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

The following nine parts of the documentary was created by Taline Haytayan from her experience with Peace Brigades Internationa (PBI) and the Feminine Popular Organization (OFP). PBI is an international NGO that promotes nonviolence and protect human rights throughout various countries. They often send volunteers to help with people who are constantly being threaten by political violence’s.

The nine parts video will talk about the story in Barrancabermeja such as struggles with oil refineries, candle lit vigils against war rich with cultural artistic expressions, hip hop as a protest against war and violence, creative outlet for youth in the community, peaceful march, government policies that affect community negatively, testimonies from victims of armed violence and a case senario regarding issues of the “Plan Colombia”.

Through the videos presented below, I see how people from developing countries are suffering from various issues within the country itself. Issues revolving around the political and military power are very common in Barrancabermeja. However, we can see from the videos that the people in Barrancabermeja are willing to speak up and to voice their opinions and attempt to change the lifestyle in the country. With help from various NGOs and support from people in the developed countries, help and changes can be given to the locals in Barrancabermeja.

Barrancabermeja is a city in the northeastern Colombia. It is located on the banks of Magdalena River in the Middle Magdalena region.  Barrancabermeja is the home to the biggest oil refinery in the country which is owned by the state company Ecopetrol.

“Plan Colombia”

Plan Colombia, sometimes also referred to as the “war with drug”, came in to effect between 1998 and 1999 under the administration of President Andres Pastrana. The main project goal is to implement an anti-drug strategy to fight with the excessive consumption of drugs worldwide. In order to control the production of drugs, a process named “aerial fumigation” is used throughout to kill coca. Because the leaves of coca is being used widely in the modern society to produce cocaine, destroying coca plant is considered the best way to reduce consumption of cocaine globally.

In the first part of the video, a brief introduction to the history of Barrancabermeja is presented with some background information listed in English subtitles. After introduction, it talks about the oil refineries struggle that it faces from the privatization of oil refinery company in the country, thus, giving private multinationals such as Shell and Texaco a better position in the country. Because of this, the Oil Workers Union (USO) launched a permanent strike stating their fear of privatization.

The second and third part of the video shows the process of the OFP organizing the vigil for peace and against war. Organized with 25 soup kitchens nationwide, the OFP stated their proposal for Colombia “Not one woman, Not one man, Not one penny for the war”. The use of cultural activities, and modern hip hop are some of the examples that locals used to bring forward their voice to many general public in a causal yet effective way.

The fourth video shows the May 1^st 2005 Labour Rights Day with a peaceful rally. They are against in Free Trade Agreement and the President Uribe’s Reelection. They are also demanding Uribe’s government to respect peaceful initiatives, political opposition parties and groups.

The next two video shows how OFP assist in local community through various actions such as giving talks, workshops and providing legal assistance for locals. By teaching them how to obtain various skills such as makeup and hairdressing, women were viewed as more important within the society. In addition, local women were able to earn income for their household by practicing their skills in the real society such as cooking for the public and starting small businesses.

The seventh video shows various written cases by victims of the violence and crossfire between the Guerrilla and the Paramilitaries. Because of the constant struggles between the two forces, “Guerilla” and “Paramilitaries” many locals were found guilty by the two forces and are continuously being treated with violence’s from both sides.

The last two parts of the video shows how many people find it really difficult to survive in the rural area. Being situated far away from urban area, most people have no choice but to farm coca for a living. However, the fumigation to kill coca happens often unexpectedly and often kills other crops and affects the health of people living in that area.

