Dear African-Americans by Eve Thompson
Eve Thompson grew up in New Jersey, attended Princeton University and Georgetown Law School and moved overseas at the age of 34 starting in South Africa, then Jordan, Brazil and then back to Africa in Guinea Bissau and Nigeria. She currently resides in Goma, the Democratic Republic of Congo. She is a lawyer but who for the last 25 years, has managed complex human rights, democracy development and peace-building projects. She currently serves as Head of Mission of a project funded by USAID called Solutions for Peace and Recovery in Eastern Congo. 

Today, we will inaugurate Donald Trump as the 45th President of the US. I am an African-American woman in my 50s who has lived overseas (mostly in Africa) for the better part of the last 23 years. We suffered a great disappointment in November with the election of arguably the most unqualified person ever to run for our country’s highest office. Of course, his non-traditional route to the presidency and status as a Washington outsider is much less of a concern than the raw bitterness, rancor and divisiveness that was the signature of his campaign. In its wake, is a country deeply divided, deeply insular and in my humble opinion, woefully headed for deep decline under a Trump presidency if his campaign is anything to go by. 

The motley group of Trump supporters who fervently celebrated the notion of “taking their country back” and the prospect of “making America great again” will no doubt be left reeling when the “Mack Truck” of reality hits them in the months or years to come. Already, it may be dawning on them that manna from heaven has already been intercepted by Andy Puzder, Trump’s new labor czar, who opposes minimum wage increases for working stiffs whether or not they voted for Mr. Trump. 

As someone who has lived outside of the US now for most of my adult life, I believe that I bring a perspective that can help young African-Americans live more easily under a Trump presidency and dare I say -- see it as an opportunity. 

One of our limiting qualities as African-Americans is our historic status as victims who arrived here not on our own volition. However, that status has moved from the realm of objective reality to the more mutable but persistently entrenched sphere of self-perception. What Trump supporters who have self-defined themselves as victims for the last 8 years do for us is hold a mirror up and reflect back the depth to which a victim pathology can blind us and deny us the perspective that we need, to see greater options and make more “right” choices. 

Obama’s victory, in 2008, rocked the very foundation of white entitlement, privilege and their hitherto unchallenged notion that they own America. Their zero-sum reality left them immediately feeling that America’s promise had been hijacked by an enemy bent on freezing them out. The irony is that those who felt the most like this were those poor uneducated whites who never owned America to begin with but clung desperately to the idea that the color of their skin could at least entitle them to a seat towards the front of the bus. The majority of them failed to appreciate that they have always been victims of a system skewed in favor of the wealthy and powerful - like Mr. Puzder, the fast-food king who is just as dedicated to rendering poor whites less healthy, less wealthy and less wise as much as poor blacks. 

This last 8 years of living “as victims” and their resulting behavior as self-perceived victims offer the starkest example of the idea that when you have a fiercely held sense of yourself as a victim, you become blind to many truths as well as opportunities. In her brilliant analysis entitled “I know why poor whites chant Trump, Trump, Trump,” Jonna Ivin, explains the history of the dynamic in which wealthy and powerful whites have historically manipulated poor whites to serve their own interests and have successfully misled them to believe that their interests were best served if they aligned racially across class instead of on a class basis across race. http://www.stirjournal.com/2016/04/01/i-know-why-poor-whites-chant-trump-trump-trump/

In the last 8 years, the poor white “complex” dominated by the need to feel superior to other race groups has been further complicated by their sense of victimization by a nation that, in their view, has been “overrun” by non-whites and that perspective has further blinded them to any benefit to be derived from aligning themselves according to the natural affinity they might have with poor classes who are not white. They are in the same health care, education and unstable employment “boat” as the poor of other races. But they don’t see it that way. 

If that is the nature of their victim blindness, what is the nature of ours and what will enable us to overcome our victim blindness and behold the truths that have always been evident and the opportunities that are ours for the taking? Part of our blindness is linked to American myopia in general. A century of indoctrination has entrenched a primordial attachment to ourselves as the unassailable frontrunners in the evolution of western civilization. Thus, every American buys into the idea that “We are Number One!” - the notion that underpins that pulsating chant during international sports competitions - U.S.A., U.S.A.!! The idea that “we are number one” is also what fixes our focus inward with scant reference to the world beyond our borders and what equally prevents us from gaining the much needed perspective that an expanded world view offers. 

