Written by Beorn Nijenhuis
Dutch speed skater
With a wink and a wave my parents have flown to Rwanda. After a harrowing 24 hour marathon spent in four airports crisscrossing the continents of Europe and Africa they have arrived in Kigali. From all my mother was able to tell me during my short phone conversation with her, their first impression was Rwanda is nothing like what they had expected. Yes, the heavy enveloping tropical heat was a given, but otherwise it's been one pleasant surprise after another.
Of course, the immediate and unassailable observation is that, for the next six months, they will be the almond chips in Africa's bowl of chocolate ice-cream. Standing out as they do in crowds, they are inevitably pointed out and called after with the title Muzungu, which stands simultaneously for white and wealthy. So far, my Muzungu parents have delighted in the vibrant colorful clothing flashing all around that crowded canvas of black faces. One might expect a vibrant cacophony of sound to accompany the color, however they report that, besides an amazing concert of morning bird song, Kigali is strikingly quiet. Even with a whole airport full of newly arrived passengers, the halls whispered with a rustling silence. One wonders if this subdued atmosphere, so uncommon in the drumming, dancing and pulsing African culture, is a stillness born in the wake of genocide. Maybe somehow the wild terror of the recent mass-murder is answered now in an overdose of calm civility that, sometimes, verges on the downcast. It isn't difficult to imagine, when you remember that the Hutu and Tutsi must now coexist in peace beside each other, even when unpunished and untried rapists and murderers live within meters of their former victims’ families. The willpower needed to maintain self-control in such circumstances is amazing, and a little stoic silence is the least you can allow them. In any case, this stillness is not the only way that Rwanda has chosen the path of iron discipline and reform in the face of former chaos. The city of Kigali is cleaner and better organized than it has ever been, or my parents could have ever hoped for. Yes, there are a few forsaken patches where the new infrastructure has not yet touched the place, but those are more like tumors of poverty on an otherwise healthy body. Whether they are malignant and spreading, or malign growths receding in the face of progress, my parents are not yet sure. Whatever the general prognosis, there are many glimmers of hope for this burgeoning African country and its surprisingly clean capital. The president of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, who fashions himself as somewhat of an enlightened despot, has implemented some very interesting policies that some western cultures may think about emulating. As my parents have discovered, Rwanda is plastic-bag free. All people must provide their own bags when shopping, and they must all be biodegradable. The plague of polyethylene bags, that are normally a staple food for many growing garbage heaps all over the world, are banned in Rwanda. And why not? The amount of energy, pollution and environmental havoc that superfluous plastic causes our world is immense. We may fall back on the excuse that we in the West have learned to recycle our plastic, but like carbon credits, it seems to be more about buying peace of mind than buying a solution. The CO2 produced by the power plants that feed recycling factories may destroy our planet far more quickly than landfills full of Wall Mart bags. Much better to get rid of the entire concept of plastic bags to begin with, and that is exactly what this plucky little country has done. Many question the political approach of Paul Kagame. Everyone knows Africa has had its fair share of corrupt, despotic, tyrannical and downright nasty leaders. There is, however, something to be said for a strong and steady force of leadership at the helm of a country still reeling from such an incredible explosion of bloody violence. Especially if that leader is democratically elected. From what my parents have so far been able to report, Kigali is a pleasant surprise in far more ways than a disappointment, however as avid readers of the classics, including Conrad's Heart of Darkness and (for this article more pertinent) Lord of the Flies, they will withhold judgment on whether they believe these new glimmers of hope spell a definite sea change in the cultural mind of Rwanda. It remains a fascinating question for all of us; whether "the dark root of the scream", that so recently rallied a people to engage in such a brutal massacre, can ever be washed away along with the dirt in the newly cleaned streets of Kigali.
Of course, the immediate and unassailable observation is that, for the next six months, they will be the almond chips in Africa's bowl of chocolate ice-cream. Standing out as they do in crowds, they are inevitably pointed out and called after with the title Muzungu, which stands simultaneously for white and wealthy. So far, my Muzungu parents have delighted in the vibrant colorful clothing flashing all around that crowded canvas of black faces.
