The world has certainly taken an inauspicious turn in the past month. I apologize for the long absence. Work, news, and writer's block occupied my time.
The Middle East and North Africa continues to smolder and ignite piecemeal. So much to follow, so little time! Military intervention (always incredibly risky business) against Libya, violent crackdowns in the Persian gulf region, and a referendum in Egypt. Honestly, just stay tuned to Al Jazeera.
Japan’s devastation is shocking and tragic, and my thoughts have been with the many Japanese volunteers I’ve met here in Rwanda and their families back home. However, please be mindful about who you give to should you choose to support the relief efforts. The reality is Japan has among the best, if not the best, disaster response systems and personnel in the world. Also, keep in mind that Japan is not the only crisis in the world today. Many others, from Pakistan and Ethiopia to New Zealand and Haiti, are facing the terrible consequences of natural disasters.
In Africa, Nigeria, Sub-Saharan Africa’s most populous country, is preparing for presidential elections this year. AllAfrica has a nice webpage with lots of content. Nigeria’s immense resources, regional and continental influence, and history of conflict probably make these elections among the most important in the world this year. They certainly are up there with DRC’s election scheduled for the fall.
Concerning Rwanda, Think Africa Press has an incredibly interesting article on the Gacaca traditional courts handling the vast majority of genocide crimes. The interview is with a well-known professor at SOAS whose research on Gacaca (pronounced Ga-Cha-Cha) and general take on Rwanda seem very balanced and fair to me. Lots of progress, just as many problems, and no easy solutions.
Meanwhile, MTN continues to make life easier for tech savvy Rwandans and foreign residents, this time to keep that cash power topped up.
A New Times editorial whines about Libya, predictably. Everything's going well until that last little bit, where Gaddafi’s forty-year dictatorship is described cursorily as “a legitimate government which should enjoy the fruits of sovereignty.” No doubt the military intervention is problematic and cynical, but it’s a bit rich coming from the NT. I wasn’t aware that legitimacy was conferred by totalitarianism and graft.
In entertainment news, Pinetop Perkins, Boogie Woogie master, died yesterday at 96. He will be missed but forever a cherished part of my iTunes library.
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