While I do appreciate the Obama Administration's commitment to put Africa at the top of their priority list, I find it disconcerting that they lump AFRICA into a quick trip. Secretary Clinton is visiting 7 African nations in 12 days... what can she really learn about the intricacies of history and culture in these lands if she spends little more than a few hours to a day there...
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/08/03/clinton.africa.trip/index.html
She starts her trip in Nairobi, Kenya... a fine place to start... a good diplomatic choice, won't ruffle too many feathers and shows concern for a nation that suffered from a violent aftermath of recent elections...
Now, I realize that in the past there has been mistakes made in regard to Africa... militarily... underestimating the violence of starving and impassioned people... Many people have seen the movie Black Hawk Down... those who study Africa know that Somalia is a "failed state" - it has no sustainable governing forces and limited protection can be offered to anyone visiting... but there is a President, whether his power is powerful remains to be seen, but Sec. Clinton will meet with the Somali President while she's in Kenya...
- I'm not asking her to jump in front of a grenade... but do we still fear treading on the ground of Somalia? Okay, okay, for arguements sake, I myself would not volunteer for a mission to enter Somalia to chat with the president, so maybe it makes sense that the meeting required the president to leave his unstable country and travel to kenya so that Sec Clinton was safe... But I need to know that this is more than just a publicity stunt, something to say "we still think about somalia and hope it's getting better, but we're not willing to really commit to anything more than a photo op at the present time"
Then our fearless diplomatic leader jumps onto a 4.5 hour plane ride to South Africa... (I may have started here but that's just a preference...) -- I'm impressed that they will discuss Zimbabwe... for it feels as if we sit idly by while a craze dictator oppresses and starves and demolishes his own citizenry for the purpose of lining his pockets with any money he can get his hands on... A "fair and democratic election" was held and the results were less than surprising... although Mugabe has recently agreed to power sharing with the challenger, Tsvingairi....Crazy Mugabe (as I not so affectionately call him) has been allowed to do the most insane things and the reality of hyperinflation has sucked dry any sense of economic stabilization...
"Hyperinflation in Zimbabwe has persisted since the early 2000s, shortly after that country's confiscation of white-owned farmland and its repudiation of debts to the International Monetary Fund. Figures from November 2008 estimated Zimbabwe's annual inflation rate at 89.7 sextillion (10^21) percent.[1] In April 2009, Zimbabwe abandoned printing of the Zimbabwean dollar, and the South African rand and US dollar became the standard currencies for exchange. The government does not intend to reintroduce the currency until 2010" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperinflation_in_Zimbabwe
- Next stop: Angola.... we rarely hear much in the news about Angola... as far as the news article reports, it looks like we desire to see how their petroleum industry can be beneficial to global oil needs... but I could just be reading into that...
- Here's where I applaud Sec Clinton (I know, seriously, me?! right) she's going to DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO!!!!!!!!!! (play triumphant music)
"For more than 15 years, (well, can we be honest and say violence has been rampant since 1960, time of 'independence') eastern Congo was torn by civil strife and massive use of rape. Clinton will meet with some of the victims of that violence to underscore the United States' commitment ending gender-based violence." This is a victory in the "war" against "rape as a weapon of war" in the DRC... this better be more than a photo op, Ms. Clinton... :)
I look forward to hearing more about her time in the DRC...
Then she will travel to Nigeria, which I disagree with the State Dept's characterization that it is the most important African nation... Africa is a massive continent, and while Nigeria is a great example of economic development and stabilization, it's climate, history and culture is vastly different from the countries to it's North and North East... i.e. Cote d'ivoire, eritrea, somilia... but let's not take anything away from Nigeria, because if it is the most important country to Africa's economic development, by all means, let's support them in their quest...
The obligatory Liberia jaunt (i know this sounds sarcastic, but I am deeply impressed with President Siraf and Sec Clinton's working relationship... thus I am not surprised by her travels to Liberia... although she seems to be doing zig zags up and down Africa... maybe they didn't look at the map before setting the itinerary??)
And finally, to Cape Verde... I know very little about this island nation -- i'm ashamed of that fact, but that could also be a good thing since I studied CONFLICT in grad school :) According to the State Department, this is a great example of stable and well managed nation.
