correspondence 12/6/06

Beautiful -
Oh my gosh where to start! I'm taking a break from my ISP....
Ok I'm going to approach your email "chronologically" if you will - answering each point as I see it.

Reparations:

I know deep down reparations will never happen but I sure as hell think they should. I didn't before coming here but many things have changed. I don't think however, it should be in the form of monetary aid to governments. When I was alone on the island I heard an African professor (from Ghana no less) responding to Tony Blair's comments about reparations (god I love radio - even on a semi-deserted island I can keep up with the news). He said that reparations are a must and they should take the form of a true commitment to fair-trade in the West. Millions of Africans are being cheated and have become part of a new, though less brutal, form of slavery. This I'm sure you see in Ghana, just like I see it here in Kenya. One of the biggest problems I see is the exodus of Africans to places like Europe and the United States. Those who manage to leave generally don't come back, creating the famous "brain-drain" that is damaging African education and society. Before I continue I should say it feels a bit too ignorant to talk about "Africa" as if it was one country. There are variations to this trend etc, etc - you understand. I think solving this "brain-drain" problem should be part of reparations. However I get the feeling that's like telling an ant to go climb Mt. Kilamanjaro in an hour. I do think America and Europe should make it easier for Africans to study in their universities and colleges. Of course the counter point to that is, how could they be accepted to American/European schools if they can barely pass high school because of a lack of teachers, supplies etc. This is a "chicken or the egg?" dilema and therefore up for constant debate. Another problem with emphasizing education is how are they supposed to go to school if they have malaria/cholera/aids/pneumonia and so on? Ultimately, after hours of thought, I decided that no way one big umbrella plan will work for reparations. Nothing could solve all these problems at once. I am a firm believer in grass-roots organizations, I think they are the future of aid in Africa and other countries. Providing resources, not just monetary, to those organizations would be a helpful start. The point about fair-trade was also a good one.

I haven't read "The Constant Gardener" or seen the movie...yet, do you recommend both?

Aid Workers:

My opinion about aid workers changed our freshman year when I read one of the readings in that massive core I book. It was an insightful and bitter critique of the Peace Corps by a Nepalese man. I'll never forget how depressed I felt after I finished it. I felt my dreams come toubling down around me. Again, being here has changed that. There are benefits and disadvantages to aid workers. The Peace Corps began as a subtle propaganda move under I think the Kennedy administration. American kids were sent out to "help" those poor defenseless third-worlders who can't teach or build bridges by themselves (kindly note sarcasm). If, in the mean time, they spread the ideologoy of democracy in the face of encroaching communism so much the better. Brilliant PR move. Brilliant. HOWEVER if you ask, what right do we have to spread that ideology, I'd respond with what right do we have to deny it? Cultural exchange does not have mean the spreading of ideology. There are many aspects of Swahili society I think the US could benefit from and there are other parts I'm happy to leave here in Kenya. From what I've seen here cultural exchange is a two-way street. There are aspects of US life which appeal to the folks I've met and there's a lot that doesn't. I feel people have the right to pick and choose. Culture is dynamic, it's meant to change - it's been changing for centuries.
Here in Kenya aid workers, especially ones who speak English are incredible resources. The country has two languages, English (the official) and Kiswahili (the national). Of course there are over 40 other different dialects on top of those two. Kiswahili and English are both taught in primary school but after that all the classes are in English. It's idiotic on the coast where the majority of people speak Kiswahili or a language close to it. Up-country it works better because there are more languages, English becomes a common denominator of communication. Ok, imagine the consequences of being taught English by someone who doesn't really know it themselves, who isn't a native speaker, who has never been to an English speaking country. I'm not necessarily endorsing the teaching of English in an African country, but I do see the benefits of a common denominator language. Currently, someone well-versed in English has more opportunities and options than someone who can't speak a word. There are so many sub-issues to this. Knowledge of English means people receive their education in Western country furthering the brain-drain syndrome. If Kiswahili was mandatory like it is in Tanzania, then there could be a renaissance in literature, a move towards national unity, etc. However I'm not quite sure how well that would go over with the Luo and Kikuyu who aren't Swahili and don't care to speak it. I feel like I'm going off on a tangent...back to aid workers. I guess my take on the situation is that you've got to start somewhere. And if you're going to start, start small but in many places. I wish the Peace Corps would hire African, Asian, European, Latin American teachers...why restrict it to just Americans?

I definitely take your point about creating this visicious dependency cycle. I have no idea what to do. Great answer huh? I seriously have no clue. If we give them aid, it's just an easy way out. If we don't, we may be doing more damage than good. We wil talk more on this when we get back...I need to think on it.