OPEN LETTER TO HILLARY RHODHAM CLINTON
By Diaspora writer
Dear Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton,
You wrapped up a marathon tour of Africa on Friday , saying you were leaving Africa "even more committed than before I came." .
Who is committed, you, the Obama Administration or Africa ?.
Are you aware that its always been an advantage to be born on the right side of the world? .
Do you know that the accident of birth has never had a quite far reaching significance especially in our times?.
Now let me tell you, for every child born in the developed countries, more than eight are now born in the underdeveloped world. This fact above all else will determine the course of their adult lives .The chances are that most of the eight will be born and brought up in Poverty.
What this means Madam Clinton , is that in my working life as a child who was born poverty in Tanzania , I will produce little by way of out put and earn little in a way of income. Part of the problem is the west‘s imposition of trade barriers on our agricultural products threatening food security.
The removal of these barriers and subsidies will be a clear demonstration of the ability of the multilateral trading system to respond positively to the genuine cry of the many poor African farmers who live on less than one dollar a day , thus relieving part of my problem of being bon poor and hungry.
I suggest the extension of AGOA and making it permanent. I also urged the Your country to stop the subsidies that it gives to its farmers especially on cotton because that does not make us competitive at all with the American farmers. And don’t forget extending of AGOA fabric provision beyond 2012.
Mrs Clinton, Is it true that your administration views Africa as an increasingly important source of oil and that was the main purpose of your trip under the guise of wanting to prevent breakdowns in law and order that could create sanctuaries for terrorists, drug traffickers and pirates in Africa?. How did you feel when you met the internally displaced people and the rape victims in eastern Congo?. Were you still thinking about Gold , Diamonds , and Uranium?
I’m not surprised that you snapped at a student in Congo . I also hear that you took a particularly tough line on corruption in Nigeria and Kenya , and echoed Obama's emphasis on building democracy in Africa . How will you achieve that , when its reported that every where you went you kept snapping and Talking Tough?.
Officials in the areas you visited suggest that you never took them as equal Partners. That’s why a Kenya politician said that the era of lectures is over. Is it true that your visit to the Congo , Nigeria and Angola was pure Business strategy?. What about cape Verde which was recently upgraded from the rank of a least developed country to a medium developed country in the UN development index simply because of popular trade and ship routes and democracy ?. If its democracy , then its abundant in Tanzania , Uganda , Rwanda.
If its about trade and shipping routes, how many ships from the Us has the Dar es salaam port handled . So why didn’t you visit us in Tanzania ? Reports from Nigeria say that you exposed Nigeria to ridicule as against the dignity it was expected to accord to a sovereign country. Your embassy in Abuja reportedly breached Protocol , by by- passing the Federal Government your host .You asked the office of Alhaji Abubakari saad , the Sultan of Sokoto , Senator David Mark -the senate president and Hon Dimeji Bankole –Speaker of the house of Reps to avail you a list of names of the people that want to meet you.
This kind of request was supposed to be put by the presidency of the country. This angered the Nigerian Government so much that the both Bankole and David Mark stayed away from events marking your visits. They feared for their jobs. The sultan of Sokoto also had to cancel the Nigeria inter Religious council event .
Furthermore , I hear that you have promised more AID to Africa. No, thanks. Evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates that aid to Africa has made us more poorer, and our growth slower. The insidious aid culture has left us more debt-laden, more inflation-prone, more vulnerable to the vagaries of the currency markets and more unattractive to higher-quality investment. It's increased the risk of civil conflict and .Aid is an unmitigated political, economic and humanitarian disaster.
Madam Clinton , have you ever heard this story associated with AID? . It says that receiving AID is …like making love to an elephant .There is no pleasure in it , you run the risk of being crushed and it takes years before you see the results Recently, Ugandan President Museveni said: " Africa leads in all bad things. One of them is hunger, malnutrition, Aids, under-nourishment. We have to transform our society. I appeal to our development partners, USA and Japan to level the field. We would like markets for our products. The market is the main stimulant for production,"
Lastly , In the case of Tanzania, we know that our country is targeting a moving Target-more mouths to feed ; for some time , but also there is more hands to work coming up. Thanks to your medical technology which has had dramatics cuts in deaths rate and increase in birth rates. So what are you going to tell Americans to know more about Africa than they already know?