Amadou Et Mariam & Manu Chao – Senegal Fast Food Apr 20, 2009 – 04:19 (Lyrics Language: French) Amadou & Mariam Sénégal fast-food Lyrics: C’est au Mahattan fast-food Dakar Sénégal cinéma le Paris, Demain je serais parti, La gare Dakar, Bamako Mopti Y’a pas …

The video that I have posted is a music video of the song “Senegal Fast Food” by Amadou and Miriam in collaboration with Manu Chao. Included in the following is the English translation of the lyrics, as well as a short bio of the couple as found on their own website:

Sénégal Fast-Food

It’s at Manhattan fast food’s
Dakar, Senegal, cinema le Paris
Tomorrow I would be gone
The Bamako Mopti station
There is no problem…all is well
Today I am getting married, I have confidence
Amoul solo, Gao, Algeria, Tunisia, Italy
There is no problem, I love!
At Manhattan fast food’s
Dakar, Senegal, cinema le Paris
Elevator for the ghetto
It is midnight in Tokyo
It is five o’clock in Mali
What time is it in paradise?
We who leave our countries

May the children of the country not forget us
We who are in this thing
This thing that none of us would know how to name it
We who are in faraway countries
May the children of the country not forget us
It is midnight in Tokyo, it is five o’clock in Mali
What time is it in paradise?
Dakar, Bamako, Rio de Janeiro
Where is the problem? Where is the border?
Between the walls, thread one’s way
In the elevator for the ghetto

Short Bio:

It’s now 28 years since Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia  met in Mali and started  making music together. Mariam had grown up singing at weddings and traditional festivals while the teenaged Amadou had cut his teeth as a guitarist in Les Ambassadeurs, one of West Africa’s hottest and most legendary bands. Both are blind and they met in 1977 at the Institute for the Blind in Bamako (capital of Mali), where they were both studying Braille and found themselves  performing together in the institute’s Eclipse Orchestra. They married in 1980, the same year they played their first official concert together as a duo.

Summary:

The lyrics of “Senegal Fast-Food” are slightly abstract and ambiguous but it seems to be talking about the international movement of people, how difficult it is for people from countries like Senegal to leave, and once they have arrived, the difficulties that they face. This touches on a subject that is often overlooked in the discussion of little “d” development, which is the problem of human mobility in an increasingly globalized world. Ideally the opening of borders promoted by development would allow people to freely move between borders, but the reality is that countries of the global North continue to discriminate against immigrants from the global South mostly based on income, skill and health. Connecting this issue of human mobility with uneven development, a pattern emerges where people of relatively higher income and education from the global South enter countries of the global North, while people most desperate for the opportunities in the global North are denied access. While this is certainly a oversimplified statement of the reality of the situation, it is undeniable that this form of human mobility does more harm than good for people of the global South as the people with wealth and education are being drawn out of the country where it is most needed. I personally do not speak French, nor do I have a deep understanding of West African culture, so being able to see the video adds another layer of meaning to their music for me because it contains messages that might have been lost in translation or cultural context.

Comment:

I have posted a video by Amadou and Miriam because I believe their music represents a more holistic voice of the global South, as well, they are interesting subjects for analyzing the definitions of “sub-altern”.  I feel their album “Dimanche a Bamako” is holistic in the sense that there is a balance between the messages of struggle and demand for political justice as well as a celebration of life and culture in Mali. I could not find a video for the song “Politic Amagni” but it is a strong example of the political aspects of their album as one can see from the lyrics;

Politics requires blood, tears
Ignorance, lies
Lives and votes
This is why, my friend, it is evidence
Politics is violence
Politics is not good
Politics is not good
Politicians, listen to us
Politicians, when doing politics
Remove from it theft and corruption
Remove from it lies and hollow words
Remove from it conflicts and crimes
Politicians, listen to us
We do not want demagogy
We do not want corruption
We do not want exactions
We want honest men
We want upright men
We want happiness for everybody
We want peace for everybody
Politicians, listen to us …

Not only is this song a response to the actions of the Malian government, but it is important to note in the last line, that it is a call to be heard. In contrast to these strong political messages, there are also songs of celebration such as “La Fete au Village” which is about a girl getting ready for the party in the village, and “Beaux Dimanches” which is about weddings on Sundays in Bamako, the capital of Mali. Thus, I think their album is an important reminder that the voice of the global South is not just about the negative issues, as important as they are for the global North to hear, but also of pride and celebration of their culture and the positive aspects of their lives.

