Images of Africa

[Katzndogz]

The United Nations and the personnel working for the United Nations in Africa look at their job as a way to get money. It has become self perpetuating. The more unrest there is, the more money they make. The suffering people are tools of enrichment. If the countries of Africa DID thrive, the UN participation would be unnecessary. Therefore it is to the benefit of UN workers to maintain war and starvation as a way of job security.

 

[Saigon]

The United Nations and the personnel working for the United Nations in Africa look at their job as a way to get money. It has become self perpetuating. The more unrest there is, the more money they make. The suffering people are tools of enrichment. If the countries of Africa DID thrive, the UN participation would be unnecessary. Therefore it is to the benefit of UN workers to maintain war and starvation as a way of job security.

None of the ones I have met and worked with fit that description.

I agree that the system of aid can be self-perpetuating, which is one reason I am not a big proponent of aid. But in general the people are dedicated and professional.

It might interest you to note that several African countries - including Rwanda and Liberia - also want to end aid.

And yes, Rwanda is thriving. Kigali is booming - you should go and see for yourself. It is all gleaming new buildings, new businesses, new ideas. It helps that the government is massively popular, but it also shows that the ordinary people have really knuckled down to hard work and brought their society back from the dead.

 

[Artevelde]

The United Nations and the personnel working for the United Nations in Africa look at their job as a way to get money. It has become self perpetuating. The more unrest there is, the more money they make. The suffering people are tools of enrichment. If the countries of Africa DID thrive, the UN participation would be unnecessary. Therefore it is to the benefit of UN workers to maintain war and starvation as a way of job security.

None of the ones I have met and worked with fit that description.

I agree that the system of aid can be self-perpetuating, which is one reason I am not a big proponent of aid. But in general the people are dedicated and professional.

It my interest you to note that several African countries - including Rwanda - also want to end aid.

And yes, Rwanda is thriving. Kigali is booming - you should go and see for yourself.

It's a dictatorship where dissent is ruthlessly suppressed.

But saigon has already demonstrated before that he/she is a total fraud, also when it comes to Rwanda.

 

[Katzndogz]

We just have a different definition of thriving, that's all.

 

[eots]

Away from the poverty and starvation we often see on our TV screens, Africa can be stunningly beautiful, and it always saddens me we don't see more of that side of the continent.

It is poor, it can be dangerous, but it is also a continent of immense diversity (and 51 countries), hope, life and generosity.

I have been lucky enough to travel the continent widely, and particularly to spend time far out in the wilds around the wildlife. Click on the images to see them full size.

Here are a few of my favourite pictues of the continent, from Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Rwanda, DR Congo and Botswana.

Climbing Mt Nyiragongo, DR Congo, and the worlds largest lava lake







Rwanda mountain gorillas:




Namibia, Botswana and South Africa's Kruger.

My brother is on a three month motorcycle trip across Africa on his BMW right now..

 

[Katzndogz]

Away from the poverty and starvation we often see on our TV screens, Africa can be stunningly beautiful, and it always saddens me we don't see more of that side of the continent.

It is poor, it can be dangerous, but it is also a continent of immense diversity (and 51 countries), hope, life and generosity.

I have been lucky enough to travel the continent widely, and particularly to spend time far out in the wilds around the wildlife. Click on the images to see them full size.

Here are a few of my favourite pictues of the continent, from Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Rwanda, DR Congo and Botswana.

Climbing Mt Nyiragongo, DR Congo, and the worlds largest lava lake







Rwanda mountain gorillas:




Namibia, Botswana and South Africa's Kruger.

My brother is on a three month motorcycle trip across Africa on his BMW right now..

I hope he'll be okay! Africa is notoiously unstable.

I work with a UN attorney still involved in prosecuting Rwandan war criminals. He said that all across Africa are women walking with their children trying to find some kind of safe haven. He sent me numerous pictures of these wandering women. I did a painting of a woman with her children. It will be going into the Toyota Art Museum in October. I have a series of paintings that I did of Africa. I do hope you will post any interesting photographs.

 

[Unkotare]

How about you? When were you in Africa? Where, and for how long?

 

[Saigon]

My brother is on a three month motorcycle trip across Africa on his BMW right now..

Fantastic - that has to be the way to see the place....getting right out in the countryside.


Katz -

Thriving is relative. When I say Rwanda is thriving, I do mean by local standards, not by Switzerland's.

But at the same time - it really is not at all what you think, and if you went there, you'd be stunned. I doubt your vision of Africa involves sipping latte outside perfect cafes or mirror glass towers or great museums...but Africa is all that too.

 

[Katzndogz]

My brother is on a three month motorcycle trip across Africa on his BMW right now..

Fantastic - that has to be the way to see the place....getting right out in the countryside.


Katz -

Thriving is relative. When I say Rwanda is thriving, I do mean by local standards, not by Switzerland's.

But at the same time - it really is not at all what you think, and if you went there, you'd be stunned. I doubt your vision of Africa involves sipping latte outside perfect cafes or mirror glass towers or great museums...but Africa is all that too.

Getting murdered and raped by the Congolese is thriving by Rwandan standards?

Well, you could be right!

 

[Saigon]

Getting murdered and raped by the Congolese is thriving by Rwandan standards?

Well, you could be right!

I am right - and that is absolutely not at all what life in Rwanda is about.

If you find a myth fits more comfortably into your preconceptions of Africa - go with that, but don't think for a second that it has anything to do with reality.