I didn`t get the point, what are your trying to say...? hello! why Clinton visited Africa or why she did not come to Tanzania?
ReplyDeleteunarudia rudia mambo... copy and paste style, rubbish no sense
pk.
Mdau amelalamika sana lakini kulalamika haisaidii. Kuna mambo mawili:
ReplyDelete1. You have to play by the rules. M-diaspora ameonyesha kuzielewa hizo rules ambazo zimetengenezwa ili kuneemesha walioneemeka kwa kufanya bidhaa zetu zisiweze kushindana na kutunufaisha.
2. Ukishazielewa kanuni na hazikufai yabidi ufanye namna ili kushiriki katika kuzitengeneza hizo rules ili nawe uweze kujineemesha. Mathalan tumeona "rule" ya kupewa misaada inatuumiza kwa sababu tunaishia kugawa dhahabu yetu bure. Kwa hiyo tunatakiwa tupambane na hiyo rule kwa kutafuta mbinu mbadala za kutimiza malengo yetu bila msaada. Kwa kuwa wao bado wanataka dhahabu itabidi watuone kama their equal katika kutunga rules mpya.
At the end of the day it all comes down to money. Wamarekani wanatafuta namna ya kuzidi kujineemesha, nasi Watanzania inabidi tutafute namna za kujineemesha kwa mfumo uliopo au kubadili mfumo ili tujineemeshe. Kulalamika haitoshi.
Dear Readers
ReplyDeleteIf you can read a book titled Dead Aid written by a Zambian called Moyo
Let me share my views to this horrible and baseless claim. I wonder how could a writer take his/her time to write such a shortsighted and shameful letter in the public media like this! Ni mambo ya kutiana aibu tu! First and foremorest it gives me the impression that, this dude did not have the facts to this claim coz he/she is addressing the points by saying "I hear that...." this is so ridiculous! you can't just wake up from your shelter and write whatever you have in mind, this is a very high class blog and it is visited by folks all over the world. In your claim you said the American gvt should stop grants to its farmers...are you insane? stop subsidies to encourage foreign competitors? can this happen anywhere in the world? unless i didn't understand your point. So would you suggest Tanzania to starve its local producers so as to encourage other countries competitors? That's utterly hillarious! You went on to blame Madam Secretary for talking tough on her visits, sometimes our governments need to be treated like kids, especially when you provide funds that never serve the purpose. We have seen all over Africa, and this is a no-brainer fact that without strong and tough talk, our Gvts will never change. How about your suggestions to stop aid that "it will increase the risk of civil conflict"??? who to blame for bad aid funds supervision? isn't that our gvts plugs the aid money into peoples pockets that mostly benefits themselves? is it the donors fault? Do you know that on top of our efforts to elevate our standards, aid is a key ingredient if its used properly? So what are you asking from US and Japan in order to help us level the standards with the two developed nations if not aid? you tell me. Another thing that shocked me is when you dare to mention Tanzania as one of the countries to be proud of democtracy..can we really be proud of our democracy? Hizo habari za masanduku ya kura yanayoibiwa kwenye majimbo huwa unazisikia? I don't wanna go too far in this response, but was just provoked to see a ridiculous letter here.
ReplyDeleteMichuzi naomba muwe mnafanya professional editing ili ku-summerise main issues au mfanye executive summary, hivi nani atasoma haya mambo mengi hivi kwa ujumbe wa issue 3 tu!
ReplyDeleteWe can cry and shed tears all we want, but in the end of it all the future of Africans lies in the hands of Africans themselves. We should start asking ourselves, what are we doing to make our own lives better for ourselves, what are we doing to hold our leaders accountable? Are our leaders the best we can find? Yes there may be some external factors, I do not dispute that, but I think that we, Africans, starting with our leaders at the top, are the source of poverty and other major issues we have in the continent. Wake up people! It is time for personal and societal responsibility and not pointing fingers all the way to the other side of the globe!
