I’m 
... on This post is not my announcement about switching to moderated comments, as I have long threatened to do when there’s too much name-calling using this web page as its forum.
It’s about Pernille, who used to live and blog in Uganda, and now does so in Tanzania. Louder than Swahili is her great blog documenting her daily life, work, and impressions of Tanzania. I’ve enjoyed reading about her life there as much as I did when she was in Arua.
But, I will no longer be able to do so. Pernille has announced that she’s taking a break from blogging for a bit:
The reason is that over the weekend I have been receiving comments, e-mails, text messages and a phone call telling me various things, which I am far from comfortable with. Someone even made a Facebook group with the aim of boycotting my blog.
Basic message is that I am not giving the right impression of Tanzania. That the image I display of Tanzania to the world is damaging Tanzania’s image. To me there simply is no right impression, but apparently there is, and I am not meeting these standards. I am highly aware that Africa is not just Africa, that Tanzania differs from other African countries and vice versa. I also know that the image of Tanzania in for instance European media often does not correspond with the one of the Tanzanians. But again 35 million Tanzanians do not make one idea, but many. I am an ex-pat, I blog from my perspective.
Every blogger gets their fair share of flack, but the higher your blog visibility, the more flack you take. And Pernille has a lot of readers. And apparently, not all of them are happy.
There are a lot of people who take issue with how expats represent Africa, regardless of any disclaimers each blogger may have about a blog representing only his or her views. In general, I think, there are a lot of people who are (rightly) angry about the havoc wrought by the West in Africa, and they tend to take out that disenfranchisement in the form of anonymous comments on blogs. (A statement for which I plan to take plenty of flack.)
Take for instance, this anonymous comment on my blog, on a post I wrote about ICT in Rwanda:
Reading that piece on Rwanda leads to me to deduce 4 things;
1. You have never been to Rwanda and are probably too lazy seated on your ass to do so
2. You didnt do any research of your own before blogging that piece
3. Whether you want it or not, your cynicism notwithstanding, Rwanda has come along way, we are going places, Singapore is not our ultimate by the way….we strive on uniqueness…obviously you are not yourself..otherwise you would have recognised such a trait….
4. you are a bored person and need to start living your life…..
I can respond to each point: I have been to Rwanda, I did do research, and I can’t really respond to “you are not yourself” since I don’t know what that means.
But it’s the last point that needs real attention: “You are a bored person and need to start living your life.” I’m not sure how Anonymous deduced that I am a bored person who doesn’t live my life from a post about ICT in Rwanda, but such has been deduced.
The problem with such anonymous comments is that they aren’t usually about the content of the post (as in the case of this ICT post), but instead about the entire Western venture into Africa.
I don’t think Anonymous is really that mad at me (though maybe he or she really just carries a lot of ire for plastic kid’s toys), but at the fact that I represent years of colonialism and imperialism. While there’s nothing I can do about the past, I am aware of its legacy.
My representation of Uganda is not necessarily the representation of Uganda that Ugandans want, anymore than Pernille managed to represent all of Tanzania. (She’s taking on 35 million while I only have 28 million to contend with.) I’d like to think that I do my best to represent people accurately, but I know I’m only doing “my best” and that isn’t always enough.
Rwanda may be getting more and more internet savvy, but I just got an email from my little cousin Adam the other day. He’s eight years old and he has his own email account. That makes him more computer literate than most adults in East Africa. This makes me sad. And points to the fact that you cannot ignore the divide between the developing world and the developed world.
Expats in Africa are one of the nearest and most tangible embodiment of that divide. I think it’s easy for people here to be mad at bloggers, like me or Pernille, when that’s not really the problem. Anger directed at my meager blog, or even Pernille’s more robust one, are just the surface manifestations of problems no blog can ever solve.
But it’s hard to remember that, when the angry comments are directed at you personally, rather than at a historical legacy or a global divide for which none of us is individually responsible, yet all are complicit.
Pernille, I will eagerly await your return to blogging.
(By the way, I spent longer composing this blog post than I do some assignments, just anticipating the kind of angry comments I will get.)
tumwijuke says:
I’ve been trying to gather any residual anti-imperialist sentiments I may have to launch a missle of angry expletives at you, but I can’t. You make several good points. Several valid points. My anger (or lack thereof) would fall flat.
I don’t think angry comments by Anonymous $ Co should be cause for any particular alarm. Actually I think it’s healthy. Let them get it off their chests by ranting on your blog page instead of picking up a gun and turning it on you.
And since I can’t post a comment on her page, let me say it here – Pernille, take a breather if you want, but don’t stay away too long.
[Reply]
— March 10, 2008 @ 9:13 pm
The 27th Comrade says:
The reason I don’t do anonymous comments, even when I feel like it would make it easier to vent, is that anonymity gives too much power. Comments can easily gain a sharp edge, and then hurt. If one is anonymous, the effect is even greater, because there is nobody from whom an apology can be demanded (or revenge sent).
And since my comments generally fall on the passionate side, I am more-likely to cause that harm.
I hate it – and you will no doubt know this – when foreigners (Americans, Brits, whatever) come over and then their are “knowledgeable” enough, in their stay, to tell the world about us. They are not, but real knowledge is never a pre-requisite when you file a story. So. the few who may actually take the time to become sufficiently-knowledgeable (among whom you may be) will have to suffer for the sins (for lack of a cleaner four-letter word) of the majority who don’t.
Then there are those on this side (among whom I may belong) who won’t take any level of familiarity to be sufficient. When say Americans report, it will always be with the unnecessary tinge of America, that superiority-complex taint that is fashioned over years of exposure to Hollywood’s idea of what Africans are, to exposure of the only kind (face, idea) of Africa that ever gets on American news. As such, they tend to be hostile to all of you, and never expect (or want) you to ever get to a point where you qualify to discuss Africa authoritatively.
Kind of like a Texan being an authority on Iraq.
But, now you. Why would you be going to moderated comments? In here, I am largely the worst that could happen. It never gets that bad here. Moderated comments speak of a scared blog, one that censors. They discourage comments and break flow of exchange. They are evil, worse than no comments at all. But hey, it’s your blog.
[Reply]
— March 10, 2008 @ 9:47 pm
Scarlett Lion says:
Tumwi- I’m not sure if that’s a back handed compliment or not, but thanks, I guess. You’re right, too, about this being a better forum than arms.
27 – I’m NOT going to moderated comments – as you can see from the first sentence of the post.
As for your point that no American can ever accurately talk about Africa, no matter how much knowledge he or she has, I thoroughly disagree. I think that Americans and other expats who live in Africa can do much to dispel some of these notions. We’ve seen the movies, but then we’ve also seen the reality and we can say where they diverge. I think that this specific category of people are some of the only ones who may be able to try and break some of those stereotypes. This category has the ability to create a representation that is not Hollywood, that will be received by the West. And no, I’m not talking about people who come here for two weeks on a “Mission Adventure,” I’m talking about people who are committed to creating an alternative paradigm. You say that such people will never get your approval, but now whose stereotyping?
[Reply]
— March 11, 2008 @ 1:38 am