To address Amnesty International's concerns I only offer this, if she neglects to mention human rights abuses while in DRC, she will be unable to speak, for everywhere you turn there is another story of abuse. And ignoring the nation which borders DRC to the north would be a gross misuse of her many photo-ops... Darfur has not become peaceful and loving simply because we stopped hearing about it... slavery still exists even if we don't as Americans participate in it... child soldiers are involved in almost all of Africa's conflicts... DRC, Sudan, Uganda, Chad, Eritrea and Ethiopia... these realities cannot be ignored when you come face to face with the land of Africa... your heart is compelled to tell the stories of those you meet... and if she does not schedule in some time to visit a village, an orphanage, or an AIDs focused hospital, she is wasting taxpayer money on a fancy safari trip to afrika...
I sincerely hope that she comes back a changed woman, with a spirit of hope renewed for a land oft pushed aside...
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Sudan... suffering, poverty, conflict, disease
I want to go one day and see it for myself... not because I don't believe it, but because how can you speak passionately about something if you have not experienced it? I speak passionately about poverty in Africa, I have only seen a small piece of what that looks like... that experience has molded me and shaped me in ways impossible had I never ventured outside of my comfortable middle-class existence. But the poverty of Sudan may be vastly different from South Africa's poverty, and always different from America's.
Let's do a word association... and don't peek at what I've written (in fact i will disguise it in white so you'll have to highlight it to see) -- I'll say a word, and you write down everything that comes to mind... ready... go
SUDAN:
civil war, genocide, Darfur, north vs south, oil, janjaweed, khartoum, islam vs christianity vs africanism, black africa vs arab africa, beauty, pain, hunger, disease, turmoil, suffering, MASSIVE, unimaginable, crying, tears, blood, death....
How much did you come up with? How much of it was positive? How much of it made you smile? Therein lies the problem... there is beautiful culture underneath the pain... there is amazing art beneath the scortched earth of war... there is a message of hope and peace and love somewhere in between the despair, the fighting and the hate...
please pray for this nation... pray for peace, hope, love, and deliverance...
Let's do a word association... and don't peek at what I've written (in fact i will disguise it in white so you'll have to highlight it to see) -- I'll say a word, and you write down everything that comes to mind... ready... go
SUDAN:
civil war, genocide, Darfur, north vs south, oil, janjaweed, khartoum, islam vs christianity vs africanism, black africa vs arab africa, beauty, pain, hunger, disease, turmoil, suffering, MASSIVE, unimaginable, crying, tears, blood, death....
How much did you come up with? How much of it was positive? How much of it made you smile? Therein lies the problem... there is beautiful culture underneath the pain... there is amazing art beneath the scortched earth of war... there is a message of hope and peace and love somewhere in between the despair, the fighting and the hate...
please pray for this nation... pray for peace, hope, love, and deliverance...
Saturday, July 25, 2009
South African Poverty
South Africa is not the poster nation of poverty, although it isn't hard to find if you open your eyes. South Africa is one of those marvels, where you can be in the awe of million dollar waterfront property one minute, drive by moving hawkers on the side of the road selling all sorts of items, and then you are driving by makeshift sprawling townships that go as far as the eye can see. On a 4 hour trip from the airport to Mafriking we experienced the three nations of South Africa many times. Unfortunately, one of those times included a pay toilet with no paper (luckily I had been fascinated by the purple t.p. at the petrol station we stopped at prior and had a stash on me)...
When I wrote about Kenya, it was purely from an academic point of view. But writing about South Africa floods my memory with firsthand accounts of what I experienced on my trip not too long ago. I can picture the beauty and the despair almost in the same moment. Remembering the place we drank tea, that was gated away from the crime of the city. I can recall staying in a home with an elaborate security system (alarm, gates, double locks on doors, double doors) and then attending church at Nelson Mandela Community Church in Khayelitscha, one of the townships hardest hit by HIV/AIDS. The children were excited because they just had recently been given access to electricity and running water in the area.