From face value, Amadou and Miriam certainly seem to represent the sub-altern voice, as they are blind and Malian. I certainly do not want to undermine the struggle the two must have had to endure in order for their music to become the success that it is, but I think it is also important not to romanticize their story. The pair were able to attend the Bamako Institute for the Young Blind in a country that is ranked 178 out of 182 in the UN’s Human Development Index report of 2007.  While I was not able to gather information on the financial background from which they were raised, I would assume that they were well-off enough to be able to afford an education in music. Certainly it would be too simplistic to associate wealth with the power of discourse, as other factors such as identity and physical disabilities also create barriers for communication, but I believe it is an important point to consider when assuming that Amadou and Miriam are voices of the sub-altern.

In considering whether their message can truly be heard, several factors need to be considered. The first factor, and possibly the most important is the issue of language. In an interview with Radio France Internationale, Amadou and Miriam said that they still write all their songs in their native Bambara and then translate them after into French. For an English speaker such as myself the translations from Bambara to French and finally to English undoubtedly alters the original meaning of the lyrics as language is very culturally specific and translations are often conducted by a third-party. Furthermore, it is also important to remember that this album was produced in collaboration with Manu Chao, who definitely had an influence in the content as well as the sound of the songs. In addition, Amadou and Miriam are both blind, therefore one needs to question the control they were able to exercise over the content of the video. Despite the multiple obstacles Amadou and Miriam face in delivering their intended message, I think that their music is a still a important voice of the global South because of the message they drive to deliver of “love, peace and justice” (quoted from an interview from Radio France Internationale) and their ability to reach a wide audience with their great tunes.

This video is about how China’s government suppressed the population prior to and during the Olympics to enhance the country’s image. It is made by Amnesty International. There were many other issues not just the suppression of people’s voices. This includes the taking away of land to build venues without compensation, and slums were covered up and people were displaced. Furthermore, people were locked away without trials, executed, and silenced. In the video, Amnesty international has talked about how the first step to better human rights is the taking some of crimes out of executable crimes. When people wants to find out about statistics on the number of executions for example, the government hides it. The government controls the traffic of the internet and that silences people’s voices largely, especially in this age of technology. People feel helpless when they want their voices to be heard, but have no outlet. When they do voice their opinions and suffering, they run the fear of being caught and locked up or executed.

I think this video relates to our class especially on the silencing of voices. The subaltern has their voice silenced by many factors. In this video, people are actually silenced by their government which is supposed to be looking out for their interests. These people don’t really have other options when trying to voice their opinion as the government can control activities of organizations in China. However, with the increasing integration of China into the world market and so on, China has to be more sensitive to human rights issue, and that I hope should help resolve some of these problems.

This video asks the question why the job of the US Treasury Secretary is important for the world.  It goes on to talk about the importance of expanding debt concessions.  This is especially important given the large role that the US and the international financial institutions such as the World Bank and IMF play.

The video highlights the important power that the US treasury has, in that it has the ability to veto a vote and make reforms in institutions, which form policies

The video argues that the governance and management of these international institutions should address policy concerns that are harmful to economic development as well as expanding debt consolidation to many African countries that are heavily indebt and impacted.  Furthermore, debt is often used by corrupt leaders to finance operations that oppress the poor.

The video argues that these international institutions need to address development needs.  The video says that debts need to be repaid, however the model of paying debts should be closely related to what the US is going through in regards to the credit crunch.

