Wananchi ,in a world arrested by the cynicism of conflict and difficulty situations reproducing themselves every moment ,it is easy to lose one s bearings. Every where one turns ,their is conflict and friction. It could be a hurricane suicide bombs there,a Government shut down there,Syria and its problems,stolen elections and all that,it is indeed a world that is very dark. Trying flipping through global pages the litany is the same,war ,terrorism,natural disaster ,poverty and deprivation, corruption and predation. Not only that. It is a narrative of contradictions.Of unexplainable events and processes that are so inexplicable, in this world of great science and human advancement. How do you explain that in the age of massive global output and massive growth In in outposts economies ,poverty and inequality is increasing. In the context of Africa how do you explain that in the countries with largest GDP on the African continent ,South Africa and Nigeria you also have the largest inequality ,and the highest gini co - efficiencies. How do you explain the fact that in both countries poverty levels are increasing faster than GDP growth rates. Further how do you explain the fact that in an age of massive globalization,and deeper integration ,the Flat World ,that Thomas Friedman wrote about ,or the End of History as Fukuyama once put it,the world is in fact not flat,and contradictions are sharpening rapidly. The fact that McDonald is now every way,and that smart phones are the new religion does not underplay the delicate inequalities and sharp differences in the world today. The incidence of Global Terrorism are indicative of this countering narrative of chaos and disorder. What worries most is the rising depravation and anti people agenda on the African continent,manifested in raising conflict,denial of the people s will and emasculation of people s rights. This time around despondency has been universalized .The Euro zone is battling with debt ,austerity and an amazing veering to the far right.Neo Nazi parties are on the rise as a direct response to the failure of both social democratic parties or center right parties to address national issues like unemployment and stagflation . In America at least fifteen percent of its people are living below the poverty datum line ,the Government is in a shut down and for the first time ever ,that country might actually default on its debt. A right wing movement that likes drinking tea has taken over the GOP,with neither the care and instinct of the national good. In other places ,sectarian violence is on the increase ,while rich Arab countries are sinking into vicious cyclical cycles of over accumulation. It is clear that when UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and his staff sit in New York to dissect the global balance sheet,the picture they see can not be a good one. It is a sad deficit situation of threat and failure. Self induced crises which are largely a product of weak or non existent leadership,virtually in every corner of the world. I have no answer for global problems but what I am clear about is that this a dangerous world that needs narratives of relief,narratives of escape and narratives of joy. Global politics has an itch ,a big itch that needs to be scratched.In the past itches were scratched by big wars,very very big wars.My guess is that no power wants this. So what is the carthasis. My suspicion is that international law and the entire UN system,needs a reset.The current discussions on UN reform are scratching the surface ,they need to go deeper. Clearly the veto matrix in the UN Security has out lived its usefulness,but how do you restructure the UN and the UN Security Council. On the African continent we must resolve of our challenges of underdevelopment ,poverty and predatory politics. Building strong institutions ,strong social movements and democratic processes must surely be key. War and social conflict can not be our own carthasis. I long for a time where the smile can be put backon the face of the African.The narrative of joy. The narrative of laughter. The point is there is not much to smile about ,not much to cheer us on. The stress points are too many.No wonder Africans today are now dying more from non communicable diseases like blood pressure ,diabetics and stress than any other group of ailments. In the pursuit of the dream of a smile back on the face of Wanachi ,the family must surely be the basic unit of happiness,the starting point. We all have to be thankful to this social unit of support. These are small things we forgot and do not give sufficient respect,sufficient acknowledgment . An acknowledgment expressed in a little thank you,a little word of encouragement ,a simple world of love. So yes we must Rethink the World,States .Economies and the Development ,but perhaps the fundamental rethink is the Rethink of the family and our own relationships. Our children ,parents ,husbands,wives ,partners ,siblings and relatives.The basic core structure of societal reproduction. After all we are all social animals. So take your time ,look at your mother ,your husband or wife ,your aunt ,your son,your daughter your siblings and reflect realize how lucky you are.How and why there is so much to live for. So simply say thank you . Thank you for being there. It is the beginning of a narrative of relief ,a narrative of escape,a narrative of joy. And dont we just collectively need same. Zikomo.
Posted on: Mon, 14 Oct 2013 03:02:13 +0000
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