White plastic lawn chairs... they were everywhere... but not in the lavish malls just 30 minutes away... I did not visit inside the shantytown homes... I did not step foot inside a shack... i have no tangible ideas of what "living" in poverty means... but I have seen the disparities between University of Cape Town and Penninsula Technikon University... the difference in grocery stores between the two "college towns"... the poor I came in contact with were pleasant, lovely, loveable people. Most people I met were not poor, or would not think of themselves as poor. The girls who will always be in my heart were some of the richest in spirit I have ever met, even if they slept more to a dorm room than I was ever comfortable with in college.
Reading a story about President Zuma's vow to provide water and housing to townships brought back all my thoughts and memories from the best trip of my life (for oh so many reasons).
Please read this story (compliments of the BBC's website)
Zuma vows help for SA townships
South Africa's President Jacob Zuma has promised to deliver better services, such as water and housing, in a bid to end township protests this month. But he warned that there could be no justification for violence.
Mr Zuma also urged understanding from council and other workers threatening to strike for higher wages. Some 200 people have been arrested in the demonstrations, which revived memories of the deadly xenophobic attacks on foreigners last year.
Fifteen years after the African National Congress won its first election, more than one million South Africans still live in shacks, many without access to electricity or running water.
“ Employers and workers must negotiate in good faith and should be prepared to understand each other's positions ” President Jacob Zuma
The ANC has, however, built some 3m homes in that time.
The BBC's Jonah Fisher in Johannesburg says most of the anger has been directed towards local officials and not Mr Zuma, who has only been in power for two months.
His election campaign was based on promises to tackle poverty and unemployment.
During some of this month's protests, police have fired rubber bullets at demonstrators as the riots turned violent.
"Our constitution allows our people the right of freedom of assembly and expression and to protest where they feel they need to, but this must be done within the ambit of the law," Mr Zuma said. "There can be no justification for violence, looting and destruction of property or attacks on foreign nationals residing in our country," he said.
South Africa announced in June that it was facing its worst recession in 17 years.
Our correspondent says it is the middle of winter in South Africa - bitterly cold - and job losses mean the recession is really biting as people cannot afford their fuel bills.
It is also the time of year when workers are negotiating next year's pay rises and strikes are being threatened across many sectors, he says.
Recently doctors and workers building stadium for the 2010 football World Cup were on strike.
Some 150,000 council workers have called a strike to start on Monday.
"Due to the current economic conditions, these negotiations may be more difficult this year," Mr Zuma said. "Employers and workers must negotiate in good faith and should be prepared to understand each other's positions."
Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/8166725.stmPublished: 2009/07/24 10:41:03 GMT© BBC MMIX
When I wrote about Kenya, it was purely from an academic point of view. But writing about South Africa floods my memory with firsthand accounts of what I experienced on my trip not too long ago. I can picture the beauty and the despair almost in the same moment. Remembering the place we drank tea, that was gated away from the crime of the city. I can recall staying in a home with an elaborate security system (alarm, gates, double locks on doors, double doors) and then attending church at Nelson Mandela Community Church in Khayelitscha, one of the townships hardest hit by HIV/AIDS. The children were excited because they just had recently been given access to electricity and running water in the area.
White plastic lawn chairs... they were everywhere... but not in the lavish malls just 30 minutes away... I did not visit inside the shantytown homes... I did not step foot inside a shack... i have no tangible ideas of what "living" in poverty means... but I have seen the disparities between University of Cape Town and Penninsula Technikon University... the difference in grocery stores between the two "college towns"... the poor I came in contact with were pleasant, lovely, loveable people. Most people I met were not poor, or would not think of themselves as poor. The girls who will always be in my heart were some of the richest in spirit I have ever met, even if they slept more to a dorm room than I was ever comfortable with in college.
Reading a story about President Zuma's vow to provide water and housing to townships brought back all my thoughts and memories from the best trip of my life (for oh so many reasons).
Please read this story (compliments of the BBC's website)
Zuma vows help for SA townships
South Africa's President Jacob Zuma has promised to deliver better services, such as water and housing, in a bid to end township protests this month. But he warned that there could be no justification for violence.
