EU and Mugabe Meet

From the Voice of America:

President Robert Mugabe has met with a European Union delegation, the first such meeting since 2002 when the EU imposed sanctions on Mr. Mugabe and senior individuals in his party and government for alleged human rights abuses. The parties failed to agree on the lifting of sanctions as demanded by the Zimbabwean government.

President Mugabe emerged from the more than one hour meeting and told journalists the meeting was held in a friendly atmosphere but the sanctions issue had not been resolved. He said the EU demands that the Global Political Agreement that brought about the unity government be implemented are groundless.

" Everything that we were asked to do under the GPA we have done and done timeously even.  It is other matters of course that one might regard as constituting the spirit and environment in which the GPA should work which must now be attended to," he said.

Day 330

Currency, Zim Style

At 4am, I stumbled across this article about the "zimdollar" in my insomnia induced stupor.  The Zimbabwean currency is now dead, the inflation rate so astronomical that one trillion zim is worth only a meager 50 U.S. cents.   I actually have a few old bills and coins from my Peace Corps days. 10 years ago they weren't worth much and now, it is worth less than a few sheets of toilet paper.  

Day 143

I made the text too small today. It reads, "zvakapresser"- a Shona word to express a the condition of oppression and living a hard life.  Life in Zimbabwe is definitely zvakapresser. I wish good luck to Morgan Tsvangirai.  May he bring the change Zim so desperately needs. 

New Prime Minister for Zimbabwe

Opposition party leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, was sworn in as Prime Minister today.  I never thought this day would come.  Robert Mugabe, the old despotic mule, has been trying to maintain absolute power for almost three decades.  Actions at the swearing in ceremony show that he plans on making Tsvangirai's job very difficult.  If any country needs a complete overhaul in government, it is Zimbabwe.  At this point, looks like nothing is going to change until Mugabe disappears.

Mugabe Must Go

Cholera Outbreak

This is an electron micrograph image of a cholera bacterium:

It's amazing how one tiny organism can wreak so much havoc on a population.  I guess the same can be said of individuals...

 

Just when I thought things couldn't get much worse in Zimbabwe, it does.   An outbreak of Cholera has taken approximately 600 lives.  British PM Gordon Brown is telling other world leaders to put pressure on Robert Mugabe.  Condolezza Rice says it is the responsibility of Zim's neighbors to ensure that Mugabe steps down.   I don't know much, but I know that it is going to take a lot more than harsh criticism to get Mugabe out of office.  

AIDS

This is a picture of me taken on April 19, 2000 at an AIDS orphanage in Harare, Zimbabwe. This is the place my thoughts automatically go to whenever I come across anything related to HIV/AIDS.  I've been thinking about this place all day while stitching... the infant room with tiny, sickly looking babies crying to be feed, the little boy who had an accident on my friend's lap when he got so excited to be held by someone, the volunteers that dedicated weeks and months (not just a couple of days like I did) to keeping the orphanage up and running.  It is days like these where I am convinced that my presence in the world is sorely misused for narcissistic and futile pursuits.  

Lots of Activity

I stitched all night at a gathering of friends.  Festivities lasted beyond midnight and documentation did not occur.  I will photograph yesterday's hanky tonight and post two tonight. 

Sometimes it really is fascinating to wake up and discover all the things that are going on in the world.  Top 5 for today:

1. Florida Student Commits Suicide in Front of Webcam- eFluxMedia @ 7:29am (Disturbing and tragic)
2. Jimmy Carter Barred from Zimbabwe- New York Times @ 7:28am (Laughable and predictable)
3. Obama Seeks to Create 2.5m Jobs-BBC News @7:27am (Hopeful and skeptical)
4. Clinton 'will accept state post'- BCC News @ 7:25am (Excited and wary)
5. US Missiles Striking Terror into Pakistani Militants- guardian.co.uk @ 7:13am (Typical and typical)

Just by reading the news, I've already experience an entire gamut of emotions.  

Nyaminyami

Kubva Zambezi Kusvika Limpopo

From The Zambezi to The Limpopo....  Zimbabwe in the news again.  I guess no one is surprised that a power sharing deal couldn't be worked out but I'm still grasping onto hope that things can only get better.  It has been 8 years since I left and not a day goes by where I don't spend a a few moments reminiscing about my time there.  This morning's article made be think about the Nyaminyami- God of the Zambeizi River- a half snake, half fish (some say crocodile) creature.  Carved soap stone statues and amulets can be found on most roadside craft stands.  The one I bought on a trip to Victoria Falls is one of my most treasured possessions.  I'm glad I was able to experience the Zimbabwe before things went terribly wrong.  With any luck, the next time I return, life there will be good again. 

Just for fun, here is a link to the Zimbabwean National Anthem.  Every morning before classes began, everyone would sing the anthem and say the Lord's Prayer.  I've never been able to remember the Lord's Prayer, but the melody to the anthem is burned into my memory.  

Yebo

Zvakanaka

One of the first Shona words I learned when living in Zimbabwe was, "Zvakanaka".  It was a colloquialism that loosely translated into "It's all good".  Zvakanaka was a way of life in Zim, a laid back attitude that pervaded all interactions.  If something went wrong, "Zvakanakai Shamwari (friend)", everything will work out.  If something went right, "Zvakanaka", job well done.  

It has been 8 years since I left Zim and nothing has changed.  Everything has gotten exponentially worse.  Zvakanaka is dead.  There was a small glimpse of hope on the horizon, but Mugabe reverts to his old power hungry tactics to keep the country in ruins.