This video is important as it highlights the importance of “North-South relations for understanding development” as development geography is “…mapped onto the global South to the exclusion of Northern societies” (Lawson, 2007, 3).  The need to rethink development and debt relief in particular is reinforced by Bono’s view in regards to debt relief.  Bono argues that Debt should be cancelled to give the African countries a fresh start.  However, the bureaucracy and Red Tape that goes on in Congress inhibits the debt relief.  These videos also highlight the concept of Big D and little d development.  Little d development is considered the first step as little d development refers to “unscripted shifts in economies and societies of landscapes of investment, production, consumption patterns, global flows of debt payment, the emergence of political alliances among workers, feminist, environmentalists, indigenous people, transnational migrations and the like” (Lawson, 2007, 6). Cancelling the debt in these African countries, little d development, would allow big D development (development policies such as building infrastructure) to occur.

The video also highlights the “continued dominance of western ways of knowing” (Can the Subaltern Speak 110).  Rather than questioning the role of the US, and other Western countries, by allowing the subaltern, such as ordinary Africans express themselves, these videos highlight the continued focus that the Western nations such as US and the international financial institutions that they control, such as the World Bank and IMF have on many countries in global south such as Kenya, Africa.  There is a common acknowledgement for the need of the US to adjust their policies to allow Africa to thrive rather than focusing on how development is “situated knowledge” (Can the Subaltern Speak, 116).  These videos highlight that although the subaltern, is speaking, there is an insistence for him to remain in the centre, and interpreted through the Western power grid rather than focus on alternative models in regards to development that does not involve the continued dominance of the West such as the

After listening to Dambisa Moyo discuss aid strategies and their failings in Africa (provided by Williee on October 14^th) I became interested in alternative strategies.  It was this interest that led me to Jacqueline Novogratz. 

Novogratz and Moyo continue the debate on which method will be the best suited to bring the world out of poverty.  Moyo, examines foreign capital provided by foreign governments and suggests that it is the policies of aid that foster country dependency on foreign Investment creating unmotivated governments in terms of looking for alternative financing.  Novogratz, on the other hand, submits the idea of “patient capital” which sees poverty stricken people not as passive recipients of charity but individual customers and looks to invest philanthropic capital in local entrepreneurial innovation thus avoiding the creation of dependent, unmotivated governments.   

An interesting difference  between Moyo and Novogratz is the belief in the appropriate time frame within which success can be seen, where Investment will be allocated and who will provide the capital.  They are both discussing aid but through quite different sources.  Moyo points to aid graduates and explains how aid distributed through governments can be successful if it is done in a “sharp, short and finite” manner; this way a dependency is not allowed to emerge.  Novogratz explains how “patient capital” invests in the local community leaders and entrepreneurs and requires a “long time horizon in terms of allowing those entrepreneurs time to experiment”.  It seems to me that most discussion about global policy shifts and the quest for alternative approaches to global issues is often presented with emphasis on immediate implementation of them for fast results.  It was nice to hear Novogratz use the word ‘patience’ throughout her presentation, notably, when talking about returns, building trust, and having local innovations reach the global scale.

 I enjoyed the presentation and think that she is on to some key concepts: solutions must begin from the perspective of those we wish to help; funding that enables enterprises to grow and intertwine  fostering partnerships is important; patience is important in such bottom up aid as uneven development has put some nations far behind others in terms of infrastructure and economic well being; a new approach to end poverty is needed and the time for us to begin innovating and looking for new solutions is now. 

Summary

Soweto – acronym for South Western Township, (located south West of Johannesburg in Southern Africa) emerged just after 1900 as a racially segregated area re-locating an emerging black labour force for white companies, especially the gold-mining industries.  Starting about 15 km away from the centre of Johannesburg, it comprises some 63 sq. km, where an estimated two million people live.Soweto was also home to anti-Apartheid political activists such as Walter Sisulu, Nelson Mandela and Robert Sobukwe.  In 2003, Johannesburg Water company privatized water in Soweto and installed pre-paid meters all over the town. The installation of pre-paid meters started in Phiri, the pilot project for Operation Gcin’amanzi or Operation Save Water, a move that resulted in a series of protests by residents. They claimed that they were not consulted about the installation of the water meters, and that the water meters infringed on their rights to access to water.  The sad truth is that before the introduction of the pre-paid system, residents were not getting free basic water.                                                                                                                                       Jennifer Makoatsane, the lady from the video tells that they have to pay up front, recharge the card and then get the water. Citizens, those who spoke told that they cannot afford it.                                                                             Jennifer, the resident of Soweto, was frustrated with that the pre paid meters were only installed in poor communities; but those who have luxury, such as big swimming pool, Jacuzzi, green lawn, they are not on  a pre-paid system. Later, Jennifer was telling how her mother cannot drink water because they have to save it. Also, she was mentioning that if someone from the family is sick they cannot obtain water urgently.

