AIC and Border confusion in Bethlehem

The reason I went to Bethlehem last week (other than to see the Church of the Nativity) was to attend a "Cafe" put on by the Alternative Information Center (AIC). Two of the people in my program have their internships with the AIC, so they invited us all along for the event. Last week's topic was:

2009 Israeli Elections: Results, Meanings and Consequences

Michael (Mikado) Warschawski, Alternative Information Center

What are the results of the last week's national elections in Israel and what do they say about Israeli society in 2009?
What type of government is likely to be formed from the current coalition negotiations and what are its probable socio-economic policies?
And of course, what will this new government mean for possible peace negotiations with the Palestinians, an end to the Israeli occupation and regional stability?

The speaker, Mikado, is one of the co-founders of the AIC, which is a far left-wing (and often controversial) media organization. Mikado, an Israeli whose father was a rabbi, is a life-long radical activist for Palestinian rights and has gone to all sorts of extremes to pursue what he believes in, including being a political prisoner for 20 months in the 1980s. He is an extremely good speaker and his thoughts were fascinating. The results of the election were extraordinarily upsetting to him; he described it as the 'death of the left.' His feelings on the matter were summed up at the end when he told us that for the first time in his entire life, he realized that Israel is not a place where he wants his grandchildren to live, and that he had talked to his son that day about moving overseas. As for himself, however, he said he would never leave.

After the talk, we were all exhausted and very cold. We caught a cab back to the border with no problems and were directed to the terminal for security checks. When we walked into the terminal, however, we were met with ... nothing. Just a huge, vacuous space with locked down doors on all side, blaring flourescent lights - and... nothing. Not one other person was there, no guard, no people crossing, nothing (apparently the border closes to Palestinians at some point, though it is supposed to be open 24 hours - tourists are supposed to be able to cross at any time). To make matters worse, all of the doors were locked, so there was no way for us to get through. After about 5 minutes of confusion, I started yelling at the top of my lungs ... "SHALOOOOOOOM! HELLLLLO!" and a couple of minutes later, a voice came over the intercom and directed us to one of the gates. We were then able to show our passports and pass through...
However, on the other side of the terminal, it was no more alive. There were NO cabs, no taxis, no cars, no buses... nothing. Just an empty road leading back to Jerusalem. So we walked, in the dark, back up the road for a couple of kilometers until we finally got to an intersection where two cabs were able to pick us up.... and took us back to our apartments.

The WALL

Bernard Lewis and Company

Three nights ago, I went to a special symposium offered at Hebrew University.

On the panel was the famous (or infamous, depending on who you ask) Bernard Lewis - the guy who argued with Edward Said forever and ever... he's the one on the far right. I read a ton of his stuff in college in an Arab/Israeli history class I took (granted, I disagreed with most of it) - and so it was cool to get to see him in person. He's old!

It was interesting, but after almost 8 hours of intense class, my mind was a bit tired and I had a hard time focusing parts of it. One of the more interesting recommendations (I thought) that came out of the panel was directed toward to the Israeli government regarding relations with Iran - the recommendation was to stop with all of the huge international conferences, and just talk with the leaders on a more private, bilateral level.

Obama's Inaguration - Israel Style

I have had a truly international perspective regarding Obama's rise to the presidency... I watched the primaries, voted and watched the election in South Africa, saw the aftermath of the election in Kenya, and watched the inauguration in Israel.

After the EXTREME excitement radiating through Africa over Obama's election, it was a bit of a downer to see Israel's. They are not such fans, let me tell you. In fact, I would say that overall, they are somewhere between nervous and short of hostile. I think there is fear that there will be a massive change in foreign policy (please yes) and that Israel won't be quite as "in."


Regardless, I celebrated with other Americans on that historic day. We watched from the student center, where they fed us pizza and beer in true American style, and played the festivities on a big screen - ironically, we watched it all on Fox news ;)

This is my super excited terrible picture saying "I was here kids!" I think no matter what your politics are, it can be said that it was a huge day for American politics.

Hallelujah: South African Health Minister Makes the HIV-AIDS Link

So most people I talk to find it - surprising - that democratically elected government officials , in today's world, would deny such ideas as ... say... that HIV causes AIDS. However, sadly in South Africa, that has been the case.... but no longer my friends, no longer.

From The Los Angeles Times

South Africa's new health minister broke dramatically on Monday from a decade of discredited government policies on AIDS, declaring that the disease was unquestionably caused by HIV and must be treated with conventional medicine.