Mr Zuma also urged understanding from council and other workers threatening to strike for higher wages. Some 200 people have been arrested in the demonstrations, which revived memories of the deadly xenophobic attacks on foreigners last year.
Fifteen years after the African National Congress won its first election, more than one million South Africans still live in shacks, many without access to electricity or running water.
“ Employers and workers must negotiate in good faith and should be prepared to understand each other's positions ” President Jacob Zuma
The ANC has, however, built some 3m homes in that time.
The BBC's Jonah Fisher in Johannesburg says most of the anger has been directed towards local officials and not Mr Zuma, who has only been in power for two months.
His election campaign was based on promises to tackle poverty and unemployment.
During some of this month's protests, police have fired rubber bullets at demonstrators as the riots turned violent.
"Our constitution allows our people the right of freedom of assembly and expression and to protest where they feel they need to, but this must be done within the ambit of the law," Mr Zuma said. "There can be no justification for violence, looting and destruction of property or attacks on foreign nationals residing in our country," he said.
South Africa announced in June that it was facing its worst recession in 17 years.
Our correspondent says it is the middle of winter in South Africa - bitterly cold - and job losses mean the recession is really biting as people cannot afford their fuel bills.
It is also the time of year when workers are negotiating next year's pay rises and strikes are being threatened across many sectors, he says.
Recently doctors and workers building stadium for the 2010 football World Cup were on strike.
Some 150,000 council workers have called a strike to start on Monday.
"Due to the current economic conditions, these negotiations may be more difficult this year," Mr Zuma said. "Employers and workers must negotiate in good faith and should be prepared to understand each other's positions."
Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/8166725.stmPublished: 2009/07/24 10:41:03 GMT© BBC MMIX
Monday, July 20, 2009
Famous Kenyans
Here are a few famous Kenyan names for you to google in our pursuit to learn more:
Dr. Florence Wambugu *****
Karen Blixen
Daniel arap Moi
Prof. Wangari Maathai
Paul Tergat
Richard Leakey
Jomo Kenyatta
Dr. Florence Wambugu *****
Karen Blixen
Daniel arap Moi
Prof. Wangari Maathai
Paul Tergat
Richard Leakey
Jomo Kenyatta
Friday, July 17, 2009
Kenya
It feels almost out of character that I should begin by blogging about Kenya. I have never been there, never studied the land extensively, and know little more than your average BBC News story reader would know about daily life. Yet I feel compelled to learn more about this land of 62 languages. Maybe it's because when someone has a question about Africa, they come to me... and if I don't have an answer, I wonder what's wrong with me. My mom asked me what the official language of Kenya is. Well I knew that... sort of... I said, "They speak English... and I'm pretty sure Swahili... hmm maybe French but lemme check..." So I googled Kenyan languages... and found a wiki answer that exclaimed Kenya has 3 official languages (yay i was right) but there are 62 languages spoken throughout the country. Fascinating. Here in America we tend to get angry when people speak Spanish instead of English, I know I get irritated at work when I can't communicate with someone due to a language barrier. Can you imagine 62 languages!?! The amazing thing is that a lot of people can speak more than one. I've tried my hand at French, and while I can get by ordering from a menu, I'm probably not going to win any medals for conversation.
Let's learn about Kenya together, shall we?
JAMBO! JAMBO BUANA akira yetu missouri sana heyetu missouri bishwe hora yetu hakuna matata... I learned a song in 3rd or 4th grade that I still sing... as evidenced by what I just typed, I sing it wrong and I have no idea what I'm saying. But I thin Swahili is a beautiful language and one day, one day i tell ya, I will learn how to speak Swahili.
Here is the actual song: (at least I got "Jambo" right....) visit this site to hear the song! and see some pictures of Kenya the translation comes from this site as well
Jambo
Jambo bwana
Habari gani?
Mzuri sana
Wageni mwakaribishwa
Kenya yetu
Hakuna matata
Verse
Kenya nchi nzuri
Nchi ya maajabu
Nchi ya kupeleza
Hakuna matata
Kenya yetu
Hakuna matata
Kenya wote
Jambo - Hi
Jambo bwana - Hi sir
Habari gani? - How are you?