One might expect a vibrant cacophony of sound to accompany the color, however they report that, besides an amazing concert of morning bird song, Kigali is strikingly quiet. Even with a whole airport full of newly arrived passengers, the halls whispered with a rustling silence. One wonders if this subdued atmosphere, so uncommon in the drumming, dancing and pulsing African culture, is a stillness born in the wake of genocide. Maybe somehow the wild terror of the recent mass-murder is answered now in an overdose of calm civility that, sometimes, verges on the downcast. It isn't difficult to imagine, when you remember that the Hutu and Tutsi must now coexist in peace beside each other, even when unpunished and untried rapists and murderers live within meters of their former victims’ families. The willpower needed to maintain self-control in such circumstances is amazing, and a little stoic silence is the least you can allow them. In any case, this stillness is not the only way that Rwanda has chosen the path of iron discipline and reform in the face of former chaos. The city of Kigali is cleaner and better organized than it has ever been, or my parents could have ever hoped for. Yes, there are a few forsaken patches where the new infrastructure has not yet touched the place, but those are more like tumors of poverty on an otherwise healthy body. Whether they are malignant and spreading, or malign growths receding in the face of progress, my parents are not yet sure. Whatever the general prognosis, there are many glimmers of hope for this burgeoning African country and its surprisingly clean capital. The president of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, who fashions himself as somewhat of an enlightened despot, has implemented some very interesting policies that some western cultures may think about emulating. As my parents have discovered, Rwanda is plastic-bag free. All people must provide their own bags when shopping, and they must all be biodegradable. The plague of polyethylene bags, that are normally a staple food for many growing garbage heaps all over the world, are banned in Rwanda. And why not? The amount of energy, pollution and environmental havoc that superfluous plastic causes our world is immense. We may fall back on the excuse that we in the West have learned to recycle our plastic, but like carbon credits, it seems to be more about buying peace of mind than buying a solution. The CO2 produced by the power plants that feed recycling factories may destroy our planet far more quickly than landfills full of Wall Mart bags. Much better to get rid of the entire concept of plastic bags to begin with, and that is exactly what this plucky little country has done. Many question the political approach of Paul Kagame. Everyone knows Africa has had its fair share of corrupt, despotic, tyrannical and downright nasty leaders. There is, however, something to be said for a strong and steady force of leadership at the helm of a country still reeling from such an incredible explosion of bloody violence. Especially if that leader is democratically elected. From what my parents have so far been able to report, Kigali is a pleasant surprise in far more ways than a disappointment, however as avid readers of the classics, including Conrad's Heart of Darkness and (for this article more pertinent) Lord of the Flies, they will withhold judgment on whether they believe these new glimmers of hope spell a definite sea change in the cultural mind of Rwanda. It remains a fascinating question for all of us; whether "the dark root of the scream", that so recently rallied a people to engage in such a brutal massacre, can ever be washed away along with the dirt in the newly cleaned streets of Kigali.
One might expect a vibrant cacophony of sound to accompany the color, however they report that, besides an amazing concert of morning bird song, Kigali is strikingly quiet. Even with a whole airport full of newly arrived passengers, the halls whispered with a rustling silence. One wonders if this subdued atmosphere, so uncommon in the drumming, dancing and pulsing African culture, is a stillness born in the wake of genocide. Maybe somehow the wild terror of the recent mass-murder is answered now in an overdose of calm civility that, sometimes, verges on the downcast. It isn't difficult to imagine, when you remember that the Hutu and Tutsi must now coexist in peace beside each other, even when unpunished and untried rapists and murderers live within meters of their former victims’ families. The willpower needed to maintain self-control in such circumstances is amazing, and a little stoic silence is the least you can allow them.
