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Afro-descendants. Still a long way to go.

Sunday, 1 December 2024 8:00

With December, the decade (2015-2024) dedicated by the United Nations to Afro-descendants ends. Little has been done. Injustice and poverty still have an Afro face.

Latin America and the Caribbean make up the most “biodiverse” region in the world. By biodiversity we mean not only flora and fauna but also ethnodiversity. The region’s multi-ethnic range includes a wide scale of mixed blood, including Asian, indigenous, African and European populations who, by interbreeding, have given rise to mestizos, mulattoes, morenos, cimarrones, raizales and sambis.
The total population is 652 million people, distributed in 33 countries integrated into the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). Blacks and mulattos belong to the group of Afro-descendants. According to studies by the United Nations Economic Commission, there are approximately 134 million people in Latin America and the Caribbean who self-identify as Afro-descendants, including blacks and mulattos. This is therefore approximately 21% of the total population
of the entire region.

In Haiti, about 95.5% are Afro-descendants. File swm

The percentages differ from country to country. In Haiti, for example, they reach 95.5%, in Brazil 49%, in the Dominican Republic 44%, in Panama 22%; in Costa Rica and Venezuela 20%; in Colombia 15%; in Uruguay 10% and in Ecuador 7%.
According to the statistics of Slave Voyages, between 1501 and 1866, 12.5 million Africans were imprisoned and shipped to be sold as slaves in the Americas. It is estimated that 2.5 million died during the transatlantic voyages. The survivors reached 5 million in Brazil, 4 million in the Caribbean, and a million and a half in Hispanic America.
Despite the end of colonialism and the formal abolition of slavery, Afro-descendant populations continue to suffer serious injustices and ethnic-racial exclusion. Citizens are often considered second-class as indigenous populations.According to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the socioeconomic panorama of these areas of the world offered, in 2023, a worrying picture of how regional poverty still had a predominantly gender (women) and ethnic (indigenous and Afro-descendant) face.

Cuba. Trinidad. Mother and son looking out of the window. A wide gap between rural and urban poverty. Shutterstock/nesrin ozdemir

Female poverty is widespread throughout the region (relative poverty at 24%, absolute poverty at 7%); while male poverty is at 20.3% and 5.6% respectively. There is also a wide gap between rural and urban areas: in the former, relative poverty reaches 41%, and absolute poverty 20%.
In the urban area, however, it is 26% and 9% respectively. Also worrying are the data from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), according to which limited access to healthcare for indigenous and Afro-descendant people persists. The study The Health of the Afro-descendant Population in Latin America (Ops 2022) reveals that in 80% of the 18 countries observed, Afro-descendants suffer serious disadvantages in terms of poverty, unemployment, maternal and child health, access to decent housing and drinking water. In Ecuador, the maternal mortality rate among Afro-descendant women is 3 times higher than the average. In Colombia, this rate is approximately 2 times higher and in Brazil, 36% higher.

Brazil. National Congress in Brasilia. In several countries, this is a constitutional recognition of Afro-descendant communities, CC BY-SA 4.0/Joe Espindola

Something different happens in politics: in several countries, fixed quotas of representation are allotted to the different legislative bodies, with a sort of positive discrimination aimed at reducing historical exclusion. For example, in Colombia, article 176 of the 1991 Constitution provides for a special constituency for Afro-descendants with 2 seats in the House of Representatives and one for the raizales of the Archipelago of San Andrés and Providencia.
Since the late 1980s, there has been a kind of constitutional revolution, what some jurists call the new Latin American constitutionalism. This is a constitutional recognition of Afro-descendant communities, which recognizes and protects not only their cultural heritage but also guarantees specific political quotas of exclusive representation, territorial jurisdictions and their justice for the protection of their ancestral traditions. Bolivia, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and others declared themselves constitutionally plurinational and pluricultural. SouthWorld Magazine delves into the situation of the last three countries. (Photo. 123rf)
J.A.T & D.R.

Nicaragua. Silent and silenced minority.

Sunday, 1 December 2024 8:00

The constitution and laws should protect their rights. In reality, this is not the case: because of confiscated land, 70% of these Afro-descendants live below the poverty line, their language is threatened with extinction and their human rights are systematically violated.

The Garifuna are an Afro-indigenous people originally from the island of Saint Vincent, but now present along the Caribbean coast of Central America, in countries such as Honduras, Belize, Guatemala and Nicaragua. They are descendants of escaped African slaves and indigenous peoples who mixed in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Mother and daughter in front of the house in Big Corn Island. The Garifuna are a significant minority in the country. 123rf

Garifuna culture is rich in oral traditions, music, dance and a language that combines African, indigenous and colonial elements. In Nicaragua, the Garifuna are a significant minority in the autonomous region of the northern Caribbean coast, where they live mainly from fishing, agriculture and trade. They are a declining population, estimated at between 2,000 and 3,000 people; but their culture and identity
are deeply rooted.

Unenforced Constitution
Under the government of Daniel Ortega in power in Nicaragua since 2006, the situation of the Garifuna has become increasingly complicated. While the Nicaraguan Constitution and subsequent laws have recognized the collective rights of indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples – including the Garifuna – their implementation has often been lacking. Many challenges have been faced.
Territorial conflicts: The Garifuna have historically occupied coastal territories rich in natural resources, making them vulnerable to invasion by settlers and external economic interests. A significant example of territorial conflict occurred in the Orinoco community, where the Garifuna denounced the invasion of their lands by settlers from the interior of the country, often with the implicit support of local authorities. These settlers seek new lands for agriculture and ranching, leading to violent clashes and deforestation of ancestral areas. Despite legislation that is supposed to protect indigenous territories, between 2015 and 2020, more than 500 hectares of Garifuna lands were illegally occupied by settlers, putting at risk the livelihoods of communities that depend on these lands for fishing and agriculture.

A Garifuna girl. The Garifuna culture is rich in oral traditions, music and dance. Their language combines African, indigenous and colonial elements. File swm

Economic marginalization: Despite Ortega’s government’s stated commitment to the inclusion of indigenous and Afro-descendant populations, the Garifuna continue to live in extreme poverty. Their communities in Nicaragua have limited access to essential services such as education and healthcare. According to data collected by local organisations, more than 70% of the Garifuna population live below the poverty line, and access to higher education is almost non-existent. The lack of adequate infrastructure and economic opportunities has forced many young people to migrate to the cities, weakening local communities. Furthermore, the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated these conditions, with a reduction in revenues from tourism and fishing, the main sources of income for the Garifuna.
Cultural threats: Their culture, which, as mentioned, includes music, dance, language and religious traditions, is at risk of extinction due to globalization and the lack of institutional support. The Garifuna language, in particular, is in danger: it is classified as “seriously endangered” by UNESCO, with a growing number of young people no longer speaking it fluently. Schools in Garifuna communities often do not offer instruction in the native language, contributing to its erosion. Furthermore, the spread of mass culture and the lack of specific cultural programs are weakening the traditions of this minority. Only 40% of young Garifuna actively participate in cultural ceremonies and traditions, compared to 80% of the previous generation.

Two young fishermen at Corn Island. Only 40% of young Garifuna actively participate in cultural ceremonies and traditions. File swm

Political Repression: Ortega’s government has repeatedly been accused of repressing dissident voices, including Garifuna community leaders who denounce human rights violations and the loss of their lands. In 2019, several Afro-Indigenous leaders were arrested or intimidated after participating in demonstrations against the occupation of their lands and lack of government protection. According to an Amnesty International report, at least five Garifuna leaders were detained without due process between 2018 and 2023, and their communities faced increased threats and acts of violence from government-linked armed groups. Fear of reprisals has led many to avoid political involvement, further weakening communities’ ability to defend their rights. (Photo: Nicaragua. Karata. Afro-descendant youth on a pier on the Caribbean coast. Shutterstock/cfalvarez)

Jairo Agudelo Taborda and Davide Riccardi

The Last Campesinos in the Mexican Desert.

