the "i am african" campaign

[seckle]

what's your feeling on this? personally, it makes me a bit queezy. i know their aim is to be controversial, but at the end of the day are people going to donate more money if gwenyth paltrow got tribal paint on her face?

this is a powderkeg topic right now amongst some of my friends at work. the street posters for this campaign are massive here, so you can't really avoid it.
http://watersquarestudio.com/i_am_african/

[spaceboy]

The Chinese will do more for Africa than any Westerner.

Africa is becoming stupidly important now because of the desire for commodities from other emerging markets. The Asian beast is alive and kicking people.

I think its great awareness this campaign, but highly pretentious. Don't get me started...

[seckle]

The Chinese will do more for Africa than any Westerner.

Africa is becoming stupidly important now because of the desire for commodities from other emerging markets. The Asian beast is alive and kicking people.

I think its great awareness this campaign, but highly pretentious. Don't get me started...

seen.

there's not much debate that "we", ie the western rich countries must help resolve the aids crisis. i just thing there are better ways to present it, than movies stars and tribal paint. it makes it a fashion thing, like suddenly it's cool to support the aids issue. immediate bad taste in the mouth.

the only one that's worked imo, in terms of the big global initiatives, is the www.one.org campaign. simple and to the point.

[spaceboy]

Aids crisis is simple to resolve. Lower the price of drugs. Roche and all your Western drug firms have forcibly tried to keep prices high...whereas its been the Indian pharma's like Cipla who've actually completely cut their prices for the purposes of saving human beings.

How do you expect a poor person to pay for such high costing drugs, in terms of price and quantity?

[seckle]

Aids crisis is simple to resolve. Lower the price of drugs. Roche and all your Western drug firms have forcibly tried to keep prices high...whereas its been the Indian pharma's like Cipla who've actually completely cut their prices for the purposes of saving human beings.

How do you expect a poor person to pay for such high costing drugs, in terms of price and quantity?

great point. the big problem is that here in america, the pharmy companies want to keep us medicated, as well as paying top dollar for the results. there's a pill for everything you can think of...

[luke.envoy]

its saying we're all from the same place and africa needs our help which is cool whats the controversy about

people need actors backing charity to make them look which is a shame but i dont have any problems with the campaign

[seckle]

its saying we're all from the same place and africa needs our help which is cool whats the controversy about

people need actors backing charity to make them look which is a shame but i dont have any problems with the campaign

it's too close to home for a lot of african-americans. there's the 400 years of slavery issue, there's the "trendy" issue, there's the fact that many african-americans here feel that the only time people care about africa is when people are getting their arms hacked off( hutu/tutsi) or when bono is on cnn.
on top of that, you add the issue of New Orleans. Many americans feel that we take care of the whole world's problems, but when there's a crisis in america, we can't help americans.

So many issues...right now. Sensitivities every way you look..

[luke.envoy]

its saying we're all from the same place and africa needs our help which is cool whats the controversy about

people need actors backing charity to make them look which is a shame but i dont have any problems with the campaign

it's too close to home for a lot of african-americans. there's the 400 years of slavery issue, there's the "trendy" issue, there's the fact that many african-americans here feel that the only time people care about africa is when people are getting their arms hacked off( hutu/tutsi) or when bono is on cnn.
on top of that, you add the issue of New Orleans. Many americans feel that we take care of the whole world's problems, but when there's a crisis in america, we can't help americans.

So many issues...right now. Sensitivities every way you look..

seen, i hear u on that

anyways, talkin of controversy heres 10 reasons why HIV isnt the cause of AIDS
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?doc ... 10+a.i.d.s

[Jubz]

1. Can't help but be cynical with all those celebrity faces flashing at me, selfish stnuc. How about donating a shit load of money you useless dickheads, rather than plastering your faces everywhere?

2. Charity begins at home.

[rickyricardo]

there's a pill for everything you can think of...

bah...who cares about AIDs? Give me my 6-hour erection pill, plz

[rickyricardo]

seriously though...we are all *literally* African. We certainly don't need some tribal make-up job to point that out. Just pick up a damn anthropology book.

[spaceboy]

if we're all from the same place - why is there so much fighting?

