Struggling with hope, suffering, and injustice

My time in Uganda thus far has been largely positive. I have seen children that have never been to school now have the chance at a better future through sponsorship. I have heard the positive stories of women in our small loans program that can now afford school fees for their children, needed medicine, and better foods for their families. I have listened to people share their stories of immense suffering and violence, but who remain determined to press forward because their hope and faith will not allow them to quit. All of these examples have given me the hope and encouragement that perhaps justice will find these people in this lifetime.
However, every so often a situation occurs that shakes one's soul to the core and you wonder if in fact, people that have suffered and lived through hell will ever realize their hope and see justice and freedom from suffering. Such a situation happened a week ago. I received a text message from the father of a family whose children we sponsor through our organization ( I am also very close friends with the family). Just to give you all a little background on the family:

The family came from DR Congo just over a year ago. The father was caught by rebels and severely tortured, they cut off the fingers on his right hand, and cut his chest with knives leaving deep scars. The rebels burnt down the family's home with the mom and children inside, thankfully they escaped, but the youngest child suffered burns to the lower half of her body (she still carries the scars). One of their children was killed by the rebels, and two others were lost in the chaos when the mother and her children were fleeing the home trying to escape. The father was separated from the family for some time and did not even know if they were still alive. He eventually found his way to Uganda and ended up in a refugee camp, where, on a list of names of people living in the camp he found the name of his wife and two of the children. This is the shortened version of the story. Back to the text.....

In the text the father told me that his youngest daughter (only 4yrs old) had been raped that Friday afternoon. I didn't know how to respond to this news. A picture of this sweet, innocent, little girl's face could not escape my mind. Who could ever do something so horrible? I have never felt such deep inner sorrow, and anger as I did that day. I don't agree with the death penalty, but for such cases I might be persuaded to change my mind even though I know it would not reduce the suffering of the family. That might be the anger talking. I've always considered this family as a model or inspiration for my own life. It is evident that the family loves each other, the parents are faithful to each other, they work very hard, and they see the importance of education for their children as a way out of poverty. After all they've been through in their lives already, why do they now have to suffer through this? Haven't they been through enough? When will they see justice? I am not speaking about legal justice here, although that too would be welcomed, but rather I am speaking about justice as freedom from suffering. I became even more angry when I learned that the family had to pay to file a police report, as well as paying for the perpetrator to have an HIV test! The victims have to pay! Without the assistance of others many families in the slum wouldn't have the money to pay for this, and thus they wouldn't be able to pursue the legal process (not that the legal process will bring healing or even justice for that matter). Perhaps this is why there is so much vigilante justice here, people don't have the means or confidence to go through the legal process.
I've heard people say that those who suffer in this life will find justice in the next. However, this answer is inadequate to me because it reduces the human existence into one of suffering and injustice, and surely there must be more to human existence than that. Although this is not a new question for the universe, I do wonder why injustice seems to plague certain people or groups of people continually throughout their lives, many of whom hold a deep faith in a just god. I suppose the answer is that the world as a whole is unjust, and the fact that people such as myself have suffered very little if at all in my life, while others continually suffer through a living hell is a signal of that injustice.
So as the family is consumed with this new tragedy in their lives, here I sit pondering why injustice and suffering continue to plague this family and others like them. If I think about it, it is even a luxury to do so, and perhaps that too is not just.
I realize I could drive myself crazy contemplating the reasons for injustice. In fact, such pursuits could even paralyze and distract from the pursuit of justice itself. As I stated earlier, when I first heard this horrible news I was very saddened and angered. It has taken me a few days to realize this, but I was letting my anger consume me. Instead, I must focus on offering my love and support to the family as they go through this tragedy. I must continue to hope for justice while also actively doing my part in bringing that closer to reality. I am also amazed at the strength of the family. I have not heard them speak one ill word about the perpetrator. When the perpetrator was marched in front of us at the police station the father did not lash out physically or even verbally. I do not know how he was able to hold back his anger, but to his credit he did. Through all of this the family continues to hope, they continue to press onward. They are an inspiration. Nothing can undo the injustice and suffering they've endured, but I have to hope as they hope, that their suffering, and the injustices committed against them will end in this lifetime and not only the next.

hoping for a future of justice and freedom from suffering...