In any case, this stillness is not the only way that Rwanda has chosen the path of iron discipline and reform in the face of former chaos. The city of Kigali is cleaner and better organized than it has ever been, or my parents could have ever hoped for. Yes, there are a few forsaken patches where the new infrastructure has not yet touched the place, but those are more like tumors of poverty on an otherwise healthy body. Whether they are malignant and spreading, or malign growths receding in the face of progress, my parents are not yet sure. Whatever the general prognosis, there are many glimmers of hope for this burgeoning African country and its surprisingly clean capital. The president of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, who fashions himself as somewhat of an enlightened despot, has implemented some very interesting policies that some western cultures may think about emulating. As my parents have discovered, Rwanda is plastic-bag free. All people must provide their own bags when shopping, and they must all be biodegradable. The plague of polyethylene bags, that are normally a staple food for many growing garbage heaps all over the world, are banned in Rwanda. And why not? The amount of energy, pollution and environmental havoc that superfluous plastic causes our world is immense. We may fall back on the excuse that we in the West have learned to recycle our plastic, but like carbon credits, it seems to be more about buying peace of mind than buying a solution. The CO2 produced by the power plants that feed recycling factories may destroy our planet far more quickly than landfills full of Wall Mart bags. Much better to get rid of the entire concept of plastic bags to begin with, and that is exactly what this plucky little country has done. Many question the political approach of Paul Kagame. Everyone knows Africa has had its fair share of corrupt, despotic, tyrannical and downright nasty leaders. There is, however, something to be said for a strong and steady force of leadership at the helm of a country still reeling from such an incredible explosion of bloody violence. Especially if that leader is democratically elected. From what my parents have so far been able to report, Kigali is a pleasant surprise in far more ways than a disappointment, however as avid readers of the classics, including Conrad's Heart of Darkness and (for this article more pertinent) Lord of the Flies, they will withhold judgment on whether they believe these new glimmers of hope spell a definite sea change in the cultural mind of Rwanda. It remains a fascinating question for all of us; whether "the dark root of the scream", that so recently rallied a people to engage in such a brutal massacre, can ever be washed away along with the dirt in the newly cleaned streets of Kigali.
In any case, this stillness is not the only way that Rwanda has chosen the path of iron discipline and reform in the face of former chaos. The city of Kigali is cleaner and better organized than it has ever been, or my parents could have ever hoped for. Yes, there are a few forsaken patches where the new infrastructure has not yet touched the place, but those are more like tumors of poverty on an otherwise healthy body. Whether they are malignant and spreading, or malign growths receding in the face of progress, my parents are not yet sure.
Whatever the general prognosis, there are many glimmers of hope for this burgeoning African country and its surprisingly clean capital. The president of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, who fashions himself as somewhat of an enlightened despot, has implemented some very interesting policies that some western cultures may think about emulating. As my parents have discovered, Rwanda is plastic-bag free. All people must provide their own bags when shopping, and they must all be biodegradable. The plague of polyethylene bags, that are normally a staple food for many growing garbage heaps all over the world, are banned in Rwanda. And why not? The amount of energy, pollution and environmental havoc that superfluous plastic causes our world is immense. We may fall back on the excuse that we in the West have learned to recycle our plastic, but like carbon credits, it seems to be more about buying peace of mind than buying a solution. The CO2 produced by the power plants that feed recycling factories may destroy our planet far more quickly than landfills full of Wall Mart bags. Much better to get rid of the entire concept of plastic bags to begin with, and that is exactly what this plucky little country has done. Many question the political approach of Paul Kagame. Everyone knows Africa has had its fair share of corrupt, despotic, tyrannical and downright nasty leaders. There is, however, something to be said for a strong and steady force of leadership at the helm of a country still reeling from such an incredible explosion of bloody violence. Especially if that leader is democratically elected. From what my parents have so far been able to report, Kigali is a pleasant surprise in far more ways than a disappointment, however as avid readers of the classics, including Conrad's Heart of Darkness and (for this article more pertinent) Lord of the Flies, they will withhold judgment on whether they believe these new glimmers of hope spell a definite sea change in the cultural mind of Rwanda. It remains a fascinating question for all of us; whether "the dark root of the scream", that so recently rallied a people to engage in such a brutal massacre, can ever be washed away along with the dirt in the newly cleaned streets of Kigali.
