The issues discussed in this blog are ongoing. What is written here is a snapshot of the situation, but the developing world is always, well, developing. These issues don’t disappear when we stop talking about them. 

So, as this will be the last blog post of the semester, I thought it would be fitting to revisit some of the issues discussed in the previous months to see how they have developed in the time since.

The Darfur Genocide

I wrote about this back in September, when the UN military commander in Darfur had called the conflict “over”, a statement I felt could only be verified over the next few months. So where do we stand here in December? 

Well, it’s hard to say. It’s a complex situation, not helped by the fact that most Darfur news originates from outside the region itself, but there have definitely been some positive signs. The large-scale violence and slaughters that have defined the region over the last few years have lessened, and despite some low-level skirmishes, the area appears to be relatively stable. There has even been some national and international talk about how to democratically and peacefully resolve the crisis in a formal manner. 

But of course, that’s much easier said than done. Last week, non-violent pro-reform rallies against the Sudanese government led to the arrest of scores of Sudanese politicians, journalists, and activists, causing widespread anger and protests in southern Sudan. Prospects for fair elections in the country look, at best, grim. And of course, the ICC is no closer to bringing President Bashir to the Hague for trial. 

The political troubles might not be so bad on their own, but they take place against the backdrop of the recent murder of five Rwandan peacekeepers in Darfur, most likely by government gunmen. Meanwhile, there are so many weapons in the Darfur area that nearly everyone, young and old alike, carry guns like accessories in a region where ethnic tensions are still extremely high and people are still living in horrible conditions. So, as of now, things do appear to be a bit better – but where they go from here is very unclear. 

Rwanda and France 

Just last week I wrote about French inability to accept responsibility for their complicit actions in the 1994 Rwandan Genocide leading to bitter relations between the two countries. The French arrogance hasn’t changed - and probably never will – but Rwanda has extended an open hand to its historically disrespectful peer.  

The Rwandan government has now offered to reinstate diplomatic relations with Paris, which had been cut off since 2005 when a French judge indicted leading members of the current and peaceful Rwandan government for the act of terrorism that started the genocide. While the Rwandan government said that it wouldn’t forget what the French had done, it is still capable of moving on to a new era of cooperation. 

Meanwhile, the French have dropped accusations against Rose Kabuye, a high-ranking Rwandan that was arrested on a French warrant when entering Germany on official government business, and Sarkozy has reasserted his interest in normalizing relations with Rwanda. It’s a far cry from the apology Rwanda deserves, but it’s a move in the right direction. 

Kiva 

A minor controversy erupted over Kiva, a organization that allows lenders like you and me in the rich world to provide microfinance funds in the developing world, just weeks after it was featured in this blog. It became clear that, while Kiva made it seem as if you were lending your money to a certain borrower, you actually were lending money to a microfinance institution – not necessarily the person whose picture you saw on the website. 

The difference is almost semantic and a relative non-issue, but that did not stop this controversy from making it all the way into the pages of the New York Times. However, whether your money goes to the person whose picture you see, or someone else similar, Kiva still allows you to loan out your money to help needy people develop their businesses and their lives. There is no question about the value of that service, and this minor controversy hopefully will not deter future lenders. 

The Norwegians 

I wrote about these two way back in September – they were on trial in the Congo for allegedly killing their personal driver. Over the last few months, information about their situation has continued to trickle out, which has done little more than show just how messed up and inefficient the justice system is in that relatively broken country. With all the various stories and different trials floating around, it will likely be impossible to ever know if these two murdered their driver in cold blood, if they have been wrongfully accused and are just scapegoats, or if the truth is somewhere in between. 

In fact, the one main tangible development in the case is that the Congo recently assured Norway that they will not be executing the two suspects as they had previously threatened to do – life imprisonment is the maximum sentence that these men will face. Given the inescapable doubts about the veracity of the trials and the legal system in the Congo, this can really only be seen as a positive thing. 

Of course, many of the other issues discussed here continue to develop as well. Chinese investment in Africa continues to grow. William Kamkwamba has completed a media tour across America to spread his windmill-building story and promote his book. And Rio is in the early stages of figuring out how to best transform its slum-ridden city for the Olympics.  

Meanwhile, I believe that one of the best and most helpful things we can do in the developed world for our brethren in the poorer world is simply to educate ourselves. That is, to do what we can to know about what is going on in the developing countries of the world, and how the residents therein can someday get the same opportunities that we enjoy. This blog is meant to be a helpful step in that direction, and I hope that the stories discussed here have been interesting and illuminating. 

See you in January.