Just Africa

What's in a day?

    This blog hits the web just after last week’s International day for the Eradication of Poverty, and the weekend’s U.N. day, and World development information day. But in case you are worried about having missed October’s other gems including World Animal day (Oct 4), World Post day (Oct 9) and World Food Day, (Oct 16), November offers some important U.N. recognized days: World Freedom Day (Nov 9), International Day for Tolerance (Nov 16), Africa Industrialization Day (Nov 20), World Television Day (Nov 21).
    The number of International and World days of is wide and varied. Once the realm of witty agendas and planners, the internet has provided an explosion of quirky calendars with everything from days of World Peace, to International talk like a Pirate Day. I admit to being a skeptic, and in this vein I’ve often looked at the innumerable number of days of this or that as a kind of white noise, water cooler talk for those seeking to add additional meaning to the everyday. Even those “important” days on topics like international peace, or refugees seemed an all too convenient podium for rhetoric, like a nice easy lob over the plate in the world press softball league so that anyone can get a hit and look good. Simply put, they represented more words and talk, when what is always needed is more action.
Since beginning my internship my views on the matter have changed radically.
    The world of international news and the District especially is always a flutter with memos, documents, and press releases. In the deluge of competing interests and headline news these days provide they are both a small podium above the fray and an important incentive with which to pressure administrations to take positions. Words may be just words, but in the advocacy world they are fodder for accountability campaigns. Many organizations took advantage of World Food Day to mobilize letter-writing campaigns to Senators and Congressman regarding Congresses’ Global Food Security Act of 2009, introduced to the Senate last spring by Senators Lugar and Casey.
    This is another important aspect of the international days of awareness. They offer the opportunity to carve out time to discuss, educate, inform and reflect on the issues they represent. After all, in our busy world, what’s in the agenda is law right?
So if the weekend’s international U.N. day remains at the very least the subject of water cooler talk, this week, this is still a good thing. The U.N. needs to be discussed. What of its role in Africa? How effective are its missions in Sudan and the DRC? What is the U.S.’s role as chair of the Security Council? If you do find an interested audience or an opportunity to debate these important issues, be sure to take advantage of the resources available on the web. Just as important as taking advantage of the opportunities to educate and advocate provided by these days is the responsibility to be informed in order to act. Africa Action’s L.E.A.D. campaign follows this very premise by providing a number of resources and opportunities to take action in learning, educating, and acting daily. These resources are available at http://www.africaaction.org/campaign_new/index.php. So when the next day of whatever comes across, let it be more than that day’s trivia fact. When someone asks you “What’s in a day?” take time to L.E.A.D.

Ist Africa HOT?

The scene is set, but the dialogue is not. Bruno sits at the front of a Texas talk show with his new African baby, describing himself as a single parent who thought it would be ‘a cool idea.’ The predominantly African-American crowd is outraged and, when asked why he adopted the child, he attributes the idea to people like Brangelina and Madonna: “And now Bruno has one.” The scene was, undoubtedly, absolutely hysterical - but by satirizing this well-known issue, the film also takes a courageous step in attacking such famous celebrities, a major departure from the usual reporters and journalists (the apparent intellectuals) who simply hail them for doing so many “great things to save Africa.”

 

Last week, comedian Sacha Baron Cohen released his new mockumentary film Brüno, in which he portrays an Austrian fashionista who will stop at nothing to become famous (not entirely unlike many of the interviewed characters in the movie). Cohen is known for his outlandish characters that satirize societal issues by filming ordinary people who are unaware they are in a major motion picture. In this particular case, Africa gets airtime “because it’s gotten popular." Bruno displays this idea more explicitly when he meets with two ditzy blondes from an L.A. PR firm who pronounce Darfur as “Da-four” (followed by a “Da-five” joke), and confirm that Africa is a ‘hot topic’ right now. 

Looking past the obscenities and absolute craziness of the entire film, Baron Cohen makes an interesting – and important - point about Africa in the sense that this continent, made up of approximately 1 billion people from several thousand ethnic groups, has somehow managed to become a ‘fad.’ Charities for Darfur are strongly endorsed by George Clooney; Oprah Winfrey has a fund in South Africa for educating children; Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie had their child, Shiloh, in Namibia and, in turn, donated $300,000 for a hospital. And the list goes on. While all these efforts sound admirable, why is it that no celebrities are rushing to endorse poor or homeless Americans? Well now, that would just be condescending, right? So why is it we can do this with Africans?  

I find it to be utterly demeaning that we, as fellow human beings, can allow this many people and this many cultures of such a huge continent to be reduced to a charitable effort because of such a strong disconnect.

On the other hand, the issues many African countries are facing do require publicity and it cannot be argued that certain celebrities (whether it should be the case or not) have a lot of pull with the general population, more so than most politicians. But does it have to be done by ‘charitizing’ cultures? By making Africa simply a hot new trend, people often seek to follow in the footsteps of celebrities without fully understanding the issues. In addition, these do-good celebs are only furthering stereotypes about Africa  (like constant war and lack of education), perpetuating an ‘us and them’ divide. Then again, are politicians any better or more knowledgeable about African issues? Nancy Pelosi can pick up the phone and call African experts just as easily as Bono can.

