#apertheid

But today I want to bring forth an important issue. Not many of your are aware but there's an ongoing genocide within Palestine since Israelis took over control forcibly after the holocaust of the jews.

After which many jews were left displaced and seeked refuge in Palestine, a place they call, their promised land. I understand that it must have been a promised. But what's the point of killing so many innocent children and bombing their houses. The Palestinians have been living among Muslims, jews and Christians for a long time.

After rejecting the partion plan. What gives them the right to reject the Palestinians right to live, to displace and the basic human rights.

This so called clash has been ongoing for several decades. And Israel has massacred several generations of Palestinians, displaced and have the Israeli settlers illegally steal the homes of the Palestinians, why do they have to do that?

During the current war. Wherein several airstrikes were hit on both sides. More than 200 Palestinians dead and 1000s children injured as opposed to the casualties faced by the Israelis thanks to the iron Dome. It's like beating up a dog and hiding behind a strong shield. Is this fair?

Now finally under international pressure. Israel had "committed" to ceasefire. Again they attacked the innocent Muslims just within hours of the Friday sermon in Masjid Al Aqsa. Is this fair?

Americans really have a problem about learning from errors past, don't they? Not just their own (and they have so many race-related mistakes to learn from in their history) but those of the rest of the world too. Those in power just refuse to learn from example and willingly choose to look ignorant and bigoted to the rest of the world just so they can keep their precious hierarchy of power.

Do you think the USA is the greatest country? Do you think you look powerful? Do you think the rest of the world respects your government? Do you think your media is seen is a reputable source of information? 

Short answer- No.

The USA is powerful, advanced and influential and cannot be ignored but in no way is the rest of the world answering yes to any the above questions. Most US politicians are a joke to the rest of the world and yet they are the ones in power and poorly representing the true opinions of their people (and no, I'm not talking about the President, I'm talking about the government as a whole). 

You think Americans are free? Most Europeans are appalled by how horribly brainwashed, manipulated, and repressed the American people are and yet the citizens themselves can't see it and are grateful for the freedom to do whatever they are allowed to get away with on a personal level while neglecting the real big issues.

And when it comes to Ferguson...

The privileged know there's a problem, they know they are wrong, but they would rather ignore it and keep reaping their benefits and when the kettle finally boils over it will be with blood and they will call themselves the victims of a 'violent uneducated people' and neglect to point out that they were the ones to make those people violent and 'uneducated' in the first place by discriminating and denying basic human rights, justice and respect.

Based on other historical instances, the current Ferguson matter can go three ways now:

1) Darren Wilson shows up murdered and the black community is bashed for being savages by some while being hailed for making justice by others, either way things get even messier and more violent when DW supporters and racist organizations decide to strike back and the black community takes a horrible beating, both socially and literally speaking.

2)This keeps blowing out of proportion until either Darren Wilson goes to jail or a civil uprising begins to grow all over the country and turn violent and destructive, for better or for worse.

3) Darren Wilson goes free and the after a while the whole story gets hushed, the black community grows too tired to protest and it all gets swept under the rug, just waiting for the next big injustice to hash it up as precedent and build further resentment that may or may not make a difference in the overall state of society.

Either way it's a gigantic risk but the justice system and the DW supporters are willing to take it, not because they have a personal interest in 'saving' Darren Wilson but because the issue has grown out of proportion and it's no longer a matter of whether or not some mid-class cop goes to jail for his crime, now it's a matter of which race can benefit from the publicity and which one gets it's his reputation stained further. It stopped being about Darren Wilson and Mike Brown a long time ago, now it's about race, privilege and corruption in the justice system.

The worst part is that nothing will change unless people band together regardless of race and take combined action against the root of the problem and that isn't likely to happen since, socially speaking, everyone still grows up being surreptitiously taught to stereotype and not to mingle.

