10 July 2006

Something I've been contemplating

Part of why working on camp is difficult is because I can't help feeling some sort of responsibility for the situation here. I know that I have no personal connection to Ghana, Liberia, or any of the various West African conflicts. Yet at the same time, I see so many ways in which the West is responsible for much of the hardships people here face. Everything from slavery to colonization to the now rampant economic exploitation. And yet everywhere I look, I see hard-working people who simply are trying to get by. When I pass by, they say welcome and offer me incredible hospitality. I know how the world started down this road, in theory. I just can't wrap my brain around how we let things go so far down the wrong course. I don't understand how Europeans came to Africa and decided these were peoples to be exploited. It just makes no sense to me.

Meanwhile, the work continues. I've been asked to help restart the Tribal Leaders Forum, and we'll probably need to do a train-the-trainers workshop so that the leaders can then start to spread some of the things they've already learned about reconciliation. I'm trying to remember the week before I came here when I was taught to focus on positives and strengthen them, rather than dwell on the negatives. I may not make anymore than a minute dent here, but I believe I'm doing something good, at least.

That's all for now. L2E.

3 comments:

Charmagne said...

Jason, I've just read over the last couple of weeks of blog entries and it was so good to hear about what you're doing over there in Ghana!! I will send you a bunch of names of women peacebuilders who I've met via e-mail. We also have a bunch of hard copies of things that might be helpful for the center to have if you have an address where I can send them. In the meantime, stay safe and keep writing. I'll be sure to check in more frequently to see how my african neighbor is doing!!
xox

Matt said...

When your spending some time in London, make sure you check out the old neighborhood and take lots of pictures. Have a pint at the Queen's Arms for me!

Stay Well.

Daniel said...

Funny, I was just thinking that if I was really hardcore about helping fix some of this mess, I'd be over in some refugee camp like that Jason guy rather than writing up police capacity analyses...

So, I guess there's no hope then?