Friday, 1 November 2024 8:00

The small villages of the Tarahumara Indians in northern Mexico – where temperatures have risen above 50 degrees this year – have to deal not only with climate change, but also with injustice and discrimination. We accompany Brother Ricardo Greenley, a Jesuit, on one of his visits to Christian communities.

Sand and desert, villages and drought. This is the panorama that the populations of northern Mexico experience daily, resisting climate change that makes its presence felt forcefully. Brother Ricardo Greenley, Irish origins on his father’s side, Mexican on his mother’s side, a consecrated layman of the Society of Jesus, visits the farmers of the ejidos, villages where 20 to 30 families live, sharing their joys and difficulties. “I live in the state of Coahuila, a land on the border with Texas. I accompany the community of Parras in prayer, moving between the chapels of the parish”, he says. Driving his pick-up truck, he covers kilometres of road between General Cepeda and the Sierra Madre every week. In the village of Huariche, the farmers are waiting for him to pray to the Virgin of San Juan de Los Lagos in their chapel. After leaving the asphalt road, we enter among precarious huts and streets dug into the earth: at the end of the streets, the chapel appears painted blue and white, with paper decorations cut out by the women.

Ricardo Greenley, a Jesuit Brother. Facebook

Rural communities like Huariche are barely surviving and the missionaries are at their side. “Fewer and fewer people cultivate the land. The drought and the poverty of the means used have decimated the presence of farmers – he explains -. Many take the bus at dawn to the factories in Saltillo, the state capital, to work in the automobile and electronics industries. They return late at night, the villages become dormitories. The children live with their grandparents, the family breaks up, because even the mothers are away from home for work.”
It’s not the only problem in the Mexican North. This year, temperatures have risen above 50 degrees. Like much of the border with the United States, the state of Coahuila has a large percentage of desert territory: it no longer rains and working the fields is becoming increasingly difficult. The new landowners are buying up large plots of land. They extract water from underground – not always legally – and this further reduces water resources.
“Vineyards and walnut orchards are irrigated, but water is scarce in the villages. They make their crops rain with cloud seeding, a technique for stimulating rainfall by shooting jets of silver iodide or dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) into the sky with ground cannons.”
Climate change in this part of Mexico is seen in cities like Torreon or Saltillo, with a million inhabitants, which attract all the resources. Hotels with swimming pools and new vineyards pump the water that flows underground. While lecchuguilla, maguei and oregano – the native plants those farmers used to grow – disappear.

Procession in the village of Huariche in honour of the Virgin of San Juan de Los Lagos. Photo. MM

“Today the committee accompanies the Virgin Mary to one of the 52 ejidos of the parish”, Ricardo tells us, while passing through the village he greets a small group of men sitting in the shade.
“Ya viene tu Madre, date prisa”, he tells them from the window (Your Mother, the Virgin Mary, is coming, hurry).
With catechesis, celebrations and lots of dialogue, the Jesuits accompany the last inhabitants of these villages. Discussing social dynamics is a task that the religious carry out with the few and poor farmers who remain. “Evangelizing means knowing and following Jesus – Ricardo comments -. But here it also means defending life, people’s rights, human dignity, food, a roof, education, the land that must be protected”. He quotes the encyclical Laudato Si’, recalling that nearby cities are struggling to have more and more water resources while Conagua, the National Water Commission, already declared in 2020 that the extracted volume was greater than the recharge capacity.

Rarámuri girl runs to her house. CC BY-SA 4.0/Daniel Hernández Flores

The van crosses a vast territory, full of contrasts like all of Mexico. Green oases in the desert, thanks to the underground aquifers, stimulate the birth of latest-generation companies and vineyards. The denunciation of illegal drilling to the state authorities sees the missionaries alongside the farmers.Two kilometres from the chapel of Huariche, Greenley and the white-hatted campesinos are digging furrows in the ground. It is an experimental technique to encourage reforestation and increase the layer of humidity and silt. It will encourage the growth of trees, plants and vegetation. It is the path alongside these villages; with the Gospel, but also the seed of the earth, to hope that it will soon bear fruit again. (Open Photo: Indigenous Tarahumara man takes rest under the shade of the tree. Shutterstock/Svetlana Bykova)
Nicola Nicoletti/MM

Historic cities. Mali. Timbuktu, the City of 333 Saints.

Friday, 1 November 2024 8:00

In all religions, we find cities called “holy” due to the presence of the supernatural within their walls. We can mention Jerusalem for Christians and Jews, Mecca and Medina for Muslims, Benares for Hinduism and Sarnah for Buddhism in India, etc. But Timbuktu is called holy by the sages and believers who have lived there throughout history. This is why Timbuktu bears the title
“The City of 333 Saints”

Set in the vastness of Mali’s Sahelian desert, Timbuktu has been a religious, cultural and commercial centre for more than 600 years, whose residents have travelled throughout Asia, Africa and Europe, and the birthplace of great Muslim masters, known throughout the Islamic world. On the other hand, in the 14th century, it was considered the richest city in the world for its salt and gold reserves, as well as being an academic destination of the Muslim world for its libraries and schools. Located south of the Sahara Desert and 13 kilometres from the Niger River, Timbuktu was declared a World Heritage Site in 1988. But its history began much earlier, in the year 1100, as a temporary camp for Tuareg nomads at the point where the desert meets the water at the bend of the Niger River, becoming an important centre of trade.

Timbuktu, old view. Designed by Lancelot in 1860.123rf

In the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries, Timbuktu experienced a great period of commercial development and Muslim culture. Three of its great mosques, Djingerber, Sankore, and Sidi Yahia, were built in those centuries, and by 1450 it had a population of 100,000 with 25,000 Muslim scholars who had studied in Mecca or Egypt. In 1468, Timbuktu was conquered by the Songhai, and in the following years until 1591 it became important as an academic centre and one of international trade in gold, slaves, salt, cloth and horses from North Africa.
Conquered by Morocco in 1591, which persecuted the religion but defended it militarily. The city was subsequently attacked and conquered by the Bambara, the Peul and the Tuareg. France conquered it in 1893, making a great effort to repair its historic buildings. Since 1960, Timbuktu has been part of the newly independent state of Mali. For centuries, non-Muslims were banned from entering the city.

Koran manuscripts in Timbuktu Mosque.123rf

The first European to enter the city, it is said, was Leo Africanus, a Muslim from Granada in the first half of the 16th century, who accompanied his uncle on a diplomatic trip. European explorers became interested in Timbuktu in the 19th century. The best known is the French explorer René-Auguste Caillié. Caillié, who had studied Arabic and Islam, arrived in the city disguised as an Arab in 1828 and after two weeks’ stay left, writing a diary of his impressions. Later, in 1892, the German geographer Heinrich Barth arrived on his five-year trip to Africa.
The city flourished in the 16th century, becoming an Islamic centre and home to scribes and jurists. For experts, “Timbuktu’s most famous and lasting contribution to Islamic and world civilization is the scholarship practised there: the spiritual centre of Islam in the 15th and 16th centuries with its Sankore University, where important books were written and copied, making the city the centre of a significant
written tradition in Africa.”
The teaching, in Arabic, was aimed at the Muslim religion, but linguistics, literature, Greek philosophy, geography, law and medicine, in particular eye surgery, were also taught. At the height of its heyday, “learned Moors expelled from Spain and Moroccan intellectuals did not hesitate to settle in Timbuktu”, near the banks of the Niger River, and exchanges with foreign universities such as Cairo and Damascus multiplied.Becoming an international centre of culture, the number of schools grew to 180 with 20,000 students in a population of 80,000. At the end of the period of its greatest splendour, Timbuktu entered a long-lasting dream that still endures today.

