Faiza Jama Mohamed and Janet Nkubana were named co-laureates of the 2008 Africa Prize for Leadership for the Sustainable End of Hunger.

Last week I had the pleasure of watching live, these two magnificent women receive the Africa Prize, for their contribution to women’s rights and efforts at sustainability and an end to hunger.

One of these women empowered herself rising from a childhood of refugee camps and an unstable environment to return to her native home in Rwanda where empowered, she was dedicated to fighting hunger, poverty and hate. She reached out to the Hutu and Tootsi widows and help them see that behind the labels and pain they were all in need of the same things…love, hope, food, shelter and peaceful change. Together the troupe known as “Gahaya Links” -more than 4000 women- have utilized their basket weaving talent to bring sustainable change & micro-enterprising to a new level. BELIEVE ME…it’s a new level with commercialized CSR embracing the opportunity that neither these women nor the original sponsoring organization could foresee; their works can be purchased in the USA with proceeds going back into sustainability.

Our other equally talented recipient is a mover and shaker on women’s rights in Africa. This is no small task! To challenge not one system, but all systems in a region, to institute a effective declaration and protocol that recognizes women as contributors to change and to cease all criminal acts against them.

These women (2 and the 4000 plus behind them) have proven that sustainability comes from within and can be achieved with time, support & seed money from external donors/organizers who believe in them as much as they believe in themselves. Collaboration works and empowerment takes on a life of it’s own once the seed is sown.

So with all the efforts and arguments on ‘cures to global problems’… Globalhood IS RIGHT AND does have a point at the end of the day…THE seed sown through collaboration and empowerment (simultaneously) …yields a mighty damn forest…

I don’t know about you…but I see a forest planted by locals as far more effective in shielding from the rain storms than a few trees planted on untiled and unfertilized soil!!!

Nothing is new, but everything is recycled and improved. This is how I view the economic enhancements discussed on Changemakers.net. The article caught my attention because it speaks of ‘new’ initiatives that allow people that have been forced out of the economic system or just plain ‘broke’ to belong and utilize their skills and talents as systems of commerce. How could you not want to read that, it’s all about integration of social identity and economic opportunities within reach!!!

While I am highly in favour of the thoughts, processes and methods discussed, it is not entirely new, but a spin-off of bartering, and one that we would do well to re-invest in as a global community.

Marx informs us in many technical terms that ‘money’ is that which is most valued turned into commodity and weighed against the haves and have-nots. He among other economic and social theorist also informs us that we utilize our skills and unique qualities in trade for something that we need. Years after Marx, we have other sociologist and anthropologist which talk about the “KULA system”, which is similar (a modern day version with no boats) to what they are doing in Australia that this article is discussing and that the world is dubbing ‘new’.

The idea –Kula/new money/shells = how many points? that if I invest 25 hours sewing a wedding dress and I need beads for a rite-of-passage ceremony, and I’m financially ‘broke’, the wedding dress that I made can be exchanged in a giant market for the ‘right’ type of beads and maybe a few other commodities based on time/value of the dress. There is of course an understanding of mutual respect, quality of merchandise by ‘exoticness’ or carefully displayed skills, and allocated time commitment.

It is an honor system that the West pushed out of style, brought back in, and those who do not read too often see as ‘new’. Jump on the bandwagon, push for it in developing countries and communities, and embrace it, because it does in fact allow previously financially challenged individuals and groups to opt-in to the system (to a certain extent) and benefit; It does allow people to grow and live in the fullest sense according to their own learned skills or naturally talents. However, do not embrace it as a ‘cool new fad’, but DO GIVE IT and the News Reporters two thumbs and two feet up, y for keeping us informed of GREAT efforts in sustainability..

“Glad to see it’s back…it’s useful in development and is as sacred as traditional inter village marriages used to bring sustainability where one tribe lacks something another has need for”.

For more info, read Jared Diamond, Marx, Adam Kuper or any number of economic and social theorists in anthropology.

To read the article see: http://www.changemakers.net/node/12870

The article focuses on Burkina Faso, but the problem of people having sex too young and contracting HIV/AIDS is a world problem.  I was alarmed at a previous AMSA conference when the now retired senior officer reported on his findings that the rate of HIV was higher in China than Africa (so he said) but was unreported due to the language barrier and people living in the country-side and being ignored from assistance .  I was alarmed when I went to Jamaica to understand the reality of HIV, as I sat in a 22* year old woman’s house to find that she hides and cannot find work, because she has been verbally torn down and ostracised for having HIV, that was given to her by her long term boyfriend.   

The problem is the same in Africa!  But how do you solve a problem in which the roots are in gender roles and ideologies of what it means to be a woman?  Many women catch HIV because [as the HIV educators in Jamaica informed me and the article on Burkina Faso support] a woman is not seen as a woman without a man with whom she is sexually engaged, -that is the belief; it is an enforced social ideology (through taunting and ostracism) that the presence of a visible relationship makes a woman ‘whole’ and the sexual relations with the opposite sex creates a ‘man’.  There are many ways and versions of saying the same thing, but this is the premise that seems to be prevalent among “African” oriented cultures.  I say African cultures because I make it a point of only generalizing information that I have first hand knowledge of or witnesses myself.   

