I've been trying extremely hard considering everything related to Africa. I searched Africa more than 10000 times. The reason why I was highly fascinated by Africa was that Our world is obviously too streotyped in my opinion. Everyone knows Africa had been getting focused from dozen of years. When our human was first born, Africa got focused by initial human. After that, where is African colorful history? Where are they gone?
I got highly motivated by my 2 experiences which you could also see in my presentation.
I currently live in Taiwan with a lot of foreigners around. It is apparently true that I can have lots of time with foreigners.This is the first picture that I'd like to share. The girl sitting on the left side is from Nigeria. The girl sitting on the right side is British. Can you see the baby is frowning?After I took the picture of them, the African girl went back home. I was with the British baby shown in the picture and her brother who is 4 years old. The brother said something racial about the African girl. I don’t know any racial words related to African-Americans at all. His mom scolded him not to say it, but he kept repeating it. Racism which I thought doesn’t occur anymore was here. That was what we call white supremacy.
About the second experience, it was a fresh impact for me when I first met my African friend. She might not remember how special that experience was to me. My African friend was eating ribs. I thought she was going to throw the bonew away; how ever, she started eating the things inside the ribs.Mr. Kinzer told that he can find the tears of Africa in the map of African continent. I carefully think that he might already be stereotyped. If you look at the map in different perspectives, you will probably find the shape heart that is not fully filled. That shows the current Africa. Many countries over the world support with various ways. A lot of people think that Africa is still a combination of underdeveloped countries or the representative continent showing the worst developed world. With continuous support, they are finding their own voices gradually. Think about it in a different way. Africa seems to be the recipient of many charities. There is an enormous amount of love from global citizens living all over the world. There was always support for Africa from other countries. There is still support for Africa from other countries. With natural sources, they are growing up. Even though the heart in this map is not complete now, it has been getting a complete heart. I believe Africa’s heart as it looks can be filled with affectionate care.
It sounded like sharpening on a whetstone and that was shocking. In spite of myself, I found out that I already had a cultural stereotype. Since most people don’t know inner attractions of Africa, most people tend to be stereotyped about cultural/racial/ even gender stereotypes.
You probably heard that some people call Africa a black continent. Still some people ignore their colorful history for that Africa doesn’t fit on a view of the world. Europe has tended to describe/explain everything of Africa especially, disease and misery. Europe spread fear and poverty to Africa for dozens of years; imperialism couldn’t last long. However, the effects were deeply imprinted on the reality which can still be shown.
First of all, I would like to introduce the land that is always ready to glitter like Diamond; Sierra Leone. I’d like to show Sierra Leone with the glittering Diamonds. Look at the glittering Diamonds here. Diamonds have masks. That is diamond called Blood Diamonds. With that, life of child soldiers’ were easily ruined as if a stone could easily been plated.
I’d call the first period (1800-1884)of Sierra Leone the period of dried tree. As shown the video, it was like that tree. It was nourishing. However, it was grown on infertile ground. Sierra Leone was the colony pioneered by African slaves who were engaged in British side when American Civil War was on. Freed slaves from various countries, tribes were gathered by force. Those were around 75 thousand people. Before naming as the capital of Sierra Leone, it was a refuge slaves freed in the Atlantic which also called Recaptives. The Temne and Mende were major Recaptives. Against the cruel reality being one of slaves, Sengbe Pieh addressed, showing their voice. “We are Africans, we were born there freely. After we were born, we were free, having our rights to be free. Hence, we should remain freely. We must not be slaves.” On that sense, I’d like to call that period (1884-1950) as a larva. A larva is an insect at the stage of its life after it has developed from an egg before it changes into its adult form. For advancement, kernels should be popped. For that, nationalism was mostly dominant for the nations of Sierra Leone even though under British power. By the official abolition of Slave Trade in Britain in 1833, Sierra Leone was about to have fragile soil for lifeless tree. Over the next half-century, a lot of different ethnic origins were gathered. For a united country, Anglican and Methodist missionaries propagated Christianity which brought the greatest respect for life despite of suppression by European and English. Even though Freetown was extremely cramped by a lot of different origins, their intimacy was getting better and better by forming a society. However as countries in Europe took African countries like they clear out stock on sale, nations of Sierra Leone realized how that moment matters with their nationalism. After the World War II, their moving aiming the Independence of Sierra Leone was accelerated under a trade union. And I would like to call this period as the period of the Cleptobiosis (1950-2006). Their first achievement was when internal self-government was built in 1951. After all, Sierra Leone became an independent country under the Commonwealth. That independent country doesn’t mean many democratic countries that our government form looks like. Fragile democracy was broken by the election of the opposition party. Even if the beginning was not great by so many ethnic tribes, Sierra Leone didn’t tumble under Britain dominance for forming the united country only with their burning passion. However, Anarchy formed causing invincible military coups, child soldiers.Resisting against corrupt government continued for 18 years under the control of Siaka Stevens. Brutal uses of military forces, weapons, it might be true that Sierra Leone became a republic of Siaka Stevens. It was not too much to say it. Siaka Steven obsessed over diamonds. Fanatics with burning desire for Diamonds brought miserable changes which were out of all knowledge. Nations had to bear his burning desire for Diamonds to live. Frightening strategy which was to amputate nations’ legs and hands was adopted by Foday Sankoh who led of RUF which is a revel guerrilla force organized in 1991. It was impossible for the impotent government to repress rebellions. Lots of mining towns of Diamonds were occupied by RUF. For keeping hegemony, he made child soldiers amputate Africans living near the mine. It is assumed that 6 thousand people lost their legs and hands by his malicious commands. Even nations of Sierra Leone raised revolts expressing their furor to the powerless government.
