Burundi — Ethnic Supplies

Immigrants are not welcome here- part 1

Immigration is back in the news again well what with the general election announced here in the UK. In Saturday’s edition of BBC Radio 4′s Any Answers several people called in to give their views on the matter and Monday’s Woman’s Hour looked at the issue of what is home.

The topic of immigration tends to evoke certain emotions amongst people , some do not want to discuss it all because for fear of being branded racists, some put forward reasoned arguments for and against immigration whilst others persistently call for immigrants to go home, “they are taking our jobs” is another cry that we hear so often.

They were two points raised in both programmes that caught my attention

Immigrants are not welcome here- WOMAN’S HOUR
if the unfairness that exists in the world such as better trade agreements were resolved there would be no need for people to come to the UK as economic immigrants.

I will discuss point one here and point two in tomorrow’s blog

Zrinka Bola one of the guests on yesterday’s Woman’s hour made an interesting observation ” the UK is not unique in it’s attitudes towards immigrants and wherever you go you will find similar attitudes, immigrants are never welcomed”

This got me thinking about some examples of what she was talking about, remember the riots in South Africa in which several Zimbabweans died? Everyone in South African knew how bad the situation was for folk in Zimbabwe, but some in South African could not find in themselves to welcome them with open hands

I was further reminded of a conversation I once had with a shop assistant in Kampala in Uganda. I had to have a traditional dress made at short notice so I could go to an engagement ceremony and whilst I waited, the sales assistant, asked me when and where the ceremony was and I told her in two days.

Why then are you sourcing your dress this late in the day?

I don’t live here and I didn’t know about the event until a few days ago, I replied

You sound like you live in England is that right, Yes it is I replied

I really feel sorry for the natives of the UK, she said

I asked why

Oh, the whole world wants to go and live in the UK, they can’t have that much land
to accommodate everyone, she continued

She then went on to say,

take Uganda (UG) for instance, in the recent years we have had had all sorts of people turn up here, Somalis, Sudanese, Nigerians, Rwandese, people from Congo and Burindi, and then more came with the troubles in Kenya. What are we going to do with all those people, they are never going home now are they?If we don’t like, I can’t imagine how the people in the UK feel about all sort of people trying to get into their country.

I am very chatty but must confess to being lost for words at this.

Another BBC Radio 4 programme gives an interesting insight about the Brits abroad and especially looks at what happened after Hong Kong was handed back to the Chinese. The presenter at some point asks whether the Brits are bad at being immigrants!

The questions is what should an immigrant at the receiving end of violence and or hatred do?

In tomorrow’s thread I will explore the extent to which second point (if the unfairness that exists in the world such as better trade agreements were resolved there would be no need for people to come to the UK as economic immigrants) might be true or not

In the mean time if you have a point of view please share it

Africa can be a key economic player

That is according to David Lane speaking at the Pittsburg G-20 . He reasons that Africa has over 1 billion producers and consumers of services of goods. He calls for G20 to make Africa part of the solution to ending poverty in Africa and further more that the next G20 meeting should be held in Africa.

I must say that I agree with him on all accounts.

Yes he is right in the first instance that Africa has an awful lot of consumers and suppliers. Africa is also the producer of some of the high end/value products in the world such as diamonds, gold, petrol, coffee, cocoa etc but these products are merely extracted and taken to consumers elsewhere, and when returned the African’s almost always can’t afford them, and those that can often have to travel millions of millions to be able to consume these products. Does any of this make sense to you?

The next point – the next G20 meeting should be held in Africa and the campaign has started and if you agree please add your name here.

Africa is almost always part of the agenda at these summits with leaders of the richest countries in world pledging more help for the continent, however these meetings are never held in Africa, unlike the COMMONWEALTH HEAD OF STATES

I can imagine that a lot of money is spent at these meetings, imagine therefore what such a meeting would do for the economy of a small central African country, like Rwanda, Burundi or Uganda, unless of course the organisers of such a meeting opted to fly in everything that would be used, including food service staff etc. But even then, there would inevitably be a trickle down of sorts.

The economic benefits aside, if you have a matter to resolve with someone isn’t it best that you go to them and do this face to face. Some of the points that come out these meetings regarding Africa are , MAKE AFRICA LEADERS MORE ACCOUNTABLE, END CORRUPTION, IMPROVE GOVERNANCE, and so on and so forth, but if the leaders of Africa only ever here this on TV and radio, wouldn’t they be forgiven for thinking it has nothing to do with them, a sort of hearsay, Afterall would you take anyone seriously who talked about you behind your back? The natural reaction is one of IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY TO ME,,,,,,

Obama and Clinton have led the way to going to the leaders of Africa and given them some tough love and I do hope that the G20 will follow in their footsteps. They are currently discussing how to lift the world out of the recession but surely the recession is worse amongst the bottom billion of Africa.

Can the G20 ever see Africa as a key economic player and not a basket case that needs hand out? Is this indeed the solution to Africa’s ending poverty? Can a whole continent be lifted out of poverty by AID? Of course not treating Africa as an economic partner, a consumer and supplier of goods would go along way to resolving te poverty. food shortages etc experienced by its people.

If you have a view either way, I would like to hear from you as usual