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Re: Truth & Reconcilliation
In Response To: Re: Truth & Reconcilliation ()

You wrote: “So, we can reason for days about the actions of the West - but until we Africans get our house in order - we should prepare ourselves to deal with these agencies and NGO's.”

Of course I agree with this concluding statement of yours; in fact, I agree with the general viewpoint of your reply, the only point of “contention” being: *How* to “deal” with these agencies and NGOs (& HOW to get our houses in order) …

I honestly believe “getting our houses in order” should first be seen more from within the framework of our mental-psychological being than as being some tangible, physical-material thing.

My point in quoting Robert Mugabe to you was to show how POWERLESS our own structures are, even how powerless our own leaders are (all of them, in fact!), especially how powerless they are made to be (MADE SO BY THE WEST!) … To “deal” with NGOs, I think we first have to change the way we think about these so-called NGOs … Yes! I say “so-called” because they mostly really are NOT non-governmental, but usually have some political, ideological and, sometimes, even religious agendas -- (tightly tied to some powerful Western political interests, as it were ...) -- to be agreed upon by us as a prerequisite to us receiving their “aid” … They, most times, hide behind many confusing slogans … In the same vein, this (so-called) “aid” can, interchangeably, also be called DEBT, for that’s what it really is in most cases! … Yes!! That’s the debt we end up owing these people, the debt being piled upon our shoulders day by day, weighing us down!!

How that money is used -- or misused, that DEBT! -- by both Afrikan politicians and economic planners AND Western bureaucrats and technocrats is another very BIG ISSUE!

The very few ‘good NGOs’ I can think of are those Scandinavian ones such as the NORAD (Norwegian Agency for Development) … The Scandinavians have ALWAYS been honest in their dealings with (at least Southern) Afrika. A good example there is the relentless (material, financial & moral) support [& morale!] the Scandinavians gave for our very bloody liberation struggles -- (in Southern Afrika) -- that blazed the trail of the 70s, through the 80s and on into the 90s. Yes, indeed, every informed Afrikan should know, in case they didn’t yet, that the Scandinavians -- (i.e. in countries such as Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark) -- have done better than others: in their transparently honest dealings with us, have been our all-weather friends … (at least that’s how they are seen where I come from, based on our direct human experience with them).

I guess Amy Biehl has the same spirit …

But, to me, Amy Biehl is not USAID or CRS, nor is she CNN or IMF or the World Bank. In fact, I could almost swear that, based on what Iyah wrote her mother said about her and her courageous outlook, most directors & editors of Western aid & news agencies, (respectively), would not agree with her in that “radical” outlook. To drive my point home: How many Westerners -- [even some here on this Message Board, who may think they also really care as much as Amy seems to have done, and share her outlook, or …] -- would agree that “ … black people were always reported in the newspapers as numbers -- 11 killed there -- [whereas] when a white person was killed, there would be a name …”?? … That’s only a rhetorical question, needing no answer, but we can all read the different answers out of the different ways different people face (or don’t face) these issues …

I therefore find it fitting to say: Amy Biehl was definitely a bright soul, an individual exception, and it is such honest souls -- (with a caring desire to really help) -- that we Afrikans like and need to be in contact with, and not those who go to patronize or (only) to “holiday” in Afrika … those who may walk by planting their nose up in the clean air of Afrika, and then curse Afrika … People that really care about Afrika mostly already know Afrika: through human empathy and human feeling; they would not necessarily need to have been in Afrika before; they would just already know Afrika! They would not normally underestimate or abnormally overestimate the risks involved in going to do good in Afrika, as Afrika is a continent with both a smile and a scorn, looted but still rich, with both a mask and a humane face. Afrika is always there but alone. Afrika is black but invisible. Afrika has few friends. Afrika is resilient but still sick! Afrika writhes in pain, yet has blood in its veins. Afrika is both lazy and strong, and still grapples in vain. Afrika is alive but still strives. Afrika laughs but can be mad. Afrika needs healing! Afrika has no race and should not be sad. Afrika has feeling. Afrika is a sleeping lion or a waking cub! Afrika has been tamed ... Of course Afrika can be dangerous and so, just as Amy most definitely knew such dangers, I guess her motherly will to help was more powerful and won her over to Afrika … May her soul rest in peace! … Afrika should is ashamed!!!

We Afrikans usually fail to recognise who our real enemy is BEHIND THE SCENES and, until we recognise and unmask the REAL common enemy for what they are (and really unmask them so stark naked in such a way that all of us -- Afrikans!!! -- realise who that enemy is, how and why), we would never find common ground in dealing with the enemy, nor would we get our houses in order, to begin with. That’s my own opinion.

Regards!

Messages In This Thread

Truth & Reconcilliation *LINK*
Re: Truth & Reconcilliation
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Re: Truth & Reconcilliation
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Amy Biehl ...
Re: Truth & Reconcilliation
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Re: bless sistren.seen *NM*
Re: Truth & Reconcilliation
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