The Civil War lasted for 10 years and over 35 thousand people died. The Civil Wars were ended with intervention of UN, Britain, and surrounding nations in 2002 literally. In 2007, democratic Sierra Leone appeared. From 2007 to present society, I would call Sierra Leone as the period of dandelion’s seeds which can always settle anywhere.(2007- Present Society)
Though most people think peace came to Sierra Leone, it’s not quite right. I carefully consider that our world was too atrocious to Child Soldiers. They might have thought that they were playing at make-believe war with not backpack but guns in the jungle instead of a school. World gave child soldiers ineffaceable hurt.
Their grief had been published with many interviews which are pretty limited. Global citizens can’t count how many times they cry whenever our world tries to get child soldiers to bring up their memories. I even feel sorry whenever I see the interview which made child soldier to bring the most painful memory in their life. They said they had taken drugs before attacking a village so that they can fight with no definite idea. They also said people begged them after they wielded guns. On drugs and armed with guns, child soldiers thought they were invincible. They had talked that the festival of massacre was not their volition. I consider that British might be the middle of those civil wars. The government of Sierra Leone couldn’t bridge the Rich and Poor which mainly caused by force of Britain about house taxes. By that the government started to be corrupt. According that, opposing forces raised revolts. I think child soldiers’ lunacy had been managed and operated by someone. They might still be in civil wars with trauma. The pain of child soldier had well-expressed in the movie called Ezra and the book called A Long Way Gone.
Their grief had been published with many interviews which are pretty limited. Global citizens can’t count how many times they cry whenever our world tries to get child soldiers to bring up their memories. I even feel sorry whenever I see the interview which made child soldier to bring the most painful memory in their life. They said they had taken drugs before attacking a village so that they can fight with no definite idea. They also said people begged them after they wielded guns. On drugs and armed with guns, child soldiers thought they were invincible. They had talked that the festival of massacre was not their volition. I consider that British might be the middle of those civil wars. The government of Sierra Leone couldn’t bridge the Rich and Poor which mainly caused by force of Britain about house taxes. By that the government started to be corrupt. According that, opposing forces raised revolts. I think child soldiers’ lunacy had been managed and operated by someone. They might still be in civil wars with trauma. The pain of child soldier had well-expressed in the movie called Ezra and the book called A Long Way Gone.
The thing that had apparently changed was their traditional values. Christianity brought infinite respect for human despite of suppression. If different origins including tribes, slaves, captives didn’t respect each other, it was impossible for past Sierra Leone to be closer to an united country even thought that was only a moment.
On the other hand, there is still tradition existing for 200 years in Sierra Leone.
This video was taken last year in Sierra Leone.
Can tradition be an extreme violence? There is still a tradition which is too primeval and imprudent. Do good Christians still think that this ceremony as a beautiful and fine custom that accorded with the Bible? Physical pain and aftereffect are extremely strong. It can be a way to be infected for example, HIV, tetanus, shock, retention of urine, and so on. Now some of you might think how dare a foreigner is speaking about historical ceremony of Africa.
Before accepting as a tradition, we are human. And the rights of being a human are extremely disregarded. Some minor people in Sierra Leone started to realize the magnitude of that tradition. The movie called Desert Flower shows the savagery and depravity of Female Genital Cutting sharply through the life of model.
There are some special reasons that I chose Sierra Leone with my project. When I first saw the movie Blood Diamonds, it tugged at my heartstrings with heartbroken stories. While I was working on this project, I found out that the Sierra Leone just started having a bud. No one knows how a bud is going to bloom. I chose this country, feeling their endless latent-power as if a bud can always bloom. The thing that they became a real - democratic country in 2007. Things are changeable by their generations who can foresee values of modern people. The last reason why I was fascinated by Sierra Leone was that I was highly willing to share how the colorful history and the country stimulate me. Their passion for wishing to be an independent country can help you to achieve self-realization. How satisfying your life is.
Compared to other developed countries in Africa, Sierra Leone just became a larva. They still have to develop from a larva into an imago. That might be an assignment that international society had given to them. There is limitation for global citizens to save them. On that senses, I always cheer soaring fly of butterflies.
Ja itanna ti ontan- pluck a flower
ti otutu to si dara- that is shiny and fresh; one that is beautiful
ma duro dojo ola- don't wait till tomorrow
akoko sure tete- time is running out
No comments:
Post a Comment
Your comments can be vitamins to sunshine