The problem with the latter issues is that solving it is bigger than health education and ARVs (which have become in the minds of some active engagers of sex ‘it’s like candy’ because education or no education, certain factors are not being addressed) because as long as a woman is not self empowered and the community is not educated to redefine the roles and ideologies of ‘woman-hood’ the woman will continue to compromise her wants and needs which only results in deterioration of life-hood for her and at the very least her children.  This lack of empowerment and the end results of the engagement ultimately affect the entire community, because we all know it really does take a village to raise a child.    How much more will be needed to raise a HIV child, who now faces an unemployed mother, discrimination, restrictions on marriage, lack of family support, restrictions on ability to work and fears about death?  So many domino effects are created by the one decision to have sex.  Why should this be the case?  Why should it be that the change from ‘girl to woman’, ‘boy to man’ is defined by this one action by the non-formally college educated masses (developing country or not)? 

The formal education changes the ideology and the majority can’t afford formal education; thus we go back to the sex equals ‘worthiness’ arguments verbally and mentally and stipulations of acceptance enforced by stigma and ostracism, leading people to compromise the health of others and themselves.    The end result of the unprotected, unwanted, misunderstood actions to gain acceptance and LOVE is either actions that ultimately can kill the ‘self’ (literally and allegorically), or kill another.

 “These young people want to have a normal sex life, which is reinforced by the fact that it is “practically inconceivable” to not have children in Africa, where “a couple who have been together two years without having a child are criticised,” said Martine Somda, president of Rêve +. “People say that the man must be impotent.”  (plusnews –click) The above is an extraction that provides insider knowledge on what I am speaking of when I say the actions to gain acceptance and LOVE.  If there was acceptance and strong self confidence wouldn’t have to worry about so many people ignoring the fear of death from HIV and placing more focus on the fear of being unloved or unaccepted, resulting in them having undesired, unwanted, unprotected sex.  There seems to be a lot of ‘uns’ and unnecessary compromises!  What that says to me is that someone would rather risk death to themselves and others than feel unwanted.  Thus, if this is the case the mental and emotional aspects of health education (not resolution) seem to be the ignored factor when addressing sex education, and how to combat feeling and social stigma.  It also seems that the social responsibility argument is being missing from many individuals choice to engage in social roles to meet their own needs.  In plain English… selflessness/selfishness of the choice behind having NOT ONLY HAVING SEX, but Unprotected, Unwanted, Unprepared for sex seems to be missing.  We all need a dose of humanitarian, social responsibility education behind the ‘freedom of expression, freedom of love, buy a condom advertisements’ or “be an adult and get your ‘party on’ ”. 

The situation regarding roles and ideologies mixed in with tradition, religion, elderly values and media influence is so complex and they have to be ‘attacked’ all at once to get any large scale positive change underway.  I don’t know about you, but the ‘fit in and be one of us’ is a bit creepy to me; it reminds me of a horror movie.  That’s what it’s like when I hear irrational arguments about ‘manhood’, ‘womanhood’ and how that relates to sex.  “come…join us…be one with us…”.  Wait!  Wasn’t that a line if the movie ‘THE LOST BOYS?” “Repeat that to yourself out loud and see how you feel.   

Back to the African Diaspora argument (from paragraph 1)…  In Jamaica, a woman without man is asked if she’s a lesbian.  If she does not have kids during her teens or 20’s the under-educated masses call her a ‘mule’.  The animal is used to translate a message since the culture speaks in symbols, analogies and allegorical messages.  For both Jamaica and Africa a man without a woman is inferred to be homosexual or impotent.   The only thing that this taunting and allegorical side bars, heard as whispers in school yards leads to [in those that have not had the benefit of being self empowered yet] is unprotected and (many times) unwanted sexual relations in search of self acceptance, love and some attention.   Why do we do this to each other? Why do we define a social identity and gender roles on things that limit the other entity from self empowerment and a brighter future!  Do we really self hate that much that we need to tear down another to feel good, or is it that we are so wrapped up in ideological ‘correctness’ and boxed concepts that we are sheep that follow the masses even when we question the ethics and morals of what we are engaged in! 

The following is a guest post by Ariel Rojas, President and Founder of Transdiaspora Network. 

Back in May 2007, when the idea to create Transdiaspora Network came to my dreams, it had all the elements of a big utopia. My daily interaction with HIV positive individuals (West Indians, Latinos, African-Americans) has given me a sense of urgency and has made me a witness to the effects of the HIV epidemic that pervade every aspect of family members’ lives – their emotional well-being, physical security, mental development and overall health. This helped me appreciate even more the importance of forging new alliances and strategies to better help under-served social groups and to promote good quality services.

As Transdiaspora Network’s founder, I got the primary vision to transform negative facts into positive outcomes [(–) x (–) = (+)] and I wanted to make our organization a good vehicle to bring more culturally meaningful solutions to the community on the HIV prevention topic. The Brooklyn-based Caribbean communities have three big challenges to tackle before it is too late. First, the

HIV infection rate among youth is getting astonishingly higher every year. Second, Caribbean-descendent youth are not engaged at large in HIV prevention activities within their own communities. Third, the youth population faces barriers to access culturally-oriented

solutions through the current biomedical and individualist approach on HIV prevention.

Transdiaspora Network is connected to the future because the youngest generation is holding those solutions we are looking for. Our main goal is not only to prevent HIV among at-risk Caribbean-descendent youth, but as social service professionals we also have the duty to be more innovative using the concepts of culture and tradition. We cannot do less than promote an inclusive environment in our approach.

If you want to foster the development of a distintive HIV prevention system, visit our website www.transdiasporanetwork.org and get enrolled as a volunteer. Don’t react, make a connection.