Renee: so whachadoin now?
3:22 PM me: working on text for a funding proposal. there's a former intern who wants to do a cycling trip from cairo to cape town to raise money and awareness about [the organization] and the plight of refugees in SA.
it's a really ambitious plan.
so i'm helping out with the actual proposal.
Renee: wow. sounds awesome
3:23 PM me: yea
Renee: so, was post-world cut violence not as bad as predicted?
me: it's a six-month trip, going through 9 countries.
Renee: on a bycicle?
yeesh
me: on a bicycle
yea
3:24 PM i was asking her what training she was going to do to prepare - since she plans on biking around 50 miles a day - and she said she's not really worried about training, she just assumes she'll adapt after the first week or two. eesh.
so there have been some sporadic flare ups of violence, around 100 people in the western cape were displaced. but there is a lot of tension, fear that something will still happen.
3:25 PM Renee: oh goodness
me: yea
Renee: has your organization been threatened at all?
3:26 PM me: right now the police presence is high, and the army are on high alert, so it seems that's the main reason nothing has happened, or nothing big anyway, but it's unlikely the police will stay out at their current levels, which means once the police leave, the frustration remains, and then something could happen, just a bit delayed.
3:27 PM not the organization. but some zimbabweans who work here are definitely worried, scared about their safety bc they live in the townships.
3:28 PM Renee: is there anything that can be done to ease that tension?
or are foreigners just leaving on their own?
what a horrible situation
me: a lot of zimbabweans have left to go back to zim, which says a lot about the situation in SA and zim.
Renee: no kidding
me: i think there is work that can ease the tension, but there's no short answer.
3:29 PM Renee: sure
me: bc the tension revolves around jobs, housing - things that take a long time to address.
Renee: right right
3:30 PM me: and there are low level ANC politicians, who are unable to deliver on those things that they promised, so they tell their constituents that it's the foreigners fault, not their own.
3:31 PM so a short-term solution is for high-level politicians to stand against xenophobia and make it clear to those low level politicians that promoting conflict will not stand.
Renee: so it's coming from the top?!
me: no, it's coming from the bottom
Renee: oh my goodness. what a mess
3:32 PM me: politicians are saying what they have to to get re-elected.
Renee: as is always the case
me: but if the top guys say to the bottom guys that they cannot promote conflict and expect to remain in office, then those at the bottom might change their tune. bc it's all about staying in power and staying in office.
3:34 PM it's a hot mess.
3:36 PM Renee: well it's a good thing they've got people on the ground like you trying to work on it!
me: haha, thanks
3:38 PM i'm impressed and thankful for the strong government and civil society response to the threats, BUT it's also too little, too late. it's a reactive, not proactive response to a continuous threat. this didn't come out of nowhere and it's not going away any time soon.
3:39 PM Renee: are there really efforts within the government to make long-term changes?
me: not that i can see.
3:40 PM THOUGH there is a piece of legislation coming up through parliament between now and september that make xenophobia a crime.
which i think is a really good step. it's like hate crime legislation - the intent of the crime is important.
Renee: that's a step
for sure
3:41 PM me: yea
3:42 PM and [the organization] is part of a 3ish-month campaign with three other ngos to collect 1 million signatures to stand against, racism, xenophobia, and hate... which is nice, but i'm skeptical about how much it'll change the real dynamic of south africans with their african brethren.
3:43 PM Renee: you have to start pushing for change somewhere
and let it be know that it's not accepted and it's not right
and whatever
me: right
haha
the whatever part is very important ;)
3:44 PM Renee: i didn't know how to end that
me: haha, neither do i. and it seems many here don't either, which is why the problem remains.
3:46 PM Renee: that country has been through so much in only a few years
hopefully they can figure it out
3:47 PM me: yea, they'll have to. and i think the pressure is really on after the successful hosting of the world cup.
3:49 PM Renee: very true
me: what an exciting time to be in south africa...
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