The End, for now
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Leeds,
United Kingdom
Sunday, December 5, 2004
I think it's fair to say this has been my hardest entry to write. Perhaps it's the pressure!! I always said I would write a concluding entry...it's just taken me ages to feel that I can finally put it online. Sorry!! I've written deleted, rewritten..Deleted many times!! But 2 things have made me realise that I wasn't saying what I wanted to say, One was watching Black Hawk Down, a full on action movie based on US actions in Somalia, and also, the recent release of Band Aid 20, the re-recording of the Band Aid single.
There where many things that upset me when I was in Africa, there have also been many things that have got to be upon my return to Uni. I could list you loads of statistics about AIDS or Poverty or War in Africa, I could try and take you on a guilt trip, that's what I did in my drafts for this entry, I've been so frustrated by people just not caring, there concern for "people suffering form poverty" ranks along with, or perhaps below, "what shall I wear tonight", "why don't I have a girlfriend" and even better "why are the trains always late". I've found myself wanting to scream "WHO CARES", "DON'T YOU HAVE BETTER THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT???" But, then why would they care, people can only care about what they've seen or heard about, the way Africa is presented in the mass-media has created a certain...apathy, there's another crisis in Africa, Queue the reruns of Michael Burk in Ethiopia,
I have begun to see that I'm not going to make many friends, or even really heighten concern by condemning people's attitudes. I've turned my frustration to just doing more reading on the topics that concern me, asking more questions, trying to understand why Africa is so very poor. And then if anyone actually asks me anything...I might be able to point them in the right direction for an answer.
But something else has totally overwhelmed me, simply that, whilst the media will pick up on massive crises, where the figures outdo previous occurrences or where international concern is high enough there are hundreds of other crises happening across the continent all the time, from corrupt dictators stealing from their people to former colonial rulers still pursuing their interests, to hundreds of smaller things like everyday suffering caused by corruption. To be honest this is so powerful to me, whilst foreign reporters will come and go, why does no one report the every day trials, that keep people in poverty, that mean kids don't get vital Aids education, that lets people still die of preventable and sometimes curable diseases like Polio and Malaria.
The every day suffering isn't a news story, and even if it is it's only going to be on small niche outlets that wont reach many people, so...people continue to suffer in poor countries, people continue to struggle. You may be thinking...well why should we care...people suffer in the UK. Yes that is true, but it's not on the same scale...our lives are less expendable, we have freedom, we have access to food, water and health...you have chances here, even if you have nothing you can make something of yourself...for so many people in developing...poor countries they will never see these chances...if AIDS or Malaria don't kill you malnutrition might just catch up with you...and if you criticise the way the country is run, and say form an opposition to run in the upcoming election, you might just be arrested by the military and next thing you know your being flown in a plane (probably funded by your former colonial power) over the Atlantic Ocean and dropped still alive into the waters below. I don't joke this actually happened in Togo. Click on the link below if your intrested...the whole page is of interest but what I'm talking about starts about half way down.
From a Amnesty International report
Togo is still ruled by President Eyedema...He's ruled for 37 years, the current ruler who has ruled longer in the world is Castro!! The document above details how France supports his repressive rule. I've decided not to go into all the details, some praise him for his leadership, but the country has got poorer year on year for manymany years, his regime is repressive, he is in my opnion throughly bad news. Former US president Jimmy Carter went to observe the elections in 1992, they where so false he was forced to condemn them...for his pains he was given 24 hours to leave the country. If you want more information get in touch...use the link at the bottem of the page that says "send johnnyc an email" It amazes me that this can escape mainstream reporting, and if cases as outrageous as this can be ignored, or worse tolerated I worry what else happens in this world we live in.
And above all else it has led to me a strange conclusion, in Togo I was once asked me if western peoples lives mattered more than African's lives, I of course said no, but now I can see what he means. If you are lucky enough to live in the west, you get more resources, more freedom, more privileges more opportunities, so you damn well better start using them.
I'm not saying go to Africa tomorrow and start helping people, be realistic...maybe just do read a few books on the subject...or browse a few websites once or twice a months...it sure makes you feel better about your "problems" in your life!!
But if you remember one thing from all this.... I was wrong, a contact in Togo recently got in touch with me...I once said that £25 was enough to provide education for a child for a year...that's true in the capital...in a good well equipped school, but for the most basic and essential primary education in rural schools, things like, reading, writing, maths, health education, that sort of thing well its possible to provide this FOR ONE YEAR...FOR ONE CHILD.... for £2.50 that's nothing, that's just over 4p a week!! and I'm lucky enough to live in the rich world where my small change could go a very very long way in other arts of the world.
One less beer a year, and think what that could do
Messed up isn't it!!
