As I stand at its base, straining my neck to take in its towering, wooded slopes, it’s easy to understand why Le Morne mountain is such an emotive cultural symbol for Mauritians. In the island’s south-west, and with a striking geological profile, the Unesco World Heritage Site was once a sanctuary for runaway slaves, known as maroons, who sought refuge in its rugged folds.
Legend has it that when slavery was abolished in Mauritius in 1835, officials approached Le Morne to inform the maroons of their freedom. Suspecting it might be a ploy by their colonial masters to recapture them, many of the runaways leapt from the cliffs – into what became known as the Valley of Bones – rather than face being enslaved again.
Today, the site has become a powerful symbol of the slaves’ resistance and freedom in a country with a compelling story of colonial domination. Once part of the complex and widespread international slave trade, Mauritius was colonised in 1628 by the Dutch, who brought in hundreds of slaves from Madagascar to work on its sugar cane plantations.
Soon the country was teeming with slaves brought in from Mozambique, Madagascar, India, China, Malaysia, Haiti, Reunion island, France and Senegal. In 1710, the Dutch left, leaving Mauritius under French control. Following the Franco-British wars, the island came under British rule in 1810, which continued until independence in 1968.
Commendably, rather than bury its past, Mauritius officially commemorates its abolition of slavery. Each year, on August 23, it celebrates Unesco's International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade to generate greater awareness about this part of its history. Historical sites – visually stunning and symbolically rich – associated with its slave history have become bustling venues for official ceremonies attended by heads of state, human rights advocates and international media.
Witnessing many such ceremonies across the island on a recent trip turned out to be a deeply immersive experience. The celebrations helped me to look at Mauritius with new eyes, as much more than a holiday haven with stunning beaches and crystalline waters.
At the foot of Le Morne is another symbol of slavery, the Slave Route Monument. The group of 10 sculptures pays tribute to the maroons and their struggle for freedom. A central sculpture is surrounded by a constellation of smaller ones with engravings representing countries where slaves were taken from and to. Established in 2009, the monument is also officially a part of Unesco's international Slave Route Project, which links countries with a legacy of slavery.
I ambled around the monument, soaking up its exquisite craftsmanship spotlighting painful yet inspiring stories of the enslaved. The monument’s beauty, the fresh sea breeze blowing through the surrounding foliage, as well as the tranquillity that envelops the site, make it a perfect escape from the whirligig of everyday life.
The next day I visited Aapravasi Ghat, another Unesco World Heritage Site, and a landmark symbol of Mauritian history. The former immigration depot in the bay of Trou Fanfaron, in the bustling capital Port Louis, is where close to half a million Indian indentured labourers landed in 1829. They had signed a contract with the colonists, in pursuit of land offshore from India, but were instead sent to work in the sugar cane farms of Mauritius. The in-house Slavery Museum showcases their lives on the island, including records of their arrivals and some of their belongings.
The last place I went on the Slave Heritage Trail was Pamplemousses Botanical Garden, built with the labour of slaves, who toiled on the property for months to give it shape. Probably the earliest botanical garden in the tropics, the sprawling 18th-century property is filled with exotic flora, including an abundance of grapefruit trees (pamplemousses in French). The adjoining village of Pamplemousses has many other traces of slavery such as the Bassin des Esclaves (where the slaves were bathed before being auctioned); the Cimetiere Noir (a slave cemetery) and the Marche aux Esclaves (the slave market).
As I left the historic garden, I reflected on how learning about the history of Mauritius had helped change my perception of the country. I had a greater appreciation for its blend of cultures and ethnicities, its ethos of acceptance of different people and their ancestries, as well as its multicultural heritage that makes it a truly inclusive nation in a world roiled by strife and racial bias.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Disturbing%20facts%20and%20figures
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E51%25%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20of%20parents%20in%20the%20UAE%20feel%20like%20they%20are%20failing%20within%20the%20first%20year%20of%20parenthood%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E57%25%20vs%2043%25%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20is%20the%20number%20of%20mothers%20versus%20the%20number%20of%20fathers%20who%20feel%20they%E2%80%99re%20failing%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E28%25%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20of%20parents%20believe%20social%20media%20adds%20to%20the%20pressure%20they%20feel%20to%20be%20perfect%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E55%25%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20of%20parents%20cannot%20relate%20to%20parenting%20images%20on%20social%20media%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E67%25%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20of%20parents%20wish%20there%20were%20more%20honest%20representations%20of%20parenting%20on%20social%20media%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E53%25%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20of%20parents%20admit%20they%20put%20on%20a%20brave%20face%20rather%20than%20being%20honest%20due%20to%20fear%20of%20judgment%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cspan%20style%3D%22font-size%3A%2014px%3B%22%3ESource%3A%20YouGov%3C%2Fspan%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Under 19 Cricket World Cup, Asia Qualifier
Fixtures
Friday, April 12, Malaysia v UAE
Saturday, April 13, UAE v Nepal
Monday, April 15, UAE v Kuwait
Tuesday, April 16, UAE v Singapore
Thursday, April 18, UAE v Oman
UAE squad
Aryan Lakra (captain), Aaron Benjamin, Akasha Mohammed, Alishan Sharafu, Anand Kumar, Ansh Tandon, Ashwanth Valthapa, Karthik Meiyappan, Mohammed Faraazuddin, Rishab Mukherjee, Niel Lobo, Osama Hassan, Vritya Aravind, Wasi Shah
THE DETAILS
Deadpool 2
Dir: David Leitch
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Justin Dennison, Zazie Beetz
Four stars
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