For whites, the outside world is to be kept out and for blacks, the outside world is just part of a larger system that treats us unfairly. For both groups, the world is still monochrome, a world atavistically characterized by black-white division without regard to dynamics involving or affecting other racial groups. 

During my initial years living in Africa, I worked in an office in Johannesburg, South Africa where one day, the black South African receptionist asked me if I would donate 5 rands to a charity for which she was soliciting. I asked her to first share with me the literature associated with the charity, which she brought in the next day. She handed me a tattered pamphlet which featured several children on its cover. The very curious thing about these children is that they were all white in a country where the vast majority of whites had no need for a handout and where the vast majority of blacks did. I thus questioned her about the inappropriateness of a South African charity for children representing itself with the faces of children who were exclusively white. Her response then, forever altered my ideas about race relations in America. “You Americans! All you talk about is black, white, black white, black white!” Not only was I taken aback by the response, but by the person from whom the remark came - a black South African who had lived under the brutal apartheid system of strict separation and unequal treatment of the black and white races. Yet, it was she who was exhorting me to essentially “get over it!” That exchange led me to ponder how much we as African-Americans and Americans, in general, must sound like a broken record. 

We have been stuck in a reality for which we have been persistently unable to muster the tools necessary to co-create a new one underpinned by a more appropriate narrative that is bold and empowering for everyone concerned. Our persistent inability to transform the discourse and orientation about race in America increasingly poses a threat to our standing in the world. In fact, it is a distraction for Americans, in general, and for African-Americans, in particular. So how can we as African-Americans get beyond the race and victim distraction and seize the opportunities that this distraction has caused us to miss? 

Recently, I was back in the US for work. Whenever I am back in the US, I am obliged to get a new US cell number. Shortly after my arrival in the US, I obtained a sim card at one of the cell network stores in the DC metro area. The salesperson who waited on me was a young African-American male named RaShawn (name changed). He was pleasant and intrigued by the fact that I live in Africa. But then, over the course of the conversation, the ignorance that he revealed about his knowledge of geography, history as well as the English language was horrifying. I reflected on this exchange in relation to this notion of America as the “alleged” number one world power. As a former runner, I am keenly aware that the view from the front is myopic and you have very limited awareness as a frontrunner when others are gaining on you. RaShawn therefore, has no idea that there are millions of young men his age around the world, including in Africa, who are far more competitive and prepared to succeed in our globalized world than he is. I know, because I have met many of them and this is perhaps what has led me to broadly share this reflection. I am far less concerned by the prospect of RaShawn suffering from racial profiling as he drives on a highway in Maryland than by the extremely limited opportunities to advance and prosper in American society as well as globally, as a result of his profoundly underdeveloped intellectual, skill and knowledge capacity. 

We want Black Lives​ to matter to white people and police departments. On that, African-Americans have been exceptionally vocal! But what about our Black Minds​. Don’t they matter too? And do they specifically matter to us? The notion that they don’t is historic and reveals a pattern that dates back to the days when I was growing up in a black neighborhood and attended a predominantly black grammar school where kids who applied themselves academically were ridiculed. By the time I got to law school, black students chose mall trips over study groups and chided our Asian classmates for organizing an exam review immediately after an exam. 

The election of Donald Trump highlighted the US population’s overall collective intellectual decline. Reality television and mindless popular culture have taken their toll. Far from being insulated from this phenomenon, African-Americans may well be leading the way over the precipice because of our focus on ourselves as victims of others rather than victims of our own neglect. The fact that so many Americans of all races have also neglected their self development and/or have left that task to a broken down public education system is the opportunity revealed by Trump’s election that we should not overlook. However, to take advantage of this opportunity, it is time to shift our focus. 

