Tag: Travel

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Making charity count in Africa

Iman & Alicia Keys at Keep a Child Alive's Black BallTo give or not to give. That’s the question on everyone’s mind this holiday season. With the rise of media and celebrity interest in Africa this is the perfect time to answer that question. There are endless ways to put your money where your mouth (and hopefully your heart) is. From the RED campaign to the Bling is Dead project, and Keep a Child Alive’s “I am African” campaign there are endless ways to lend your support to organizations who are working to help African people. Whatever you think Africa’s major problem is there’s an organization that can point you to a place your holiday dollars can go to help.

With its multitude of problems there are more that enough issues to make African charity work a full time job. But as Jonathan at Cherryflava indicates the focus should be on wealth and opportunity, not just charity. One thing I give Bono credit for is finding creative ways to create a process where the money given makes it’s way to concrete empowerment projects. The way out of poverty is through opportunity not charity. For years and years the missing link in the “Help Africa” campaign has been in the regulation of where the money is going and how it is used. Finally the mentality is changing and consumers are not content to just give blindly anymore.

One thing I’ve learned from the blood diamonds controversy is the need to regulate how much African resources are exported. Implementing a production process which allows more of the profits to stay within the individual countries is a certain first step. There needs to be just as many organizations regulating the different industries as there are in making sure money is funneled to the continent. At this point even Africans have said that aid is not the answer. As the old saying goes, “Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he’ll eat forever.”
Leonardo DiCaprio in Africa

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Russell Simmons: Blood diamonds and responsibility

Russell SimmonsThe past year has been a roller-coaster ride for the African diamonds industry. Ever since word got out that Warner Bros was putting major star power behind its “Blood Diamonds” movie Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou, Jennifer Connelly) the topic has developed into something similar to a circus. It’s interesting to see what different groups of people have had to say about the issue which continues to overflow into seemingly unrelated industries.

The Daily News just published further information about hip-hop guru/mogul/phenomenon Russel Simmons’ pending DeBeers-funded fact-finding mission to Africa. His hope is to “teach Africans how to cut and polish diamonds on the continent, instead of taking the diamonds out….The diamond industry should be the leader of African empowerment”. As a business person myself, I have always been inspired by Mr. Simmons’ business sense and ability to stay grounded despite the entertainment industry he’s so deeply immersed in. But as I told the reporter from the Daily News yesterday, though I support Russell’s intent, I find it hard to believe he could be too successfull on a trip chaperoned by DeBeers. I have been wrong before though. When I read a preliminary script for the “Blood Diamonds” movies and joined a few others (you know who you are) to voice our concerns to Time Warner back in March, I was quite skeptical that a “hollywood” movie which is so rooted in one of the most horrific periods in African history could do the topic justice. Call me pessimistic, but I have Tears of the Sun as a reference. Since then I’ve worked with many individuals who have toiled tirelessly to double check and make sure Warner Bros. gets it right. But even I could not imagine the war that was soon to ensue. With Africa caught in the middle, the past 2-3 months has been a tug of war between those of us who support the movie and the big bad diamond dealers. After attending a private screening of the movie back in October and speaking to the director Ed Zwick, my concerns are gone and I am all for supporting the movie and lending my voice and hand in it’s success. Though I have a couple of issues with the movie, I think it does the topic justice and can be a good tool to mobilize the public.

Though, I continue to work hard to make sure that the controversy doesn’t overshadow the actual changes that continues to be made behind the scenes, I’m sometimes disheartened by the casualties of it all. For me a main casualty is the African societies, but another one might also be the global hip-hop community. As Clyde points out “the term bling generally refers to both flashy and high quality products separate from one’s class status, including jewelry bought for special occasions by folks that may have saved all year for their special gift for a loved one”. It’s hard to tell those who save their money to get expensive jewelryBling is Dead. Their lives are rooted in the bling culture which I and my partners are trying so desperately to derail. I’m of the belief that though hip-hop has spawned this bling culture, it has turned into something we don’t control but all the ills of it is still credited to us. Bling culture to me epitomizes ultimate consumerism without responsibility. Bling culture, at this point, is about ballin out of control”. It’s more that keeping up with the Joneses. It’s attaining the recognition without the work. When Cash Money Millionaires said “Bling! Bling!” it was a call to arms to many to indulge in excess without responsibility or purpose. What many who buy into the bling culture don’t realize is that the big cars and big jewels, they focus on is a figment of their imagination. The people they are trying to imitate are never impressed because they know the imbalance will always exist. So what if you can shop at Tiffany’s too, the real blingers send their assistants do that. The major missing link is that most people don’t realize that the money Puffy (sorry Diddy) throws around at parties is his company’s money, not his own. But it’s a well guarded secret, especially to those who are so far removed from the actual decision makers that they cannot grasp the concept of making sure you spend someone else’s money. So the bling culture continues with those who don’t have posing like they do. And us Africans are caught in the middle. Good luck Russell, I hope you find what you’re looking for.