Whatever the general prognosis, there are many glimmers of hope for this burgeoning African country and its surprisingly clean capital. The president of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, who fashions himself as somewhat of an enlightened despot, has implemented some very interesting policies that some western cultures may think about emulating. As my parents have discovered, Rwanda is plastic-bag free. All people must provide their own bags when shopping, and they must all be biodegradable. The plague of polyethylene bags, that are normally a staple food for many growing garbage heaps all over the world, are banned in Rwanda. And why not? The amount of energy, pollution and environmental havoc that superfluous plastic causes our world is immense. We may fall back on the excuse that we in the West have learned to recycle our plastic, but like carbon credits, it seems to be more about buying peace of mind than buying a solution. The CO2 produced by the power plants that feed recycling factories may destroy our planet far more quickly than landfills full of Wall Mart bags. Much better to get rid of the entire concept of plastic bags to begin with, and that is exactly what this plucky little country has done.
Many question the political approach of Paul Kagame. Everyone knows Africa has had its fair share of corrupt, despotic, tyrannical and downright nasty leaders. There is, however, something to be said for a strong and steady force of leadership at the helm of a country still reeling from such an incredible explosion of bloody violence. Especially if that leader is democratically elected. From what my parents have so far been able to report, Kigali is a pleasant surprise in far more ways than a disappointment, however as avid readers of the classics, including Conrad's Heart of Darkness and (for this article more pertinent) Lord of the Flies, they will withhold judgment on whether they believe these new glimmers of hope spell a definite sea change in the cultural mind of Rwanda. It remains a fascinating question for all of us; whether "the dark root of the scream", that so recently rallied a people to engage in such a brutal massacre, can ever be washed away along with the dirt in the newly cleaned streets of Kigali.
Many question the political approach of Paul Kagame. Everyone knows Africa has had its fair share of corrupt, despotic, tyrannical and downright nasty leaders. There is, however, something to be said for a strong and steady force of leadership at the helm of a country still reeling from such an incredible explosion of bloody violence. Especially if that leader is democratically elected.
From what my parents have so far been able to report, Kigali is a pleasant surprise in far more ways than a disappointment, however as avid readers of the classics, including Conrad's Heart of Darkness and (for this article more pertinent) Lord of the Flies, they will withhold judgment on whether they believe these new glimmers of hope spell a definite sea change in the cultural mind of Rwanda. It remains a fascinating question for all of us; whether "the dark root of the scream", that so recently rallied a people to engage in such a brutal massacre, can ever be washed away along with the dirt in the newly cleaned streets of Kigali.
I am not one for jumping to conclusions, but I suppose I have taken a couple of things for granted. Besides believers, I assumed that everyone thought witchcraft was a bad thing. But, the more I read, the more I am left with a nasty taste of tolerance in my mouth. So many hands seem to be reaching out from the rational western world to the supernatural side of the isle, to try and find a place for magic in society.
Let’s first get one thing straight, at its core our western world is not superstitious, but scientific. As one who began his reading career with The Hobbit and later The Lord of the Rings, and worked with savage speed through the far inferior but admittedly entertaining Harry Potter soap, I am not one to deny a little of what Christopher Hitchens calls "the numinous" in my life. But in our western society, these books are but the "trappings and the suits" of magic, and fit over a body that has reason and science flowing strongly through its veins. This is not serious magic, and in our society, that has its feet firmly planted on the shoulders of Locke, Hume, Voltaire and Jefferson, this is not a problem.
None of the foundational institutions of western society are intrinsically poisoned by the supernatural. Our public schools are not Madrassas, our healthcare system is not goaded by alternative medicine, our courts reject witchcraft and our governments are not religious dictatorships. And yet in this supposedly rational society 73 percent of young people profess belief in witchcraft or paranormal activity of some kind. How do we manage such a feat of schizophrenia? We believe that the supernatural is all around us, but that it never influences anything foundational in our life. Agriculture, biology and medicine all used to be dominated by the supernatural, but today we take it for granted that a farmer in need of water will install an irrigation system, instead of dawning a rain-dancing costume and going out to jump around in some field somewhere. The supernatural has been pushed back from these areas of human endeavor, but there are still many where it holds its ground fiercely. In those ghettos of ignorance, with their thick walls of tolerance and fear to protect them, hysteria reigns. Charlatans and hucksters abound there to make their millions with improvable claims and fake promises. Outside of these ghettos though, rationality keeps our planes flying and our fevers low. In the western world we keep our penchants for the supernatural safe and secluded, free from scrutiny, or the possibility of ruining the world.
