The night was humid and there was whispers of people talking with their glasses clasping. Seated there talking were two westerners. I walked in the bar and ordered for a drink and because of my curiosity, I asked this two white people if I could join their table and they willingly accepted.
One of them introduced me to the conversation they were having. 'We are discussing about the environment' he said, and I thought to myself, 'who in this country is thinking about how to man his environment? People here are more bothered about how and where to get the next meal and not their environment'!
These two people are journalists from Germany. One of them reports about environmental issues and he has had the opportunity to travel round the world covering news that has to do with the environment.
Our conversation was building around global issues and how it affects Africa and the response of Africans in matters that concerns them. Africa has been portrayed as a continent that is severely poor and people hardly go in clothes as been reported in media organization of the West, and therefore global spotlight is on Africa and other 'third world countries' (I hate to use this term!).
A lot of humanitarian organizations are pouring in billionS of dollars to pull Africa out of this quagmire called poverty. But the irony I find is that, why is the West describing Africa and Africans as poor and yet, their destination for investment is Africa? Every year, billions of dollars come to Africa in the name of humanitarian aid and yet another billions come in as investments from the West.
Anyways, back to me and 'friends'. The topic of our discussion change to the issue of homosexuality with Uganda as a case in point. Some African countries practice democracy as the system of government. The doctrine of a democratic state is minority right and majority rule. The majority have a greater say when it comes to making decision(s) but the minority who in contrary of any decision, are not forced to accept the decision(s) of the majority because their right is well protected.
Uganda sometime ago have legislate their laws and for someone to be a homosexual is Uganda is highly illegal. One of my new friends told me of an experience he had while aboard a plane to Uganda. He said while in the plane, he saw a lot of Americans flying into Uganda and he asked one of them, 'what is taking you to Uganda? Do you have something to do at the Makerere University?' The person said no but they are rather flying into Uganda to influence the Christian community in Uganda to say no to homosexuality because it is against the Christian believe. My friend told me he was totally dumb founded at this.
The Christians aboard this plane are going to a country to put pressure on the citizens of that country to oppressed their fellow countrymen. This is because the laws of the US does not allow them to oppress anybody with their beliefs.
The government of Uganda at that point were pressured by the West to allow gay men and women go about freely express their sexuality. But the same West on the other hand came to pressure Uganda not to implement that law. There was pressure on both sides.
I find it totally confusing if the West really want Africa to develop! Because on the one hand, they clothe us and on the other hand, the strip us naked. Isn't that double-standard?
I personally believe that a people can only develop when they decide to, not when someone 'helps' them to develop. It is left for Africans to decide if they want to develop as a people or always wait, cup in hand at the door step of someone--the West?
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