 

[Jos]

I lived and worked in Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, South Africa and Namibia.
What an education that was

 

[eots]

Away from the poverty and starvation we often see on our TV screens, Africa can be stunningly beautiful, and it always saddens me we don't see more of that side of the continent.

It is poor, it can be dangerous, but it is also a continent of immense diversity (and 51 countries), hope, life and generosity.

I have been lucky enough to travel the continent widely, and particularly to spend time far out in the wilds around the wildlife. Click on the images to see them full size.

Here are a few of my favourite pictues of the continent, from Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Rwanda, DR Congo and Botswana.

Climbing Mt Nyiragongo, DR Congo, and the worlds largest lava lake







Rwanda mountain gorillas:




Namibia, Botswana and South Africa's Kruger.

My brother is on a three month motorcycle trip across Africa on his BMW right now..

I hope he'll be okay! Africa is notoiously unstable.

I work with a UN attorney still involved in prosecuting Rwandan war criminals. He said that all across Africa are women walking with their children trying to find some kind of safe haven. He sent me numerous pictures of these wandering women. I did a painting of a woman with her children. It will be going into the Toyota Art Museum in October. I have a series of paintings that I did of Africa. I do hope you will post any interesting photographs.

they travel in a small group and have a van with medical and mechanical support that follows behind and an armed security escort on some parts of the trip

 

[Artevelde]

Getting murdered and raped by the Congolese is thriving by Rwandan standards?

Well, you could be right!

I am right - and that is absolutely not at all what life in Rwanda is about.

If you find a myth fits more comfortably into your preconceptions of Africa - go with that, but don't think for a second that it has anything to do with reality.

It must be great in your parallel universe.

 

[Saigon]

they travel in a small group and have a van with medical and mechanical support that follows behind and an armed security escort on some parts of the trip

Wow...that does sound amazing!

I did know a guy who cycled Cairo to Cape Town that sounded a bit like that. Fairly arduous stuff, but certainly a once in a lifetime experience.

 

[ScienceRocks]

 

[Katzndogz]

Africa is a huge continent. I'm sure that there are pockets of sanity without war. Even in Rwanda. My colleague has lived in African off and on for six years and has never come under fire.

 

[Saigon]

Africa is a huge continent. I'm sure that there are pockets of sanity without war. Even in Rwanda. My colleague has lived in African off and on for six years and has never come under fire.

I'd say "especially in Rwanda". It really is one of the safest and most rapidly developing countries on the continent.

I have seen some devastating poverty in Africa, and I've seen some awful sites and some dangerous places, so I don't want to sound like I think they don't exist; but in a way that is what we know from TV. What we don't know from TV is how much of the continent is now achieving a reasonable level of lower middle class life.

I've never come under fire (in Africa) either.

 

[Katzndogz]

Africa is a huge continent. I'm sure that there are pockets of sanity without war. Even in Rwanda. My colleague has lived in African off and on for six years and has never come under fire.

I'd say "especially in Rwanda". It really is one of the safest and most rapidly developing countries on the continent.

I have seen some devastating poverty in Africa, and I've seen some awful sites and some dangerous places, so I don't want to sound like I think they don't exist; but in a way that is what we know from TV. What we don't know from TV is how much of the continent is now achieving a reasonable level of lower middle class life.

I've never come under fire (in Africa) either.

Perhaps peace can be achieved with the murders of millions of people!

Or at least for awhile!

DRC warns of more fighting with Rwanda | News24


New York - The Democratic Republic of Congo warned on Wednesday that the presence of Rwandan fighters in an anti-government mutiny could unleash new hostilities between the neighbours.

DR Congo Foreign Minister Raymond Tshibanda said in a letter to the UN Security Council that evidence of Rwandan involvement meant the crisis in the east of his country was "evolving dangerously toward a rupture of the peace" between the two.

Even when some little corner of Africa becomes peaceful, it seems to never last for long. War, famine, desperation makes a lot of money for "leaders" who use sympathy for the plight of the citizens as a way to enrich themselves. These are black leaders who have proven themselves no better than the worst of corrupt white despots.

 

[Saigon]

Katnz -

If there is more fighting in the Kivus, that fighting will take place not in Rwanda, but in the Kivus. The relationhip between DRC and Rwanda is tense, and is likely to remain so for a while, but at least both countries are functioning democracies, and are more stable than they have been for 50 years.

Perhaps peace can be achieved with the murders of millions of people!

Please don't post things like that. This has been an adult conversation so far - let's keep it that way.

Even when some little corner of Africa becomes peaceful, it seems to never last for long.

Right - and when was the last time there was fighting in Botswana? Ghana? Senegal? Namibia? Tunisia?

I could list a lot more, as well.

 

[LAfrique]

Away from the poverty and starvation we often see on our TV screens, Africa can be stunningly beautiful, and it always saddens me we don't see more of that side of the continent.

It is poor, it can be dangerous, but it is also a continent of immense diversity (and 51 countries), hope, life and generosity.

I have been lucky enough to travel the continent widely, and particularly to spend time far out in the wilds around the wildlife. Click on the images to see them full size.

Here are a few of my favourite pictures of the continent, from Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Rwanda, DR Congo and Botswana.

Climbing Mt Nyiragongo, DR Congo, and the worlds largest lava lake







Rwanda mountain gorillas:




Namibia, Botswana and South Africa's Kruger.

What? Show the good or beautiful side of Africa and spoil the propaganda by "developed nations"? Got to be kidding!


By the way, love the images: Great shots. And wishing your brother happy travels!