People in the streets of Timbuktu. File swm

Today, Timbuktu has a population of 55,000 (2009 census) and the most widely spoken language is a variety of Songhai, although Hassaniya Arabic and Tamashek are spoken by the minority. Timbuktu is the administrative centre of the region. Its streets are sandy, dusty, narrow and winding; Its historical monuments are threatened by the proximity of the desert, the advance of the dunes and desertification.
The Islamic militants – in particular, one group known as Ansar Dine – deemed many of Timbuktu’s historic religious monuments and artefacts to be idolatrous, and, to that end, they damaged or destroyed many of them, including tombs of Islamic saints housed at the Djinguereber and Sidi Yahia mosques. Work to repair the damage began after the militants were routed from the town in early 2013.

Tuaregs camped near the city of Timbuktu. 123rf

What should we remember about this city so rich in history? The three great mosques: The Djinguereber Mosque built in 1325 by Abu Isha-qes-Saheli, an architect from Granada, under the patronage of Emperor Kanga Musa, with the capacity to accommodate ten thousand faithfuls. The Sankoré Mosque, built in the 15th century, was once an important Madrasa or university of Islamic sciences. The Sidi Yaya Mosque, built in 1440, with a door that could only be opened at the end of time. The mausoleums and tombs of the saints: there are 22 mausoleums of Muslim “saints” in Timbuktu, of which sixteen are part of the world heritage. The best known are those of Sidi Yaya and Sidi Mahmoud, destroyed by Islamists in June 2012.
Manuscripts: It is estimated that around 100,000 manuscripts are preserved in the “Ahmed Baba Documentation and Research Centre”, founded in 1970, and in the homes of some families of the city. At the end of September 2003, the construction of the “Dalusian Library of Timbuktu” was completed, which houses more than 3,000 volumes of manuscripts from the 15th and 16th centuries. We can conclude this historical tour of the “City of 333 Saints” with a 15th-century Malian proverb: “Salt comes from the north, gold from the south, but the word of God and the treasures of wisdom can only be found in Timbuktu”. (Open Photo: Djingareyber Mosque in Timbuktu. 123rf) – (J.J.O.)

Reflection. Fostering a “Frontier Vision”.

Friday, 1 November 2024 8:00

Pope Francis’ “frontier vision” allows him to see reality from the periphery, not from the centre, from the point of view of individuals and communities struggling for a human existence and striving
to live their Christian lives.

Speaking to young people in Rio de Janeiro in 2013, Pope Francis raised his voice and shouted, “I want the Church to get out into the street; I want us to avoid ….being closed in upon ourselves.” The Pope does not want a self-referential and inward-looking Church but one that continuously looks out for an opportunity to reach out to the people, most of all those at the periphery: geographical, psychological, social, cultural, and religious margins.
For frontline missionaries, this challenge would include visiting the most interior villages and forgotten families and praying with the least cooperative communities. It will also include giving attention to the culturally excluded, socially marginalized, psychologically complex-ridden, and religiously guilt-laden.

Kenya. Sunday Mass in the parish of Kachiliba. File swm

Young Bergoglio (later Pope Francis) used to urge a situational, personal, and human understanding of problems, holding out hope even in the worst circumstances. As the Pope, he is not asking us to rewrite our moral theologies but to interpret God’s mercy in contexts and give even wrongdoers a sense of belonging. That is being a missionary.
The Pontiff has always proposed a practical approach to problems. He believes that “Realities are greater than ideas” (Evangelium Gaudium, n. 231). He feels the need to be close to ordinary people. He criticizes the “arrogance of the enlightened’, and contrasts it with the “special wisdom” of the people of God.He feels he can always learn from them. He seems to say, ‘About the content of the faith, go to the magisterium; about ‘how’ to live that faith, go to the people.’When the Pope speaks of the periphery or the margins, what he means are the pastoral needs of the poor. People need nearness and proximity. Simple people, even if illiterate, are not naive.

Sunday Procession in a parish in Tanzania. File swm

The ‘sapiential rationality’ of the popular culture is ‘holistically intelligent,’ he says. It is eminently human; it reflects on realities, not worn-out platitudes.
The pastoral leader ought to remember that mere event-based pastoral programming is inadequate. A life-based approach goes deeper, looking at human needs more in their integral relationship.
A responsible Christian worker fails in his duty if he stands idle or helpless before today’s growing violence, corruption, weakening of ethical values, fragmentation of families, abuse of children, ethnic conflicts, unfairness to weaker communities, to migrants, trafficking in women and children, massive deforestation, falling water levels, pollution of rivers, pollution of air, over-exploitation of the soil, over-tapping of natural resources; threat to cultural identities, low literacy levels, lack of skills to find a place in modern economy, growing inequality, and most of all before the loss of spiritual convictions. A man of faith changes challenges into opportunities and opportunities into realities.

Kenya. Social activities of the Parish in Nyahururu. When the Pope speaks of the periphery or the margins, what he means are the pastoral needs of the poor. File swm

Arnold Toynbee, an English historian, a philosopher of history, in his Civilization on Trial, says, “The things that make good headlines are on the surface of the stream of life, and they distract us from the slower, impalpable, imponderable movements that work below the surface and penetrate to the depths. But it is really these deeper, slower movements that make history, and it is they that stand out huge in retrospect when the sensational passing events have dwindled, in perspective, to their true proportions.”

Mozambique. Holy Communion in the parish of St Francis in Maputo. File swm

Visionless leaders get lost in administration amidst trivial problems that will never end, in factions and groups, petty prominences, or in successes that have no long-term significance. On the contrary, those with vision concentrate on inspiring and uniting communities towards great and noble goals on behalf of the Kingdom of God.
When our attention is fully given in the positive direction, problems gradually yield space by themselves, withdraw further, and disappear altogether; or, they change nature, become an asset and a help in unexpected ways.And take note, the age of larger-than-life leaders is over. Today what finds acceptability are leaders who know how to relate, serve, take trouble, motivate, seek advice and take initiative. They create a climate where everyone can function as a leader in his/her respective roles. (Open Photo: Kenya. A Sunday mass in Korogocho, on the outskirts of Nairobi).

Thomas Menamparampil.
Archbishop Emeritus of Guwahati,
India

Historic cities. Kenya. Mombasa. A melting pot of languages and cultures.

Friday, 1 November 2024 8:00

The city is called the “blue and white city” for the colours of its buildings which symbolize the waters of the Indian Sea that bathe it, is a coastal city with its centre on the island of the same name.

It is the second largest city in Kenya, with over one million inhabitants and a port that has connected Africa with the Middle East, China and India for many centuries. It also has a rich history. Here visitors will find traces of Persian, Arab, Portuguese, British and African culture.
Mombasa, a word of Arabic origin, was founded around 900 AD. and was initially inhabited by Swahili-speaking Bantu tribes.
By the 12th century, Mombasa had become a commercial centre
and a prosperous metropolis.
The people of Mombasa traded spices, gold and ivory as far away as China and India. Its advantageous and strategic geographical position meant that various colonial powers (Turks, Portuguese, Arabs and Persians) fought violently to conquer it.