Even if it does happen it could mean violence and civil war and whether it does or not, even if peace, justice and social equality are achieved in theory, in practice it will take many years of mutual resentment, fear and hatred for the country to heal, it will take new generations being born to change everything much like it did (still does) in South Africa after the fall of the Apartheid.

And then in the end it will be just like in SA- the rich will still be rich, the privileged will still be privileged, crime rates and economic disparity will soar but the hierarchy will return and all you can hope for is that the government and policies have changed enough to make a difference in the long run and that the people will remember to respect and not underestimate each other again.

And don't think this is about being a statistical minority, my friends. In South Africa, the 'whites' were the minority by a landslide and even after the Apartheid ended and a black government took over, do you think white people lost anything?

No, they might have lost their rule and they might have lost power in theory but in practice their lives lost no benefits and stayed the same, minus the enormous fear of being targeted for crimes in retaliation of repression and suffering their kind used to inflict on the black race, retaliation that is blamed on the 'blacks being the poor violent sort with no social morality', a stereotype that they forced upon the colored people with the way the white government (not necessarily the overall community) treated them and for which they don't want to take the blame. The only real change was that the white people gave black people a chance to gain the same comforts as them and a chance to rule themselves and maybe even become corrupt as well because equality doesn't just apply to the good things but, in the end, money is money and privilege is privilege no matter what color you are. 

This doesn't mean things didn't change for the better, it just means that the generation that imposed the change doesn't really see improvement on a personal level, the saw difference but they also saw fear and hate, the ones who will see the real change for the better are their children and their children's children who now are able to be born with a clean slate in a different social environment, an environment in which they are encouraged to get along and work together on the same terms regardless of race, those children will be the ones to see the potential of changed world without the hate, they will be ones to make their world better until something different pops up to be hated (gay rights, anyone?).

So, if Ferguson leads the people to want to change, if you are part of that change, if you want to see an America where your race doesn't determine your worth or gets you killed by the cops- don't be fooled by the fear and hate, don't be fooled when they tell you you are making things worse, don't believe the media when they tell you that X race is prone to this or that.

Most importantly, you don't need violence to change, you can do it peacefully, you don't have to punch a cop, you don't need a coup d'etat, you just need to shame the corrupt, change the world until any racist alternative is considered abhorrent and wrong by everyone and not just those who suffer for it, if justice is fair then make damn well sure they know that the people as a whole do not forgive them even if a jury does.

Remember that you are fighting for difference, you might not see much improvement but so long as there is difference pointing in the right direction then you have done well for the sake and safety of your children and to avoid a repetition of past errors.

Après un vol sans pépins en A380, nous arrivons à Jo'burg à 9h50 heure locale (ce n’est pas compliqué, c’est la même que chez nous!), température au sol 21°, tout va bien ! Après les formalités d’usage, dont la caméra infrarouge pour repérer les malades, nous voici arrivés dans le hall de l’aéroport. Mika en musique de fond, le dépaysement ce n’est pas encore ça ! Après avoir retiré un peu d’argent et nous être équipés d’un portable, nous contactons les volontaires Fidesco avec qui nous avons rendez-vous. Nous convenons donc de rejoindre Jakub à une station de Gautrain (mot-valise, contraction de Gauteng et train), système de train reliant Pretoria, Johannesburg et l’aéroport dont les premiers tronçons datent d’avant la coupe du monde et les derniers de moins d’un an. C’est un peu cher (250 rand, soit environ 25 euros), mais le trajet s’avère rapide et confortable malgré nos bagages (chacun 3 sacs, avec du matériel pas toujours léger) ! Nous retrouvons Jakub à la station Rosebank. C’est dans une des voitures de l’université qu’il nous amène au St. Augustine College, et le trajet est le théâtre de premiers échanges. Jakub est polonais et a passé une partie de ses études à Angers, il a malheureusement un peu perdu sa maîtrise de notre langue depuis !