In 2006, the contract was not extended due to propagandas, protests, advertisements on billboards (shown in the video) and residents started to remove the meters. November 2008  All the meters were collected by the residents even though they had to face military violence,and returned to the mayor.

That was not the end of the story, citizens of Soweto successfully brought the case up to the High Court. The pre-paid meter was declared by the High Court as “an unlawful and unconstitutional”. In addition, the High Court ordered free basic water increase to 50 litres per person per day. Also, the residents of Soweto made the case into the Constitutional Court and they are waiting for the decision of the Court.

Comment

Johannesburg Water is attempting to silence and criminalize the voices of those who are resisting its programme – Operation Gcin’amanzi/Operation Save Water – of installing pre-paid water meters in the Phiri community of SOWETO. Instead of listening to the very community it claims to be helping, Johannesburg Water has brought in the South African Police Services and the hated ‘Red Ants’ of Wozani Security (a rag-tag private security company tasked with evictions and other dirty jobs) to crack down on community opposition.                                                                                   It is Johannesburg Water and their Operation Gcin’amanzi who are the real criminals. The real motto of their campaign to commodify water should be – ‘No Money, No Water, No life’. The simple fact is that the privatisation of water through the installation of pre-paid water meters will mean that poor people unable to afford access will die.

ANC (African National Congress) campaign was to make citizens accessible to clean water.  Now that they are in parliament and municipal councils they have forgotten about us and are working with private companies who are only interested in profit and enriching themselves. The ANC  (African National Congress)government has chosen to work for the capitalists and help them make profits. Capitalism is a system that exploits the poor, the working class. It is the capitalists who pay us starvation wages, who retrench us, who employ us as casuals and who throw us out without proper pensions when we are old. The ANC is a government of capitalists. By serving the capitalist bosses the leaders of the ANC betray the working class who put them in power. It is capitalism that says give water to only those who have money to pay.

The installation of pre-paid water meters was not discussed with community residents. While I was searching for the view of Johannesburg Water Company  the spokesperson, Baldwin Matsimela said:

“We are working closely with the political leadership at ward levels as well as actively engaging with all relevant stakeholders by participating in community meetings.” The first question flew into my mind was How about the citizens?

At the beginning of the video it says that WATER IS NOT A PRIVILIGE, WATER IS A HUMAN RIGHT. I was wondering can their voice be heard?The end of the video warmed my heart as the citizens of Soweto took it to the High Court in 2006.

But the video did not say what happened at the Constitutional Court. I searched about it and found unpleasant news.  After a lengthy legal battle between the City of Johannesburg and Soweto residents,in October 2009, the Constitutional Court has ruled that water meters installed by the City in the township are legal. As the banners, advertisement banners, writings on the walls said

HIV/AIDS+PRE-PAID  = 100% DEATH –  might be the case now.

Interesting fact: The Johannesburg Water was funded by Suez in Paris until 2006.

Since the Johannesburg Water is legal to contstruct pipes and build pre-paid meters, nowdays Soweto people are facing no water days due to the pipe contruction. I wonder who will benefit from this? Whether the Johannesburg Water will be building pipe lines just to deliver safe drinking water to Soweto withot any gains on their side. Probably not.