Health Minister Barbara Hogan's pronouncement marked the official end to 10 years of denial about the link between HIV and AIDS by former President Thabo Mbeki and his health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang.

Activists accused [former health minister] Tshabalala-Msimang of spreading confusion about AIDS through her public mistrust of antiretroviral medicines and promotion of nutritional remedies such as garlic, beetroot, lemon, olive oil and the African potato.

South Africa now has the world's highest number of people with HIV, counting some 5.4 million people as infected with the virus that causes AIDS.

Better late than never... right?

Chapter one, coming up... and a new president for South Africa!

Today I will submit Chapter 1 of my thesis - eeeek! I have some MAJOR writing to do before this afternoon.


Oh, and we have a new president of South Africa. I really don't know anything about him - other than he sacked the health minister, which leads me to the next news....


BEAUTIFULLY, we have a NEW HEALTH MINISTER!!!!!!!!!!!
The last one was - and I'm not a bit ashamed to feel this way - one of the worst things to ever happen to South Africa. I personally believe that her prevarication has directly led to the deaths of hundreds if not thousands of HIV positive people. That said, I wish her well in her new career and thank God that there is someone else in her position.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200809250958.html

What a year to be in South Africa!

Goodbye, Trevor.

Today 11 Cabinet members resigned along with Mbeki. This includes Trevor Manuel, who has been the Minister of Finance since 1996 - respected throughout the world for his work. The news rocked South Africa's economy today, and the rand fell against the dollar - it is now over 8 rand for every dollar.

http://www.mg.co.za/article/2008-09-23-sa-rocked-by-resignation-of-ministers

Goodbye, Mbeki.

I just watched the president of South Africa formally resign. One of my roommates started crying (which in turn of course made me tear up as well - can't let anyone cry alone). Though I have been here for 9 months, I can only begin to understand what it would feel like to have to sit and watch the president of your country step down for reasons that are not fully understood. It is a tense and trying time for the nation. However, it is also a point where this young democracy could truly mature, if it is handled correctly. Keep it and all South Africans in your prayers as they face the future.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7627957.stm

wow.

The ANC, which is the ruling political party of South Africa, just announced that it decided to recall Thabo Mbeki before the end of his term next year, a move that could collapse the government. Mbeki has been accused of interfering in the judicial process that was taking place around the incoming president, Jacob Zuma. Mbeki is only the 2nd president of the democratic South Africa - he is the successor of Nelson Mandela.

In other words, they are ousting the president of the country. My roommates are just saying that this is more or less an organized or civilized coup. This is a huge move -- pray for political stability.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/09/20/africa/AF-South-Africa-Mbeki.php

meanwhile, in zimbabwe..

As attacks on Zimbabweans in South Africa have escalated in the past weeks, news about what has been going on within Zimbabwe's borders has been mixed.

I should start out by saying that I am certainly no authority on this, so I am just going to share what I have heard people say.

First of all, Morgan Tsvangirai, the opposition leader running against Mugabe, has been in South Africa for the last six weeks. During this time, there have been several reported death threats and against him, as well as threats that he will be charged with treason upon his return to Zimbabwe, which supposedly prolonged his stay in the South Africa . While he was here we saw him on the news often, especially when the attacks started happening against Zimbabweans around Johannesburg. On the news, I saw him give a speech to Zimbabwean immigrantss who had fled their homes because of the violence, and his message was to go home to Zimbabwe - that together, they would build the nation again.

However, he returned to Zim this weekend. Here is an article about the current events going on there: http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=340082&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__africa/.

After a LOOONG delay in the releasing of any results about the Zim election that happened at the begnning of this year, it was finally announced that neither Mugabe or Twvangirai had won a clear majority of votes (though most people here doubt the truth of that and think Twvangirai actually did receive a majority), so there will have to be a run-off election. Supposedly this will take place in July. Most people I have talked to about this think that Mugabe will 'win' this run-off election. There have been wide reports of voter intimidation/violence which is suspected to influence the results of the election, as well as suspected corruption with the counting of the ballots. For the record, African Union election observers deemed the initial election as fair.

Meanwhile, South Africa's response has been very mixed. President Mbeki, who is now more or less a 'lame duck' because Jacob Zuma has been elected the president of the ruling party (the ANC), has been widely criticized within South Africa for his lack of a response to the Zimbabwean situation, and for his denial that there is a crisis going on there. (Zimbabwe has something like a 600 thousand percent inflation rate. To put that in perspective, Iraq, which has the next highest inflation rate in the world, is at 60 percent.)