It speaks to the arrogance of the West that we believe that all countries are cafeteria spiritualists like us, picking and choosing what they like, but ignoring anything that might cause society grief. The truth is that there are still many cultures that define themselves almost completely in supernatural terms. In these countries, where magic goes far deeper then a daily horoscope, supernatural belief can be hugely destructive.
So often we fail to see the danger for what it really is. When we look at the sorry Aboriginals of Papua New Guinea, who stand entranced upon the tops of mountains waiting for their god to finally come down and bless them, we say “Oh how culturally enriching.” These people have no contact with the western world and believe that the 12 o'clock cargo flight from Sydney to Bangkok is a god. They erect make-shift landing strips and wooden effigies of planes to attract the Cargo God. Just imagine the waste of human resources and energy that this obvious misunderstanding has caused these poor people. And what is the multiculturalists’ ethic when faced with this theological embarrassment? Not to interfere, but instead to let them practice their religion and above all respect and tolerate it. What an arrogant and elitist approach this is. These people, who under other circumstances are equally capable of joining the international community, are left in abject intellectual poverty in order to please our twisted goals of cultural relativism.
In the same vein of tolerance-gone-wrong, we all do our best to respect and tolerate the deeply held traditions of African witchcraft. Here again we try to find a silver lining to this dark cloud. The truth of the matter is that they are equally great wastes of time. Although witchcraft has more subscribers than the Cargo Cult, both beliefs are equally silly. There are no love potions and there are no elixirs that improve virility just like there is no silver god of cargo flying overhead. But instead of trying to fight for more reason and rationality amongst all this hocus-pocus, we find ourselves trying to incorporate all this "richness of religious diversity" into our lives.
How can we? How can we make such a monumental error of judgment? I am not talking about the unfortunate but harmless example of the New Guinean Cargo Cult tribes. This is not about a simple waste of time and energy. I'm talking about 15.000 innocent Nigerian children slaughtered because we want to uphold the myth that one can believe in abjectly false and irrational things and not suffer the consequences. A society cannot believe in witches and not kill innocent people for the crime of witchcraft. In Nigeria’s case it was innocent children. How can we allow a government to sanction irrational myths, when it puts the people of that country at such infinite risk?
Zimbabwe recently relinquished its ban on witchcraft. It's a fitting symbol. In the collapsing scenery of a once prosperous country, the last and most horrible thing to collapse is a country’s relationship with reason. When that goes, we open the floodgates of hell. The horror of heretics being burned at the stake, witches drown in rivers, children being led to slaughter by their own parents; this is the horror of a society governed by magic.
Compared to the new hell being created in Zimbabwe, our problems with superstition seem small. But with government policies regarding stem cell research still the victim of Christian superstitions, and Armageddon paranoia getting serious attention from the White House, we must admit that much work is still ahead of us. But still, we must focus on the progress that we have made. Let’s celebrate this progress. It's time for a little more pride in the accomplishments of science and reason in the last 200 years.
One of my favorite futurists Michiu Kaku reflected on a question he is often asked: "What has science done for me lately?" Listing advancements in every field and every form of human infrastructure he went on to answer the question in one unequivocal word: "Everything."
This is a culture worth exporting. This is also a philosophy that is worthy to replace the backward, violent and useless cult of magic and superstition that reigns supreme in so much of African culture. Instead of practicing respectful tolerance for such pernicious and destructive superstitions, we should be doing all we can do to rout it out. The people deserve this. All African nations, held entranced by the terror and ignorance of superstition, need to be shaken free.
