Joan Baxter (1)

For most people their vision of Africa is based on coverage of news events and television ads for orphaned children. This means Africa is seen as a continent of dictators stuffing their pockets, tribal wars and starving, sick children, not of individual countries, with a rich history, and citizens who work to develop their country in the best interests of its people.

Joan Baxter, a Canadian journalist, lived in Africa, in particular West Africa for over twenty years reporting for the BBC World Service, Associated Press, CBC as well as newspapers and other media. She shares how living in Africa opened her eyes not only to the injustices done to Africans but also to the strength and deep culture that has helped them overcome adversity.

In "Dust from our Eyes An unblinkered look at Africa" she looks at the impact western society has made on Africa as it has tried to reshape the continent in their image and at the same time strip it of gold, diamonds and other minerals, leaving behind poverty and an ecological disaster. The way they treat them as labs for growing genetically mortified crops, e.g., cotton. By using NGO's to work in favour of the west rather than Africa, in some cases setting up NGO's specifically for that purpose. How western governments support dictators, not for the benefits to the country, but for their own financial and military interests.

Dr. Asseto Samake of the University of Mali expresses it well:
“Africa is a place for experimenting. When you come to Africa you can do what you whatever you like, all you have to do is knock on the right door … the pressure [on African governments] is enormous, they [the foreign powers] play on our vulnerability, they sell us a situation and profit from the weakness of our states.”

You may not agree with everything Joan Baxter has to say but reading “Dust from our Eyes” should make you think more about the African continent and its fifty-four countries the next time you hear a news bulletin. Just for this I give it 5 stars.… (altro)