Bastion and loopholes in the thick ancient walls. Fort Jesus. A medieval fortification in Mombasa, built in 1593. 123rf

Portugal maintained primary rule over Mombasa, albeit intermittently, from 1430 until 1730, when the Sultans of Oman established independence in 1746, strengthened by the arrival in 1840 of Said ibn Sultan. He went on to forge a large empire, controlling strategic enclaves on the African coast such as the islands of Mombasa and Zanzibar, as well as cities in India and Pakistan.
In 1887 it came under British rule and Mombasa became the capital of so-called British East Africa, a title it later retained as the capital of the Kenya Protectorate until it was replaced by Nairobi in 1905.
Today Mombasa is known as a vibrant, cosmopolitan port with a distinctive blend of African, Indian and Arab cultures, whilst embracing its ancient Swahili roots.
Each of the colonial and foreign powers left their mark, still visible today, on the city of Mombasa. Mombasa’s first buildings are found in the so-called Old Town, which has a decidedly oriental character, with wide streets and tall houses with ornate balconies. The mosques and places of worship made of stone and wood stand out. Mnara, the oldest stone mosque in the city, was built around 1300.

Holy Ghost Cathedral, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa built in 1898. CC BY-SA 3.0/Zahra Abdulmajid

The Moroccan traveller Ibn Batuta recalls his visit to Mombasa in the early 14th century, stating that the mosques are “made of wood and built by experts “. Also noteworthy is the Mandhry Mosque, built in 1570 in the Arab-African style.
During colonization, forts were built to protect the city’s precious ports from external attacks. You can see the ruins of Fort San José, an Arab fort built in 1498 and, most importantly, Fort Jesus, built in 1593 to ensure the safety of the Portuguese living on the east coast of Africa. It is one of the oldest buildings in the city still intact and today it is a museum. Also noteworthy are the Holy Ghost Catholic Cathedral, built by missionaries in 1898, and the Hindu Shiva Temple (1952), a landmark of Hindu art and culture, with its surprising polychrome decorations. The Mombasa Tusks is one of the city’s best-known monuments, built in 1952 to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to the city.

Today, Mombasa is a tourist destination with many beautiful white sand beaches.CC BY-SA 3.0/Łukasz Ciesielski

The Mombasa National Marine Park and Reserve (1986) for the protection of biodiversity is also worth a visit. All these buildings testify to the diversity of peoples, cultures and religions that have shaped the history of Mombasa. Mombasa is a melting pot of languages and cultures from all shores of the Indian Ocean.
Mombasa’s combination of India, Arabia and Africa has a unique charm and many visitors (Vasco de Gama did so in 1498) fall in love with East Africa’s largest and most cosmopolitan port. Today it is a tourist destination with many beautiful white sand beaches. (Building view with landmark of Mombasa. Watercolour splash with hand drawn sketch illustration in vector.123rf) – (J.J.O.)

Tibet. Two Dalai Lamas.

Friday, 1 November 2024 8:00

The succession of the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism involves the search for his reincarnation. The current Dalai Lama was indicated in 1937. Beijing wants to have its say on the next leader, but the religious authorities (in exile) are not on board. The possible geopolitical implications.

Amdo region, in north-eastern Tibet. It is 1937, and little Lhamo Dondrub is approximately two years old. A group of monks led by the lama Kewatsang Rinpoche asks for hospitality in Lhamo family’s house. Shortly afterwards, the announcement: Lhamo is the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. The monks pay a large ransom to Ma Lin, governor of the region on behalf of Chiang Kai-shek’s Kuomintang, and take the child to the Tibetan capital of Lhasa. Two years later, Lhamo was officially “crowned” the XIV Dalai Lama. From then on, he will be known as Tenzin Gyatso, literally “ocean of wisdom”. Almost 90 years have passed since the journey of those monks. 74 have passed since, in 1950, the troops of Mao Zedong’s People’s Republic of China arrived in Tibet after defeating the Kuomintang in the civil war. Again: 65 years have passed since that March 1959 in which Tenzin Gyatso left Tibet forever, fleeing to India after the repression of the Lhasa revolt.

Himalayas, on the southern rim of the Tibetan plateau. CC BY 3.0/ Dan-500px

Soon, the time may come when a new boy or girl will be identified as the 15th Dalai Lama. Indeed, in all likelihood, all this could happen twice.
On one side a group of monks, or Tenzin Gyatso himself, on the other the Chinese Communist Party: the boys or girls whose lives will change forever seem destined to be two.
One appointed by the Tibetan spiritual or political authorities in exile, and one by those in Beijing. Result: two Dalai Lamas.
The scenario is imminent, barring agreements which at the moment appear unlikely. Historically, when a Dalai Lama dies, a council of high lamas is formed to seek his reincarnation. In the selection process, known as the “golden urn”, the council consults various signs and oracles, as well as the writings and teachings of the Dalai Lama himself, to be guided in the search which usually ends with the identification of a child born around the time of the predecessor’s death.

Dalai Lama during the Long Life Prayer at the Main Tibetan Temple in Dhramasala. India. Photo: Tenzin Choejot/OHHDL

Once a potential reincarnation has been identified, the child is presented with a series of objects that belonged to the previous Dalai Lama and is asked to identify which ones belong to him. If the child passes the test, definitive confirmation from a political authority is then required.
And here comes the problem. Beijing claims it must certify the choice of the next Dalai Lama, as it has done in the past. A legacy inherited from the time of the imperial era until the beginning of the last century, when Tibet was governed by the Qing dynasty. A legacy that Tenzin Gyatso does not seem willing to recognize.
Also from this perspective, the separation of spiritual authority from political authority was carried out, when in 2011 the Dalai Lama resigned as head of the Tibetan government in favor of a successor elected by the Parliament in exile. It could, therefore, be this entity, not recognized by Beijing which considers it “illegal”, to certify the choice of the next Dalai Lama. At least the one indicated by the exiled Tibetan authorities. The Communist Party could respond with another name.

The ‘Vice Dalai Lama’
The signs of what could happen have been there since 1995, when a 6-year-old boy, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, was chosen as the new Panchen Lama, the second most important figure of Tibetan Buddhism. Three days later he was taken into custody by the Chinese authorities and replaced with another candidate, Gyaincain Norbu. Since then, little Gedhun’s fate has remained uncertain. In 2022, on the 33rd anniversary of his birth, the US State Department reiterated its call for Beijing to “account for the whereabouts and well-being” of Gedhun.
Yet another clarification, if it were needed, is that the US will side with the Tibetan authorities in exile at the crucial moment of choosing
the next Dalai Lama.

Tibet. Lhasa. Young monks practicing the art of debate in a sunny courtyard of Sera Monastery. Shutterstock/Tatiana kashko

In the same 2022 statement, the State Department stated in black and white that Washington supports “the religious freedom of Tibetans and their unique religious, cultural and linguistic identity, including the right of Tibetans to choose, educate and venerate their own leaders, such as the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama, according to their own beliefs and without government interference.” Not to mention that, in 2020, the then head of the Tibetan government in exile was invited to Washington for the first time by the Trump administration. A political, as well as spiritual, recognition that had infuriated Beijing and made new turbulence on the Tibetan dossier appear on the horizon.

From Mongolia the one in third position
Another preview of what may happen in the near future came in March 2023, when the appointment of the tenth Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa, the third position of Tibetan Buddhism, emerged. He is an eight-year-old boy from Mongolia. The news was greeted with mixed feelings in Mongolia: joy for the choice of one of their compatriots, and fear of China’s reaction. In 2016, the Mongolian government received strong complaints from Beijing over the visit of the Dalai Lama, which, not surprisingly, was the last in the country. The new Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa, heir to the Altannar family (one of the most influential in Mongolia) was also born in the United States. There are those who could read a subtle (geo)political message in it.