ReplyDeleteSasa nani alikwambia Hilary huwa anasoma blog ya Michuzi? Au unapenda ligi tu wewe. Watu wengine bwana........... Sasa si umfuate huko huko kwenda diaspora uliko?
ReplyDeleteWEWE ACHA KULIA LIA KILA KITU,USIWALAUMU WAMAREKANI WALAUMU VIONGOZI WAKO.SASA WEWE UNASEMA HUTAKI MISAADA ZAIDI UNAONGEA KAMA NANI? AU UNAMUAKILISHA NANI? MBONA VIONGOZI WAKO WANATAKA MISAADA ZAIDI?
ReplyDeleteDid they sit down and wrote this letter together as a group or is from one-person’s perspective. It seems more like shouting to me than informative.
ReplyDelete....."for every child born in the developed countries, more than eight are now born in the underdeveloped world" ... who's problem is that? Don't ya all know about birth control?
DEAR WRITER, THANKS FOR YOUR COURAGE TO WRITE TO MRS.CLINTON REGARDING HER TRIP IN AFRICA! I WONT BE ABLE TO RESPOND MUCH TODAY BUT QUICKLY I WILL ARGUE WITH YOU ON SOME ISSUES. I THINK WE ARE TOO MUCH POINTING FINGERS ON OTHERS FOR OUR PROBLEMS AND NOT REALIZING THAT WHEN WE DO THAT, WE HAVE FOUR MORE FINGERS POINTING TO OURSELVES!
ReplyDeleteI STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THE PROBLEMS OF AFRICA ARE AFRICANS AND ONLY AFRICANS WILL SOLVE THEM!
LETS ASK OURSELVES FEW QUESTIONS THAT I BELIEVE ARE THE CORE PROBLEMS OF AFRICA!!
1. WHY DONT AFRICANS DONT BUY AND/ OR SELL TO AFRICANS? WE HAVE ENOUGH MARKET JUST IN AFRICA THAT COULD BOOST OUR POSITIONS TO OTHER GLOBAL MARKETS!
2. WHY AFRICAN GOVERNMENTS (INCLUDING OUR LOVELY TANZANIA!!) FAIL TO SUPPORT ITS OWN PEOPLE YEAR AFTER YEAR?
3. WHY DO WE KEEP CHOOSING SAME FAILING POLITICIANS?
4. WHY DO WE HATE EACH OTHERS DEVELOPMENT? WE TEND TO FEEL BAD WHEN OUR FOLKS (FRIENDS AND RELATIVES) ARE RISING TO THE TOP INSTEAD OF SUPPORTING THEM WE START TALKING BAD LIES ABOUT THEM!!
5. WHY DO WE FOCUS SO MUCH ON OTHERS INSTEAD OF OURSELVES?
I CAN GO ON AND ON HERE. THE POINT IM TRYING TO MAKE IS, WE MUST COME TO REALIZE THAT "WE ARE THE PROBLEM". WE ARE THE ONES NEEDING TO CHANGE FIRST BEFORE OTHER NATIONS CAN RESPECT US AND GIVE THE ATTENTION WE ARE ASKING FOR!
NOBODY HATES AFRICA BUT AFRICANS! UNTIL WE CHANGE, DONT EXPECT ANYBODY TO GIVE US ANY RESPECT, EVER, EVER, EVER!!!
WE AFRICANS MUST CHANGE IN ORDER FOR THE WORLD TO REALIZE OUR POTENTIALS. AND LOOK, WE CANT CHANGE BY CONTINUING TO DO THE SAME WAYS! REMEMBER THAT!!!
WE MUST CLEAN OUR HOUSES PEOPLE!!
