Uneven Development: Listening to the 'South', Listening to Vancouver

Information on Wael Abbas:

The speaker in the video is Wael Abbas. He is an Egyptian blogger who actively promotes human rights in Egypt by exposing citizen media from around the world in the form of blogs, facebook sites, youtube videos, etc. He gained international acclaim when his online videos exposed the torture of prisoners and demonstrators, inflicted by Egyptian police officers. Abbas has also chosen to use his real name when blogging as opposed to an anonymous name, regardless of the risks involved. He claims that he does this as a way to inspire others to speak out as well. He received the “Egyptian Against Corruption Award” in 2005/2006; BBC named him the “Most Influential Person” in 2006; he received the “ICFJ /knight International Journalism Award” in 2007; CNN named him the “Middle East Person” of the year 2007; and he was awarded the Human Rights Watch’s “Hellman/Hammett Award” in 2008. Abbas has received worldwide recognition by working towards freedom of speech and press and he has participated in dialogues about media diversity in places, such as Canada, Germany, and London, etc.. His blog is Misr Digital, meaning “Egyptian Awareness” and it is found at: http://misrdigital.blogspirit.com/.

Wael Abbas says:  “The bloggers in Egypt are the last independent voice. If we are silenced, no protests will be heard in Egypt, not only now, but for the coming quarter- or even half-century. And so the choice to blog is not only serious, but necessary.”

Video Summary:

In this video, Abbas addresses the new emerging blogosphere in Egypt and how this is affecting social movements, creating digital media diversity, and raising awareness about suppression in authoritarian regimes. In Egypt, oppression is evident because the “emergency law” makes demonstrations and strikes illegal and the Egyptian press is censored and completely controlled by the government. Blogs have been used to provide an alternative media source and another view to social issues. Egypt has the best developed blogosphere in the Arab world because since 2005, there have been no censorship of blogs. However, this is not to say that bloggers have freedom of expression because instead the government goes after the bloggers themselves by arresting or harassing them as opposed to trying to shut down the internet sites. Blogs are able to provide a more unbiased coverage of events, such as parliamentary elections, and police brutality. This is a way that people are using blogs as a tool or technology to give themselves a voice as well as to give others a voice who are not able to speak out against the government. Blogs in Egypt have been able to cover stories that do not receive enough coverage by traditional media, such as political rigging in Egyptian elections as well as police brutality against prisoners and protesters.   He also covers stories in other countries, such as the video of corruption in Morocco, which is referred to in the video. This was the image of the policemen collecting money from passing cars. Wael Abbas talks about how he is fighting against these injustices by providing an alternative media source and digital evidence of these actions.

Video Commentary:

Wael Abbas uses his blog to speak for the subaltern who are those that are marginalized and oppressed in his videos. These vary from prisoners, demonstrators, or anyone that is being oppressed by authoritative regimes. His blog enables people to speak and be heard because they are able to send him their video footage for him to post without fear of being arrested by the government. At the same time, it can be argued that Abbas is subaltern himself because although the videos do not show an image of him being marginalized, he too is being persecuted and harassed by the Egyptian government because of his blog, which is critical of the government. The government tapped his phones, harassed his family, and tried to tarnish his reputation with lies. Authorities regularly detain bloggers and most report being maltreated or tortured. In 2008, local press freedom groups documented that there were more than 100 bloggers detained. An example is Abdel Kareem Suleiman who was sentenced to four years in jail because he insulted the president and Islam on his blog. Abbas has never been arrested; however, a reason for this could be that the government is hesitant to arrest Abbas because of his international recognition, which may create a worldwide response. This is a way that he is using priviledge to help others. Through the use of his blog, Abbas uses strategic essentialism to speak for other people in the world that are in the same situation that he is, who are trying to establish a voice, and are being harassed by authoritarian governments.  

Egyptian bloggers are also affecting social movements. An example of how blogs were used was during the Workers General Strike in 2008. Blogs and digital sources first played a role in encouraging and organizing the resistance. There were facebook pages dedicated to the event called the ‘April 6 Day of Anger in Egypt,’ which was to protest rising food prices and low wages. During this time, bloggers documented and updating people about what was going on and were capturing footage of people being detained and abused for demonstrating and striking. The web pages served to inform the public and persuade them to demonstrate. As a result of this, authorities began arresting bloggers as well. This is a movement that continued in 2009 and shows how digital activism is working in solidarity with physical movements.

The virtual, digital space is replacing the physical space of people mobilizing because it is a safer way to express voices in states with restrictive authoritarian governments. However, by using real names this shows that they are not just talking and that they are not scared but instead they want to include actions. The more courage they have and present means that they will inspire more awareness. By creating a virtual space for voices to be heard, bloggers such as Wael Abbas are showing footage and stories that traditional media do not cover. This can help the media get involved in the debate about these issues, which might result in Egypt’s Interior Ministry assessing the problem seriously.

Blogging has also been effective in giving a voice to those that are not normally heard, such as women. Approximately sixty percent of bloggers in Egypt are women. It is not only women but people of different sexual orientation, different races and religions that are being empowered by creating blogs. Wael Abbas posted two videos that were effective in involving legal actions. One of his videos in 2007 showed police officers attacking a bus driver, which led to their conviction. Another incident was shown with a video of police officers torturing a prisoner, Imad Kavear, which led them to be sentenced to jail. Blogging is not only having an effect in Egypt but it is becoming a part of a larger movement to create spaces to be heard, in the form of an alternative media source. 