The 10th Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa making the Mandala offering to H.H. the Dalai Lama on March 8, 2023. Photo: Tenzin Choejor/ OHHDL

Meanwhile, Tenzin Gyatso has already hinted several times that his reincarnation could emerge outside Tibet to avoid Beijing’s interference in the selection process. The successor could be from one of the territories where Tibetan Buddhism is practised, in particular Nepal, Bhutan or, indeed, Mongolia. The Chinese Communist Party has so far remained silent, but has no intention of giving up what it considers its right to nominate. A few months ago, the current leader of the Tibetan government in exile, Penpa Tsering, declared during a trip to Australia that, if Beijing maintains its intention to appoint its own Dalai Lama, there will soon be two.
The first issue that Beijing should address is the management of the post-double appointment on its territory. Particularly in the Tibet autonomous region, where some might be tempted to follow the instructions coming from the authorities in exile rather than those of the Communist Party. All this would risk reopening a dossier that Chinese officials are convinced they had archived after the repression of the protests in 2008, in the months preceding the Beijing Olympic Games.
Perhaps this is also why the two-track policy with which Tibet’s integration has been strengthened has been intensified in recent years. The first track is the economic one. In the space of just over 70 years, around 255 billion dollars have been invested in the region in infrastructure and other projects. In the 14th five-year plan (2021-2025), another 30 billion have been allocated, especially for projects related to the transport sector.

Lhasa town and surrounding mountains in Tibet. “Project of the century”, a new railway which, when completed will connect Lhasa (in Tibet) to the capital of Sichuan, Chengdu. Shutterstock/Arnaud Martinez

Work is underway on the so-called “project of the century”, a new railway which, when completed (expected in 2030), will connect Lhasa (in Tibet) to the capital of Sichuan, Chengdu, in just 12 hours: a third of the time currently needed to travel by road. The second track is the cultural one. Alongside investments, Beijing has promoted the settlement of ethnic Han Chinese in the region and domestic tourism towards Tibet, which between 2016 and 2020 brought over 160 million tourists to the region from other Chinese provinces. Sensational numbers if you consider that in 2005 Tibet received less than two million visits a year.
In addition to Tibet, also Xinjiang (a Muslim majority province) and, to a lesser extent, Inner Mongolia. Communication is also important in this strategy. It is no coincidence that from 2022 onwards the Chinese authorities and media will increasingly use Tibet’s Mandarin name, Xizang (often translated into “treasure of the West” due to its position on the map of the People’s Republic). Above all, it is no coincidence that they do so in press releases or content in English. The message to the outside is clear: “The Tibetan issue is purely Chinese”, for which Beijing therefore expects compliance with its famous diplomatic principle of “non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries”.

India is not just an onlooker
In reality, India, which hosts the Tibetan authorities in exile on its territory, has also been involved in the issue for some time. In New Delhi, ample space is given to the Dalai Lama’s manoeuvres, especially when he goes near the endlessly disputed border between India and China. In the summer of 2022, Dalai Lama “deployed”, with the assistance of the Indian government, to Ladakh, near the disputed territories, where he gave a speech critical of the Chinese government. The territorial dispute is precisely grafted onto that of Tenzin Gyatso’s succession. The Buddhist leader in fact lives in exile not far from a border that remains hot.
In June 2020, there were several casualties caused by clashes between the militaries of the two sides. Several other incidents were also recorded in subsequent years. A situation that remains volatile after several rounds of talks produced no significant agreements. Beijing and New Delhi continue to reiterate their respective claims of sovereignty over a highly strategic area also for its water resources, another element that will become increasingly crucial in the future.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India hosts the Tibetan authorities in exile on its territory. Photo. Pres. Office.

In September 2023, on the eve of the G20 summit in New Delhi which Chinese President Xi Jinping did not attend, the Beijing government presented a new map of the borders of the People’s Republic with the various territories disputed with India. Several places in what China calls “Southern Tibet” and now part of the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, were renamed with Mandarin names. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi saw it as an insult, coming just as he was hosting the event that he had presented as the flagship of his second mandate.
In the background, but not too distant, is the United States which, with the war in Ukraine, is trying to strengthen military ties with India, also providing satellite and defensive technology potentially useful in a scenario of confrontation on the border with China. Washington will most likely be in the front row in supporting the Dalai Lama whom Beijing will deem “illegal”, forcefully returning Tibet (or Xizang) to the top of the agenda of the most delicate dossiers of relations between the two powers. (Open Photo: Dalai Lama. Ven Tenzin Jamphel/OHHDL)

Lorenzo Lamperti/MC

Namibia. The green hydrogen puzzle.

Friday, 1 November 2024 8:00

Rich as it is in renewable energy sources, the country aims to become a world leader and has already signed agreements with international companies and the EU. But the asymmetries of power risk blurring the horizons of growth.

An immense desert dotted with granite mountains, the Tsau Khaeb National Park, in southern Namibia, boasts one of the most important biodiversity oases in the world. Flamingos, leopards, oryxes and numerous endemic plants populate an area covering approximately 24 thousand km². Here, where at the dawn of the twentieth century German colonists kicked off the diamond rush, today a new resource promises to transform the country: green hydrogen: the longed-for “fuel of the future” on which industrialized economies are betting to clean up highly polluting activities such as steel or maritime transport.

President of Namibia, Nangolo Mbumba. To become a world leader in renewable energy, the government has launched a $20 billion plan – almost double the current gross domestic product. Photo: Namibian Presidency

With abundant sources of renewable energy, Namibia aims to become a world leader. To realize this ambition, the government has set up a 20-billion-dollar plan – almost double the current national gross domestic product. The European Union, which last year signed a one-billion-euro agreement with the Windhoek government, says it is ready to provide capital and technical support. Brussels’ objective is to guarantee itself a privileged position in the race for supplies.
“Together we can further decarbonise our economies, create jobs and guarantee a more prosperous and greener future for our societies,” said recently the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. But all that glisters is not gold. Numerous issues still need to be resolved, including currently prohibitive production costs and logistical obstacles. And if it ever materialises, the green hydrogen boom risks having a cost for native communities and delicate ecosystems.
The online newspaper Climate Home News carried out a long investigation into the Namibian dream of green hydrogen, visiting the site of the flagship project and collecting testimonies. It found a community largely unaware of the implications of the project and worried about the possible repercussions on fishing and tourism. Experts have expressed frustration with the lack of transparency and scepticism about the real job prospects for Namibian citizens.

The future of Lüderitz
Perched between the Namib Desert and the Atlantic Ocean, Lüderitz takes its name from the German settler who put down roots in this land in the late 19th century. Today this town made up of colourful art nouveau buildings seems destined to become the nerve centre of the green hydrogen industry.

Bird’s eye view of Lüderitz. CC BY-SA 4.0/Hp.Baumeler

A stone’s throw from here is the Tsau Khaeb Park, where the Namibian government has granted large portions of land to private companies for the green hydrogen supply chain. Among these, Hyphen Hydrogen Energy stands out. Driven by German and South African investors, the company aims to produce 300,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year starting in 2026. Green hydrogen is formed through an electrolysis process that splits water into its constituent elements, oxygen and hydrogen gas. The latter is captured and stored or transformed into liquid ammonia to facilitate its transport. To be “green” the process mentioned must be powered by renewable energy. To guarantee energy for its plants, Hyphen plans to cover the area with wind turbines and solar panels. To supply fresh water, a luxury in this arid region, a massive desalination plant will be needed. Once converted into ammonia, the green hydrogen should then be loaded onto cargo ships that from the yet-to-be-built deep-water port near Lüderitz will take the final product around the world. To carry out this pharaonic work, Hyphen plans to involve 15 thousand workers, approximately doubling the current population of Lüderitz.

