Just wanted to add a picture (that I stole from flickr) of Table Mountain in Cape Town. Clouds like these around the mountain are known as "the table cloth." Gorgeous, can't wait! :) The flag in the foreground, of course, is South Africa's.
Monday, May 19, 2008
A Taste of the Cape
Just wanted to add a picture (that I stole from flickr) of Table Mountain in Cape Town. Clouds like these around the mountain are known as "the table cloth." Gorgeous, can't wait! :) The flag in the foreground, of course, is South Africa's.
Xenophobia and more
It's been a long time since I've posted. School kept me literally busier than ever all through April and the early part of this month. Now I'm enjoying a few days off and actively seeking employment for the less than two months before I leave (eek!). I finally bought my plane tickets, and I'm going to be gone July 17th 'til August 26th. I'll be there forty days total. I come back one week before Fall semester starts, giving me some time to unpack and adjust before class resumes.
Some of you may have heard of South Africa's latest string of violent attacks. Some of my friends have voiced concerns about me traveling there amidst these new developments. So far (cross your fingers) these acts of violence have not spread to Cape Town. Actually, the police force in Cape Town has already worked on strategies regarding dealing with any attacks that might come up and pinpointed areas that they feel would be most subject to turmoil. The attacks seem to be mostly around Johannesburg and Pretoria. In addition, they're not attacks against tourists nor whites. No, the victims have been true immigrants, legal or otherwise, primarily from other African countries. A number of the victims have been Zimbabweans. The attacks and public statements made by those participating in the violent acts have caused over 10,000 immigrants to take refuge in temporary shelters. I've read that over 2o people have already been killed.
It seems that the South African natives who have been staging these robberies, break-ins, and acts of public violence feel oppressed by the influx of immigrants and refuges from countries suffering political and economic turmoil. They feel their jobs, homes, and lands have been usurped by people who have no right to them. The sad truth is, many of these immigrants who have been victimized work in skilled professions, and a sizable percentage of South Africans do not appropriate training, education, or certification for these positions. Technicalities aside, the unemployment rate in South Africa hovers just under 25%. (Can you imagine? If one of four of your family and friends were unemployed and had no stable income? That's difficult for me to fathom. I'm unemployed right now, but my situation is extenuating.) Their GDP per capita is less than a quarter of the United States'. To me, it seems like a double endless cycles: there's not enough economy to provide everyone with jobs, and because unemployment is so high, it's hard to improve the economy. Secondly, advancing the economy would likely also allow for improved education, just as improved education would likely led to further economic development.
I find the whole situation very sad. The South Africans active in leading these attacks are frustrated with their own poverty and social situation and feel the only solution is to act against those who do have whatever it takes to get a job in the country. This is unfortunate on many levels: the fact that South Africa is unable to provide adequate training and employment for many of its residents; that the impoverished and angered groups taking action feel threatened by immigrants; and that the immigrants who first had to leave their homeland, friends, and family behind are now facing extreme hatred for trying to start their life anew.
I want to make it clear that these acts of hatred do not deter me from my travel plans. Remember that I chose South Africa. Per the conditions of the fellowship, I could literally have chosen any country to travel to (provided it accepts tourism), and it was South Africa that I chose. I chose it for a variety of reasons: first and foremost, its racial diversity and unique social climate have long interested me. Second, I'm interested in the nation's changing face since the apartheid ended, a nation making major strides on the long road toward equity for all. Finally, I chose because it won't be easy. When I chose South Africa, I was well aware of the political turmoil and petty crime that has afflicted it throughout its past and present. It's not Europe; it's going to be so very different than what I have grown up around here in Minnesota. It's not super touristy, and there are tons of risks involved. Instead of scaring me off, all these facts have actually made me more interested in going there. In addition, these xenophobic attacks do not frighten me for my personal safety because I don't see them being directly aimed at people of my demographic. I realize there are risks involved, and I have accepted them and will take necessary precautions.
This week, aside from job-hunting (blah) I intend to start contacting the people I have planned to interview while I'm in Cape Town. This list of people includes University of Cape Town professors, museum regents, developers, public officials, and even the mayor. I will also hopefully be conducting a number of informal resident interviews as well. Ozayr (my mentor) will be providing a letter of introduction that I can use when I contact people over there, just so that it's clear I have an institution backing me on my work. When I try to arrange interviews, I will attach that letter to my e-mail that contains more details specific to each person's area of expertise.
