Women: Tradition v Modernization

This has certainly been the year when women's issues are finally being given some of the attention they deserve. It is due to books like "Half the Sky", but many other sources also. Conflicts classes across the years struggled with various "women's" issues such as FGM and whether Westerners had the right or even the responsibility to go into another culture and try to change it - even with the best of motives and to help powerless victims. Was this interference or intervention? Was this humanitarianism or cultural imperialism? Well, Judah Ferst (260) posted a video about women not having to choose between their traditions and western (modern?) ways. She discusses using traditions to bring about the change within culture, instead of abandoning tradition for western culture. It is powerful. Hope you will get a chance to look at it and tell us what you think.

http://www.ted.com/talks/kavita_ramdas_radical_women_embracing_tradition.html

Why I Hate Mugabe

Never a year went by when I was teaching where classes did not question why Africa is so poor and backward after being the birthplace of the human race, toolmaking, language and so many things which make us human plus numerous great kingdoms in its golden age. We've discussed Jared Diamond's theory about the lack of large mammals able to be domesticated. (Gun, Germs and Steel) And then there is the loss of 50 million people in the Atlantic slave trade plus the resulting social and economic disruption to African societies. And, then colonization with its complete denigration of African culture. All these are historically true, and all help explain the plight of Africa today. But, let's forget history for a moment, and talk about current politics. Zimbabwe, once the breadbasket of Africa and a leader in prosperity, has been brought to absolute destitution by one man - Robert Mugabe. The man who refuses to die, to go into exile and who manages to escape overthrow through his complete destruction of the opposition. Nick Kristof has just returned from Zimbabwe, described as "undisclosed location" while he was there. He went in as a tourist since foreign journalists are not allowed in. Read his latest column on the tragedy of Zimbabwe and the amazing resiliency of the human spirit.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/opinion/11kristof.html

Reporter

I just saw the documentary, “Reporter” which follows Nick Kristof and two of the “winners” of his Win a Trip with Nick Kristof to east Congo, specifically the area of Kiva around Goma. There is so much in it that I hardly know where to begin. For people interested in writing and in journalism (or worried about the future of journalism), Nick shares his own philosophy on writing and how it is based in recent research on what reaches people and causes them to become compassionate enough to act. The film follows the trio to a meeting with the warlord, Laurent Nkunda in his camp. It was unnerving to watch them saying grace before meals and hear them describe themselves as “Christian rebels.” They even had a room designated as a chapel, and Nkunda described himself as their pastor! Anyone familiar with the war in east Congo knows how many deaths, rapes and mutilations Nkunda’s militia has been responsible for.

As with Darfur, what would we know about this war if Nick and the very few others (if any) who are willing to go there to shine a light on what is actually happening. To be a witness for the rest of the world. It reminded me of one of my favorite quotes from my absolutely favorite book, “To Kill A Mockingbird.” Talking to Jem and Scout, the neighbor, Miss Maudie, describes what Atticus is doing in defending Tom Robinson this way: “...some men in this world are born to do our unpleasant jobs for us...” I believe Nick Kristof fits that characterization for our 21st century world.

I have a copy of the movie because a good friend taped it for me when it was on HBO. If anyone wants to borrow it or can figure out a way we can watch it together (at Central perhaps), let me know.

Congo: The Beat Goes On

For as long as I taught Conflicts, there was war in Congo, especially eastern Congo. The Rwandan genocide ended and that conflict overflowed and continued in Congo. Mobutu was overthrown, and the war continued. Laurent Kabila was killed, and the war continued. Mutanga was convicted of crimes against humanity, and the war goes on. Each year in Conflicts, there was a different aspect to look at: rape as a weapon, the use of child soldiers, cult leaders, the role of diamonds and other minerals, and so on and so on. Finally, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton bravely visited eastern Congo, and the war goes on. The deaths from this war are now estimated to be over six million. It has been called Africa’s first world war. I just call it horrific. I did not think it could get worse, but it has. Now a new tactic has become known to the world: re-rape. Girls and women who were repaired and healed - at least physically - are returning to clinics after being raped again - and again. I thought that I had heard the worst until reading about a new tactic: autocannibalism. Militia soldiers cut flesh from living victims and force them to eat it.

How can the world allow this to continue in 2010? Not only the scope of the war, but also its brutality? Is it because it is taking place in Africa away from the attention of the world’s media? When will the world care about Africa?

Conference for Students On Haiti

I am passing this on from Audrey Huntington. Thanks, Audrey. It really sounds good. And, as Audrey points out, "...we all love Paul Farmer." Hope to hear your reactions.

CALLING ALL STUDENTS:

Dear students across the nation,

Dr. Jim Yong Kim will be leading an online discussion on *Tuesday,
January 26 at 5:30pm EST* on the national student response to the
recent earthquake in Haiti.

To access the online discussion at 5:30pm EST, visit:
http://act.pih.org/jyk-students

As President of Dartmouth College and a co-founder of Partners In
Health, Dr. Kim will speak about the earthquake, PIH's response, why
national student solidarity is critical to the response, and how
students from across the country can help.

The call is open to all students (graduate, undergraduate, high
school, middle school, etc) who are interested in learning more about
the situation and how to mobilize their school communities to respond
to the earthquake in Haiti.

Dr. Kim will be speaking via an online video stream and taking live
questions through the video player's chat feature. We will also be
accepting questions by email up until the talk begins. To send your
question in early, email sdhr@dartmouth.edu with the subject line "JYK
TALK: Your name, your school"

For Jim Yong Kim's bio: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~president/bio/

Lack of women in China

A number of Conflicts classes talked about the one child policy in China either as a class topic or as an individual project. Remember "The Dying Rooms", the video about abandoned baby girls basically left to die? Well, the policy's long term effects are really beginning to effect China with millions of men not being able to find wives and all the consequences of this. Check it out on this link:

http://www.sphere.com/world/article/shortage-of-women-in-china-poses-marriage-challenge/19311767?icid=main|main|dl1|link1|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sphere.com%2Fworld%2Farticle%2Fshortage-of-women-in-china-poses-marriage-challenge%2F19311767

Happy New Year

Think how many times you've said or heard the phrase, "Happy New Year" in the last few weeks. But, what does it mean? Leave it to Nick Kristof to take on the issue of happiness on an international level.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/07/opinion/07kristof.html

What do you think makes a nation and its people happy? After all, Thomas Jefferson thought it was important enough to put in the Declaration of Independence. "... that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." (We'll have the inalienable v unalienable argument another time.)