Hyphen Hydrogen Energy plans to employ 15,000 workers. Many doubt the feasibility of this promise. Courtesy of HHE

The company’s goal is for 90% of these jobs to go to Namibians. But many in Namibia raise doubts about the feasibility of this promise. The trade associations highlight how there is a huge gap between the necessary competences and those currently available in the country. They also underline how orders for the construction of large public works often end up in the hands of international groups.
Bärbel Kircher, director of the Construction Industry Federation, says that, “due to the conditions imposed by external financiers”, local contractors are largely cut off from foreign operators. Hyphen says the company will implement “targeted training interventions at various levels” including “specialized masters, internships and apprenticeships”. But Kircher doubts that Namibian construction companies can benefit much from green hydrogen projects.

An opaque horizon
In Lüderitz, there are strong concerns about the negative effects that the maxi project could have on the lives of the population. Some of Hyphen’s infrastructure will reduce public access to the long peninsula that extends from the town along the coast. Hyphen leaders say this was “inevitable” because it was “the only feasible location for a deepwater port.” But residents fear that this could have serious repercussions on lobster and shrimp fishing, important sources of income.
Environmentalists are also shining a spotlight on the risks to biodiversity in the national park that will host the work. Here there are dozens of specimens of vegetation unique in the world such as Lithops Optica, a rare purple succulent plant, as well as hyenas, histrions and hundreds of bird species. A marine biologist interviewed by Climate Home News also fears the impact that the construction of the port and desalination plants could have on the populations of flamingos and dolphins.

Environmentalists have highlighted the risks to biodiversity in the national park where the work will take place. File swm

“The damage to environmental integrity, biodiversity, the landscape and tourism will be immense, all in the interests of meeting the short-term energy needs of some parts of the EU,” said Chris Brown, head of the Namibian Chamber of Environment.
Hyphen says it has commissioned a consultancy firm to prepare a report on the environmental and social impact. “No green energy project can be implemented without some environmental impact, and Hyphen’s goal is to minimize this to the greatest extent possible,” said Marco Raffinetti, the company’s CEO.

Prime Minister Office. The Namibian government claims that the tender was “conducted with the utmost transparency and fairness”. File swm

But what also foments discontent is a perception of lack of transparency that has crept in since the origins of the project. Hyphen was awarded the contract following a closed selection process based on special tourism regulations in derogation of standard public tenders. Neither the content of the offers nor the reasons for choosing Hyphen were made public. The company said this is standard practice, as the offers contain commercially sensitive data. The Namibian government claims that the tender was “conducted with the utmost transparency and fairness”.
But many have doubts. Among them Patrick Neib, unemployed and living in a settlement near Lüderitz. The job prospects tempt him. But he says that the secrecy of the projects, hidden behind technical jargon, make it impossible to understand what the opportunities are. “There is just no public discussion about the benefits for ordinary people like me or the price we have to pay for the development of green hydrogen,” he says. (Open Photo: Sign from the Sperrgebiet, Tsau- Khaeb National Park. Shutterstock/gg-foto)

Matteo Civillini

Sister Rosita. Four Decades of Refugee Advocacy.

Friday, 1 November 2024 8:00

When asked how a farmer’s daughter who became a Catholic nun ended up as one of Brazil’s most influential refugee advocates, Sister Rosita Milesi, 79, offers a simple answer: determination. Sister Rosita was awarded the Nansen Prize by the U.N. High Commission for Refugees for her exceptional work with refugees and migrants
over the past 40 years.

“I have always been a very determined person, ever since childhood. If I take something on, I will turn the world upside down to make it happen,” she said on a sultry afternoon in the northern Brazilian city of Boa Vista, where the organization she leads – the Migration and Human Rights Institute (IMDH) – supports refugees and migrants from neighbouring Venezuela and other countries.

Sister Rosita’s determination is not fuelled by personal ambition but by a profound faith and commitment to helping others. These values were instilled from a young age by her Italian-speaking parents, who ended each working day by praying with their 11 children. Despite having little to spare, they also provided work, food and a bed to people
in need who came asking.

At the age of 9, Rosita left the family home in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul to attend a nearby convent school run by the Scalabrinian Missionaries. The congregation was founded at the end of the 19th century to help Italian migrants arriving in the Americas, and while its work had since shifted away from its original focus, that founding mission would come to define Sister Rosita’s life and work.

After making her vows and becoming a nun in 1964 when she was just 19, Sister Rosita spent the next two decades working as a schoolteacher and hospital administrator in facilities run by the congregation to help the poor. During this time, her determination helped overcome reservations within the congregation when she applied to study law, eventually earning a Master’s degree.

“When they asked me why I was taking this course, I would say: ‘I’m going to be a lawyer for the poor’, because that was our mission at that time – to help people in need. Refugees and migrants weren’t yet part of the picture,” she explained.

Her legal training ensured that when the Scalabrinians decided in the 1980s to return to their roots by helping refugees and migrants, Sister Rosita was the one entrusted with establishing a Migration Studies Centre in the capital, Brasilia.

“I knew little about the issues, but I had to prepare myself. So, I started studying the topic of displaced people and I decided to dedicate my knowledge to migrants and refugees,” she said.

Through this indirect path, a formidable refugee champion emerged. Her expertise and quiet powers of persuasion proved instrumental when Brazil’s draft Refugee Law was proposed in 1996.

Sister Rosita rallied support to broaden the law’s definition of who is a refugee in line with the 1984 Cartagena Refugee Declaration, ensuring that many more people seeking international protection would be included in the adopted law in 1997. She achieved similarly impressive results during the adoption of Brazil’s Migration Law in 2017.

“Any law lasts many years. Good or bad, it’s hard to undo. So, we couldn’t let a limited law pass if there was a possibility to expand it,” she said of the 1997 legislation. “I even wrote to the Vatican in Rome,
asking them to send a letter to the Brazilian government saying how important it was to expand the refugee concept. And they sent
the letter, thank God.”

In addition to her legal work, Sister Rosita coordinates a network of around 70 national organizations supporting refugees, migrants and local communities. She also sits on the National Committee for Refugees (CONARE) and the board of directors of the Scalabrinian Foundation, and has published scholarly articles on forced displacement and migration. “I’ve always had the ability to do three, four, five things at the same time,” she said matter-of-factly.

Above all, she is a committed and hands-on humanitarian. She and her teams at IMDH in Brasilia and Boa Vista work tirelessly to improve the lives of some of the 790,000 people in need of international protection in Brazil from 168 different countries, including Venezuela, Haiti, Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Burkina Faso, Mali and Ukraine.

Sister Rosita agreed that her role is often to provide a focal point for others. “Many people don’t have the courage to start, but they are willing to support. So, someone needs to lead for us to unite forces,” she explained. “If there’s a human or humanitarian need, I’m not afraid to act, even if we don’t achieve everything we want.”

Approaching her 80th birthday, Sister Rosita suggested with a wry smile that people assume she has no dreams left to pursue. If so, they misunderstand the lifelong nature of her commitment. She reeled off plans to boost access to education for refugee children, improve the recognition of refugee diplomas, and – following the devastation caused by recent flooding in her native Rio Grande do Sul – address the growing impact of climate change on refugees and displacement.