Protesting all that Trump and his ilk represent as well as the potential for exacerbated victimization of African-Americans is a predictable, knee-jerk response that reinforces the broken record lamented by my South African receptionist. Instead, let us learn from the mistakes of the past which include our failure to emphasize supplemental education to run in parallel with our fight for civil rights and integration. Let us define ourselves by educational and intellectual achievement. It is thus time for a mass movement of self-education and self-improvement in the African-American community. I have directed this essay towards audiences of college newspapers as I believe that the leadership of this movement should be assumed by students and professors in college communities across the country. Now is the time to reach out beyond college walls into our communities with the intention of promoting intellectual rigor, knowledge acquisition and global understanding to all members of African-American communities, but, especially youth who are not being adequately served by the standard education system. 

And now for my own contribution from my perch in Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). We must further recognize that our destiny as African-Americans is inextricably linked to Africa’s. If Africa is seen as conflict-ridden and backwards, for anyone of African descent, it will continue to be a challenge to earn the world’s respect. So I take this opportunity to offer my assistance to all African-American youth who wish to engage beyond US borders, especially in our efforts to render the African continent and by extension, ourselves, worthy of the world’s respect. I offer this assistance in two respects. First, through my blog, healthesource.blogspot.com, I will post various African challenges for which I invite college students, professors and other readers to apply their minds to develop and propose solutions which I will post and which can ultimately translate into tangible initiatives. Secondly, I invite all those interested to send expressions of interest in coming to DRC to contribute to developing young minds on the African side of the Atlantic and I will facilitate your placement with a worthwhile educational institution. You can write to me at healoursource@gmail.com . In this way, I am taking the Trump challenge - let us KEEP our country great by doing our part to develop SUPER YOUTH in our communities and in Africa! Together, we can heal the source of our origins and in so doing, heal ourselves!!

Solving Africa's Problems - Problem #1

January 1, 2017

This is the start of a new year and I would like to welcome all visitors to this blog who have read the article, "Dear African-American Youth."

Let's get started.

Problem #1  Selfish Leadership in Africa

In Central Africa, most leaders cling to power to prolong their and their families' access to the rich mineral wealth that abound in the majority of their respective countries.  The Republic of Congo (known popularly as Congo Brazzaville) is blessed with massive oil reserves, while its much larger neighbor, The Democratic Republic of Congo (known popularly as Congo Kinshasa) is spoiled with many of the world's richest deposits in many mineral categories including diamonds, gold, copper as well as the minerals that are essential for our cellphones and other electronic gadgets such as tin, tantalum and tungsten.

Selfish leadership in such countries is derived from one purpose, "to get as rich as we can from our countries' mineral wealth."  This is the very opposite of the service leadership that all citizens naturally expect of their leaders.  As you can imagine, therefore, the majority of citizens who live under selfish leadership suffer from neglect and even worse, disdain.

Subsequent problems will not be as broad as this one but I wanted to start with a broad one and one of the most intractable problems in Africa to obtain broad-based reactions as well as to get young people engaged in tackling problems in Africa, in general.  The two questions I pose under this problem are thus, as follows:

A.    What can we in the West do to eliminate selfish leadership in Africa and to promote leadership defined by compassion, excellence and service?

B.    What strategies do you propose for Africans in Africa and in the diaspora to employ in transforming selfish leadership to servant leadership?

Return to Blogging

It has been over 3 year since my last blog entry.  A whole lot has happened in that time, including almost loosing Mom, adding a new little person to our family, an exciting trip to India, leaving my job in Kinshasa and moving to Paradise.

The northeast of the DRC where I have landed as a result of my husband Richard taking a job here is blessed with one of the most enchanting landscapes and natural beauty and wonders in the world.  At this stage in my life I have observed a remarkable pattern of existence - the ugliest things happen in the most beautiful places!!!  And thanks to the media, most people think of this place as "ugly" since they hear only about war, genocide, rape and poverty.  Yet there are so many positives in which to rejoice.

I suppose that with natural beauty comes richness.  For Congolese, the central focus of that richness is mineral resources.  Sadly, Congolese officials are blind to all other riches and sources of wealth.  The agriculture potential alone is enormous as just about anything can grow here.  The quality of the fruits and vegetables is unparalleled - avocados, especially!!  But even greater still is the potential that such a breathtaking paradise can offer for tourism.  Who would not want to come to a place like this?  Only that the lack of peace and real leadership prevents all these riches and enormous potential from being even marginally realized.