But what's even worse, the celebrity culture that infuses the desire to “give back” to Africa reinforces the idea that Africans don’t have a wealth of knowledge and perspectives about how to solve problems on their own, without the gracious philanthropists of the West. Where is the investment in African knowledge and better yet, what can we learn from them? Rather than blindly following a cause as a result of George Clooney’s good looks or sending malaria-preventing bed nets because it’s ‘the cool thing’, what would be so difficult about taking a second to read about the issues, where you may find that investment in say local production of bed nets would simultaneously prevent the disease as well as contribute to building infrastructure. Why swoop in and adopt children from all over the continent when hundreds of thousands are left behind and in conditions that need to be addressed? Never mind how African adoptions are reminiscent of imperial and colonial eras, when Africa was considered a place extremely different from other “civilized” places on Earth, and whose people needed to be collected and studied in order to figure out how best to “advance” them. These are the sentiments that seem to not only be subconsciously perpetuated, but are being widely and enthusiastically praised.

Cambridge-educated Baron Cohen once stated, “I remember, when I was in university I studied history, and there was this one major historian of the Third Reich, Ian Kershaw. And his quote was, ‘The path to Auschwitz was paved with indifference.’ I know it is not very funny being a comedian talking about the Holocaust, but I think it’s an interesting idea that not everyone in Germany had to be a raving anti-Semite. They just had to be apathetic.” Perhaps this could be said about Africa as well.  It is not that people are against helping Africa; they just turn the other cheek. So I suppose it is true that maybe it doesn’t matter who it is that makes people look twice, just as long as they do. But has all this celebrity attention really made people any more educated about the actual issues, or is it just that "Africa 'ist hot?'"

Bruno’s attempt at fame through Africa did not work in the film, but however outrageous, the film is provocative when it comes to commentary on Africa and is a push in the right direction for getting truly informed – and having a good laugh while you do it.

By Laura Martin, Executive Office Intern, Africa Action

Spotlight on Swaziland

When was the last time you looked at a map of Africa? I mean, really looked and took in the features – its size, the contours, the coastlines…the countries? Lets be honest, we all know at least one person (and it could even be yourself) who wonders whether its even possible to know all the countries in Africa (you know, the way we all memorized the fifty states….right?) The sad reality is that oftentimes the vast diversity of the African continent isn’t remembered – and, as this satirical skit points out, this neglect can have important consequences:   



While it may be a bit far-fetched (we should, after all, hope that our elected officials are using a correct map of the continent!) the clip does point to a larger problem: the dearth of even general knowledge about African countries, to the point that even those people who should probably know the most about issues in Africa (good – yes, there are successes – and bad) have gaps in their information.

Yet education is power in the struggle to place African issues on an even playing field with more, well-known regions of the world. To that end, this post will introduce the first of several spotlights on African countries, which will provide brief background and recent developments in countries whose stories are not necessarily in major newspapers, or on television, and whose images you may not be familiar with. Nevertheless, the people of these countries are a part of the approximately 1 billion Africans living across 53 countries on the continent – and learning about them can help bring you one country closer to knowing all about Africa!



With a population of about 1.1 million people, The Kingdom of Swaziland is a small, land-locked country – bordered in the north, west, and south by South Africa, and in the east by Mozambique. It is one of the world’s last remaining absolute monarchies. Despite Swaziland’s size (about that of New Jersey), it is divided into four regions – Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, and Shiselweni - each with administrators appointed by the King, and further governed by traditional chiefs.

With a long history of inhabitation pre-dating the colonial period, the Swazil Nation came under British rule of southern Africa in the 19th and 20th centuries. Following the Second Boer War, the country was named a British protectorate remained so until it achieved its independence in 1968. A delicate –and at times tenuous – balance between the monarchy and parliament currently governs the country, while activists who seek more democratic change in Swazi politics, continually call for improvements. However, King Mswati III has served as the nation’s king since 1986, and is noted to uphold the traditions of his father, including retaining firm control of power in the country. While student and labor activists in the 1990s, were able to exert pressure on the monarch to introduce political reforms, the long anticipated, new constitution – introduced in 2006 – left the status of political parties, previously banned, at best unclear.



Swaziland’s economy is fairly diversified, though it is primarily composed of services industry, manufacturing (particularly textiles and sugar), agriculture, and subsistence farming. While the government is seeking to improve the economic atmosphere in the country for foreign investment, as the country has ties to Taiwan, its economy remains closely linked to the South African economy, which imports about 70% of its products. Other key trading partners include the U.S. and the EU. As a member of the southern African Customs Union (SACU), Swaziland has also benefited from increased revenues and its external debt has declined significantly in the last 20 years.