A peine arrivés, nous sommes conduits vers le « cottage » de l’université,studio adjacent aux bâtiments, avec deux lits, une salle de bain, et de très jolis rideaux. Le parfait QG pour faire les montages et récupérer. Nous avons de la chance, celui-ci a été libéré peu de temps avant notre arrivée et est dédié aux amis « overseas ». Après un rapide déjeuner dans la cantine, nous rencontrons Dennis, autre volontaire Fidesco sur place. Peintre au service de l'université, il s'occupe aussi de la maintenance. Très sympathique et accueillant, il nous guide pour une première visite des lieux et quelques courses... Un peu vannés par le voyage, nous dînons avec lui et partons pour une bonne nuit de 11h !

Samedi matin, breakfast à l’extérieur avec Dennis et Jakub, puis notre première interview : Dennis, dans le parc de Saint Augustine.Il nous apprend entre autre qu'il est volontaire depuis trois ans. Hollandais aux multiples talents, il est dans l'action et s'engage sans compter... Mais vous en découvrirez un peu plus dans le premier reportage (coming soon)! Une fois l'interview terminée, nous retrouvons Jakub pour aller manger chez Nontando, d'origine Zimbabwéenne et enseignante comme Jakub à l’université. Elle nous invite très gentiment pour déjeuner et le repas fut passionnant (culinairement parlant aussi...). Elle partage avec nous ses histoires sud-africaines et nous l'écoutons les oreilles "écarquillées"... Elle nous raconte notamment la fin de l'apartheid, et son aide à la mise en place "épique" du premier système de vote pour tous en Afrique du sud : depuis l'encre indélébile sur l'index et les photos des candidats sur les bulletins de vote au chef zoulou refusant que sa femme puisse voter différemment, les histoires sont nombreuses et passionnantes. Le vin Cape Townien se marie d'ailleurs fort bien avec notre saucisson, et nous discutons du programme du lendemain. Nontando nous propose de nous guider à travers Soweto en matinée, puis de "visiter" le centre-ville de Johannesburg. 

  Départ à 8h donc pour Soweto le dimanche avec nos trois amis de la veille, après une rapide lecture de guide sur l’apartheid et sur ce township, au réveil ! Il n’y a aucun doute, c’est différent du quartier de l’université qui se trouve dans une banlieue calme. A Soweto, on trouve tous types de maisons (dont celles appelées matchbox). Le développement de cette banlieue historique est récent et rapide, et certains quartiers sont aujourd'hui entièrement rénovés . Il est toutefois encore conseillé d’être accompagné par une personne noire pour venir à Soweto pour éviter les désagréments. Notre reconnaissance envers Nontando est exponentielle... Après la messe dans  l’église Regina Mundi, qui a servi d’abri à de nombreuses personnes durant la révolte, nous nous rendons dans le quartier de Nelson Mandela pour tribuler de façon plus pédestre. Le quartier est animé et les rencontres cocasses : l’ancienne voisine de Mandela pour Guilhem, de jeunes rappeurs du township pour Thomas. Les habitants de la rue nous parlent de Mandela avec passion, et sont peut-être les seuls terriens à avoir eu pour voisins deux prix Nobel de la paix... (Nelson et Desmond Tutu).

Nous passons l’après-midi à Johannesburg (en zoulou Egoli : la ville de l’or) assister à une pièce de théâtre sur l’apartheid. La pièce est très intéressante : Une petite salle intimiste dans l’ancien marché aux fruits et légumes de la ville, avec uniquement deux acteurs sur scène. Tous les textes ne sont pas en anglais et les blagues en zoulou font rire le reste de la salle, mais leur énergie est communicative et même si on ne comprend pas toutes les références, on rigole beaucoup et le message passe ! Johannesburg est la troisième ville d’Afrique en terme de population, et il y a beaucoup d’activité, même le dimanche. Johannesburg nous apparaît comme une ville en ébullition. Les gratte-ciels modernes côtoient de nombreux bâtiments désaffectés, et les taxis-bus jouent à Fast & Furious. Encore une fois, Nontando nous accompagne pour une rapide déambulation dans le centre-ville.