Meanwhile, Jacob Zuma, who (unless if something drastic happens) will be the next president of South Africa, has been speaking out about the Zimbabwean situation internationally. Some of my South African friends think he is doing this as a strategic political move. He is currently under investigation for corruption charges, and if he is convicted, could lose his place as president of the ANC. Some of my friends think that he is trying to appeal to the international community over the Zimbabwean situation so that he can garner international support for his ascent to the presidency. I don't know how accurate those perceptions are.

Needless to say, most people's perceptions here about what is going on in Zimbabwe are very grim and cynical.

HOWEVER, I, who inherited my mother's eternally optimistic genes, still have hope for Zimbabwe. My hope is that the voters will speak out, despite intimidation and whatnot. My hope is that more intense election monitoring will be allowed in for this next go-around of voting. Several of my Zimbabwean friends who are studying here have shared these hopes with me. It is amazing in the first place that such an opposition was allowed to form against Mugabe in the first place, and perhaps that signals that changes are in store. Mugabe is, after all, 84 years old.

Still fine, still concerned for those in Joburg

Spent all evening last yesterday riled up over what is going on in Johannesburg. You wouldn't know a thing was happening here - other than a side comment or two from people in class, the world continues on as if nothing is happening in our country's largest city. Thousands have fled their homes. Meanwhile in Grahamstown papers continue to be due.

Much love to you all, keep your prayers going.
Read more about it here.

'Anti-foreigner' violence kills 22 in South Africa

That's the headline CNN used to describe what is going on in South Africa, and when I saw it, I knew immediately that I need to state that:
A) I'm fine.
B) There are much bigger fish to fry than whether or not I am fine.

Actually, right now I am very livid and emotional. I just went to a lecture on what I thought was going to be on the social determinents of AIDS... but when the speaker got up, she told us that she could not just talk about AIDS without talking about the context about what is going on in South Africa right now, and went on to explain exactly what has been happening over the last week around Johannesburg. Essentially, gangs of men have been forming mobs which have been attacking immigrant camps around Johannesburg, setting fire to shacks, gang raping women, killing men - up to 50 people have been killed so far, thousands and thousands have fled their homes looking for safety. The justification for the attacks: the immigrants (most of whom are Zimbabwean refugees escaping the violence in Zimbabwe) are the leading cause of crime in our communities, their children are slowing down our schools, etc. Concerns that are scarily similar to concerns about immigrants all over the world. Read more about it here.

And all of this in post-apartheid South Africa, a land purportedly committed to the equal rights of ALL people within its land. All of this in a place that could not have overcome apartheid if its refugees had not been taken in by neighboring countries and allowed to organize a struggle that eventually covercame an oppressive regime.

Even some of my dear roommates have told me that the attacks are in a way justified because of what the Zimbabweans have done to their country.

This logic is frightening, and perhaps hits close to home.

I am mourning today for those who are living in fear tonight - fear that their children may not be safe, fear that they may not have a place to live tomorrow - in Myanmar, in China, and in Johannesburg.

Explaining the US elections...

The first few months I was in South Africa, I hardly had a conversation with a South African without having to discuss the American elections. They wanted to know... Clinton or Obama? Who am I going to vote for? Is America ready for a woman president? A black president? Could a Republican win again? I explained the primary situation over and over... and over and over.

Now I'm starting to think that maybe even I don't have that good of a grip over what is going on. Those of you in America, help me out! WHAT in the world is going on? I hungrily opened the news this morning hoping to see... I don't know what.... about the Pennsylvania primary, and instead, all I am seeing is a ridiculous amount of the exact same thing. What are your thoughts? Is this going to be decided before August? Is anything progressing over there or is it as confusing as it is over here? Help!

More about last night

I arrived early at the talk I went to last night (mentioned in depth below). I was warned that they may run out of seating as many people would want to hear the speaker. I arrived approximately 1/2 hour early.... and along with my friend were the first people there. By 7, when the event was to start, the auditorium was only half-full, which was a good thing, because the speaker was not there.

After 20 or so minutes, the MC announced that the speaker was caught in a roadblock and would be arriving late. As soon as she stepped away from the mic, one of the students in the back stood up and called out a song at the top of his lungs, and within seconds, dozens of students joined in the song clapping and swaying. It was beautiful - again, South Africans have an AMAZING ability to harmonize. The funny thing was that only the black students sang, with a couple of exceptions. The white students either just ignored it or looked around uncomfortably.