In my next blogs, I will share my observations including but not limited to :

1. The natural beauty of the Lake and the Landscape
2. The natural beauty of the people - more women wear their hair naturally and do not use skin lightener
3. The exciting developments here like international school building
4. Arts and culture of Goma
5. Being a little person in Goma and what it's like to grow up here

Just hope I can keep up!

The Real Problem in the Congo

Disclaimer: This article reflects my own opinion and not that of my employer, NDI.

The recent news reports coming out of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (“DRC”) highlight the perversion of good intentions reflected in the inflated numbers of rape victims in the eastern DRC by both the “pretend” victims and the agencies that have received public and private resources to care for them.  This should be a wake-up call to Africa policy-makers the world over and a trigger for a re-think.  The re-think should focus more resolutely on the distinction between symptoms and fundamental causes.  Policy-making on the DRC is determined by symptoms that shock and pull at our heart-strings.  Sensational news reports, self-interested humanitarian organizations and political pressure have led policy-makers at the highest levels in western countries to overlook the fact that as tragic as the shocking tales of mass abuse, displacement and chronic conflict are, they are still just symptoms geographically positioned far away from the fundamental causes, the centerpiece of which remains leadership failure.

The physical separation between the cause and the symptoms reinforce western tendency to ignore the former, but if failure to address fundamental causes continues, the failure in the East will deepen, spread and thus, grow even more spectacular.  The sign-posts are there even as western policy makers and celebrity thought leaders persist in barking up the wrong tree with their isolated focus on the Eastern Congo conflagration. 

[MOST OF THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN DELETED FOR SECURITY PURPOSES]  For a full version, contact me at firstwoman7@yahoo.com

At NDI DRC, we are especially working on promoting the ascendancy of women across the political landscape in the country through our work with leading political parties, including the ruling PPRD, and our work with associations of female politicians and the women caucus in parliament which sadly extends to only 8% of the national legislature.  The tragic victimization and marginalization of women in Eastern Congo and throughout the country will only subside when we focus our efforts on amplifying the collective political voice of women here in Kinshasa and within the leadership of all influential institutions, political and other organizations throughout the country.

2012 wrap-up

THE FAMILY THOMPSON-ROBINSON 2012 WRAP-UP

The year 2012 proved to be a year of change for the Thompson-Robinson clan – change of environment, of circumstance with new beginnings.  After 3 years of work to help strengthen Congolese civil society and their ability to advocate for fundamental change in governance in the DRC, Eve’s contract came to an end and at the end of January, she rejoined the National Democratic Institute, www.ndi.org  (NDI had previously employed her in Guinea Bissau) as Resident Director in the DRC.  In that position, Eve was obliged to overcome her natural aversion to politicians in making the transition from civil society to politicians as they are NDI’s mandated constituency under its current grant from the National Endowment for Democracy, www.ned.org.  Her assumption of the post came in the wake of the disastrous presidential and national parliamentary elections in November 2011 when the majority of the general public in the DRC and the international community were crying foul and openly challenging the legitimacy of the election results which saw the re-election of Joseph Kabila and the election of national parliamentarians, the majority of whose success was widely attributed to bribery of officials at counting stations or manipulation of the results in Kinshasa, the nation’s capital.   As one participant in one of Eve’s workshops introduced himself – “I am [so and so] parliamentarian, massively elected but not declared.”  In other words, most unsuccessful parliamentary candidates felt that they had been robbed.  Eve thus found herself thrust into the center of a political storm in which most opposition politicians and some even from the majority were asking NDI to organize some form of national dialogue using a prominent and well-respected mediator – many had called for Bill Richardson (the former governor of New Mexico) who is widely associated with having persuaded the late Congolese dictator, Mobutu Sese-Seko, to step down.  After weeks of meetings spearheaded by Eve and her NDI team to bring all together, the majority refused to come to the table under orders that came directly from Kabila himself.  That notwithstanding, it was clear that after these efforts, Eve and NDI were on the president’s radar screen.  The president actually persuaded his sister, Jaynet, an enigmatic member of his inner circle (it is not clear how influential she is with the president and if so how positively or negatively) to accept NDI’s invitation to the Democratic National Convention later that year.  She is pictured here with Eve after Eve and a colleague from headquarters met with her to formally invite her to the convention.