Critique:

A critique of this video may be that Wael controls what goes on his blog and how it is framed; therefore, he acts as an intermediary player. This is different from people actually posting their stories themselves because he can manipulate the stories or show only one point of view. Also, blogs are not necessarily accurate. Regardless of these critiques, I believe that he is having a significant impact on freedom of expression and he is allowing people to speak who would otherwise not be heard. There are many who would not post up their story on the internet for fear of negative ramifications so they allow Wael or other bloggers to give them a voice. 

It is interesting to analyze the role of blogs because we in our class have the ability to talk about many controversial issues without fear of negative ramifications. However, it is unfortunate that other people in different countries do not have this right and are facing arrests, or torture as a result. This shows us how a simple blog can have a significant impact not only in raising awareness but it can actively promote large-scale civil disobedience so that democratic changes can be made and people are heard.

Summary:

This video introduces what Excellent Development aims to do. It’s still a newer organization that believes in aiding the people in Kenya with the knowledge not just helping them to ensure long term sustainability methods and growth.

Here is a short blurb from their website on what they do:

“Excellent Development supports farmers in Africa to gain access to clean water and grow enough food to eat and sell, enabling them to pay their children’s school fees and buy other necessities.

Farmers achieve this by organising themselves into self-help groups and improving soil and water conservation and farming techniques.  Soil and water conservation is achieved through the terracing of land, planting of trees and building innovative sand dams that hold between 2-10 million litres of clean water available all year round.

In addition, Excellent Development works with development organisations at local, national and international level to apply the development model and technologies we use to enable our 2020 vision of 3 million farmers a year gaining access to clean water and growing enough food to eat and sell.”

It starts with a tourist perception of Kenya then switches to rural Kenya and what it really is for the people that live there. As the narrator, Allison Bell says, “basic needs are a daily struggle,” for the people of rural Kenya.

One of Excellent Development ways is featured  in this video, where they create springs through sand dams which collects water from the river which is built by the members of the community.  Joshua, a local explains where the water is coming from and how much of the sand dam is composed of water (60% sand, 40% water).  The video then goes through various interviews with locals (Charles Muendo Mdambuki, , Charles Mwanzia Mutie, Professor Jesse Mugambj) and they compare the way of life before and after Excellent Development has come and how it has better their lives.

What this organization does is great because it really believes in not just giving the people help or money but giving the people skills they need to sustain for future generations. As Charles Mwanzia Mutie says in the video it is “better train a child to catch a fish than give him the fish.” However, when I watched this video I could see a very Western viewpoint of Kenya and the people. Throughout the whole video, I see images of how helpful the Westerners are for coming to this place and education the locals but at the same time the impression is very strong and almost a little forceful.

For example, the scene where Allison Bell is walking with the little girl and this gives the image of how (2:01)  the Westerner is very caring and having this special connection with the little girl, but near the end of that scene, Allison asks the girl “this makes you very happy doesn’t it?” and says “yes” and nods. I can’t help but think that the little girl has no idea what is happening and was told to hold this foreigner’s hand and walk with her. In addition, throughout the whole clip whenever either Charles’ talked…although they were very educated in the processes of sand dams and how it is helping their town, the words seem very forced and put into their mouth to regurgitate back out.

For me, this video is an attempt at bridging a way to help the subaltern speak, however it is in a very forceful way. I feel it is very scripted to please our Western views – to feel like our ways are really helping them but in reality we may just be telling them what to do and although it is beneficial…do they really understand the processes and the goals behind them? So my question is: even with the attempt to bridge the gap between the subaltern and us, are we hearing from the right outlets?

Here is the link to the organization’s website and Youtube channel

http://www.excellentdevelopment.com/

http://www.youtube.com/user/thisisexcellent

Here is a news article covering the founder, Simon Maddrell’s life and how he started this organization.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/telegraphchristmasappeal/6607041/Lifting-Kenyans-out-of-poverty—one-dam-at-a-time.html

unfortunately I can’t seem to get Java to embed this video in html so here’s the link: (to skip the ad there will be a button at the top left of the screen)

This video essentially is an documentary footage/interview between VBS TV and reporter Ben Anderson of the BBC which outlines the findings from a longer BBC documentary Ben Anderson had been working on. The point of the BBC documentary was to uncover the living conditions of Bangladesh workers who have been living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). At the start of the video Anderson tells how Bangladeshi workers are offered by local hiring agents a chance to make 300 pounds a month while working in the UAE. This amount of money drives many of them to pay an illegal 2000 pound “booking fee” in order to enter the country and work for one of the local construction companies. Upon arriving in Dubai, workers’ passports are taken away from them and are told that they will be working long hours for around half the promised amount. Many workers at this point are forced to work for the large corporations to try to pay off their massive debt and have no money to send back to their families. Within Dubai as well as within mainstream public opinion, workers are paid much more than they would normally receive at home and gladly work in Dubai, however this is a fabrication for these workers have been forced into indebted (bonded) labour. They cannot leave because they do not have their passports or any money to travel back to Bangladesh and live in misery with no avenue to change their situation. Anderson shows footage of the cramped, squalid, and un-hygenic living conditions these men are forced to endure along with the systematic censorship by companies of this reality. Government is also picked out as being aware of the issues and illegal practices facing these men but only resort to fining the companies. These conditions are never seen by tourists, much less media, and few have spoken out about these horrendous conditions which these Bangladeshi men endure. To make matters worse for these workers, the financial crisis has allowed for companies to illegally not pay their workers and threaten to fire them if they do not work harder. It is shown that some individuals feel an utter sense of loss and hopelessness and do not have any mechanisms in which to struggle against their conditions.

