map from http://www.state.gov/ Darfur, Tibet, Iraq (bloodiest than ever before)...the list goes on and on. Sadly our little World (I don't mean 'little' with irony, it really isn't that big) is still full of dark spots where basic human rights are absent. Perhaps the worldwide spread of the Media and new ways of communicating and informing are helping us be more aware of what is going on but there are still many things that are very hidden.
Zimbabwe is having Presidential elections this weekend and the international observers will not be allowed to be in the country at that time. A few years ago Zimbabwe was one of the most prosperous countries in Africa: rich production, health care, black and white population living together. One day everything started going downhill.
Today I've seen a journalistic piece from Sky News, where the reporter posed as a tourist to get into the darkest spots of Zimbabwe, places where people rumagged through the litter trying to find something valuable. Unemployment has reached 80% of the population. Life expectancy for women is 34 years old!! 37 or so for men. (the lowest in the World) It was particularly frightening to see a children's graveyard with very recent graves, or the grave of a young woman born in the same year as me. The health system has collapsed and only people with money receive a more or less adequate treatment. They didn't get into detail about the AIDS numbers but I imagine it must be an horrendous figure.
Money meanwhile is worth nothing. The reporter went into a supermarket with almost completely empty shelves and then she grabbed some sort of tin that cost 38 MILLION Zimbabwean Dollars! I can't imagine what gas must cost...
It seems that this tragedy started with some terrible governing measures by a man named Robert Mugabe. It is frightening to see what one man can do. And right now the real question is: will he manipulate the voting or will the people of Zimbabwe get the free election that they deserve?
Source: Sky News
Watch the report here.
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16 comments:
It is really really difficult to be anything but totally pessimistic in cases like this. At least some observers are getting in, however they do it, so that those outside can have an idea of what's happening there.
Hope things go well !
:)
yeah...its sad!..and fortunately here the condition is better[Kashmir]
I can't seem to imagine how they are going to get things to turn around for the better, even with a fair election?
There will be no free or fair elections for a long time. This world goes from one crisis to another and we are powerless to stop it aren't we? With the crisis in China all the other stuff gets put on the "back burner" and we forget. Is anybody watching what Russia is up to these days?...ciao
I knew the situation was bad but I didnt know it was this bad.This post was a real eye opener.And the saddest part is that citizens suffer for no fault of theirs.
The world’s a mess, everywhere you look... The only good news I can see is that everything from Emma Hurd’s work down to this well-written piece of yours serves to raise consciousness...and the hope is that collective consciousness will be raised to a level that inspired collective remediation begins to make a visible difference...
...so there is a need for you, your thoughts, your inspiration that runs the gamut, right on up to tackling hot issues like this. And as you were changed by this particular Sky News presentation, all who read this post will be changed in some way, and there will be a need for us and our reactions to work themselves out in various ways that will change the world in some way...
That’s my take on how ultimate change will happen anyway...I don’t see the big powers unifying for big fixes to the big problems anytime soon! :-)
I'm surprised at how extremely pessismistic the majority of you is!! But I really don't blame you, that's probably the reaction I would have. But in psychology it's called "Learned Helplessness", it's when we're expecting things to be so bad, we don't even try to change them. And we're all to blame for this state of being.
Kim: The reporter was saying she wasn't going to be there during elections, don't think she's allowed. After she got the footage she ran for the South African border, afraid to get arrested.
Standbymind: So do I!!
Brocasarea: I'm glad, I'm glad some places are getting better.
Aathira: Well, if they managed to ruin something good, maybe other people can manage the opposite?
Rositta: That's true - it seems that the international community can only deal with one crisis at a time and even so...it's not looking good.
PS: That's exactly why I posted this, because I also had no idea about the seriousness of this situation.
MissAlister: That's what I hope for by posting this. Just a tiny step into a greater goal. Oh I wish we could turn the situation by being aware!
Being aware is really important... if not more simply because it keeps the feet in the ground, and that will influence every decidion we make.
I can't be pessimistic.. I need to beleive someone is doing things. these journalists are. I remembered amnisty international as I read this. ......
What frustrates me so much is that we can only watch and wait. I saw footage lastnight of scores of Zimbabwians crawling under razorwire fences to escape the RSA..basically in fear of their lives..it breaks my heart when viewed from the contrasting safety and comfort of my own home.
niall--ditto. thanks for posting this, devil. even being reminded of gratitude for what one receives in this life is a very good thing.
Violet: I'm sure there are people doing things! You're right about being aware. In fact I just quoted you on the next post's comments, saying the world needs light ;)
Niall: I don't think we have any idea of what it's like. I saw those images too.
Chrispito: Yes, it truly is.
He enjoys power - I do not think he will go willingly.
Miladysa: No, it doesn't seem that way. Like a sad fairy tale...
It's weird. Mugabe has definitely done a lot of election rigging and ballot box stuffing, and ordered atrocities via paid guerillas. Zimbabwe has gone from being one of the richest African countries to having practically worthless money and a messed up economy. I talked to one African who said he was "good at the beginning" (when? In the eighties?) but that's hard to understand when you read about his soldiers hitting pregnant women in the stomach with the butts of their guns. And he's like almost ninety!! Won't he ever retire?! I'm waiting to see if they will respect the other candidate's 50.3 majority vote.
Barrett: I'm waiting too, it's very confusing right now.
I was just thinking how the man being 84 has outlived his countrymen life expentancy and doubled it!
He did get their independence if I'm not mistaken and some people have been loyal to him since then but now it's time to move on. Yesterday!
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