Meanwhile, as Richard continued into the new year working as the conflict minerals expert for the US Agency for International Development, he encountered a slight problem on the sporting front with a freak tennis accident that required an airlift to Pretoria, South Africa.  The attending surgeon who is accustomed to encountering rugby injuries remarked that the several fractures to Richard’s left pinky were among the worst she had ever seen and his right wrist was also badly damaged.  After just over 2 weeks in Pretoria, despite his continuing convalescence, Richard still made several trips to Eastern Congo where  he has continued to coordinate pilot efforts to demonstrate that certification and traceability of artisanally mined gold, coltan, tin and tungsten is possible to allow U.S. listed companies to source from the Great Lakes and generate higher revenue for local miners and exporters.  He is back on the tennis court now but has learned to take it a bit easier.  While pilot conflict minerals reform efforts continue to be possible, the big crisis in the eastern DRC is the rebellion of Rwandan-supported ex-soldiers which has thrown North Kivu into an ongoing see-saw involving not only the M23 rebels, but an increasing number of Mai-Mai militia in both North and South Kivu who have filled the vacuum where the Congolese Army has had to focus on the rebels.  Over a million people are displaced with looting, rape and child soldier recruitment common on all sides.  The eastern DRC crisis is really a reflection of the larger governance crisis facing Kabila, and as we turn to 2013, the outcome does not look promising.  We hope that perhaps the dramatic crisis could generate enough motivation by internal and external actors to fundamentally shift the direction of democracy in the Congo, which has deteriorated to repression and corruption worse than under Mobutu. 

Major transitions for two of the boys came when Lawrence graduated from American University and Richard graduated from The American School of Kinshasa (TASOK).  Lawrence graduated with a degree in Philosophy.

 

He then returned to DRC to take up an internship with USAID/DRC and was later retained by them as a research assistant with a 9-month contract working in the program office.  A major assignment he was given was to make a video to attract USAID foreign service officers to chose DRC as a work destination since DRC is never high on the list of country destinations for most USAID staffers compared to places like South Africa, South America or Asia.  The quality of the video was widely praised (you can access it, complete with an interview with tennis star Eve at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEVCBXvQXBwhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEVCBXvQXBw) especially since it brought immediate positive results.  Within one week of posting the video internally within the USAID system, many employees added DRC as a priority destination!!  Well done to Lawrence!  Another big pull for Lawrence in his return to the DRC was his burgeoning romance with Sylvie Kashongwe who hails from the Kivus and from an exceptionally accomplished family of mostly lawyers (her dad and sister – the latter works with Eve).  The two young women have been a major part of our lives in 2012.  Sandrine has been such an outstanding employee of Eve’s that Eve has been engaged in a tug of war for her with her former organization to whom Sandrine is currently on loan in Haiti.  The Kashongwe girls are featured below in Richard's graduation picture – Sylvie on the left and Sandrine on the right.

Richard finished TASOK with a bang and throughout his high school career was widely praised as a leader and peace maker at the school.  A relationship that he initiated during a model United Nations session in Nairobi with a leading young Kenyan activist, Boniface Mwangi, led to Richard arranging an internship at Boniface’s organization, Pawa254, http://www.pawa254.org/ .    After the internship in Nairobi where he stayed with Boniface and his young family, Richard returned to Kinshasa briefly before heading on to his first year as a Banana Slug at University of California at Santa Cruz, which he is thoroughly enjoying. 

The family minus Christopher celebrated Lawrence’s and Richard’s graduation with a trip to Bombolomeni (about 2 hours outside of Kinshasa) as one last field trip before Richard headed out and Lawrence took over his bedroom. 

Meanwhile, Christopher worked extremely hard as a food runner at St. Arnold’s restaurant in Cleveland Park, Washington, DC, http://adamsmorganbar.com/. His girlfriend Mayra Villanueva hails from El Salvador and Christopher says she brings out the best in him!  He plans to continue working in Washington and begin taking college courses again in 2013.  He has learned a lot about the lack of good management in the restaurant business and through Mayra has learned lots about El Salvador. 