The reason why I picked this video is because it was able to explain the underlying conditions faced by these Bangladeshi workers living around Dubai more concisely than the several other documentaries produced on the subject. Unfortunately the video does not have many interviews with the men in the camps themselves but I believe their general sentiments surrounding the conditions exposed in longer documentaries, and the few short personal interviews available, were relayed effectively by the interviewee. Overall, there is no real way for these workers to have a voice and any interviews were limited clips in the videos I found during my search (none were made by the men themselves, possibly out of fear or lack of resources). I think the issue is important enough to post even with the lack of direct involvement in an attempt to shed light on their situation.

To build on this lack of voice, It is important to note that it is illegal for workers to found or join unions that further silences any attempt by them to improve their living/working conditions. Lacking their passports, the threat of being fired or sent home exacerbates this silence for if they are fired they must work illegally at even lower wages which is risky to do in the UAE. It is also important to note that both the state and the companies are compliant in sustaining these situations of bonded labour. These workers are often described as “illegal workers” (due to their lack of passports) by mainstream media and several demonstrations by workers have received minimal and largely negative coverage.

To expand on the development impact, The flow of capital into Dubai has made the city one of the major centres of development (and overdevelopment) worldwide and with it has come the demand for labour. Much like the situation during the plantation era in the Americas, capitalists have sought out cheap sources of labour in which to build up new economies. In the case of the Americas this came in the form of bonded labour followed quickly by slavery. In the case of Dubai, bonded labour from South Asia has been the solution to Dubai’s labour shortage at the expense of their basic human rights. These workers have been absolutely marginalized within UAE society and have been branded “others” by the native population even though they make up to 85% of the population by some estimates. UAE citizens, although also Muslim, have widely promoted ethnic differences to distinguish, marginalize and ignore the plight of these foreign workers. Development has not occurred evenly within Dubai though, and as the video has shown, the workers have been forced to live in underdeveloped conditions which lack the basic necessities of proper housing, waste management and cooking facilities. In fact, many of the contractors involved are able to increase this uneven development, not only through the redistribution of capital into Dubai’s infrastructure and their pockets, but by removing capital from Bangladeshi families who often have to sell their homes in order to pay the initial 2000 pounds.

As a final note, Ben Anderson mentions the group called Mafiwasti which is the only organization solely dedicated to improving these workers’ conditions for they still have no personal avenue to voice their struggles. Videos can be found on their website here but still seem to focus on interviews with government officials for answers rather than giving a personal voice to the workers. http://www.mafiwasta.com/links.htm

The first video is from Edward Burtynsky, he is a Canadian photographer and artist who is deeply fascinated and known for his photography concerning manufactured landscapes. The images within his photography depict landscapes that have been altered by industry. The beauty of his work and the images are contradicted by the compromised and destructive environments he illustrates. The photographs he is presenting on the video concern electronic waste (aka e-waste) in China and reveal where the trash of yesterday’s technology goes after being consumed by the wealthy.

The second video shown above concerns electronic trash as well. It is somewhat of an exposé on the lives of those who are affected by Westerns’ desire for technology. In addition it also conveys the destructive environmental problems dealing with e-waste. It shows images of those who work with e-waste and the affects on their health. Specifically, it discusses a village in China where a majority of e-waste is shipped to and the effects it is having on the population their. In particular it is negatively impacting the health of the elderly and children, whose immune systems are unable to handle the toxicity of the fumes and pollution.

E-waste describes all the discarded, excess, electronic or electrical devices. Particularly they refer to all the computers, electronic devices, cell phones, televisions etc. that are unwanted by their owners and thus thrown away. The videos attempt to bring awareness to the issues around e-waste and consumption by Westerns and its consequences. E-waste is a result of overconsumption throughout the world, mainly the West causing destructive consequences in the global South. Westerners desire to have the hottest and newest technological goods on the market create an end result of disparaging environmental problems and devastating health problems for those forced to live amongst e-waste. Hence, our desire for more current electronic devices creates within in us a disregard, for obsolete technology. As both videos demonstrate the technology improving the lifestyles of the wealthy are destroying the quality of life for others. Therefore, technology although good for some devastate the lives of numerous others creating a great disparity between the rich and the poor. For the reason that as the rich accumulate wealth and buy more technology savvy products they discard the older goods creating health and environmental products for the poor depleting their lives and their futures.