Unfortunately, overgrazing, soil depletion, drought, and occasional floods pose problems for Swazi agriculture programs. At the same time, growth has been stymied by the effects of HIV/AIDS, as Swaziland is the country with the highest prevalence in the world of approximately 26.1%. Average life expectancy is just 31 years of age, according to the AVERT AIDS charity. Since the declaration of AIDS as a “national disaster” by the King in 1999, campaigns have been initiated through media, schools, and workplaces, and targeting vulnerable groups, such as orphans. Overall trends in 2009 indicated that HIV prevalence in the country is stabilizing; however, there is still much to be done – including more open debate on HIV issues and increased funding for prevention programs – to tackle the challenges of the disease.    

The majority of Swazi people live in rural areas and continue to engage in a variety of traditional practices. Traditional Foods include sishwala, a thick porridge normally served with meat or vegetables, sitfubi, fresh milk cooked and mixed with cornmeal, and siphuphe setindlubu, a thick porridge made of mashed groundnuts. Christian and indigenous beliefs are the major religions in the nation and the official languages of the country are English and SiSwati. One of most well-known Swazi customs is the annual Reed Dance



an 8-day ceremony held in late August or early September, where girls cut reeds which are then presented to the queen mother, and then perform a dance. Traditionally, only unmarried women without children may take part. The ceremony signifies the importance of preserving girls’ chastity, pays tribute to the Queen Mother, and encourages solidarity by working together.

Swaziland is a fascinating, if little known, country in Africa, whose stability is inevitably entwined with that of other, southern African countries. Keep reading Just Africa for more spotlights in the coming weeks. For additional information on HIV/AIDS in the region, check out resources on Africa Action’s website, including our latest press releases and talking points!

What are the Real Issues in Somalia?

The recent hijacking of a Ukrainian arms ship off the coast of Somalia has thrust the world's most notorious "failed state" into the spotlight of mainstream Western media. While what appears to be a major weapons shipment to South Sudan is certainly noteworthy, it's unfortunate that it takes such a dramatic, sensational incident to get Somalia in the news. At today's critical political and humanitarian moment, the people of Somalia deserve attention for more than just this "pirate ship."

Here are some other less high profile Somalia stories to take your understanding of Somalia deeper than the pirate drama:

1) October 6: Fifty-two aid agencies working in Somalia released a damning statement urging a stronger international response to the deteriorating humanitarian crisis: "The international community has completely failed Somali civilians. We call on the international community to make the protection of Somali civilians a top priority now." 37,000 people have fled Mogadishu in the past few weeks. 870,000 have been displaced so far in 2008. The city is emptier than it was during the 1994 botched international intervention.

2) May 5: Somalis protest the deaths of civilians after the U.S. launches airstrikes into Somalia, targeting al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorists. Since January 2007, the U.S. has intervened with cruise missile assaults and air attacks multiple times in Somalia, with little success in eliminating key terrorist targets.

CNN MultiChoice Award Finalists Named

Twenty-three African journalists will journey to Accra, Ghana next week for the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Award ceremony, where the recently announced 2008 finalists will be recognized for practicing objective, insightful and often daring journalism in order to promote peace and advancement in Africa. This year’s finalists were selected from the largest and most diverse applicant pool the program has seen since its debut in 1995.

The awards and competition “aim to reinforce the importance of the journalists’ role in Africa’s development and to recognize journalistic talent across all disciplines,” according to CNN.com. In 13 years of existence, awards have been given to a diverse group of journalists from countries such as Zimbabwe, Uganda, South Africa, and Mozambique.

Covering the Continent

The vital role of a robust independent media in any healthy democracy is undeniable, and when the press fails to live up to its public responsibility, the social and political ramifications can be grave. While the last two decades have seen an explosion of civil society groups on the African continent, strong independent media has been slower to proliferate. Journalists are constrained by limited access to training and resources, and many outlets remain controlled by national governments. The latter tendency promotes polarized coverage, and in some cases, African governments routinely employ repressive measures to suppress dissenting coverage.

Yet the state of the media on the African continent is hardly homogenous. While Zimbabwe (149), Equatorial Guinea (153) and Eritrea (last at 169) fall at the bottom of Reporters Without Borders’ 2007 Press Freedom Index, Maritius (25), Namibia (25), Ghana (29), Cape Verde (43) and South Africa (45) all rank above the United States (48).

What about the presentation of Africa by international (predominately Western) media? The lives of the 900 million people in Africa are underreported outside the region on the whole, and when Western media does pick up a story, it is almost always about a dire problem, with little mention of successes or solutions. Emphasizing negative over positive events is of course a common critique of all media, yet this tendency is particularly true for Africa, exacerbated by the fact that many foreign correspondents still often have low knowledge of Africa’s history and/or different cultures. Those that do have solid expertise are tasked to cover a wider range of countries and topics than the comparably bigger staffs of many new outlets’ Middle Eastern Bureaus.

By locals or international reporters, covering the continent isn’t easy, but when done effectively, it can make a huge impact in the lives of Africans. Independent journalism has long been a global force for social justice, and new web and mobile phone based technologies have the potential to empower both professional journalists and the emerging sector of citizen-generated media. Over the summer, Just Africa will look at how different African governments, civil society, the international community and African media interact with one another, and the implications of these processes for political and social justice.