Self-Colonizing Progress
Just as well that the dreadful tradition of 18th and 19th Century imperialism is now a deplorably regretted thing of the past. When colonial powers occupied countries that were not able to adequately defend themselves, their citizens and their natural resources against the greedy acquisition of the wealthy, well-armed, militant countries of the 'advanced' world.Of course, at every opportunity, within the confines of the United Nations where the wealthy industrialized countries of the world are regarded as revolting abusers, and the former colonial countries demand reparations to soothe their heritage-soiled memories, this blot on the honour of developed countries is not allowed to pass into history's forgetfulness.
So what has now transpired, in the wake of all those apologies for past wrongs, and wealthy countries of the world agreeing to hand over portions of their treasury to assist developing countries? Why, not quite satisfied with the graft and corruption enabled them by accessing the wealth meant to measurably assist the poor within their midst, the ruling tyrants of African countries are welcoming the presence of foreign countries to take advantage of their natural resources.
In the process, a country like Ethiopia has taken to forcing its migratory populations - accustomed since pre-history to tribal moves with their animals from one wide, open geographic area to another, settling for the season, growing crops, harvesting them and moving on - to settle against their will in newly-formed towns.
Villages where social services are meant to be part of the daily lives of these former migratory tribes. Where health care, education, food aid and potable water, funded through international aid programs are supposed to be accessed. But where the tribal people may no longer be independently capable of looking after themselves, herding and growing their own food.
Times change. Or they revert to earlier times. But this is progress. People removed from the land, freeing up that land. Great, huge tracts of it. So it can be rented out at huge value to the government, to countries like China and Saudi Arabia or India, to enable them to send in their own farmers to grow crops for export to their own countries.
In Gambella, Ethiopia, where tens of thousands of the poorest people have been ousted from fertile land to make it available to Saudi and Indian investors, those people are herded into new villages. And oops, in many of them, the schools, clinics and clean water have been absent. But the 'villagization' program is proceeding apace, nonetheless.
An additional 2.4-million hectares has been leased to foreign companies, with plans to expand further to include another two million hectares. Ethiopia is merely one among a number of African countries that have found it useful to market their fertile land to overseas investors, from the Gulf, South Asia and the Far East.
Where those countries grow their own crops meant for export back to their own domestic markets. No one, claims the government of Ethiopia, has been forced to move. However, the scheme to villagize will eventually include 1.5-million Ethiopians. To improve their lives, giving them access to "social and economic services".
Human Rights Watch was informed in interviews with some of those tribal people that they were being moved under duress. "Our research found the process to be far from voluntary. It has been accompanied by widespread human rights violations, including forced displacement, arbitrary arrest, and detention, beatings, rape and other sexual violence."
That's progress.
Labels: Africa, Agriculture, China, India, Saudi Arabia
posted by Pieface @ Thursday, January 19, 2012
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