Humana People-to-People Alert in the US

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An investigative website into the Humana People-to-People organisation and the international Tvind movement ... in Zimbabwe

  Humana's world headquarters  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

News

 

Press reports

 

Weekendavisen, Danish newspaper, (1st September 2006): Bwana Amdi, by Louise Windfeld-Høeberg.

"In Africa Amdi has the status of a chief. He is the experienced, powerful and energetic leader of a steadily growing tribe of subjects. And the continent's rulers love the 67 year old Dane."

 

New Internationalist

 

 

 

 

 

  Humana - the Mugabe connection  

For more than 30 years, the Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe has supported and protected Humana People-to-People. And Humana has supported him.

Now, a generation after Zimbabwe became an independent country, Mugabe is reviled as a dictator whose thugs brutally suppress all political opposition, while ordinary citizens are driven to starvation.

And Mugabe's close political ally, Mogens Amdi Petersen, is a suspected criminal on the run from Europe. Petersen, the founder and leader of Humana, is wanted for an alleged multi-million dollar fraud.

Humana People-to-People established its international HQ in Zimbabwe in 1998. Today, Petersen is regarded as a 'tribal chief', and accorded the privileges no other white man is allowed.

Please help us keep this page up to date. Email new information to: contact@humana-alert.com

In one of the poorest countries of the world, a splendid building rises. This is the world HQ of Humana People-to-People. According to reports, Amdi Petersen told architects to make it 'so big you can see it from the moon'.

The 4,400 square metre complex at Shamva, 90 kilometres from Harare, is set in rolling parkland surrounded by its own its own animal reserve, forests and agricultural landholdings, in the heart of the most fertile and productive area of Zimbabwe.

It is a striking builsing, with a tall bell tower, conference hall for 200 people, a fountain court and roofed patios, decorated with ochre tiles and blue wall mosaics. The multi-million dollare complex was designed by a Danish supporter of Tvind, Jan Utzon, and officially opened by Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe in October 1998.

We believe it is no coincidence that Humana relocated its 'World HQ' to Zimbabwe just as Danish police inquiries into Humana began.

  Mugabe opens Humana HQ , 1998  

"Forward with the Majority Government
Forward with ZANU PF
Forward with HUMANA PEOPLE TO PEOPLE
Forward with unity
Forward with the upgrading of all the races
Down with laziness"

In October 1998, Mugabe officially opened the Humana People-to-People headquarters in Shamva in an elaborate ceremony. Read Mugabe's speech in praise of Humana and DAPP.

  Shamva, Zimbabwe 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  'Bwana Amdi'  

In Africa, Amdi Petersen, the fugitive leader of Humana People-to-People, is treated as a tribal chieftain.

According to journalist Louise Windfeld-Høeberg, who met Petersen in Zimbabwe, the Humana leader "has the status of a chief."

Throughout the countries of southern Africa, he is regarded by leading government figures as a reputable leader, not as the alleged thief he is widely considered in Europe.

Petersen and his girlfriend Kirsten Larsen are given privileged treatment at airports and hospitals. "He is the experienced, powerful and energetic leader of a steadily growing tribe of subjects. And the continent's rulers love him," Windfeld-Høeberg writes.

"Most striking of all is Amdi's relation to Zimbabwe's leader, Robert Mugabe. Those two practically grew up together."

Read more: Weekendavisen, Danish newspaper, (1st September 2006): Bwana Amdi, by Louise Windfeld-Høeberg

 

  The comrades in arms, 1970-2007  

Mugabe and Petersen have been friends for years. The Humana-ZANU-PF love affair began long before Mugabe became Zimbabwean president in 1980, during the struggle for independence.

Petersen's left-wing school movement, Tvind, supported Mugabe's ZANU-PF during the guerrilla war for liberation against apartheid-ruled Rhodesia in the 1970s.

In around 1978, Humana's first shipments of second-hand clothes were sent to ZANU-PF in Zimbabwe and its first schools in Africa were built for refugees returning from ZANU-PF camps in Mozambique.

But what will happen to Humana in Zimbabwe when Mugabe goes? See our Mexico page.

  The 'last white farmers'  

  DAPP, schools and colleges, and used clothes 

  Inside the farm at Shamva  

Henry, an expert on third world agriculture, visited the Teachers Group's farm at Shamva, which is divided into plots worked by Africans. He concluded that the 'aid project' there was a showpiece of limited benefit to local people, and in fact created dependancy.