In other words, Sister Rosita will never stop dreaming of – and working for – a better future for refugees. “We should always have a utopia because it shows us the horizon,” she said. “We never reach the horizon because as we advance, the horizon moves further away. But it points the way. Having a utopia, having a dream, having a conviction to build something better is fundamental. And it is fundamental for refugees.” Sr Rosita received the Nansen Prize on 14 October.
( Photo: © UNHCR/Marina Calderon)
Charlie Dunmore and Elisabet Diaz Sanmartin

Kalulu and the Great Spirit of the Forest.

Friday, 1 November 2024 8:00

Vusi was an honest man and a hard worker. He had cleared a large piece of moorland and turned it into a beautiful fertile field. He had married Duduzile and a beautiful child was born, to whom they gave the name Thembelihle.

For some years they lived happily. They wished to have a son, who would help them with the farm work; but the worry was compensated for by the industriousness of their daughter, who, as she grew older, became more and more useful at the housework, while her parents tilled their field.

One day, however, misfortune befell the happy little family: Thembelihle was struck down by a harmful spell, uttered by a drunken witch. One night, as the old woman was wobbling home from a nearby village after she had guzzled beer and danced frantically the whole time, she tripped over Vusi’s hoe. Thrown to the ground in the stubble, she cursed the owner of the hoe, shrieking in her rusty voice: “May the first and last of your children remain as mute as a giraffe, until a stupid deed like the one that happened to me tonight calls back the word.”

Thembelihle was, of course, the first and last child. At the age of six, she suddenly stopped talking, laughing, crying and singing. Vusi and Duduzile were desolate and had no idea how such a great misfortune could have happened. No matter how hard they tried, they could not get
a word out of her.

The years passed and the daughter became a beautiful girl, so good and hard-working that many young men began to court her. They came to visit her in the brightest clothes; they danced the merriest dances and sang the saddest songs … But Thembelihle did not speak, did not sing, did not laugh, did not cry. The young men felt desolate and discouraged. “What are we to do – they said, – with a wife who is unable to cheer us up when we return tired from work, and who has no song for our children?”

One by one they all forgot about Thembelihle, except for Mandla, a young friend who felt deep compassion for the girl and her parents. Mandla decided to do something. One night the young man went into the forest to ask the tree spirit for help. He prayed in a loud, heartfelt voice, but no one answered. It was winter. All the plants were inert and leafless, and even the tree spirit was in a deep sleep. Hearing no answer, the young man’s prayer turned into desperate cries. At a certain moment, he thought he heard someone.

“Why do you disturb my sleep?” asked an angry voice. Mandla trembled with fright. He turned to the euphorbia plant from where the voice seemed to be coming. He looked carefully but could see no one. At the foot of the plant there was a hole, the lair of Kalulu, the hare, but he did not think at all that the voice could be that of that cunning animal.

Thinking that the tree spirit had, at last, answered his prayers, he threw himself on his knees: “Mighty spirit, hear me, please! – Speak to me!” said Mandla. “The great spirit hears you,” replied the hare in a raspy voice, remaining hidden in his burrow and barely holding
back her laughter.

Mandla told the story of the unfortunate Thembelihle and begged the spirit to help him restore the girl’s faculty of speech. “If you offer the spirits fresh vegetables and fruit, papayas especially, every day by this euphorbia plant, I will do all I can to help you – replied the voice. Now leave me to my meditations!”

Mandla returned home still trembling with fear, but with a heart full of joy at the great tree spirit’s promise of help. Meanwhile, Kalulu, the hare, burst into a hearty laugh at having succeeded in making himself the spirit of the trees. But he could not get back to sleep. Instead, he began to think, remembering how, when she was very young, a little beetle had told her one night, that it once heard an old woman pronounce a curse against the owner of a hoe: “May the first and last of your children be dumb until a foolish deed calls back the power to speak.”

At the time, the hare had given no importance to what his friend had told him, not least because his mother had told him that the little beetle was now senile and only good for a guinea hen’s dinner. Now he thought long and hard about that story.

As soon as dawn broke, he closed the door of his den and walked towards Vusi’s house. He found him hoeing in the fields with his wife. “I see that you have a lot of work – he told the two farmers -. I think you will need a hand. I am looking for work and would be content with little, just enough to live on. Will you allow me to help you?” “You are too young for field work, don’t you think? – replied Vusi. – And then … how can I trust you not to eat my cabbages as soon as I turn my back? I have already met others from your tribe and they all ended up on the
wrong side of the spear.”

“My conduct is without blemish – replied the hare with a hint of resentment – and I am much stronger than I look. Give me a hoe and you will see!” And so, he began to hoe, making the earth fly. “Alright! – said Vusi. – You look strong enough. I’ll hire you for a week, then we’ll see.”

Every day, Kalulu went to work in the fields, milking the cows and feeding the pigs. When Vusi and his wife were present, no one could have wished for a more diligent worker, but when Thembelihle was there, he seemed to do everything he could to make trouble: he spilled the bucket of fresh milk; he walked with muddy feet on the washing hung out in the sun; he let the pigs go rooting in the garden,
tearing up the new green beans and stepping on the pumpkins
that were still in flower.

Many times, the girl opened her mouth to scold him but not a word came out and she walked away disconsolate. Kalulu was increasingly sorry, for every day he found fresh offerings at the foot of the euphorbia and could not give anything in return.

Meanwhile, Mandla, hiding behind a huge baobab tree, continued to spy on the girl, to see if the tree spirit would answer his prayer. He, too, appeared more and more sad and disconsolate from day to day. One day Vusi and his wife decided to go to the village to sell vegetables and fresh eggs. Before they left, they told their daughter to plant cabbages. The hare helped her. As he worked, he racked his brains: “What can I do? I really feel indebted to that young man. All caught up with such thoughts, he planted the cabbage upside-down with the roots in the air and the leaves in the earth.

“What a stupid thing I have done!” thought the hare as soon as he realized. His mind lit up as if struck by lightning. From that moment on, he took great care to plant the cabbages upside down. Thembelihle continued planting without looking around until she reached the end of the furrow. Then she straightened her sore back and looked back at the rows of cabbages that had just been planted. All the desperation in the world could be read on her face.

“What are you up to, stupid animal? – she shouted angrily – Why are you planting the cabbages upside down?” As soon as she realised what had happened to her, she covered her mouth with her hands. Her ability to speak had returned. Like a thunderbolt, Mandla burst out from behind the baobab, shouting and laughing, drunk with happiness.

Then, hand in hand, the young couple ran to find their parents to tell them the good news. The hare, on the other hand, remained standing, hoe in hand, admiring the cabbages planted with their legs in the air. “Just look what men are like! – Kalulu mumbled, laughing with satisfaction. – Here is the great tree spirit himself and he doesn’t even get a thank you! Let’s hope, at least, that we still find some nice papayas there under the euphorbia.” (Photo: Pixabay)

Folktale from the Zulu people, South Africa

Historic cities. Senegal. Saint Louis. The Venice of Africa.

Friday, 1 November 2024 8:00

Saint Louis, washed by the Senegal River and the Atlantic Ocean, is the most aquatic city on the West African coast.

Today Saint Louis is a city of 250,000 inhabitants. Its charm is unquestionable, it is one of those places where you feel good as soon as you arrive, without knowing exactly why. Built and broken like a cake into pieces of land on the waters of an ocean and a river, it is surrounded by beautiful corners with marshes and natural parks flown over by a diversity of birds, with pink flamingos and pelicans foremost.
Located at the mouth of the Senegal River, Saint Louis is divided into three areas: the island of N’Dar, which is the historical and colonial part, the Langue de Barberie or Guet N’Dar, where the fishermen live, and the mainland of Sor, the commercial, agricultural, university and contemporary area connected to the hinterland.