This video is an attempt to give voice to the hundreds, some believe thousands (the total number is still unknown) of women who have gone missing or been found raped and killed in Juarez, Mexico. Juarez is right on the border between Mexico and the U.S, most importantly in this case, on the Mexican side. It is a city that has been transformed by U.S. corporate factories, Maquiladoras, which employ mostly young Mexican women from all over the country. The woman talking in the video is American.

At first glance this video may not seem associated with development. However, as seen in class and readings, development covers much more than the stock market and how to be successful. The neo-liberal/capitalistic sense of development has created dramatic changes all over the world, from divisions of labour, to how we see the world and our place in it. This video touches on both this aspects in an emotional and powerful way, hoping to raise awareness and therefore change.

Maquiladoras: These factories are U.S. corporate owned and have been placed strategically on the Mexican border in order to provide an efficient and expedient way of producing materials while taking advantage of cheap/green labour. They have changed the division of labour in Mexico, with thousands of women traveling across the country in order to provide for their families. While some would argue that their employment provides a chance for autonomy and the ability to break away from a patriarchic division of labour in Mexico, others would mention the absurd hours and below minimum wage. As well most of their income is sent back home to parents who have been left in their care, or to their families because they can no longer afford the typical “male bread winner” due to IMF structural adjustment programs. In most cases these women are not only working the factory lines and being paid measly amounts, but are also required to work at home, doing household chores and caring for children, important and difficult work that is not recognize by the government or by most people in general. It has become a “society where young women are expendable” not just in terms of labour, but their lives as well. The maquiladoras have caused a great concentration of a certain type of woman (young, alone, working late hours), consequently creating the perfect arena for a “slow genocide” without reaction.

“The line that divides us from them”: The killings in Juarez have gone on for many years with very little attention. A major binary is at play here resulting in a lack of action or hearing; “us and them”. A line has been drawn that divides the developed, civilized side with the unimportant, misguided savages. There are many reasons for this division that are embedded in the history of colonialism and imperialism, but mostly the other has been created in order to rationalize subjugation, accumulation by dispossession and the mistreatment of people. In this case using young woman for cheap labour and then ignoring and turning a blind eye when they disappear or die. The woman in the video is speaking out for these women even though she is unlikely to be a victim for she is “less Mexican, less poor, and more American”. Yet in the end the women that are disappearing on a daily basis, being raped and killed look just liker her, in fact I might argue they look just like me: young, female, dark hair, eyes, skin… But because they are on the other side of the line, a line that could’ve fallen anywhere, the issue has been swept aside in order to “protect our American dreams”. While some in Mexico may be speaking out, it is as an American that this woman is reaching people and gaining attention by using youtube and videos. It would appear that the general public outside of Mexico is gaining awareness and this might lead to change, however the question remains if this would have occurred without her voice. Are these “others” not speaking or are we simply not listening?…

The systematic disappearance of women has occurred all over the world at many different levels, including here in Vancouver and the downtown east side. Rape and killings have been a general occurrence of most notably prostitutes, the homeless and Native American women in Vancouver, a North American city where seemingly more attention would be drawn to these barbaric activities. However for many years this situation was ignored and pushed aside just as it is now it now in Juarez, Mexico. It would seem that while the woman in the video believes that swift action would be taken had these killings been set in North America this is not necessarily true. Despite this it is important to note that those that disappeared were mostly Native American, not white middle class women, and so the question still remains as to the imaginary geographies people have placed on different races and their importance in the world.

In the first video, Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico, states his views on the market concerning genetically modified foods. Governor Richardson believes we are living in a free market system and that European regulation should reflect the global economy. He proceeds to declare that the U.S. government should act as a “broker” between American farmers and aid to the third world.

The second video outlines the hazards concerning genetically modified foods and bio-diversity. The clip is an anti-Monsanto piece that discusses the dilemmas regarding the introduction of GM corn into Mexico. Monsanto corn is heavily subsidized by the government which makes it much cheaper than local corn varieties. Not only is the GM corn pushing indigenous corn out through economic means, it is also wiping it out genetically. Strains of GM corn are bonding with local corn varieties and creating hybrids which threaten to devastate the rich diversity of corn found in Mexico.

