I’ve started this blog as part of an assessment from one of
my classes called the Contemporary Africa and Social Change to explore further
and reflect over some of the issues/topics in the lectures. In a way, this blog
serves as a platform to channel my ‘inner’ thoughts on issues related not just
on Africa but to the rest of the world as well. In these coming weeks, we shall
look into the issues surrounding Africa and try to understand what were some of
the repercussions that has affected the continent (yes, Africa is not a country)
to the situation that we see today.
But was Africa's condition already like this at the very beginning? Or did we as colonist transformed it in to the Africa we now are familiar with, the region that is devastated its poverty condition filled with famine and drought, even the adverts that were used by donation campaigns were usually the ones depicting starved African kids staring blankly over the camera with a barren dry background.
Take this image for example.
Throughout the lectures, I came to know that it was a series of (unfortunate) events that has since created a domino effect leading up to the present Africa.
Hi Peng
ReplyDeleteThank you for your contribution to "soul searching" towards uplifting underdeveloped regions such as Africa. As much as the circumstances and events may exhibit a domino effect, they certainly show human agency. No doubt various activities were designed with an intended goal, but the reach of other effects was perhaps highly underestimated at the start. The point I am underlining is that the under-developmental circumstances of Africa cannot be reduced to "unfortunate"! ; they have agency, external and internal - as some of your posts show. Even climatic change effects do have human agency!
I'm glad you have linked these issues to Malaysia and the world - because there is a global dimension to disadvantage, poverty, underdevelopment, etc.
May I mention that you have set a great pace in these studies; your work is going global. You are an epoch-making class of Contemporary Africa at Victoria University. And may you keep this blog alive. I hope to participate in discussion and debates in the coming years. We shall all look back proudly to these small beginnings. Congratulations!