Aerial panorama of Sant Louis. View from Senegal river towards the old colonial city and fisherman island. Shutterstock/Anze Furlan

Saint Louis was declared a World Heritage Site in 2000 and is today a potpourri of all of Africa, of what the continent was and what it is, both in terms of richness and challenges.Its biggest attraction is itself: on the border with Mauritania, the entrance to the Sahara Desert for some and the exit for others. Here are just some of the highlights that help us better understand the soul of this African city.
Saint Louis, the Venice of Africa. “Water is very important in Saint Louis. The Atlantic Ocean nourishes and attacks it at the same time. The Senegal River nourishes its fields, gives life to its banks and occasionally bursts its banks at its mouth.
Its insular surface is a kind of miracle of nature. It is surrounded by water on all sides and remains afloat with astonishing tenacity. One has the feeling that its inhabitants are counting on its disappearance one day” (Lola Huete Machado, a Spanish journalist).
Saint Louis, the city of the caucos. Every evening, at sunset, one can witness a continuous coming and going of canoes crossing the waters of the Senegal River until they reach the Atlantic Sea. There are immense barges, painted in bright colours and full of flags and symbolism, prayers and good wishes. Each is entrusted to the respective marabou or the goddess who protects them from the wrath of the ocean.
In Saint Louis, everything revolves around fishing: social, economic, political, cultural, gastronomic, festive and environmental.

A young girl with a joyful smile on her face in a fishing village.123rf

Saint Louis, a mixed race. On the mainland, groups of many ethnic groups and nationalities coexist, of which the Wolof and the Lebu are the most numerous. The mestizo character, the mixture of cultures and the social conditions of the island have marked the inhabitants of this city. There has always been a deep respect for all people, regardless of their social status or religion.
Saint Louis, religions. Of Sunni tendency, Senegalese Muslims are divided into brotherhoods, which until now have represented an important check against the penetration of radical ideas from outside. Religion is very present in daily life and in celebrations such as Tabaski or Korité de Saint Louis. Interreligious coexistence is healthy: Muslims and Christians break the Ramadan fast together and religious holidays represent a moment of rapprochement between the different faiths.

Faidherbe Bridge, the symbol of the city. CC BY-SA 4.0/Manu25

Saint Louis, the migrant. The local economy suffered a strong negative impact around 2000 with the arrival of large foreign vessels carrying out industrial fishing operations. The fishermen of Guet N’Dar, who used to fish in front of their houses, were left without a catch and this led to the phenomenon of local emigration towards other African countries and Europe. In 2006-2007, during the so-called Cayuco crisis, around 50,000 young Africans, mostly Senegalese, crossed the Atlantic on board these boats. As a result, many St Louis families are headed by wives of husbands who live in Europe.
Saint Louis, the mainland. A few meters from the photogenic and colourful colonial city there is the other Saint Louis, the one with the markets and wooden stalls that can be seen in any African city. The rural exodus attracts dozens of young people to this other Saint Louis (called Sor) who leave agriculture and sheep-rearing in the interior of the region in search of a different future.

Pelicans on an island in the Barbarie National Park.CC BY-SA 4.0/Manu25

Saint Louis and its parks. The city has two national parks registered as World Heritage sites. The Djoujd Ornithological Park, the third largest ornithological reserve in the world, where every year thousands of birds migrate from southern and eastern Africa, Europe and Asia to the wetlands of the Senegalese coast to reproduce, to escape the winter or to transit towards other skies. The Langue de Barbarie National Park, near the mouth of the Senegal River, is home to numerous aquatic birds.
Saint Louis and culture. This city so rich in history is a constantly bustling laboratory of innovation and crossbreeding, according to the artists who enliven its lively cultural life with an annual jazz music festival, a photography museum and so on.
Saint Louis and its future. All experts highlight and doubt the future of this coastal city in Senegal, which is facing the danger of coastal erosion and high emigration. The effects of climate change, the harassment of the sea, the violence of the river and the threat of the desert threaten its long-term survival. The buildings and houses of the city begin to suffer. Suzanne Hirschi, an architect committed to safeguarding the urban heritage of Saint Louis, states that “the main challenge today is its very existence”. (Open Photo: Fishing boats parked on the shore in Sant Louis.123rf)

Juan José Osés/Africana

African art and sense of beauty.

Friday, 1 November 2024 8:00

When you look at some African art, you may wonder whether what you see is fine art or something else. African scarification is part of African art, which is mainly iconographic. In traditional African art, colours are not only used for aesthetic purposes. They have deep meanings. African art is functional, community-orientated, depersonalised,
and contextualized.

Many tribes in Uganda and elsewhere used to practice scarification on the bodies of their women, children, heroes and candidates for initiation. Some went so far as to remove the front teeth of the lower jaw. In the Oromo valley of Ethiopia, you can still find Mursi women with lip plates: the lower lips are stretched to unbelievable proportions to accommodate the lip plates – all in the name of beauty and identity. What some would call ‘disfigurement’, others would call ‘beautification’.
In the Luo languages there is the same word for both beautiful and holy: ‘leng’ can mean holy or beautiful.
In Ateso, the word ‘elai’ can mean both beautiful and good: elai apese means ‘beautiful girl’, but ‘elai eketau’ literally means ‘beautiful heart’, simply referring to a good person. These few examples suggest that beauty, goodness and holiness are closely related.

South Sudan. Dinka man. African scarification is often related to the spiritual world. File swm

African scarification is part of African art, which is mainly iconographic. Iconography is a system of images used by an artist to convey a particular meaning. It is often related to the spiritual world. It expresses the supernatural powers to which Africans owe their existence and on which they recognise their dependence.
In Africa, works of art, whether visual, poetic or musical, are used to convey the unknown in the familiar, the abstract in the concrete, and the spiritual in the physical. They are designed to serve a practical and meaningful purpose; beauty of appearance is secondary. African art is therefore functional. We can even speak of ‘functional beauty’. It responds to needs that are vital to the spiritual and physical well-being of the people.In traditional African art, colours are not only used for aesthetic purposes. They have deep meanings. Red symbolises vitality and life force; yellow represents spirituality and kingship. Green embodies nature and fertility, while blue signifies protection and spirituality. White is the colour of ancestral spirits.
Black represents power, authority and the invisible forces of the spiritual realm. Sometimes it also represents the earth, humanity and the ancestors. Unlike Christian liturgy, where clergy wear coloured robes, in African worship colours are painted on the bodies of those who participate in rituals. In ritual, the physical and the spiritual are one.

Ethiopian young Ladies. “Functional beauty” is a response to needs that are vital to people’s mental and physical well-being. File swm

A curious fact about African art is that it is depersonalised. Traditional artists do not sign their work. It belongs to the people and not to the artist, although his creativity is inevitably present in his work. It is community-oriented in that the artist performs to fulfil the ritual and social purposes of the community.
Art is used to regulate spiritual, political and social forces within the community. This is particularly evident in Malawi (Chewa), the Democratic Republic of Congo (Pende) and Nigeria (Igbo and Yoruba), where masks or masquerades play an important role in festivals, rituals, funerals and other social gatherings.
They represent human and animal spirits, deities, ancestors, mythological creatures, good and evil, peace and justice, etc. Sometimes the people who wear them are believed to be possessed by the spirits they represent. They also carry messages and teachings from the spiritual world.Finally, African art is functional, community-orientated, depersonalised, and contextualized. (Open Photo: Karo woman. Kar. people are famous for their body painting. 123rf)

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