Why do we know more about the world?
While reading Dr. Clarke’s column in this week’s Sunday vision (The Sunday Vision, 9th October, 2008) there were a couple of arguments that I found rather blemished – which is quite curious, considering that he is one of the most balanced columnists (and my favourite) that still remains in the Ugandan print media.
Firstly, Dr. Clarke opined that people in a sub-Saharan African country would have not voted a person of mixed race like Obama into office if he were to stand for presidency. To put it in his own words ‘chances are that he would not even have been considered’. While I don’t agree with his view, I found it interesting. For once, here is a white person living among black people insinuating that black people (the biggest victims of racism in Europe and America) may actually be the biggest racists living on planet earth. Whether he is correct or not, is another story which I am not ready to delve into without statistical data.
The second argument I found strange was when Dr. Clarke suggested that thinking that Africa is one country is ‘an easy mistake to make’. This is one of those statements that I don’t know how to react to – the kind that you don’t know if you should cry or laugh. If you are a frequent traveller to the western world you may probably have encountered those questions. I have had opportunity to travel and live in Europe and USA, but I must admit that I have been immensely amazed by the level of ignorance by the good citizens of these lands. Very few Americans (including those that are highly educated) and a modest number of Europeans know about Africa. . On my travels, I have been asked if Uganda is in the Caribbean and if we ride elephants to go to school. Recently when I told my friends that I was traveling back to Uganda, one of my English friends asked why I would consider going back to such a dangerous country with all the trouble going on, apparently in reference to the troubles in South Africa (during the peak of the xenophobic attacks).
On the contrary an average Ugandan who has about 5-8 years of formal education knows a lot more about Europe, US and the world at large. Why is this so? Could it be our education system and curriculum that with all due respect was created by the Europeans and thus made it imperative for us to learn about their cultures and geography or just our interest in their affairs. Whatever the case may be, I don’t agree with Dr. Ian Clarke that thinking that Africa is one country is an easy and thus an acceptable mistake to make especially for a person who was running to be Vice President of the USA – if there is any truth in that allegation. To me it is that condescending attitude that many people from Europe and the USA have towards Africa, its peoples and their affairs.
Firstly, Dr. Clarke opined that people in a sub-Saharan African country would have not voted a person of mixed race like Obama into office if he were to stand for presidency. To put it in his own words ‘chances are that he would not even have been considered’. While I don’t agree with his view, I found it interesting. For once, here is a white person living among black people insinuating that black people (the biggest victims of racism in Europe and America) may actually be the biggest racists living on planet earth. Whether he is correct or not, is another story which I am not ready to delve into without statistical data.
The second argument I found strange was when Dr. Clarke suggested that thinking that Africa is one country is ‘an easy mistake to make’. This is one of those statements that I don’t know how to react to – the kind that you don’t know if you should cry or laugh. If you are a frequent traveller to the western world you may probably have encountered those questions. I have had opportunity to travel and live in Europe and USA, but I must admit that I have been immensely amazed by the level of ignorance by the good citizens of these lands. Very few Americans (including those that are highly educated) and a modest number of Europeans know about Africa. . On my travels, I have been asked if Uganda is in the Caribbean and if we ride elephants to go to school. Recently when I told my friends that I was traveling back to Uganda, one of my English friends asked why I would consider going back to such a dangerous country with all the trouble going on, apparently in reference to the troubles in South Africa (during the peak of the xenophobic attacks).
On the contrary an average Ugandan who has about 5-8 years of formal education knows a lot more about Europe, US and the world at large. Why is this so? Could it be our education system and curriculum that with all due respect was created by the Europeans and thus made it imperative for us to learn about their cultures and geography or just our interest in their affairs. Whatever the case may be, I don’t agree with Dr. Ian Clarke that thinking that Africa is one country is an easy and thus an acceptable mistake to make especially for a person who was running to be Vice President of the USA – if there is any truth in that allegation. To me it is that condescending attitude that many people from Europe and the USA have towards Africa, its peoples and their affairs.
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