Catching up with Kampala

Despite all the pollution and garbage strewn about certain parts of Kampala it is encouraging to see steps being taken to reduce the ecological footprint of the city. I'm not sure if the government paid for the solar/wind powered lamps to be installed or if they were part of a project funded by the EU or something similar. However, it makes me wonder why don't most cities have these? Or maybe most cities do have them, but Winnipeg is just a little behind the eight-ball (Thanks Mr. Katz). The wind power/solar power street lights seem like an obvious environmentally friendly idea. Perhaps they are too costly to install? Who knows, but all I could think about when I saw them was why doesn't Winnipeg have these? Someone get me Sam's and Gary's numbers I want an explanation!

A Day of Reflection

Today is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. day. In Canada, to my knowledge this has never been a day that has drawn much attention. Growing up I don't recall it ever being mentioned in school and certainly there was never an assembly to honor it. However, we do have Remembrance Day where we remember our soldiers who have fought in various wars, in particular WWII. In a sense they become our heroes, and our heroes are war heroes. Sadly, most of the American soldiers that fled into Canada seeking asylum because they no longer wanted to participate in what history has shown as an unjust war of aggression in Iraq are now being deported back to the United States where they will face persecution and criminal charges. If we as a society value peace and those that stand for justice then why do we allow this to happen? Should we not value these people and even celebrate their act of consciousness? Should they not be heroes instead of criminals? I suppose this is the way of the oppressors, as King was also once a 'criminal'.
I have to ask, why isn't there more attention paid to 'peace heroes'? Nonviolent heroes like Dr. King that have fought oppression and risked their lives for the people of their country? Is it because there are none? Is it because we value violence more than nonviolence? I would hope the answer to both of these questions would be NO!
I believe there are people acting everyday in a nonviolent way to fight for freedom, equality, democracy and liberty. The very things wars are apparently fought for. Perhaps the reason these people don't receive as much attention is because quite often they are the dissidents, they are the people that are challenging the government. In fact, since 9-11 North America has seen governments become more and more suspicious of nonviolent peace movements. Instead of honoring them, they have been viewed as potential threats to the centers of power. So much so, that governments have spent resources infiltrating these groups much like they did during the time of MLK.
In light of the ongoing 'war on terror' that has imprisoned many Arab men without trial or access to a lawyer, as well as what has been happening in Palestine and other parts of world, we cannot afford to forget what MLK, Gandhi, and others like them have shown us. They have shown us that the power of nonviolence can force governments to change their policies. It can bring oppressors to their knees. I think this is often lost on us in today's world of people that think 'what can I do? I'm just one person, I can't change the world' WRONG! Heroes like Dr. King, Rosa Parks and Gandhi (being the obvious ones) have shown us that the ideas and actions of individuals are so powerful they can change communities, countries, and the world. When Rosa Parks took her seat on the front of that bus did she have any idea what she would inspire? I doubt it, but it is these seemingly simple actions by everyday people that make all the difference, and collectively they can inspire change throughout the world.
The nonviolent actions during the civil rights era of King were not just actions for that time and place in history. They are actions that can be, and need to be used and reflected as a useful tool to oppose oppression and other acts of injustice throughout the world. I often think that Hamas needs to realize that Israel holds the monopoly on violence in the conflict and an end to occupation will not come through the use of violence. If Hamas truly wants a lasting peace and an end to Israeli occupation and aggression then perhaps they need to accept nonviolent confrontation through mass demonstrations etc. as a way forward to lasting change. I'm not an expert on Middle East politics, or any politics for that matter, but I do know that oppressors always hold the monopoly on violence for it is how they maintain their power over the oppressed. However, one thing oppressors do not have the monopoly on is nonviolent action. That monopoly belongs to the oppressed, and once this notion has been awakened within them, history has shown us it can be more powerful than guns or bombs.