It was a very interesting interaction, and the singing continued on and off until the speaker arrived, and then picked up again after he was announced until he started speaking.

I hear that PAC has some of the most radical and passionate followers of any of the political parties - I am now getting a glimpse of what that means.

The members of the speaker's entourage wore shirts that said: Eliminate poverty before poverty eliminates you. ((which he referenced in his talk when speaking about how poverty is a breading ground for terrorism - he said that during the struggle, when he had to rally support behind the idea of violent revolution, he just had to speak in an impoverished area.))

A different perspective..

Last night I went to a talk by Mr Letlapa Mphahlele, the president of the PAC - one of the openly militant political parties that was outlawed during apartheid. He was a Freedom Fighter (the apartheid government called him a terrorist), responsible for ordering dozens of 'operations.' (aka - bombs, assassinations and roadblock killings of apartheid officials) His talk was just mind-blowing. I still cannot get my mind completely around it.

There were different groups who opposed apartheid. In the West, we most commonly hear about the non-violent movement headed by Nelson Mandela and his counterparts. However, there were huge amounts of people who did not believe that a non-violent revolution was going to achieve anything, and so opted for a violent revolution. Mr. Mphahlele was among the believers in a violent revolution.

What was so novel to me about his speech was the fact that he fully admitted his role in the killing of hundreds of people. He did not express regret for it. Nor was he proud of it. He presented it as something that had to happen in a time of war, but also said that just because it had to happen did not mean that everyone did not need to heal from it. Since he was able to return from exile, he has spent years going from family to family of the people who he was responsible for killing and talking to them. Again, not apologizing, but explaining why it had to happen that way. He said that the vast majority of the time, the families understand, and some even express that if they had been under oppression as he had been, they would have done the same.

Interestingly, he refused to participate in the Truth and Reconcilation Commission, which gave both Freedom Fighters and members of the apartheid regime a chance to confess their transgressions and be given amnesty (official 'forgiveness'). While the Commission has been widely praised world-wide and replicated in many different countries, he said that in fact it was not a true representation of the 'truth' as it gave amnesty to almost all apartheid officials, but not to all Freedom Fighters. (a far simplification) Here is an excerpt from a news article outlining some of his points:

POLITICAL VIOLENCE: A SURVIVOR'S STORY
Mr Letlapa Mphahlele, PAC President


Extract from MAIL & GUARDIAN ARTICLE 'WE MUST BE AGENTS OF HEALING' by
Monako Dibetle, published 02 October 2006

DID YOU ORDER THE CAPE TOWN ATTACKS BECAUSE YOU HATED WHITE PEOPLE?
It was a result of a prevailing political situation. People must remember
that the attacks happened at the time of the Boipatong train and taxi
massacres of the African people.

YOU REFUSED TO SEEK AMNESTY AT THE TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION. WHY?
I had a problem with the whole set-up, because it equated the violence of
the aggressor with the violence of the oppressed. Another major flaw of the
TRC was that 80% of amnesty applicants were Africans and only 20% were
white. The figures reflect that Africans were responsible for their own
oppression, which is a fallacy. Also, you applied individually and were
granted amnesty individually -- overlooking the collective nature of the
revolution.

DOESN'T THAT DECISION CONTRADICT YOUR CURRENT INVOLVEMENT IN THE LYNDIE
FOURIE FOUNDATION AND THE FORGIVENESS PROJECT?
No, because you can't legislate for or against forgiveness; it's an
individual choice. My involvement with the people who were hurt because of
my orders has no cut-off date -- it is an unfolding process. I think it is
the right thing to do because after hurting each other we must become agents
of healing, spiritually and practically.

PAC FOUNDER ROBERT SOBUKWE'S DESCRIPTION OF AN AFRICAN WAS ANYONE WHO
BELIEVES IN THE PRINCIPLE OF AFRICAN LEADERSHIP. WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF
AN AFRICAN?
African is more than geographical. It is identification with Africa, her
aspirations and her dreams, and the willingness to be part and parcel of a
broad struggle to liberate her from domestic and foreign domination. Which
means skin colour does not exist.

Outrage over video

This week, university campuses all over South Africa are posing protests in response to the release of a racist video made by university students in the Free State (one of the northern provinces of South Africa). The video, in which several white male students made black domestic worker women perform a series of tasks (as in Fear Factor) such as playing rugby, and eating some sort of food in which it had been made to appear as if the students had urinated.