Lawrence’s and Eve’s graduation from university were separated by exactly 30 years and so just after Lawrence’s graduation, Richard Sr., Eve and Lawrence headed to New Jersey for Eve’s 30^th reunion at Princeton where they take reunions seriously.  Lawrence and Richard were a bit blinded and overwhelmed by all the orange.  

 On the other hand, they loved the different seminars, one of which featured this amusing video.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDhf9qwiA34

The height of the year for Richard Sr. by far was his 15-day, 3000 kilometer  trek with 14 other colleagues in four 4 x 4 vehicles across the Congo from Kinshasa to Lubumbashi.  None of the locals could understand why anyone would want to undertake such an adventure without having been forced to do so! You can see the tales of Richard’s adventure on his facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4148088354292.158969.1646331825&type=1  as well as on the US Embassy Kinshasa website, http://kinshasa.usembassy.gov/highlight_english_10242012.html

It was also sister bonding time for Eve this year when she met up with her sister Gail, another avid tennis fan, in Istanbul to witness the final weekend of the WTA tour finals where the top 8 women of 2012 fought for the top honor of women’s tennis.  That honor went to Serena Williams – no surprises there.   Another great sparring match was between Gail and Eve, who has been devotedly playing three times a week in Kin on our wonderful clay courts at the Cercle de Kinshasa. 

Then later in the year, Eve and sister, Gail sponsored sister Tracey to join them in Paris as a gesture of thanks for Tracey’s tireless efforts in caring for Mom and Dad as the only sister left  in the US.  It was their first ever sister trip and though rainy – it was still Paris!

And lastly, a work highlight for Eve was her/NDI’s response to a request by the US Embassy to organize an election watch event related to the US elections on November 6^th.  The biggest logistical challenge was how to keep folks entertained from 7pm (Kinshasa time) on the 6^th through to when results would start coming in given the 6 hour time difference.   In the end, the multiple activity event was hailed as a resounding success with a turnout of approximately 700, about 150 of which remained until 5:30 in the morning when the results were called.  We were mostly overwhelmed and moved by how so many Congolese were so invested in the outcome and overjoyed by the result.   We were also proud that kids from TASOK made a significant contribution to the event by creating booths to educate visitors about the history of Republicans, Democrats and 3^rd party participation in elections.

Needless to say, we as Americans, were all delighted at the election outcome given that from our perspective as “citizens of the world”, Obama was far more palatable as an international interlocutor vis a vis the rest of the world.  Like everyone else, he did not meet our expectations during the last 4 years and we hope that he will feel more free to be bold in the next 4.

We also look ahead to 2013 with renewed optimism for the Congo as  internal change may develop and more pressure is being brought to bear on the US and other major international stakeholders to do more to help save the country from the predatory forces from within and without.  As Richard’s contract with USAID has been renewed for another 2 years and Eve’s with NDI extended at least until November, we will remain in Kinshasa for awhile.    All visitors are welcome and we wish all a fruitful and glorious new year!

Our year ended with a reunion in New Hampshire with all five Thompson-Robinson’s with all of Eve’s family, a treat we have not had for some time.  This is the beginning of a rare “home leave” of six weeks where we will be able to catch up with friends and family in the U.S. through the end of January.   We also look forward to breaking ground on our retirement and southern hemisphere base at Noetzie, Knysna on the Indian Ocean Garden Route early in 2013. 

Best wishes to all for our collective future,

November 2011 Elections in DRC

Elections are over but the process is not. We wait with palpable anticipation for the announcement of results expected to come on December 6th. As with everything about this place reports on the integrity of the process on election day are variable and inconsistent. In some places complete order and in others complete chaos and worse.

In total contrast to the chaos, my two days spent at home were so peaceful that it felt like the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust. In our neighborhood of mostly expats, you could hear a pin drop. Between the expats that had fled the country to escape the elections and those that refused to leave their homes, the result was one of the eeriest calms I've ever experienced. The old 1960's television series "Outer Limits" came to mind.

Our morning walk along the Congo River was surreal. The only hint of an election taking place for us in our neighborhood was the odd returning security guard who had been relieved long enough to be permitted to go and vote. We eagerly asked how the process went. With a broad, proud smile, the answer was "Bon!" In some cases, the smiling guards admitted to a bit of disorder. Their descriptions were in line with those coming from other parts of the country where the problems mostly stemmed from voter anger from names not appearing on lists. But then again, I even witnessed that in Florida in 2008.