Although I do not know the name of the person who said it, I will leave you with a quote I read in a Ugandan newspaper during the American election that I feel is appropriate for the day:

Rosa Parks sat so Dr. King could walk.
Dr. King walked so Obama could run.
Obama ran so our children could fly!

Does anyone have any T-shirts?

I realize that some of my posts are a little on the 'heavy' side at times, so to change things up a little I've decided to post a blog about the new t-shirt collection that I've started. Now some of you may be thinking 'what's the big deal about a t-shirt collection? Everyone has t-shirts.' This may be true, but my collection is t-shirts of political figures. In all honestly I didn't exactly start the collection, it sort of just happened to me. Some of these shirts I've had for years while others are more recent. So here's the story....
The first shirt I received was of Moammar Gadhafi from when Charlotte was teaching in Libya. the front has his picture (which is essential) and the back says 'El Fatah Forever' which I think means 'The Revolution Forever'. Gadhafi was coming to visit the town where Char was teaching so they were handing out shirts to the community, she never saw him or met him, but at least I got a shirt. The second shirt I acquired is of Che Guevara . I realize how cliche and exploited the image of Che has become, but I bought it when I was in Cuba and seeing as there were no Castro t-shirts, Che had to do. The third t-shirt I received is of John Garang founder and leader of the Sudanese Peoples Liberation Army until his death a few years back (RIP). The front of the shirt has his picture and underneath it are the words 'Freedom Fighter'. On the back are the words 'Join SPLA/M'. I got this shirt from my friend Chol who was in Sudan when I was in Uganda last year and he brought it back for me as a gift. My fourth and most recent t-shirt is of Obama. A friend of mine is traveling to DC for Obama's inauguration and I wanted him to pick up a shirt for me there in keeping with the tradition of getting the shirts from the actual places where these political figures made a name for themselves. However, yesterday when I was in Owino market (the biggest market in Kampala....HUGE) I saw an Obama shirt. Since the election, Obama pictures, shirts, and bumper stickers have been everywhere in Uganda. He has become somewhat of a hero here as people see him as one of their own. Needless to say, I decided to buy the shirt here and not in DC.
It wasn't until I received my Garang t-shirt that I thought 'hey I may have the start of a t-shirt collection here'. So If anyone has any t-shirts that would compliment my collection please let me know as I want to keep the collection growing.
This is sort of a mindless post, but I was a little bored so my apologies.