The university where the video is made is just recently integrating its dorms (in other words, they are still segregated) and the video was made addressing the integration. At the end of the video, it said something to the effect of - this is what we think of integration.

This hit the international media and is an ugly example of the racism that is still deeply ingrained, even in the younger generations here. Marches are planned at all of the major universities to show that this is not something that will be tolerated.

This week is also human rights week at Rhodes - and outrage over the video is being used to discuss issues regarding all types of human rights violations.

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/02/27/saf.racist.video/index.html

I pledge allegiance...

South Africa is in a national debate over whether or not to instate a Pledge of Allegiance in schools.

I admittedly have only thought a total of about 5 minutes about the United States pledge of allegiance - something I said every single morning for all of the formative years of my life, and then again for two years as a teacher. The debate here of the past weeks has made me go back and reconsider those words and what saying them every day as a child truly signifies.

In short, some South Africans feel that the pledge would foster a feeling of guilt among white South African students for the actions of the past regime. Others feel that the pledge would be a unifying symbol of what it means to be a South African in the "new" South Africa. Still others, including my roommates, feel that it is an unnecessary indoctrination of young children, before they have the chance to decide for themselves where exactly their allegiance lies.

Here is the pledge as it would stand:

"We the youth of South Africa, recognising the injustices of our past, honour those who suffered and sacrificed for justice and freedom. We will respect and protect the dignity of each person, and stand up for justice. We sincerely declare that we shall uphold the rights and values of our Constitution and promise to act in accordance with the duties and responsibilities that flow from these rights."

Read more about this here.

On the other hand, the national anthem of South Africa is absolutely the most beautiful national anthem I have ever heard, and it brings me to tears every time I hear it sung. It is written in 4 different languages, representing all of the major language groups of the country. Click here to listen to the national anthem.

South Africa's national anthem

Nkosi sikelel' iAfrika
Maluphakanyisw' uphondo lwayo,
Yizwa imithandazo yethu,
Nkosi sikelela, thina lusapho lwayo.

Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso,
O fedise dintwa la matshwenyeho,
O se boloke, O se boloke setjhaba sa heso,
Setjhaba sa South Afrika - South Afrika.

Uit die blou van onse hemel,
Uit die diepte van ons see,
Oor ons ewige gebergtes,
Waar die kranse antwoord gee,

Sounds the call to come together,
And united we shall stand,
Let us live and strive for freedom,
In South Africa our land.

Translation
The isiXhosa and isiZulu of the first stanza, the Sesotho of the second stanza and the Afrikaans of the third stanza translate into English as follows:

Lord, bless Africa
May her spirit rise high up
Hear thou our prayers
Lord bless us.

Lord, bless Africa
Banish wars and strife
Lord, bless our nation
Of South Africa.

Ringing out from our blue heavens
From our deep seas breaking round
Over everlasting mountains
Where the echoing crags resound ...

Talking politics... oops.

I must preface this with saying that as Rotary scholars, we are advised to avoid such topics as politics and race if it is possible. We are here, after all, to promote understanding and goodwill, not become involved in decisive political debates and such.

However, after being in South Africa for about 1.5 seconds, I realized that avoiding either of those topics would not be possible, as politics and race are the 2 most talked about topics in the country (or so it seems after my entire 3 days of living here). After about half an hour of trying to avoid the topics, I indulgently gave in and have been relishing ever since in the deliciousness of South African opinions about their president (very controversial), race relations (discussed surprisingly openly), our president (not their favorite person), our presidential candidates (they are FASCINATED with Obama and can't get enough of him - "Why do the American people like him? Is it because he is running against a woman? What IS it about him they like so much? And so on.) And so on and so forth.

I love it. I can't get enough of it. Every little opinion and eye roll that they give while filling me in on the political situation from the South African perspective is like a little puzzle piece to the enigma of this fantastic and complex country. Moreover, people WANT to talk about it, I never ask, they just offer, and I soak up everything I can.

In a strange twist of events two nights ago, my friend, roommate and fellow Rotary Scholar, Jeannie, ended up having dinner with a well known filmmaker and his friend, who is one of the more controversial authors in South Africa. The author friend recently wrote a book Fit to Govern, a biography about current South African president Mbeki. At some point during the evening, the filmmaker and the author got in a lively debate over current South African politics.

Jeannie and I spent hours that evening squealing like schoolgirls over every detail of the encounter, with me salivating over the details like they were steamy descriptions of a first date.... or something. We found out that the author has had a real live editorial cartoon drawn of him... !