The positive thing about China is that they are flooding Africa with cheap goods in return and building up industry/commerce...yes Africa will get raped for its commodities and the leaders of African nations will pocket alot of the profit...but thats the case in any 3rd world place...gradually it will get going like Asia....

[joseph-j]

It depends which way you come at the advert from. A lot of people will only look at an ad if it looks as "fashionable" as that. All they're trying to do is tap into a market.

[Jubz]

if we're all from the same place - why is there so much fighting?

The positive thing about China is that they are flooding Africa with cheap goods

The effect of this is to stunt local industry and development and also means African countries will rely heavily on China for goods. How is this good?

[djshiva]

i have to point out that some of the controversy comes from the perception that this ad brings to mind white/european colonialism and cultural appropriation.

yes, i see what they were TRYING to say, but unfortunately the history of our planet still invades even the best intentioned efforts to create a feeling of "oneness". historically, that "oneness" referred to white culture's overwhelming "hands in the cookie jar" of other cultures, whether stealing their resources, their bodies for labor, or indoctrinating the "savages" with western religion. it's hard to shake that history, especially when the savagery and brutality of it is still so pervasive in people's minds (and yet still, in their realities).

more on this later. at work... but at least wanted to drop that point to ponder.

a few great books to reference here:

fiction:
beloved by toni morrison
the poisonwood bible by barbara kingsolver

nonfiction:
the wretched of the earth by frantz fanon

[seckle]

yes, i see what they were TRYING to say, but unfortunately the history of our planet still invades even the best intentioned efforts to create a feeling of "oneness". historically, that "oneness" referred to white culture's overwhelming "hands in the cookie jar" of other cultures, whether stealing their resources, their bodies for labor, or indoctrinating the "savages" with western religion. it's hard to shake that history, especially when the savagery and brutality of it is still so pervasive in people's minds (and yet still, in their realities).

Interesting points. It brings up some of the further thoughts I had on this. If we're all african, which is the pitch of the ad and it's intention to provoke a response, then what do you say to people that don't want to be african, but afro-american? There's a segment of black america that feels the disconnect, and doesn't want the association. then there's also the francophone-africans ( french speaking africa), that don't want the west's help at all. they want africa to solve it's own problems, because of the "hand in the cookie jar" experience and the fact that the map of africa has been carved up by the colonists dozens of times.

it's that age old chestnut; cultural ownership. Just because you've got multi-cultural savvy, doesn't give you a passport to be a tourist in the problemsolving. Malcolm X used to say "You can help us, but you can't join us". So many perspectives, and issues.

nonfiction:
the wretched of the earth by frantz fanon

fanon is heavy.

[spaceboy]

if we're all from the same place - why is there so much fighting?

The positive thing about China is that they are flooding Africa with cheap goods

The effect of this is to stunt local industry and development and also means African countries will rely heavily on China for goods. How is this good?

If there's no development of any really capacity within Africa itself - only mainly in SOuth Africa, then its a good thing to have a foreign, emerging and high growth empire come and kick start the process. Local industry will eventually be able to tap into alot more liquidity and be able to borrow - to create alot more, than it can presently. What i'm saying is, there will be an economy created which is far more palpable then the one now.
The issue is, as is in my country India, corruption. Followed by bad infrastructure.

Anyway this is all boring...whats the latest boom dubstep riddim?

[shonky]

Interesting topic, nice to see some good thoughts coming through.

If anyone does want to help out, get a standing order with Help the Aged, as they're doing international projects for families in Africa. Where the middle generation has been wiped out by AIDS, many children are now being looked after by their grandparents, who in turn need looking after. Even if it's just a fiver a month or so, it's only the price of a couple of beers (if that) so you can do some good there.

I personally feel massively pissed off with rich folks telling me I should donate so that they can have their Princess Diana moment. Bono's quite happily switched state to reduce his tax "burden" and the fucker probably blows my entire years wages on one night's stage show.

Most of these fucks could sort out Africa's problems if they just gave up coke for a week and donated that - tossers

[metalboxproducts]

Most of these fucks could sort out Africa's problems if they just gave up coke for a week and donated that - tossers

[vertigo]

If you really want to help people in Africa, go to

http://www.savedarfur.org

and send a mail to pressure the sick people that governs this world to do something about the genocide.