]. Little known it may be, 2008 was the year of the tuberous ‘tatter according to the United Nations. The honour was bestowed on the food in recognition of it being a staple food source across the world. But 2008 will be remembered for more than potatos: a torch relay became heated; people cried out for rice; a market was ruined by bulls; a cold reminder of the cold war endangered Europe; a black man came to a white house; and a rising tiger came under fire…
 
January got off to a good start. An “historic” peace pact was signed in Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo by the government and armed groups, after fighting lead to over half a million people being displaced. In the Middle-East, a breach of the Gaza-Egypt blockade lead to tens of thousands of people to rush into Egypt to buy much needed supplies as the humanitarian crisis worsened in Gaza. "We feel a little more free today. It's a good thing for the Gazans to be able to breathe," one Palestinian said.
 
February said sorry. Kevin Rudd [2], the new prime minister of Australia, formerly apologised for Australia’s Stolen Gneration, in front of the Australian parliament and television cameras. The Stolen Generation has been a difficult issue for Australians to address; between the late 1860s and 1969, over 100,000 Aborigine and “half caste” children were taken from their families by the State and placed in institutions. The government claimed to be protecting the children from abandonment, but it is believed white supremacy and eugenics influenced the government’s policies.
 
March voted. Bhutan, home to “Gross National Happiness” [3]and eighth happiest place in the world, went from being a country ruled by a monarchy, to a country ruled by an elected government - the first government in the countries history. 28 year old King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the world’s youngest monarch, oversaw an election. "The people really have made the decision”, said a member of DPT party, which won the election. March also ran. At high speeds. Usually away from angry protestors. The 2008 Bejing Olympic torch relay started in Greece, with pro-Tibetans giving it a fiery send off.
 
April was hungry. Really hungry. Rising food prices and food shortages lead to riots across the globe, from Sengal to Yemen. Latin American members of the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization met to discuss the extreme situation facing some parts of the continent as Brazil banned the export of rice. In Haiti, Prime Minister Jacques-Édouard Alexis was dismissed after failing to respond to food riots that left five people dead across the country. And April carried on running. The Olympic torch relay saw large scale pro-Tibetan, anti-China protests when it arrived in England; who could forget Konnie Huq getting an up-close-and-personal meeting with one determined demonstrator? The torch’s “robotic” guard, from the China’s Peoples Armed Police, were particularly derided.
 
May united. The Union of South American Nations was signed into being, uniting the entire South American continent into a European Union styled entity. The union hopes to strengthen the countries of South America by allowing a freer movement of people between countries - through better road systems and more stream lined beaurocracy - and a greater trading of natural resources.
 
June felt cheated. After nearly thirty years of Mugabe’s rule, Zimbabwe thought it had a chance to see the back of the dictator. But after a tense election campaign, with Mugabe doing his best- ie, torturing, imprisoning and intimidating - to be re-elected, it looked like Morgan Tsvangirai [4]would be the new leader of Zimbabwe. Then the election results, which declared Tsvangirai the victor, were declared meaningless, and the second round of elections saw Mugabe as the undisputed heavy weight goon of Zimbabwe once more. Desmond Tutu was moved to say there was "a very good argument" for sending "an international force to restore peace" to Zimbabwe.
 
July had a meeting. A big meeting. The 34th G8 summit in Japan saw world leaders gather to discuss the world food crisis, whilst enjoying a six-course lunch followed by an eight-course dinner provided by over fifty chiefs. Meanwhile, in the month before the summit started, “over 40 people were arrested in pre-emptive sweeps of broad left and anarchist groups”, according to Indymedia.
 
August turned cold. Flashbacks of the Cold War troubled the world’s psyche as Russia proved it could still kick East European arse. The South Ossetia war claimed the lives of thousands of citizens, plunging Georgia and South Ossetia into chaos. After the conflict, Amnesty International published a report claiming both Georgia and Russia had conducted serious international law violations during the war.
 
September was in a state of emergency. The government of Thailand declared a state of emergency after pro-royalist protestors seized Government House grounds. Violence erupted, leaving 43 people injured and one person dead. The act issued bans on the gathering or assemblage of more than five persons within Bangkok Metropolis. In South Africa, president Thabo Mbeki [5]was removed from power after inferences were made that suggested Mbeki influenced the outcome of a corruption case against a political rival. In USA, the bulls came home; after years of bull markets and easy credit, the Credit Crunch earned it’s capital letters when finance firm Lehman Brothers claimed bankruptcy, the largest every bankruptcy case in US history.

October took to the high seas. In late September, Somalian pirates captured a Ukraine cargo ship carrying heavy weapons and 33 tanks; the hijacking lead to increased scrutiny of Somalian waters, which lead to the vital shipping route of the Suez Canal. Over the year there have been 39 successful hijackings, with pirates receiving over $150 million in ransoms. The United Nations Security Council passed a resolution that urged all nations with military vessels in the area to help combat piracy.
 
November was hopeful. November brought change. Barak Obama [6] was chosen as the 44th president of the USA, after a presidential campaign that seemed eternal and omnipresent. Obama will become the first African-American president of the USA, and will be a Democratic president - say goodbye to the neo-conservatism that brought us such catastrophes as Iraq, the Patriot Act, Guantanamo Bay and George W. Bush. Unfortunately, November was also frightening. Terrorism struck India, with the city of Mumbai coming under several attacks that claimed the lives of 195 people, and injured at least 250 people. Meanwhile in Nigeria, riots between Christians and Muslims left over 400 people injured and 381 people killed.
 
December hasn’t been great. Riots in Greece. Invasions in Gaza. 200 people dead after a militia raid in Congo.

So - Happy New Year.

Words: Richard Lemmer.
Image: Google - FussyFoodie