He told us that while he saw a prosperous farm, apparently the result of land redistribution, it was in reality controlled by Europeans.

"The size of the land holdings told me all I need to know: 10 hectares cannot be weeded or tended by hand by one family unit.

"Of course ADPP provided both tractor ploughing services at cost on a communal basis and a light truck to take produce to Harare. Tractors, trucks, water supply, seed supply, fertiliser, fertiliser storage, school and clinic are all effectively controlled by European staff.

>>> Read Henry's story

  'Friends Forever'  

  Ponesai Vanhu college  

Fee-paying technical college run by DAPP (left). Students pay their own fees.

We visited this college in 1999. It was interesting to note it was jointly funded with the Mashonaland Central Development Association and other donors (below).

    

Other DAPP projects

  DAPP  

DAPP - 'Development AId from People to People - is Humana's supposed 'aid organisation' on the ground in southern Africa.

It has a branch in Zimbabwe. It is supposed to spend the money raised from used clothes collected in Europe, and other donations. There are DAPP used clothes shops in Africa. DAPP also runs schools, colleges, agricultural and humanitarian projects.

But t here are many doubts about just how DAPP spends the money raised in Europe and the US. There is evidence DAPP money has been returned to the Teachers Group economy, while charity projects may have been paid for by others. It was for this reason Humana UK was closed down by the UK Charity Commission in 1998.

>>>> Read our dossier on DAPP

 

  The Zimbabwe landholdings  

The Tvind Teachers Group have been described as 'the last white farmers' of Zimbabwe.

The Danish-run organisation owns and operates large agricultural estates in the fertile countryside of Mashonaland north of Harare (pictured left).

Although presented as 'agricultural aid', we believe these huge landholdings should be considered as an important part of the $860 million 'Tvind empire', like its plantations in central America. No other supposed development agency owns and profits from so much land in Africa.

Vast eucalyptus forests, fields of maize, cassava and paprika are farmed on a grand scale. While some areas are divided into small allotments rented to African families and described as 'projects', these are only a small part of the land.

While other white farmers have been forced off their land, Humana has been unmolested by the Mugabe regime's 'land redistribution'

  The Frontline Institute  

      

The Frontline Institute is the leading Teachers Group college in Zimbabawe. It was officially opened (above) by Mugabe in 1993 (left).

 

Is Tvind exploiting Zimbabwe's world-famous sculptors?

At first sight it may seem like a 'humanitarian cause'. 'Friends Forever' is a scheme to sell sculptures by Zimbabwean artists - promoted by Tvind. But on close inspection it looks highly commercial. Specially-commissioned art from Zimbabwe is being put up for sale by the Teachers Group in Europe and the United States at extortionate prices up to 10,000 Euros each - and the Teachers Group is keeping most of the money.

Exhibitions have been staged in the USA, Spain, Austria, the Netherlands, Italy and the Museum of Modern Art in Moscow. The sculptures are for sale on the organisation's website, at the kind of prices only rich collectors can afford.

Who profits from this scheme? The Zimbabwe-registered company makes much of its association with Humana, but on a close reading there is no mention of any humanitarian purpose. In fact hardly any of the money earned goes to African artists.

The Teachers Group member in charge of Friends Forever is Sune Jørgensen (below), long-established president of Tvind's Arts Association of March 85.

Jørgensen (that's him on the right of the picture) recently said about two thirds of the money raised by Friends Forever is spent on 'administrative costs' - that is, it is kept by the Teachers Group. About one third of the income is devoted to 'health insurance for the Zimbabwe artists'.

How do we know 'Friends Forever' is a Tvind money-spinning business?

First, its curator is Sune Jørgensen. Its address is in Shamva, near the Humana People-to-People Headquarters. Its website, www.friendsforeverzimbabwe.com, makes constant connections with Tvind enterprises and is currently registered to Pia Jørgensen at the Danish address of a Tvind company, e-advice.

Sculpture sales have been put on by Humana Italy and Humana Spain. In the USA, a recent Friends Forever exhibition was mounted in co-operation with Garson and Shaw, the Tvind-run for-profit used-clothes trading enterprise. Friends Forever is not just a Teachers Group company - it is the Teachers Group!