Mzuri sana - Very fineW
ageni mwakaribishwa - Visitors are welcome
Kenya yetu - Our (country) Kenya
Hakuna matata - (there are) no worries
Verse
Kenya nchi nzuri - Kenya is a nice country
Nchi ya maajabu - A beautiful country
Nchi yenye amani - A peaceful country
Kenya yetu - Our country
Kenya wote - All Kenyans
Here's some interesting facts about their geography
(source: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107678.html)
"Kenya lies across the equator in east-central Africa, on the coast of the Indian Ocean. It is twice the size of Nevada. Kenya borders Somalia to the east, Ethiopia to the north, Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west, and Sudan to the northwest. In the north, the land is arid; the southwest corner is in the fertile Lake Victoria Basin; and a length of the eastern depression of the Great Rift Valley separates western highlands from those that rise from the lowland coastal strip."
Kenya and Poverty
- Most people hear Kenya and don't picture the poverty found in other African nations. They see Kenyan tourism, big cities, fancy souvenirs. People think about safaris and movies and relative peace (except for a few stories a few months ago about some violence... but they don't remember where or how long it lasted).
I would venture a guess that most average Americans have no idea that between 1/4 and half the Kenyan population lives on less than $1US a day (http://www.kenya-advisor.com/poverty-in-kenya.html - caution: this website has lots of strong opinion and the author goes on to discuss his opinion on cultural beliefs and lifestyles, that while may seem true, can't be entirely the reason for poverty)
poverty has roots in many things... for Africa, many times you will find poverty correlated with weather patterns (i know, you never thought about it, but now it makes sense) If an economy is entirely or semi-dependent upon Agriculture, and there's a drought, economic development is harshly effected. Traveling away from the cities into rural Kenya, job opportunities grow scarce.
Much like South Africa which has a great disparity between rich and poor, Kenya seems to be two nations in one. Unequal distribution of resources and opportunity make for a poor rural population yet a flourishing city population...
http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Africa/Kenya-POVERTY-AND-WEALTH.html
Another factor in Kenyan poverty is disease:
"The proportion of the population infected with HIV/Aids has fallen from 14% in 1997 to around 4% now. " (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5033558.stm)
- Yellow Fever
- Malaria
- HIV/AIDS
- H1N1
- Measles
I encourage everyone reading this to learn more about Kenya... as I said, I have not extensively studied it, although I have heard some fascinating stories from a friend or two in my life... and I would definitely love to visit this land one day. I've also been supporting a World Vision sponsored child from Kenya for numerous years... and am a little ashamed it has taken me this long to learn more about his country.
Resources you may find helpful:
1. http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/kenya.html
2. http://www.state.gov/p/af/ci/ke/
3. http://www.worldvision.org/content.nsf/sponsor/sponsor-kenya
Country Statistics
Population 34.2 million
Land Mass 219,788 sq. miles
Life Expectancy 49 years
Infant Mortality Rate 79 / 1,000
Literacy Rate 74%
School Enrollment 76%
Access to Safe Water 61%
Average Annual Income (GNI per capita) US$530
4. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1024563.stm
5. Google: Kenya; Kenya and poverty; Kenya and disease; Kenya and tourism; Kenya and economic development; Kenya and Violence; Kenya and peace.... just explore until your eyes get tired...
Let's learn about Kenya together, shall we?
JAMBO! JAMBO BUANA akira yetu missouri sana heyetu missouri bishwe hora yetu hakuna matata... I learned a song in 3rd or 4th grade that I still sing... as evidenced by what I just typed, I sing it wrong and I have no idea what I'm saying. But I thin Swahili is a beautiful language and one day, one day i tell ya, I will learn how to speak Swahili.
Here is the actual song: (at least I got "Jambo" right....) visit this site to hear the song! and see some pictures of Kenya the translation comes from this site as well
Jambo
Jambo bwana
Habari gani?
Mzuri sana
Wageni mwakaribishwa
Kenya yetu
Hakuna matata
Verse
Kenya nchi nzuri
Nchi ya maajabu
Nchi ya kupeleza
Hakuna matata
Kenya yetu
Hakuna matata
Kenya wote
Jambo - Hi
Jambo bwana - Hi sir
Habari gani? - How are you?