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Madonna getting African child?

MadonnaA recent British newspaper, The People, announces that Madonna might be looking to adopt a child or twins from one of her favorite African countries, Malawi. First there were rumors of her adopting a whole village and now it’s back to a child or two. Whatever the “truth” is, it is certain that Madge -as the brits call her- has her sights set on the the small African country. But the question is is this yet another publicity stunt or are she and hubby Guy Ritchie serious about providing a child in need with the care necessary to build it’s future. Whatever we might say about them Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, they are turning into the poster parents for adoption and are making a good effort to provide what the each of their children needs. Even I was skeptical about the adoption of Ethiopian baby Zahara. But with Brad Pitt endorsing Carol’s daughter’s products as a good way to care for black hair in the October Esquire magazine, the couple seem sincere. If the Madonna adoption rumors are true maybe she’ll consult Brad and Angelina or maybe even an African couple.

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Senator Obama fashionable on Vogue cover

Senator Barak Obama on Men's VogueOprah Winfrey’s favorite politician,U.S. senator Barak Obama, is the new fashionable public figure to grace the cover of Men’s Vogue. Following previous cover stars, Tiger Woods and George Clooney, Senator Obama, whose name means ‘blessed’ in Swahili, at first thought seems an unlikely candidate for the cover of a fashion magazine. Since he was elected to the U.S. Senate from Illinois on Nov. 2, 2004 in the biggest landslide in state history and became the only African-American currently serving in the U.S. Senate, the fifth in U.S. history, Obama has continued to charm the American public. Senator Obama is currently using his star power to draw attention to Africa’s needs, on a 5-nation tour this week. He touched down in his fathers home, Kenya, yesterday, where he is seen as an inspiration for all Kenyans. Having visited Kenya a few years ago, Senator Obama, rediscovered his roots and made a commitment to the country. With others talking of him running for the U.S. presidency, Seneator Obama is certainly the right candidate to put Africa in the spotlight. To learn more about the Barak Obama’s connection with Africa, read his book, Dreams From My Father.

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Brangelina vacations there and so should you

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in NamibiaCelebrity couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have been getting everyone crazy about Namibia. Though I’m not one for celebrity hype, Brangelina (as they are called by the gossip wags) has definately set the country on path to popularity among the celebrity pack. But there are even more reasons to visit Namibia than even I realized. The editors at Conde-Nast Traveller magazine have published an inspiring article about some of the often overlooked travel destinations on the African continent including Namibia. Next time you’re going on vacation consider Gabon or Malawi and keep the noise to a minimum. Madonna might be in the next room.

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Creating an African film experience

Mahamat-Saleh Haroun directs Dry SeasonChadian filmmaker Mahamat-Saleh Haroun is dedicated to his craft. Like many African born filmmakers he is intent of furthering the African experience through film. Using his country, Chad, as a backdrop he is currently at work on another film that puts a face on the people who experience the challenges of living on the continent. A recent Washington Post article talks about the lengths to which he and his crew are going to make his movie Dry Season authentic. To some extent his filmmaking style is more documentary than entertainment. His previous films Bye Bye Africa and Abouna similarly put a face on the 30-year Chadian civil war.

Mr. Haroun is one of many filmmakers who are creating great films without the support or existence of a native filmmaking industry. Besides the virtual nonexistence of a film community and ongoing political repression, many African filmmakers also face the challenge of seeking funding abroad with “many international donors viewing the arts as a luxury in times of food shortages, health crises and other emergencies”. Fueled by their travels and a new access to resources not available in their countries, more and more Africans are using their artistic vision to tell stories of Africa as they have experienced it. Last November in New York City, I got a chance to see one of the movies cited in the Post article, Hip Hop Colony, sweep the H20 (Hip-Hop Odyssey) International Film Festival Odyssey awards, winning the Best Feature Documentary award and the Heineken Emerging Filmmaker Award. Along with Bling: Consequences and Repercussions, Hip Hop Colony was a highlight at the festival, bringing Africa-themed films to the forefront. South African film Tsotsi’s win (Best Foreign Language Film of the Year) at February’s Academy Awards has given African film a new life and with more structure they will stand a better chance of getting funding and distribution to the world.

“Africa has such a terrible image,” said Issa Traoré de Brahima, a filmmaker from Burkina Faso who was working on the Chadian film. “And at the same time, we have so many talented people with artists’ souls. We just wish they didn’t have to leave the continent to earn a living. But in some places that is slowly changing.”