The videos make an effort to bring consciousness to people around the world concerning what happens to our trash and the result of Western consumerism. The images and depictions of children playing in the e-waste were very powerful to me, because children in the West typically play on playgrounds and as technology develops they have begun to play more and more with technology. For example, children in the West play with game systems or watch television. This demonstrates how once children in the West are done playing with their toys etc. they throw them away and the children in other places, such as China depicted in the videos, play with or amongst the discarded toys of Western children. As Western children are exposed to this consumerist lifestyle they desire the newest technological toy such as an X-box or new Playstation and become unhappy with having an old toy. The fumes and toxic chemicals that are released from the burning of these obsolete goods attack the children as they are very vulnerable to the toxic smoke within their communities. The children in these videos would typically not be shown and therefore their voices would be silenced and unheard. By showing their everyday lives, the world is able to have a clearer image of the destruction of our trash. It creates a more personal understanding because it conveys how each thing we throw away carelessly, unconcerned about its final destination results in the e-waste areas in the other places around the globe such as China.

The voices of the men who work amongst and with the e-waste describe how their lives are greatly affected by Western consumerism and our desire for the most up to date technological products. The men who attempt to have their voices heard in the second video describe how they are forced to work in unsafe conditions, specially using their bare hands to sort through the numerous amounts of e-waste within each pile. He verbalizes also that he has to work within these conditions because he has to make money. The commenter of the video further explains how the electronic and electrical goods are suppose to be used as second hand goods not be used solely to extract certain parts to sell, in other words the work being done is not only unsafe but illegal. It seems like the United Nations as well as the Chinese government seem to know that this is going on but nothing has been done to stop it or make it safer. In addition, workers describe that the fumes hurt there eyes and the commentator conveys that the smoke from lead and the gas it gives off is damaging to the brain. In other words, our trash is positioning workers, we although might not realize it but our trash has major effects on the environment and the lives of others. In Edward Burtynsky’s video, it shows a portrait of an elderly woman on her porch that is filled with e-waste. Her home has become a dumping site for the trash we carelessly throw away and disregard. As verbalized in one of the videos, 70% of discarded electronic goods are sent to China as reported by the United Nations. This shipping out of trash and waste allows Western countries to avoid the harsh and strict environmental laws within their nations. Similarly to how people push away their problems when overwhelmed, the vast amount of trash we produce in Western society causes us to just simply ship away our problems therefore in our minds they are not our concern any longer. By putting a face and an image of a person onto each piece of trash we throw away we may be more inclined to reconsider if we could recycle it or reuse it.

Ashraf Ghani serves as the acting chairman for the Institute of State Effectiveness, an organization to promote the ability of states to serve their citizens. In this video from the TED conference he addresses the necessity for economic investment to engender the rebuilding of broken nation-states; specifically to mobilize capital to promote state building. The majority of the world experiences the state as a repressive entity as opposed to provisional; developing nations in the third world experience capatilism through extractive industry or technical assistance. The majority of the world is excluded froma globalized system of power that views capitalism as the dominant form of economic organization and democracy as the dominant political system. Under this model the majority of states and their respective economies are not constituted on a basis of inclusion which in turn led to the emergence of failed states; the world cannot be based on pockets of exclusion. Through global engagement achieved through a system of inclusion Ghani believes that so-called “broken states” can be re-built into legitimate nation-states that conform to what he considers the ten essential functions of the state, namely:

1. A legitimate monopoly of the means of violence
2. Administrative Control
3. Management of public finances through taxation and wealth creation
4. Investment in human capital
5. Provision of citizenship rights through national social politics
6. Provision of infrastructure
7. Management of tangible and intangible assets of the state through regulation
8. Creation of the market
9. International agreements
10. Provision of the rule f law that the state is also subject to

Ghani emphasizes that one must use the current model of political and economic organization based on global consensus as opposed to changing the model itself. Under the current democratic capitalist model Ghani enumerates the need to rethink capital in developing states as they lack the institutional infrastructure to turn the most common form of capital – financial capital – into a viable means of producing more capital. Development of Institutional and huamn capital through information is necessary to create a system that would constitute the development of increased financial capital; thus it is necessary to rethink fundamental education as a means to enfranchise the under developed world. In countries without proper infrastructure the advent of information technology has not increased globalization, rather, it has increased their spatial divide to the rest of the world as they lack the same global access as the rest of the world. Global engagement is necessary to build nation-states throughout the global south; rather than selfish designs focused on increasing technological ease throughout the developed world, ingenuity and design should instead be focused on the rebuilding of infrastructure – better road development, more efficient water systems, etc. The global community must empower the world’s poor through engagement and investment.

In this video founder and CEO of Women for Women, Zainab Salbi, speaks to the inequality in the distribution of humanitarian and development funds.  Using her knowledge and experience as a war survivor, social activist and philanthropic entrepreneur Salbi provides a voice to women who find themselves at the “core” of global developmental crises. Women make up 70% of the global poor, earning 10 % of the global economy while producing 60% of the planets food despite receiving less than 1 cent for every $1.00 of humanitarian funds.  To Salbi, issues of underdevelopment including poverty, hunger, health, and environmental concern cannot be addressed without first acknowledging the voices of women.

Gender equality implies a society in which women and men enjoy the same opportunities, outcomes, rights and obligations in all spheres of life. Equality between men and women exists when both sexes are able to share equally in the distribution of power and influence; have equal opportunities for financial independence; enjoy equal access to education and the opportunity to develop personal ambitions. A critical aspect of promoting gender equality is the empowerment of women, with a focus on identifying and rectifying power imbalances and giving women more autonomy to manage their own lives. Women’s empowerment is vital to sustainable development and the realization of human rights for all.