You May Roll Your Eyes Part II

Since I last blogged about the Israel/Palestinian conflict the death toll for Palestinians has risen considerably. The last report I heard put Palestinian deaths at over 1000 people while Israeli deaths remain at 13 (only 3 of those being civilian). Today I was watching Al Jazeera TV as I do most mornings, and I was again confronted with the conflict. As some may know, Al Jazeera does not water down their reporting like our news at home. They say it and show it like it is. Like many people I'm sure, and like I've done in the past, I thought of turning the channel to something a little less invasive, something more...mindless. However, just before I was about to tune out a group of three pundits came on to argue their views. The Israeli pundit was calling Hamas a genocidal organization bent on destroying Israel. The Israeli argued that it was the Palestinians that broke the ceasefire by launching a rocket into Israel. Then the Palestinian pundit came on arguing that the Israelis broke the ceasefire by continuing their blockade of shipments coming into Gaza and that the Hamas rocket was merely a response to this. It is significant to take note that whenever Secretary Rice speaks on the issue her main point is that Hamas must stop firing rockets. There is no mention of Israel calling off it's blockade. To me however, the most interesting points came from a man that has been called the most knowledgeable European 'specialist' on the Middle East (and whom I had previously not heard of). Mr. Patrick Seal laughed at the accusation of Hamas being genocidal. He argued that it was Israel's goal to in fact radicalize Hamas and Palestine in general even further. The reason for this, he argued, was because if Hamas and other Palestinians became more radical and fanatical then in Israel's view they won't have to negotiate with Palestine. They can instead invade with aggression and impunity with the argument that they are fighting radical, fundamentalist, terrorist Islamists that are hell bent on destroying Israel. Seal argued that this is part of Israel's goal to enable them to occupy the whole of Palestinian lands, that they in fact believe belongs to them. Seal continued by stating that in more recent times Hamas has become more liberal in their ideology and has sought peace deals, but Israel has turned around and provoked Hamas with such acts as the blockade.
Just some food for thought that I found as an interesting analysis and a counterbalance to mainstream western media.
I came across another interesting view in one of today's Ugandan newspapers Daily Monitor. The Monitor argued that the war on Gaza may not be about Israel's security, but rather about the large gas reserves off the coast of Gaza. The paper sights Global Research as saying that there is a direct relation between the gas reserves off the coast of Gaza and Israel's recent invasion. According the paper's sources, British Gas made a 25 year deal in1999 with the Palestinian Authority for exploration rights to the area. In 2007 the Israeli Cabinet approved a proposal to buy gas from the PA. However, the article states that Israel later decided to bypass the PA and Hamas, and deal directly with British Gas. Reportedly their plan was to build an underwater pipeline to the Israeli port of Ashkelon. However, the Israeli deal with BG fell through and BG has since apparently pulled out of the area, closing their office in Israel in January 2008. This of course leaves the fate of the gas field up in the air.
Again, interesting speculation as it provides yet another viewpoint to consider in the ongoing devastation that is the Israel/Palestine conflict.

On a side note, in a previous edition Daily Monitor wondered why some conflicts such as Israel/Palestine seem to attract a media frenzy and bring people marching in the streets, when other conflicts such as that in DR Congo that have killed several million people in the last few years are barely a blip on the radar screen. I suppose there was media attention paid to Darfur, but where are they now? Darfur has disappeared from the eye of the media while people continue to needlessly die. The same can be said for NGOs (Aid organizations) that rush to high profile disasters to attract funds, then when the media spotlight goes, so do they. People in northern Uganda that have spent decades living with fear and violence from the Lord's Resistance Army have commented about this. But now I'm going on a tangent so I'll stop.

I hope everyone out there is doing fine,
till next time....

A taste of home?

In my ongoing search for all the best places to eat in Kampala friends of mine recommended a restaurant called Javas at the far end of Bombo Rd. After a considerable boda ride (motorcycle taxi) I reached my destination. Upon first glance I was reminded of a North American truck-stop type of restaurant, except without the big trucks. However, it did have the gas pumps with plenty of minibuses waiting to be filled, and a small convenience store to which the restaurant was attached. My friends told me that Javas was known for their great breakfast, in particular their pancakes and waffles. As recommended by my friends I ordered the pancakes, but continued to browse the menu in case I see anything else appetizing should I decide to come again. To my amazement the menu offers Amish French-toast!
Now to be honest I've never had Amish French-toast, I didn't even know that the Amish made French-toast. Needless to say I was a little confused. Not that there was such a thing as Amish French-toast, but rather how did it find it's way onto a menu in Kampala, Uganda? Amish food doesn't exactly have an international demand. My immediate thought was that the place must be owned by an American with Amish roots. Of course I had to get to the bottom of this. As it turns out, the place is Ugandan owned, but the cook did a course on American food and learning to make Amish French-toast was part of the course. So bizarre.
I've decided that on my next visit I will try the Amish French-toast, it might just be the closest thing to good old Mennonite cooking that I've had in a while.
I've also just realized how many times I use 'Amish French-toast' in this blog...oh well...