I've also been reading Nelson Mandela's autobiography, A Long Walk to Freedom. Aside from being a good read in general, it's been rather helpful in extending my knowledge of the politically formative years during and after the apartheid. There are some other books I would like to read before I go, while I'm there, or after I get back, such as Ozayr's recommendation of My Traitor's Heart by Rian Malan.
As always, thanks for reading this update. Please do not hesitate to contact me about anything regarding my trip or anything I've discussed here on this blog. I'm very interested in all of this and would love to discuss it to you. Hopefully more updates soon!
Some of you may have heard of South Africa's latest string of violent attacks. Some of my friends have voiced concerns about me traveling there amidst these new developments. So far (cross your fingers) these acts of violence have not spread to Cape Town. Actually, the police force in Cape Town has already worked on strategies regarding dealing with any attacks that might come up and pinpointed areas that they feel would be most subject to turmoil. The attacks seem to be mostly around Johannesburg and Pretoria. In addition, they're not attacks against tourists nor whites. No, the victims have been true immigrants, legal or otherwise, primarily from other African countries. A number of the victims have been Zimbabweans. The attacks and public statements made by those participating in the violent acts have caused over 10,000 immigrants to take refuge in temporary shelters. I've read that over 2o people have already been killed.
It seems that the South African natives who have been staging these robberies, break-ins, and acts of public violence feel oppressed by the influx of immigrants and refuges from countries suffering political and economic turmoil. They feel their jobs, homes, and lands have been usurped by people who have no right to them. The sad truth is, many of these immigrants who have been victimized work in skilled professions, and a sizable percentage of South Africans do not appropriate training, education, or certification for these positions. Technicalities aside, the unemployment rate in South Africa hovers just under 25%. (Can you imagine? If one of four of your family and friends were unemployed and had no stable income? That's difficult for me to fathom. I'm unemployed right now, but my situation is extenuating.) Their GDP per capita is less than a quarter of the United States'. To me, it seems like a double endless cycles: there's not enough economy to provide everyone with jobs, and because unemployment is so high, it's hard to improve the economy. Secondly, advancing the economy would likely also allow for improved education, just as improved education would likely led to further economic development.
I find the whole situation very sad. The South Africans active in leading these attacks are frustrated with their own poverty and social situation and feel the only solution is to act against those who do have whatever it takes to get a job in the country. This is unfortunate on many levels: the fact that South Africa is unable to provide adequate training and employment for many of its residents; that the impoverished and angered groups taking action feel threatened by immigrants; and that the immigrants who first had to leave their homeland, friends, and family behind are now facing extreme hatred for trying to start their life anew.
I want to make it clear that these acts of hatred do not deter me from my travel plans. Remember that I chose South Africa. Per the conditions of the fellowship, I could literally have chosen any country to travel to (provided it accepts tourism), and it was South Africa that I chose. I chose it for a variety of reasons: first and foremost, its racial diversity and unique social climate have long interested me. Second, I'm interested in the nation's changing face since the apartheid ended, a nation making major strides on the long road toward equity for all. Finally, I chose because it won't be easy. When I chose South Africa, I was well aware of the political turmoil and petty crime that has afflicted it throughout its past and present. It's not Europe; it's going to be so very different than what I have grown up around here in Minnesota. It's not super touristy, and there are tons of risks involved. Instead of scaring me off, all these facts have actually made me more interested in going there. In addition, these xenophobic attacks do not frighten me for my personal safety because I don't see them being directly aimed at people of my demographic. I realize there are risks involved, and I have accepted them and will take necessary precautions.
This week, aside from job-hunting (blah) I intend to start contacting the people I have planned to interview while I'm in Cape Town. This list of people includes University of Cape Town professors, museum regents, developers, public officials, and even the mayor. I will also hopefully be conducting a number of informal resident interviews as well. Ozayr (my mentor) will be providing a letter of introduction that I can use when I contact people over there, just so that it's clear I have an institution backing me on my work. When I try to arrange interviews, I will attach that letter to my e-mail that contains more details specific to each person's area of expertise.
I've also been reading Nelson Mandela's autobiography, A Long Walk to Freedom. Aside from being a good read in general, it's been rather helpful in extending my knowledge of the politically formative years during and after the apartheid. There are some other books I would like to read before I go, while I'm there, or after I get back, such as Ozayr's recommendation of My Traitor's Heart by Rian Malan.
As always, thanks for reading this update. Please do not hesitate to contact me about anything regarding my trip or anything I've discussed here on this blog. I'm very interested in all of this and would love to discuss it to you. Hopefully more updates soon!
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