1. GET RIDE OF UNPERFORMING WABUNGES IMMIDIATELTY!
2. GET RID OF CORRUPTION IN ALL ITS MANNERS FROM TOP TO BOTTOM.
3. GIVE OUR KIDS AND YOUNG ONES GOOD EDCATION
4. IMPROVE HEALTHCARE
5. IMPROVE SECURITY IN THE NATIONS THE POLICE FORCES, MGAMBO OR JUST USE JKT WHEN NEEDED ETC!!
6. RESPECT RULE OF LAW
ETC, ETC
TANZANIA AND AFRICA AT LARGE HAS EVERYTHING IT NEEDS TO COME OUT OF POVERTY!! WHAT WE DONT HAVE IS GOOD POLICIES THAT ONLY GOOD POLITIANS ARE CAPABLE OF IMPOSING! SO PLEASE, GET RIDE OF THOSE NON-PERFORMING WABUNGES!! OUT, OUT,OUT. PLEASE LET THEM GO AWAY IN 2010!!
SO TO SUM UP, "WE AFRICANS MUST CHANGE 'FIRST' BEFORE THE WORLD CAN GIVE US ANY RESPECT!"
YOURS,
MDAU MKEREKETWA!
the letter is very interesting in so many ways, but lets not blame Americans for everything lets help ourselves first!! corruption in Tanzania is overwhelming...its just too much, politicians are lying and feeding from the poor lets clean our acts first.
ReplyDeleteWHAT IS HE?SHE TALKING ABOUT? WHO WROTE THIS NON-SENSE ANY HOW?
ReplyDelete"What this means Madam Clinton , is that in my working life as a child who was born poverty in Tanzania"
ReplyDeleteRekebisha lugha yako nilipofika hapa tu nikaacha kusoma, nikajua ndio wale wale...!!!, correction What this means Madam Clinton , is that in my working life as a child who was born poor in Tanzania
I wish I wouldnt open my eyes and read this silly story.How long will we keep moaning and groaning about the West?
ReplyDeleteWe can grumble and we can grumble and grumble but Africa's problems are Millstones around our neck.
It's time "Africans woke up and smelled the coffee"
Lets stop reproaching the West.
Acha upumbavu, Mr "Diaspora", laumu corruption, bad leadership and we need to improve the quality of our products the we can reach or eliminate the trade barriers. Tujilaumu wenyewe hasa viongozi wetu kuanzia Kambarage mpaka Mkapa ni rushwa mtindo mmoja hata kama unamwita baba au kaka au binamu wa Taifa ni mafisadi.
ReplyDeleteHUYU DADA DIASPORA ATAKUWA NI MJAMZITO KWA MAANA HIYO BASI TUMSAMEHE TUSIMUTUKANE SANA PILI NI MUTU MWENYE CHUKI NA BHAZUNGU HAWAPENDI WATU WEUPE HATA ZERUZERU KWAKE NI ADUI MUKUBWA, KWANZA HATA KIMOMBO KINAMUPIGA CHENGA SASA UTAZANI KUNA MIPOINT HUMO? ASITUTIYE AIBU HUYU MAMA ANACHUKI BINAFSI NA MAMA CLINT NDIYO MAANA ANAMUTUKANA WAKATI MAMA CLINT KAONGEA UKWELI. SASA WEWE DADA UNAZANI KAMA KUWA NA DIAMOND MAFUTA GAS NA GOLD NI UTAJIRI? WANUNUZI SINDYO HAO HAO WAZUNGU! UNAZANI UKIMWUZIA MUGABE ATAKUPA PESA AMA CONGO KWA KABIRA WATATUPA NINI SASA KAMA UNATAKA MALI UTAZIPATA SHAMBANI NA MUCHAGUA JEMBE SI MUKULIMA NA MWISHO ZAMWIZI NI THERATHINI ASIYEKUBALI KUSHINDA NDIYO MUSHINDANI
ReplyDelete1corinthian 13:11
ReplyDeletewhen i was a child,i spoke as a child,i understood as a child;but when i became a man,i put away childish things.
the point am trying to make here is:children find everything in nothing,men find nothing in everything. we africans are acting childish.we find reasons to blame in everything but we forget that the changes for the better we need lay deep down in our hearts.unless we are determined to make that changes happen nothing will happen for the better. corrupt governments existed since long time ago,and non of them ever came out brilliant,they all ended in anguish,war.starvation and collapse!that is what we now witness in africa.
we have every resource any goverment could admire to make their land a paradise!but we don't engage our brain to see that!we have the land and water but we are starving!if you could only let wazungu touch that land and make it theirs yo will wonder how they will turn that ardhi and water into gold!but if we can interchange the place we go to america and they come to tanzania after only 30yr you will again go to line in a queque waiting to be granted a visa to tanzania as the land of opportunity from USA.