These two videos work well together to show how America’s neoliberalist agenda attempts a shallow justification of open market trade, and the effects of that agenda on developing nations. Bill Richardson expresses the frustration the U.S. has towards the European Union and its policies regarding genetically modified foods. While the EU lifted their ban on genetically modified foods in 2004, many countries retain the rights to keep it off their shelves. Governor Richardson believes this to be a direct violation of free trade agreements but much of Europe has claimed clauses under health and safety concerns exempting them from compliance.

Other countries don’t have the same fortune as they are bound through trading agreements applied by the IMF and WB. As stated in the second video, Mexico has had to allow GM corn to be grown and sold in their country. It may be cheaper, but farmers not only have to pay for the seeds, they also become obligated to purchase the fertilizers and pesticides needed to grow the corn. With genetically modified corn wiping out local stocks, it is easy to see that soon these developing nations will become dependent on American companies to provide them with seeds and the necessary chemicals to grow them which conveniently are linked with the same companies. Genetically modified foods are reported to be the answer to feeding the worlds hungry but it is very clear that they are having very damaging effects.

In the United States, farmers are being sued by Monsanto after their canola fields have been contaminated with GM seeds from neighboring farms. Monsanto claims that it doesn’t matter how your farm has contracted their patented GM seeds and that the farms must compensate the company for their agricultural product. This is a clear example of second tier commodification of food and can be considered accumulation by dispossession as our right to grow food has been stripped from us by large corporations.  If GM seeds wipe out agricultural diversity, the world will be subject to the will of these agribusinesses. Bill Richardson alleges he wants to divert America’s foreign aid that goes to “building dictators palaces” and focus it on supporting investment in GM foods. Unfortunately, this proposal simply replaces one dictator for another.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was born and raised in Eastern Nigeria, and is today one of the most powerful young voices in African literature. In this talk she identifies how story telling has the power to influence our understanding of people and places. Chimamanda thoughtfully reveals the danger of a single story and how it creates vulnerability.  She presents herself not only as a victim of a single story but also a “victimizer” of people she had had a single story about.

Chimamanda points out that a single story is created by showing the subject/people “as one and only one thing.” She suggests that the power of a story lies in how it is told, who tells it, when it is told and how many times the story is told. Based on the fact that a person is multi-faceted and is made up of many stories, having a single story creates stereotypes which as in Chimamanda’s definition, is not necessarily untrue but simply “incomplete.”

This presentation addresses the central pillar of the creation of “the other.” This is because, often (if not always), we use stories to acquire knowledge of places we have not been to, or people we have not met. It is therefore through stories that “orientalism” or – in Professor Edward Said’s own words – “the creation of an ideal other” (Edward Said; On Orientalism) becomes possible. Chimamanda points out that a story follows the principle of “Nkali”, an Igbo word meaning “to be greater than another”, and this is the principle of power.  This same concept (of power of representation) is well obeyed in orientalism, that which guides the representation of the other. Chimamanda describes power not just as the ability to tell a story of another person, but to make that story the definitive one. She gives an example of how America’s cultural and economic power enabled stories written in the USA to be the dominant ones in literature. Even when we look beyond literature, we can still see the story of the West being regarded as the universal truth. We see this perceprtion very often in the development studies. The “Western” definition of development and civilization for example, has been hugely regarded as the accurate one and that the rest of the world ought to adapt to it. And as we have seen in class, new heated debates are rising to discuss whether the real cause of today’s inequality is the “underdevelopment” or “overdevelopment” of the “North.” But in the past it had always been presented to us that underdevelopment is the only problem that needed to be addressed.