What I did not witness at that time however was whole polling stations being burnt to the ground as we have heard tell of in some parts of the country.

But the best stories I've heard are of the dedicated poll watchers, especially as to the predominance of youth among them. That is so heartening and bodes well for the future. Poll workers who managed to maintain order at their stations and guide voters successfully and politely through the process also deserve enormous praise for their grace under pressure.

There is hope at last for the Congo. THERE HAS TO BE!!!

Looking for Hope Amidst Congo’s Day of Profound Sadness

Today, Saturday, July 16th, I have never seen so many coffins in one day in my life. There were big coffins and yes – little coffins; some were carried in cars as part of long processions of the high and the powerful and some carried on foot by humble peasants. For once, on this day, these two disparate groups shared a common affliction – grief.

I cannot confirm my speculation that the multiplicity of funeral processions I came across today were mostly linked to the July 8th plane crash in which 85 of 112 passengers lost their lives. But even if it is not, why is death so pervasive in Africa?

Today, I also attended the funeral of a colleague, Jacques Katuala recently returned to DRC after a long absence from this, his homeland. Jacques who had worked 17 years for the African Capacity-building Foundation before coming here to support efforts to improve the effectiveness of health-related organizations, worked tirelessly for the betterment of this continent. His and the lives of 84 others were tragically cut short by a crash that represents all that is wrong with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The hall in which we gathered to celebrate Jacques’ rich and varied life which ended much too soon at age 62 was filled with alternating spurts of shock, grief and intense love and affection. The funeral program went off like clockwork and without a hitch, suggesting, sadly, that because of the alarming frequency of funerals, no one does them better.

My fear is that well-run funerals are an indication of how inured Congolese have become to the frequency of premature death. Every week at work we hear of a colleague who has lost a relative, a brother, an uncle, a father, a daughter and sometimes, the employees themselves. Even today, just as I was leaving Jacques’ funeral, a colleague who also attended informed me that the father of another colleague had died that morning. That same colleague had lost her father-in-law two weeks before.

What a sad day. What a sad place. But I’m not sure which is sadder – death or the numbness to it. Obviously to everyone who had lost Jacques, the death was real and immediate, but why would death taken in the aggregate yield inertia among the living rather than activism?

At least one organization, ASHADO has called on the government to fundamentally transform the transport sector’s bureaucracy and regulatory structure which has presided over numerous aviation and nautical disasters just in the 3 short years I’ve been here alone.

Premature death for avoidable reasons should be seen as unacceptable especially when one considers that in Congo it is likely that corruption and mismanagement is the cause of most avoidable disasters. While there are numerous theories about what form of corruption led to this particular disaster, chances are the cause is not limited to one. All public employees are poorly paid (if paid at all) due to siphoning off of salaries by government, profits are prioritized over safety and the “non-enforcement” of safety regulations can be easily bought.

Every sector has its brand of corruption, mismanagement and incompetence. Some examples include:

Education – Teachers demand either money or sex for good grades
Health – Fake drugs lead to avoidable death or persistent health problems
Energy – In a land that has the hydro-electric capacity to power all of Europe, vast swaths of the country are without power most of the time since the international companies capable of harnessing hydro-power and converting it to electricity are reluctant to invest in a country notorious for excessive taxation and extortion of multi-nationals
Security – Traffic police demand payment from drivers since they don’t get paid. Drivers pay fines directly to the police but also bribe police to ignore traffic infractions

So not surprisingly, in a sector where the level of safety standards has life or death consequences, lives are lost excessively and in the absence of outrage, life goes on. It seems that Congo’s leaders have bought into their former colonizers’ belief that an African’s life is worth nothing!

The need to place a greater value on an African life is at the very heart of Africa’s renewal. As I have said so often, who will respect an African if they are seen not to respect each other?

Dear Jacques, may you and those who perished with you rest in eternal peace and may your death at least, bring all in this country closer to the level of outrage at such senseless and unnecessary loss of life to stimulate a shift on the part of the powerful and influential from an orientation around unbridled greed and selfishness towards public service and national pride.