SO lets stop thinking as children,wake up and determine our own destiny if not ours then that of our future generation.
mdau-ughaibuni masomoni.
old friggin news..bad english..bad thoughts..my recommendation ; if this post was tapped or pinned @ UDSM those golden days 90's to 2000 you will have so many grammatical corrections encouraging you to take CL 1001 not 101 so you can polish up your communication skills before this tasteless article is produced, i pity the time you put to collect these baseless, tainting accusation, may you go back to school...
ReplyDeleteits just shame the way u guys crash the poor writer!!
ReplyDeleteYes, he/she missed a point by a mile!!
BUT at least the poor fella saw a need to bring something to your attention.
Well its very clear now that actually we all knew everything about it,
BUT what did we do about it??? NOTHING.
we are even worse off than the writer. He did his bits, create awareness 'atleast he tried'
Why wont any one of us smart heads, get on the blog and write what they think its a right way forward?
as most of you said, africans problems are for africans, we are africans! so we got to face our problems!
How exactly???
They is no miracles, we got to start from somewhere!!
And every little helps, the guy had his views, if anybody has a different view, they can always express thiers!!! Thanx to MICHUZI
Thats how we learn the way forward.
It takes more than one man..
So take the initiatives, and educate your fellow country men! Your got the upper hand, your country needs you
First, I must admit that I did not read the whole 'letter' so I will refrain from judging the author or his intelligence.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I know is that Mrs. Clinton's trip proved that America, and the whole west indeed is not aware of the rapid changes that are taking place in Africa and the whole World.
The author talked about HC talking tough to african leaders. The Chinese influence is changing the attitude of the african politicians and policy makers. This is why that infamous Congo question was so important. The west are dragging their feet in regard to addressing their lost of influence in the world affairs. The longer they wait, the more rude the awakening is going to be.
It is true, some of African problems are the result of african own making. But George Santayana once said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Africa cannot afford to forget the past. From slavery, colonialism, independence struggle, cold war (which to us was real war and bloodshed) and everything in between. One thing we have to remember is that not one of these events were of our own creation. It's still amazing to me, as it should be to all of you, to think and realize how they could get away with all those atrocities, with no compensation paid, and not even acknowledgement of their wrong-doing.
The other issue the author raised was about subsidies. Free trade does not allow subsidies. The only reason America is not willing to stop subsidising their farmers is strictly because of internal politics. Them southern voters will start a revolution when african farmers are able to compete with them in a domestic american market. I mean, america is already loosing manufacturing battle with china, india and japan, then you have the energy dependence from countries that in their own words 'don't like them very much', the last thing you need is food-dependency and america will not look the same again, if it hasn't already.
I will end it by quoting Malcolm X, "If you stick a knife nine inches into my back and pull it out three inches, that is not progress. Even if you pull it all the way out, that is not progress. Progress is healing the wound, and America hasn't even begun to pull out the knife. They won't even acknowledge the knife is there"
MDAU.
Dear Fellow Africans,
ReplyDeleteIt is time that we determine our own destiny by doing what is right for us and our neighbors. We have come a long way. We have to stop dissappointing many of our own who are talented and are/have been ready to help Mama Africa for so long but they cannot do so because they are not welcomed. We can do better, if we only standup and stop thinking about supernatural powers, corruptions and the like as our destiny. We are on the right path but we just need a push and change of our mind sets. Lets look at ourselves in the mirrow and start to change what we see as "not right". Way to GO! Thanks for the dialogue.