Another thing that comes up in Chimamanda’s talk which is worthy pointing out and one that we have had class discussions over, is the ability of the subaltern (Africans in Chimamanda’s case) to speak for themselves. The subaltern is often seen as “unable to speak for themselves” and “waiting to be saved by a kind white foreigner.” This brings back the concept that people in the south are a “white man’s burden,” unable to develop without the white man’s pity. This is not just a single story, but a single and incomplete story because it lacks both cultural, historical and social sides of a “southern” man. The way to go about solving this could be to minimise (if not to completely remove) the mainstream’s dominance especially in the media, and allow the subaltern to tell their stories in their own “authentic” way. It has to be told in their own way because often the subaltern is bound to “speak with the elite’s tongue,” to present a story that the elite want them to present. This therefore leads to the audience hearing the same single story although might be by different presenters.

Therefore, I believe, what Chimamanda’s talk suggests is that, in order to counter orientalism, stereotyping or any other wrong representations of a people, multiple stories (and not only different versions of a similar story) must be heard.

Interview with Terry Uyarak

Interview with Madeline Ivalu

Interview with Atuat Akkirtiq

Igloolik is an Inuit hamlet in the Qikiqtaaluk Region in Nunavut, northern Canada. It is located on a small island in Foxe-Basin that has been occupied by the Inuit for thousands of years with archeological sites on the island dating back over 4000 years. This video series interviews various members of the Igloolik community on their opinions of the Baffinland Iron Mine Corporation’s Mary River iron mine proposal. The interviews talk about the planning and construction phases of the Mary River mine and the effects that other mines have had on Inuit communities in Nunavut.

The community was consulted during the planning phase but the community feels their opinions and suggestions were not listened to by the planning committee. The Inuit are concerned about the environmental impact, especially of the shipping lane which threatens their traditional walrus hunting grounds. As Madeline Ivalu says “The plan consists of destroying the environment, the wildlife, therefore the Inuit.” Atuat Akkirtiq worries about the affects the mining jobs will have on families and the community. Terry Uyarak is concerned with the pollution the mine will create and that this is only the beginning of future mines and development in the area.

The story told by these community members draws similiar connections to other Canadian mining projects in other countries. As we read about in “The Profits of Extermination” by Francisco Ramírez Cuellar in Colombia the mining corporations are concerned first with capital gain and are seemingly unconcerned with the environmental and human impacts of their mining projects. Canadian laws do not allow for the kind of mass displacement and massacres that are connected to Columbian mining but the Inuit are right to worry about the future loss of their land as more development connected to mining occurs. Even though the proposed shipping lane goes through their traditional hunting grounds, and they voted against the mine they don’t legally own the land and the mine construction is going forward. As Madeline discusses in her interview, it feels like they are planning (if indirectly) to clear the land of Inuit and wildlife so they can mine without resistance.

The voices of the Inuit of Igloolik have been silenced by the mining company. Their knowledge and voices hold less importance in development and mining politics because they have been placed in the position of the subaltern due to a history of oppression and racism starting in colonial times in Canada. The colonial British government and after independence the Canadian government has continued to discriminate against First Nation communities through policies of displacement, segregation and assimilation. These policies were originally tied to notions of barbarism which constructs First Nations cultures as primitive, that is, lacking signs of economic development or modernity. When Western explorers wrote of these primitive cultures they described them as being comparable to early human cultures, and backwards in that they had not progressed. The policies have left First Nations communities outside the Center politically, geographically and socially.

These videos are part of a video blog called “Show me on the map: discussions on mining in Igloolik” by Arnait Video Productions on isuma.tv which hosts mainly Inuit blogs, videos and audio recordings. Igloolik Isuma Productions, Inc. was incorporated in January 1990 as Canada’s first Inuit independent production company. Isuma is 75% Inuit-owned. The company is giving a voice to the Inuit, allowing them to speak to the broader world in their own language on issues of importance to them. There is another series of videos on the site about how Inuit knowledge can be applied to help reduce climate change which may be of interest to readers of this blog.