Yet despite many international agreements affirming their human rights, women are still much more likely than men to be poor and illiterate. They usually have less access than men to medical care, property ownership, credit, training and employment. They are far less likely than men to be politically active. Humanitarian and development programmes are more effective when they address the educational opportunities, status and empowerment of women. When women are empowered, whole families benefit, and these benefits often have ripple effects to future generations.

Listening to the voices of women not only provides insight into the inequalities of our world, but also establishes a commonality within discourses of ‘development.’  Differences in cultural, social, economic and political structures are all necessary considerations when practicing and implementing development programs, yet the centrality of women’s roles are often ignored.  By listening to the voices of women we are not only learning of their struggles but are also being provided the most fundamental of sources in considering the state of development.

Summary

Michael Nyangi arrived in Nairobi, Kenya in 1999 as an 18 year old looking for work.  Instead, he ended up living in Kibera, a nearby slum.  In 2003, Michael started his own microfinancing business, called Lomoro. This video is about the message that Michael wants to bring to the UN conference that he was chosen to participate in.  There, he would have the opportunity to voice his opinion about what needs to be done in Kibera to reduce poverty.  Michael describes the people of Kibera as needing support, but not in the form of money or food.  Instead, they want to be able to express themselves and bring about change by having their concerns heard.  One such concern is the lack of affordable clean drinking water.  Although the slum has access to clean water, it costs money, and many are not able to afford it.  As a result, they take water from the sewage, which poses numerous health hazards.  Another concern is the regular occurrence of rapes at night which go unsolved because, as Michael puts it, the victims are “overlooked”.

Commentary

One of the first things that came to mind when I saw this video, was the possible issue of tokenism in this situation.  At the UN conference, Michael represents the people of Kibera, but can he tell all of their stories for them?  Evidently, Michael is vastly more educated than the majority of people living in the slum, as he speaks English, and has a college degree in accounting.   Perhaps it is for these reasons that he was given the chance to speak at the UN conference.  Although one cannot claim Michael’s presence at the UN conference as a step in the wrong direction, his presence could also be a case of tokenism.

“Change cannot be realised if these people cannot be given time to express themselves and talk of the problems they are facing.” – Michael Nyangi

Michael describes poverty as not only lack of money or food, but also as the situation where women and children are unable to express themselves.  Michael’s comment about how the people of Kibera do not simply want money or food, also demonstrates that traditional forms of aid is not enough to lift Kibera out of poverty. This is an interesting point, and relates to what we have talked in class about the subaltern’s voice being silenced.  I agree with Michael, that not being heard and having your voice be oppressed is a form of poverty.  Perhaps it is a form of poverty that is more complicated than that of the lack of food.  If people lack food, food can be given to them, or loans given so that they can start a business in order to earn money to buy food.  But how do you solve the problem of the subaltern’s voice being silenced?  As mentioned in numerous class readings, simply “giving voice” to the subaltern is problematic.  “Giving power” to the powerless only reinforces existing power structures and reaffirms the fact that we (the elite) have the power and they (the subaltern) don’t.  Furthermore, even if Michael’s presentation at the UN constitutes the voice of the subaltern, will his message be lost in translation?  The original stories might have been told to him in another language, and undoubtedly there will be situations in these stories that are difficult to explain to an outsider because of cultural differences.

This video also made me think about today’s class discussion about participatory development, and whether Michael’s trip to New York would be effective in making the subaltern’s voice be heard.   In the Mohan reading, one of the critiques of mainstream participatory development practices is that often marginalised people in the community do not have the chance to participate.  For example, in this video, no women spoke and all the men who were shown spoke English.

Although Michael’s trip to New York to speak at the UN conference is an opportunity for the subaltern to speak, we need to be critical about whether their voices will actually be heard.  I wonder if Michael will be able to do the people of Kibera justice by accurately representing their concerns and speaking for them, or if he will become a token.

Here is the link to Michael’s microfinance business:

http://lomoromicrocredit.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=22&Itemid=34

Translation:

Intro: The truth is out there, out where? The truth is in here! The Justifying Truth.