Mzuri sana - Very fineW
ageni mwakaribishwa - Visitors are welcome
Kenya yetu - Our (country) Kenya
Hakuna matata - (there are) no worries
Verse
Kenya nchi nzuri - Kenya is a nice country
Nchi ya maajabu - A beautiful country
Nchi yenye amani - A peaceful country
Kenya yetu - Our country
Kenya wote - All Kenyans
Here's some interesting facts about their geography
(source: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107678.html)
"Kenya lies across the equator in east-central Africa, on the coast of the Indian Ocean. It is twice the size of Nevada. Kenya borders Somalia to the east, Ethiopia to the north, Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west, and Sudan to the northwest. In the north, the land is arid; the southwest corner is in the fertile Lake Victoria Basin; and a length of the eastern depression of the Great Rift Valley separates western highlands from those that rise from the lowland coastal strip."
Kenya and Poverty
- Most people hear Kenya and don't picture the poverty found in other African nations. They see Kenyan tourism, big cities, fancy souvenirs. People think about safaris and movies and relative peace (except for a few stories a few months ago about some violence... but they don't remember where or how long it lasted).
I would venture a guess that most average Americans have no idea that between 1/4 and half the Kenyan population lives on less than $1US a day (http://www.kenya-advisor.com/poverty-in-kenya.html - caution: this website has lots of strong opinion and the author goes on to discuss his opinion on cultural beliefs and lifestyles, that while may seem true, can't be entirely the reason for poverty)
poverty has roots in many things... for Africa, many times you will find poverty correlated with weather patterns (i know, you never thought about it, but now it makes sense) If an economy is entirely or semi-dependent upon Agriculture, and there's a drought, economic development is harshly effected. Traveling away from the cities into rural Kenya, job opportunities grow scarce.
Much like South Africa which has a great disparity between rich and poor, Kenya seems to be two nations in one. Unequal distribution of resources and opportunity make for a poor rural population yet a flourishing city population...
http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Africa/Kenya-POVERTY-AND-WEALTH.html
Another factor in Kenyan poverty is disease:
"The proportion of the population infected with HIV/Aids has fallen from 14% in 1997 to around 4% now. " (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5033558.stm)
- Yellow Fever
- Malaria
- HIV/AIDS
- H1N1
- Measles
I encourage everyone reading this to learn more about Kenya... as I said, I have not extensively studied it, although I have heard some fascinating stories from a friend or two in my life... and I would definitely love to visit this land one day. I've also been supporting a World Vision sponsored child from Kenya for numerous years... and am a little ashamed it has taken me this long to learn more about his country.
Resources you may find helpful:
1. http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/kenya.html
2. http://www.state.gov/p/af/ci/ke/
3. http://www.worldvision.org/content.nsf/sponsor/sponsor-kenya
Country Statistics
Population 34.2 million
Land Mass 219,788 sq. miles
Life Expectancy 49 years
Infant Mortality Rate 79 / 1,000
Literacy Rate 74%
School Enrollment 76%
Access to Safe Water 61%
Average Annual Income (GNI per capita) US$530
4. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1024563.stm
5. Google: Kenya; Kenya and poverty; Kenya and disease; Kenya and tourism; Kenya and economic development; Kenya and Violence; Kenya and peace.... just explore until your eyes get tired...
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Raise Awareness - Make a Difference
I want to use this blog as an outlet to raise awareness for suffering throughout the world, but also to provide hope for those in service to combat suffering. I hope that I can enlighten and educate those who do not possess knowledge of atrocities that still occur today in our world and spur those to action who feel particularly impassioned and called. In the process, I pray that I will be given direction into how I can best effect change in the world today.
Please keep comments relevant to the topics posted and use this as a forum to share your knowledge but also ask questions about things you are unfamiliar with. I will do the same and hope to gain knowledge and inspiration from those who read.
Please keep comments relevant to the topics posted and use this as a forum to share your knowledge but also ask questions about things you are unfamiliar with. I will do the same and hope to gain knowledge and inspiration from those who read.
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