Till next time,

Amish French-toast

Private Security Races To The Bottom

The last time I was in Uganda back in early 2008 I recall a group of men in a cafe discussing the many Ugandans that were taking jobs with private security firms in Iraq. This came as a surprise to me as I just didn't think that these firms would be recruiting in Uganda. A couple of weeks ago a Ugandan friend of mine informed me that his brother was shipped off to Iraq just a few months ago. It's not because he was eager to join the American occupation of Iraq, but rather because jobs in Uganda are scarce and he was desperate to find a job that could support his family (Who can blame someone wanting to provide for their family?). Thus, he considered the risks of Iraq to be worth taking in exchange for the payment he would be receiving. For the record there are some 12,000 Ugandans that have been hired by American private security firms to serve in Iraq. When I heard that these were American firms I thought it interesting that they were now hiring in Uganda and elsewhere. The first thing that came to me was that I suspected they were now recruiting in these areas because they could get away with paying lower wages. In other words, exploit the lack of opportunity in Uganda and pay people a reduced salary that, because of their situation they would accept and join your war. Pretty much the underbelly of capitalism. It's similar to factories being shipped overseas because corporations can get away with exploiting the lower wages of less developed countries. Well, in today's paper my suspicions were confirmed. The paper reported that the American security firms were reducing the salaries of their guards from $800/month to $600/month despite having a contractual agreement with their employees. The reason given by the American security firms for the decrease in salaries was because people from other countries such as the Philippines were willing to work in Iraq for as little as $300-$400/month. So the security companies argued that they were doing the Ugandans a favor by only reducing their salaries by $200. One has to wonder once their contracts expire if the new offer will be $400 or lower. Already, agencies that recruit in Uganda on behalf of the American firms are claiming they can send people willing to go to Iraq for a reduced salary. I find this disgusting. The thirst to maximize the bottom-line (profits) will allow these companies to exploit people that are desperate for work by forcing them to compete with others in a similar situation in a race to accepting work in one of the most dangerous places on Earth for the lowest wage possible. In essence, the lowest bidder wins the chance to risk their lives in a fight against other marginalized people that have already been suffering for years and are also desperate to provide for their families. It would be nice if these firms would instead invest in these countries by seeking to provide opportunities and jobs that actually contribute positively to their countries and communities. Perhaps that would lead to the best security of all. Sadly, somewhere, someone is making a bundle of cash off the suffering of others.

later.

You May Roll Your Eyes

Well I've been debating whether or not to blog about the tragedies happening in Palestine, and I've decided I will bite my tongue no longer. I don't profess to be an expert on the topic, although it has been an area of interest and study for me. I will try and make this as brief as possible as it would be easy for me to get carried away and I don't want to turn this into a rant. So here it goes...
I seriously believe that we are witnessing the extinction of the Palestinian people. I can think of no other way of saying it. I realize the conflict has been ongoing since Israel came into existence, but for some reason this latest war on Gaza has really hit me. The last body count I heard was 760 Palestinians killed to Israel's 13 only 3 of which were civilian. This sort of lopsided killing is indicative throughout the history of the conflict, do a little research on death tolls throughout the history and you'll see. This alone is enough to get me to consider that over the last few decades the Palestinian people have been undergoing a slow demise.
Another reason I feel this way is that it seems no one (except for the civilians) wants peace. The so-called international community is toothless against U.S. veto power. Although this time the U.S. did abstain. However, UN resolutions mean very little as Israel has violated them in the past with little or no discipline against them. Of course Israel blames Hamas and the rockets they send into Israel, and Hamas blames Israel for their occupation of Palestinian land and wars of aggression. So it doesn't seem either side is willing to budge on that one. Even most middle eastern countries don't seem to be too bothered by the plight of the Palestinians. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, UAE, Kuwait, Iraq, are all firmly in the pocket of the U.S last time I checked, so clearly they won't or can't do anything contrary to U.S. policy. So where does that leave the Palestinian people? (just for the record I do realize that Israelis have suffered and lived in fear as well)
Although the amount of people that have voiced their disgust in this latest war on Gaza is encouraging, unfortunately it has not been enough to persuade people to lay down their arms, or convince the international community to act beyond lip service to try and put a stop to the violence.
So who will act? Is there any hope? Will another Gandhi or King arise from the ashes and promote a new nonviolent movement? Who knows? Will Obama finally resolve this decades long conflict with all the enthusiasm and charisma that he brings? I doubt it.
Perhaps this is obvious, but I think the answer is within the people themselves, both Israelis and Palestinians. Thankfully, there are glimmers of hope through all of this. The Refuseniks (Israeli soldiers that refuse orders of occupation or aggression), the various Palestinian Solidarity Movements, the Bereaved Families Group which connects Israelis and Palestinians that have lost family members in the conflict. Through these groups, from the grassroots - the bottom up, maybe, just maybe, someday there will be peace between Israel and Palestine. Then the people of Palestine will once again thrive in a place where they have endured for thousands of years.
We have become desensitized to images and stories of war. It often seems so far from us, it seems there is very little we can do, it seems there is little hope. We probably often think "oh those people are bombing each other again, what else is new?" But to remember those people fighting for peace on the ground at the grassroots level, the people that don't make the headlines, this is to remember that there is hope. For if those that have lived for decades under horrific violence and psychological trauma have not lost hope, nor should we.

