I have watched Africa for a number of years and the post-colonial heritage. I now see issues of justice come into focus for me in the Zimbabwe situation. Formerly Rhodesia and a formerly white dominated country, things are different but not necessarily for the better. I don't fully understand how Mugabe's Zanu-PF party has seized power but the country is now ruled by Africans, which is Just? But was this really justice - I'm reminded of Alistair McIntyre's question - Whose justice?
The former white-owned farms are producing just 10% of the food they did a decade ago and long-established communal farmers, who used to grow the bulk of Zimbabwe's maize supply, are now growing about 25% of former production. The Guardian July 21 2008It looks like famine is coming with the failure of the recent maize harvest without sufficient seed stock to replant and the hyper-inflation means people cannot buy food. Food aid has been blocked with the accusation of further colonialism. According to UN statistics a third of the population is chronically undernourished already. When will this reach the global news headlines? I remember the Ethiopian famine, which prompted the mega event LIVE AID 1985. I remember the images on the news of starved children. But this is the 2000s, and somehow we're in danger of being all compassioned out. Images don't touch us the same way, because they've been over used to get our money. Is there a real danger that we have lost our ability to feel, to be truly touched by other people's situations?
Somehow I think key is not merely the theoretical which I'm good at. But is still good to be informed otherwise we'd miss news about Zimbabwe. But more importantly to recognize what media and life as a whole can do to us. It can edit, forget, or exhaust us to name a few possibilities. Compassion is passion together and therefore feeling together i.e. an empathic response. To hear the other person in pain rather than to be deaf to it, is the right move. Remember Zimbabwe and perhaps notice the volume of your organic waste from your kitchen.
There's a world outside your window, and it's a world of dread and fear ... Where the only water flowing is the bitter sting of tears' Band Aid Do they know its Christmas?