Shaken, as I would have shaken Isaac Newton every time he picked up those old alchemy books. Yes, even the smartest man in history was a victim of his own little compartmentalization of crazy superstitions. Who knows, had I gotten through to him, maybe the island of human knowledge in this ocean of ignorance would be a little bigger. At least it would have saved him a lot of wasted time. As it stands, there are plenty of other people who need a shake, so let's get shaking.
For a video on witchcraft in Africa, click here.
The sheer momentum behind the freight train of suffering that is roaring across the continent of Africa is absolutely breathtaking. When faced with so many different reincarnations of Hell, it's understandable that we might throw our hands up in despair and surrender. But we can't do this. Whether it is the child armies in Liberia, genocide in Darfur, cholera in Zimbabwe, AIDS over the entire continent and, if that wasn't enough, the new explosion of bloody violence in the Congo, whether we focus on any one of these nightmares directly, or we stand prostrate before the general hell of it all, one thing does not change: we have to do something.
For thousands of years the western world lived under the yoke of monarchical dictators, before the enlightenment philosophies of individual freedom set us free. This tradition of freedom, loosed upon the world by the minds of Voltaire and Locke and later the inspiration for the creation of the first modern democracy, must be infused into the common consciousness of Africa. In short, Africa needs a new enlightenment. There needs to be a disbanding of old ethnic and familial loyalties and an introduction of new systems of values. The entrenched and coveted ways of thinking have to be smashed through, but for this to happen, the people of Africa must be empowered with one thing and one thing alone: knowledge.
This is why my parents’ decision to spend six months teaching the youth of Rwanda will prove to be the most powerful gift they have ever made to our world. The chance they have to change that country by inspiring its youngest members may eclipse any other strategy to improve Africa's future, even when compared to Bill Gates’ billions.
So far, one intellectual and philosophical revolution has succeeded in Africa. This was a religious one. The missionary work of Christian churches ranging from Evangelical Christians to Mormons has succeeded, with their tax-free millions, to evangelize great tracts of the continent. Countries like Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi are all majority Christian nations. And yet, regardless of this spiritual revolution in Africa, little has changed. Although many church funded programs do positive things in Africa, they could be causing more evil than good.
Bishops, and other even higher ranking Catholic officials, are suspected of being involved in the genocide that slaughtered countless Tutsis at the hands of machete wielding Hutu murderers. Partly, the Hutus justified their superiority on religious grounds. Human Rights Watch has done multiple studies on this; for more information read Christopher Hitchens’ book God is Not Great. In Nigeria a horrible mutant form of Christianity born of a mix of the bible and older animist traditions has lead to the mass torture and murder of tens of thousands of innocent children by none other than their own loved ones. These children’s crime: witchcraft. Children as young as three years old are thrown over camp fires to burn or sliced and butchered with machetes by those who are supposed to protect them. This may seem impossibly violent and cruel, but anything is possible as long as one believes. And all this under the flag of ‘our gentle Jesus meek and mild.’
It seems then, that a philosophical intervention is just as dubious and destructive as any other strategy the West has entertained in reforming Africa. Does this mean a revolution in thinking has been tried and revealed as a dead end?
No.
What does one expect to happen when one bases a social and philosophical revolution on a book written 2000 years ago in the barbarous Middle East by desert dwelling Jews who, among other things, forbid eating shellfish and condone stoning your wife and owning slaves? The bible is, by no stretch of the imagination, the best book to base a philosophical and social revolution on. Until the enlightenment has been given equal face time to evangelize Africa with the ideals of Voltaire, Rousseau, Kant, Locke, Jefferson and many more, I believe we have not yet seen an Africa that has been given a fair chance to reinvent itself in the image of an enlightened state. We've exported food, we've exported money, we've exported guns and we've exported religion to Africa. Now it's time to export ideas, and not just any ideas, but the ideas that are the bedrock of the greatest accomplishments of mankind.
I know my dad won't be able to fly with all the books he might wish to bring to the students of Rwanda. Luckily he has a laptop... and hopefully they will be sufficiently entranced by what he can show them with it, that they won't try to steal it, while they learn.
Photo credits: DESGphoto/Lars Hagen