“Hello friends who find themselves on the other side of the screen, I am the Justifying Truth. Today I will inform you about the famous Merida Initiative that is taking part between Mexico and the United States. This year Mexico has received four thousand dollars from this plan that is no more than the sale of the oil found in the Gulf of Mexico. Enough of them trying to make us think that that money is going to serve help combat drugs. What should worry us as Mexicans is that Felipillo won’t have to give accounts of what is happening to that money and that is why he has not announced to the public where exactly this money has gone, money that is much needed in our country at this moment. But that is not all friends, the 29^th of August and the 9^thof September Fellipillo Calderón received a total of four million dollars. Do you understand how much money that is?! Should we as Mexicans not ask where all this money has gone? It is our constitutional right for them to explain where all these millions of dollars are going. For H1N1 vaccines? That influenza farce, I think not. Because Mr. President, yes that tiny character that represents all Mexicans bought these vaccines under the condition that they would pacify his whim to raise taxes in Mexico, doing this in order to “help the lower class in Mexico”. But I ask myself again, where is that more than five thousand million pesos. That money could well be used to create jobs and to better our much needed medical services. And so I tell you, Felipillo Calderón does not need to account for that money. Funny no? But our senators and government officials should demand that he account for every cent! Why then eradicate the Secretariat of Tourism, the Secretariat of Agricultural Reform, and suspiciously the Secretariat of Public Function? Did you know that in the Secretariat of Public Function they manage programs of transparency by which all Mexicans can ask for an explanation of where exactly the government is spending their money? How weird that, in between others, this secretariat is disappearing. They are taking away our power to know and question our governors. Do you find this just? I do not. That is why I speak my mind and tell the truth. It is not fair that they misinform all Mexicans and make us think only of what benefits the government. Or don’t tell me that you believe in the sequestering of planes or in the subway assassinations of a couple of days ago. I feel sorry for the families who were affected. But don’t let yourself be fooled, it is only one of the strategies of our tiny president to make us think that our government responds with actions and the people who believe this are people who need to for the benefit of their families or people who are threatened to listen. Enough Mr. President, enough of your deceits and your taking advantage of people’s ignorance. Televisa and Television Azteca [two major television networks in Mexico] are confessions of the government, if they do not transmit what the government asks for, they simply take away their confession. They are puppets of the government. If you can, watch other forms of news like that of CNN and Telemundo. Watch here on Youtube, the videos that have been censored by the government and did not make it on air. This is the only way to open your eyes. The American company who owns the patent for the influenza vaccine curiously has financed Feilipillo Calderón’s campaign. Do you understand that farce? And curiously, the American oil companies to which Felipillo wants to sell the right to drill in Mexico are the ones who paid for Vicente Fox’s campaign. How weird, no? Anyway friends, my message is: Don’t listen to what the government tells you, analyze what is said to you, inform yourself and investigate to the extent where you can form your own opinions. Thank you to all for your attention, my cordial greetings.” 

Commentary:

LaVerdadJustifiera hopes to expose the “truth” about the now active Merida Initiative or as critics call it “Plan Mexico” alluding to Plan Colombia. By exposing the truth, she hopes to educate the public and offer an alternative view to that they have been receiving from national television news networks. In offering an alternative view and presenting other facts, this voice hopes to help others form their own opinion and become more concerned citizens of the country.

In the video LaVerdadJustifiera uses a very blunt and forceful tone which shows her anger and frustration with the current governmental situation and the Merida Initiative.  She refers to President Felipe Calderón as “Felipillo”. [The ending –illo is almost like the ending –y in English, for example Joe vs. Joey] By adding –illo to the president’s name she is attributing the president with a childlike character, this can also be seen in the use of the word “diminuto” or tiny to describe the president. In listening to this description of the president I created an image in my mind that depicted the Mexican President as a child and the USA as its parent, offering an allowance that will most likely be ill-spent. This image, although silly, is an interpretation of the voice of LaVerdadJustifiera. The voice is sarcastic and bitter while still maintaining a hint of cynic humor.

This voice is begging to be heard, begging to share their point of view with a vast audience and I believe that they are being successful. The video was only posted onto Youtube on September 25^thand already has almost two hundred views. Which, I feel is quite a bit. Those people who have viewed the video, have been exposed to a new way of thinking and viewing the current situation in Mexico even if they do not agree. The video is not only critical of the government; it also offers a partial solution.  LaVerdadJustifiera calls the Mexican audience to inform themselves and create their own opinions. She calls for a more proactive and less ignorant Mexican public. In sparking a new more quizzical and critical citizen approach to government policies, a fire of involvement will hopefully be set ablaze.

What I found most interesting about the video is the anonymity of the speaker. It brought me back to Rebekah’s post on the Zapatista movement and their use of masks.  By keeping their identity a secret, the voice in the video is distancing itself from their persona and establishing that they could be anyone, anywhere. The voice is unrecognizable and almost robotic; it cannot be gendered or pinned to a specific individual identity.  Almost in a contradictory fashion, the speaker becomes a representative voice for the public while still exposing his or her own ideals and thoughts very loudly and clearly.  I find this a very powerful way to spread a message. Referring back to Spivak’s “Strategic Essentialism” by which we pretend that we are more alike than different for a political purpose, we can understand more fully the reasoning behind the anonymity of the speaker. By detaching oneself from individual identity and focusing on a unifying characteristic, in this case “Mexican”, the speaker can engage with an audience without being cast off for their individual background. 

I now shift focus to the controversial Merida Initiative since it closely relates to our discussions on development. This plan hopes to develop Mexico out of their corrupt drug dealing ways in order to increase security. As Ambassador Antonio O. Garza, on the Embassy of the United States: Mexico webpage puts it …

The Merida Initiative represents a new era of cooperation which will amplify and strengthen existing law enforcement cooperation, intelligence sharing, and training programs. It will also provide new equipment for Mexican forces to use to better confront the common threat of drug trafficking and other transnational organized crime.

By strengthening the already corrupt law enforcement system in Mexico with “intelligence sharing and training programs”, rather than eradicating narcotrafficking, they are giving the military the power to do as they please. This in the end has lead to many human rights violations just as in the case of Plan Colombia. Going back to the article by Philippe Le Billon on geopolitics, we can understand this plan as a strategic way to secure resources. The Gulf of Mexico is known to possess a large supply of oil and by investing so much money in the “war on drugs” in Mexico, the United States are guaranteeing influence over the Mexican government and their political decisions.