Thank you all for reading,

Peace in the streets,

matt

"Are you interested in gold?"

Happy 2009 everyone!!! well the new year got off to a bit of an interesting start for me. An acquaintance of mine gave me a call this past Friday and asked if he could meet with me on Saturday morning. I thought, because he is a land broker that he had perhaps found me an apartment or house to rent and wanted to discuss the details with me.
However, I soon realized that this meeting was not at all to do with housing, and everything to do with minerals. He asked me "are you interested in gold?", I wasn't really sure what he was getting at so I said "what do you mean?". He proceeded to tell me in a hushed voice that he has a friend in the DR Congo that has access to quantities of gold and mercury, and he's looking for a market for it. Perhaps because I'm an expat (I can't think of any other reason), my acquaintance thought I'd be the one to find them a market. Even though I knew from the start that I wasn't going to get myself involved in this, I proceeded to ask him where the gold and mercury actually came from, and being from DRC were the minerals conflict free (even though I could pretty much assume the answer to that one). He avoided answering my questions only to say that he didn't know what kind of work his friend did, just that he had access to these minerals. He then informed me that he was a strong Christian and wanted to be upfront and honest with me. He followed that statement by informing me that this venture would be illegal, but if we just kept it private no one would find out, and all would be ok. I couldn't believe what I was hearing, even after I told him I wasn't interested in any unethical or illegal dealings he still wanted me to 'ask around' to see if there would be any buyers...like I have any connections here!?
I mentioned this little meeting to my boss and he told me he had a similar offer once, only his was with diamonds! Of course he turned it down as well.
This really made me wonder, how much does this sort of thing actually go on? What is the corruption level within society?
When I think of the mineral trade, and particular how it relates to the conflict in DRC I always assume that there are just 'big players' involved. I remember last year when I was here I met some UN peacekeepers that were serving in DRC. One of them was in charge of negotiating with the particular rebel group that was positioned in his area. He told me that it was hard to deal with this group because a French mining company was funding them with arms and supplies so that the rebels could control the area and the mining company could exploit the resources.
This is how I viewed the fueling of the conflict, but now I also see that 'smaller players' are also trying to get their 'piece of the pie' and make money off of other people's misfortune despite the risks involved to themselves. Does this speak of people that are desperate and will do anything to provide for their families? Does it speak of people that are greedy? People that are opportunists? Who knows? Maybe a little of all categories. Although I do know in my instance the gentleman is not struggling to provide for his family, but he's not necessarily financially wealthy either, as in he wouldn't be part of Uganda's elite. So is he greedy, or an opportunist? Or is he just trying to get ahead? In any case it's sad that an otherwise good person would consider such a venture. I suppose the temptation is too strong to fight. Maybe he thinks that if he doesn't do it someone else will, so it may as well be him.
Needless to say I'm going to be keeping my distance from this individual for some time.

That's all for now folks!