Geopolitical perspectives often assert to provide a ‘big picture’ of future of international tensions over ‘strategic’ resources, thereby informing and reflecting dominant geostrategic policies and worldviews. (Le Billon)

The Merida Initiative may at first glance be a good intentioned helping hand in the efforts to end corruption and drug trafficking in Mexico, but in seeing the larger picture it is easy to see the possible ulterior motives the US may have. The video by LaVerdadJustifiera sheds light on these ulterior motives.

Note: I refer to the speaker as she even though their gender is not specified because the speaker goes by the name LaVerdadJustifiera “the justified truth” and in Spanish truth is feminine.

For further information on the Merida Initiative, the Wikipedia entry is very helpful: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A9rida_Initiative.

Also visit the US Embassy: Mexico website: http://www.usembassy-mexico.gov/eng/eborders_Merida_Initiative.html.

Aboriginal Skull Returned — Sorry I could not upload the actual video

This video shows an Aboriginal ceremony being held to mark the return of the first of a series of indigenous remains being returned to their homeland, Australia, where they’ll be kept in the National Museum of Australia. They may eventually be buried when returned to their original communities. The World Liverpool Museum agreed to give back the remains of three of the individuals being held by the National Museums Liverpool after a request by the Aboriginal group. The man performing the ceremony is the spiritual leader of the Ngarrindjeri people, Major Sumner. The Ngarrindjeri is a group of 18 clans who speak similar dialects and have family connections throughout South Australia. The other man participating in the ceremony is George Trevorrow, the leader of the Ngarrindjeri. The ‘smoking’ ceremony was to invite the spirits of everyone’s ancestors to be present and to clear away any bad spirits that might be surrounding the important event.

I found our class discussion on Museums and their representations of civilizations extremely interesting. This video shows the difference between a Museum artifact as a dead object or an actual living part of a living people and society. The director of the Museum keeps saying the return of the “remains” while Major Sumner says it is the return of the ancestor’s “spirit”.

The director says that the remains were acquired during British exploration and colonialism. He uses the specific phrase “forged an Empire” to describe the period in which human remains were removed from their burial lands and brought back to Europe. He points out that Museums are thus a large part of British culture. How interesting to think of it that way! That British culture, because of its history of colonialism and imperialism, is largely made up of cultural artifacts from other civilizations and societies. This goes to support the idea that the West is largely understood and defined by what it is not.

I also find it interesting that the director says that it’s embarrassing to still have these items. If this were actually true, why did the Ngarrindjeri people have to ask for their ancestor’s remains to be returned? Where is the line drawn between what is embarrassing to keep in a museum and what is not? What if the Ngarrindjeri people or any group for that matter claimed that other non-human remains were of equal importance to them and wanted for them to be returned? I think that this issue brings to light a big problem with museums in general as discussed in the Wainwright book. Museums like this one and the British Museum present the fall of civilizations. The Aboriginal people and culture is as much alive today as the “Mayan” culture. Mayanism is a concept that can be applied to this situation as much as it can to the “Mexico Room” at the British Museum.

This video gives a unique visual of the contrast between a “modern” people and an “ancient” people. Just look at the expressions of everyone standing around the ceremony. It seems so strange and they don’t fully understand. I wouldn’t say that this man, Major Sumner, is a subaltern but this video shows how he speaks in such a different way than we as westerners do. I’m sure he didn’t convince the Museum board to return the skull by doing a like ceremony. He probably had to focus on the fact that these were actual human remains that needed to be buried, not that the spirits of these ancestors needed to return and be put to rest in their homeland. One image that stands out most in my mind is how out of place he looks—his bare feet dancing on the concrete, everyone around him is wearing warm coats, and he is painted head to toe.

This case is one of many around the world—people are advocating more and more for Museum artifacts to be returned to their original places. It seems to be a clear decision that Aboriginal ancestral remains should be returned to their homelands and taken by awaiting tribal members. However, there are other cases today that are causing much more debate, like the marbles from the Parthenon at the British Museum. What about the Egyptian civilization for example? Why is it easier for Australian indigenous human remains at the World Liverpool Museum to be returned than for Egyptian mummies at the British Museum?

Museums were always my favorite field trips when I was younger. Seeing the set ups of Native Americans eating around a fire fascinated me. I see Museums now as trophy cases for Western civilization—I think it makes complete sense for artifacts to be returned to their rightful places and owners as a step towards changing the colonialist ways of thinking still embedded in society today. Museums as they are are representations of other civilizations through a western scope.

“Art is not a luxury as many people think. It is a necessity. It documents history: it helps to educate people and stores knowledge for generations to come.” – Dr. Samella Lewis

There have been several posts that have reflected on art as a form of expression and communication for the subaltern, which I have found particularly interesting, and reminded me of a memory from my childhood. When I was in grade six, my teacher took my class to a gallery exhibit featuring artwork done by child soldiers and brides, accompanied by short written stories and biographies. I remembered being quite affected by this experience, because I had never been exposed to life stories such as these before. Their drawings appeared just like my friends’ and mine, except for that under a closer look, the imagery of war and exploitation was woven into the various scenes. The art and written pieces were wrought with this sense of normalcy, and I couldn’t understand how such mistreatment was considered a typical part of life. Wondering about these kids who were somewhere else in the world, I felt badly for them and I felt badly that my life was so comfortable in comparison. I know that the pity and guilt I felt are problematic, but I really appreciated the opportunity my teacher gave my class to be exposed to other perspectives, to put ourselves in unfamiliar positions and to make a connection to kids like us, living under different circumstances in the world.

I searched to find this project, but instead I happened upon Let Art Talk, which is an organization launched in 2007 that uses art to educate and empower communities in northern Uganda. Their mission is, “to take art to grassroots communities as well as ensure that art is used as a vehicle for constructive change in the lives of ordinary people” (LAT website). The organization was founded by internationally acclaimed Ugandan artist Fred Mutebi, and uses art as a form of therapy, a tool for empowerment and education, and a communicative device for underprivileged communities in Uganda affected by social problems associated with HIV/AIDs, war, poverty, child abuse, and environmental issues.

The video is an account of a workshop held at the Laroo Primary School for children who were affected by the war in the North that took place in spring 2009. I was initially drawn to the first video because of its simplicity, naturalness, and sparse dialogue, which I thought might leave room to ‘let art talk.’ A large portion of the video has very faint, non-translated audio, and focuses on showing the artwork that has been made at this workshop. It is interesting to observe the interactions of the workshop participants and community members, and to see the various works of art, along with some of the process of their creation. There are sections where two men involved in the project speak briefly. The first is Vincent Okuja, who is the artist in residence and coordinator for this workshop and he speaks at 4:00, and organization-founder Fred Mutebi, speaks at about 5:40. Vincent is a university educated artist, and he discusses how this one year project helps to develop different skills for the students, and serves a therapeutic purpose for those children who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Fred, who also has a university education, speaks of taking artists out of their studios and putting them in the community, how this project aims to help kids to garner skills necessary to return to their villages after being so affected by war.

As I mentioned previously, I found the amateur quality and simplicity of the video to be beneficial in helping to ‘hear’ those in the video. The viewers are able to look at the artwork and observe parts of the workshop in action. There is a lengthy portion that documents the art that has been made, allowing viewers to take in a broad overview of the art pieces. However, the quality of the video makes one very aware of the filmmaker, as the subjects in the video at times seem to interact with him or her. The ability to sit at home on the computer and feel like you are there first-hand began to feel a little strange to me as I watched the clip a few times.  I felt a little odd, and wondered about the person behind the camera, and what the implications of their viewpoint would be. It seems that the cameraperson is Charlotte Harvey, who appears to be a white, North American woman. One cannot be sure as to her connection to Let Art Talk, her purpose in the making this video, her intended audience, and how that influenced her capturing and editing of the footage. I believe that she tried to give a natural, simple representation of the workshop. Yet still, the representation has been shaped in accordance to her position, and she, being the filmmaker has power over this representation.

As we have discussed in class and on the blog, it becomes complicated to define the voices like that of Fred Mutebi and Vincent Okuja as definitively ‘subaltern’ due to their university educations and their ability to speak English. Also, their voices meet us in the centre, as they translate their messages from their first language, making it easier for a Western audience to understand, and then this message is presented through video. Yet still, their voices are very valuable in presenting alternative perspectives and are richly complicated due to the intersectionality of their identities, as native-born Ugandans, artists, university educated males with a multiplicity of experiences. In fact, their complex identities have positioned them in a way that has allowed them to create connections, and make space to let others speak and express themselves.

I think the children and community members shown in this video are subaltern due to their marginalization by experiences of war and poverty, and it might be that Let Art Talk is meeting them at the periphery. Let Art Talk comes to rural Uganda, and presents the materials, guidance and environment to allow various subaltern, or marginalized people to express themselves. The website uses the word ‘empower’ frequently, and as Sara has mentioned there is a danger of the concept of ‘giving power’ or ‘giving voice’ to others, due to the creation of donor-receiver power relations. The methods of expression are guided by the organization, and thus truly subaltern voices and uninfluenced expression might not arise out of this approach, but I think the value in creating the opportunity to ‘speak’ through art is quite high, as well as the proposed therapeutic and communicative benefits of their workshops and projects. Let Art Talk is founded by a man who grew up in rural Uganda, yet the organization has ties to the US, so it is hard to say how much the organization has been influenced by forces within Uganda and from the US, and what these influences entail.

Just as the subaltern voice is always in translation, so is art. Art is translated from the artist’s imagination to the observer; it is translated across class, race, gender, culture and an infinite list of identities. Every individual can interpret a piece of art differently, which complicates how messages are transferred. However, there is definitely a component of universality to art, and it has incredible value as a communicative tool despite potential complications. I think it would be easy to romanticize this project, and to fail to question its effectiveness in creating real positive change. It has only been operating since 2007, so it will be interesting to see what the lasting effects on the communities it has worked with will be.

In regards to the project, which would be incredibly interesting to further evaluate in terms of what we have studied in class, the link to the website is http://letarttalk.org/home.html and the youtube channel is http://www.youtube.com/LetArtTalk for more videos.

Here are some samples of artwork done by a diverse group of Ugandan children through Let Art Talk’s workshops.

I think that the video and project leave a lot of questions about what happens when you let art talk, what art can say, and how art is heard.