A Few Good Reads

Dear all,

I've been trying to stay current while out in the Niger Delta.

Articles I like:

Africa's Eastern Promise by Deborah Brautigam (this is one of the most even-keel articles I've seen on China in Africa)

Resume Search Optimization (okay, so I'm a resume nerd, but this was a neat explanation of the different between online applications and offline resumes)

"Africa's Children" is a series following 10 children from birth and tracking them as part of a test of the Millenium Development Goals.

An installment by a friend of mine: "Nigeria: Confidant Martins" by Shyamantha Asokan

Nigeria's banks: Lagos in limbo, also by Shyamantha Asokan

Books I've read while here that I recommend:

Untapped: The Scramble For Africa's Oil Wealth by John Ghazvinian. (He has a great sense of humor, examines this problem from many angles, AND his economic explanation of the oil curse is one of the clearest I've seen)

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (this is technically a reread)

Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan (a little depressing, a series of stories told from the perspective of children, but not very happy stories)

China into Africa (a very good collection of a wide range of articles and perspectives)

What books do you recommend?

Best,
Alena

God and Money.

Dear all,

Admittedly, I don't believe in God. I'm a Buddhist(www.sgi.org), born and raised, of a sect that has a very different concept of how the universe is connected (if I put it in deistic terms, I would say that each of us has something of god within us, but as a Nichiren Buddhist, its more accurate to say that all of us has an enlightened self, a Buddha nature, which I can go into at greater length elsewhere).

I've been in Nigeria for 3 months, and people spend a lot of time talking about God here. I've met plenty of devout-seeming Christians (I live in the South-South, a mostly Christian area). Sunday is a very lively day (Friday up North). It took me a few weeks to realize that the droning sound of NNNNNNNuuuuuuuunNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNuuuuuuuuhhhhhhh was actually someone on a speaker somewhere in the distance saying Hhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaalllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeelllllllluuuuuuuuuuuujjjjjjjjjjjaaaaaaaahhh
(hallelujah).

I still have yet to go to a church here, although I plan to before I leave. I've been happy to join a lively Buddhist community in Nigeria.

So, something that has been bothering me (and this bothers me in the US, too, its just more obvious here), is the assumption that God and his blessings mean money.

There are huge scandals and scams that involve churches and money here. When someone gets money, they think it comes from God, or at least thats the way it seems to me.

Last I checked, and please feel to correct me if I'm wrong, since this is not my religion, Jesus Christ, the son of God, was born poor, lived poor and died poor. Yes, he died for the sins of man, but not so that man could commit many more sins. Right?

If that is the son of God, then what of humans, in theory made in God's image?

Why is wealth a sign of God's blessings?? Aren't there plenty of wealthy sinners and poor martyrs? Does that mean that poor people are not God's favorites (assuming God has time to play favorites)? It doesn't make sense.

What do you think?

I do think money is important. You need it to live, but if you commit sins to get it, is it still God's gift?

Best,
Alena

China, India, Megacities, Oil and Energy, and Absentee Leadership

Dear Readers,

I read these stories in Foreign Policy Magazine online. They were interesting, although 'where did they get the numbers' is a useful question.

Megacities BY RICHARD DOBBS. This compares the expected growth of China and India's rising urban population.

The Oil and the Glory: A series of stories about the oil and gas industry across the globe.

Gone Fishing, by Brian Fung. A list of Absentee leaders during a crisis. I'm not sure how fair these descriptions are, but its interesting reading.

Hope you enjoy them!
Alena

A Love of Money is Dangerous

I know this sounds strange, but I'm grateful that my parents taught me to value many things over money. I think if wealth was my goal or driving force, Nigeria would be much more dangerous.

The driver who took me from Abuja airport and I had a lively conversation. I told him that its important to me to remember that all the fancy things in my job (the car, house, drivers, nice food, etc) are all borrowed and not mine. He protested that, if I wanted, they could be mine.

That wasn't the point. I don't want to own these things. I will treat them with more respect because they belong to another (they all belong to my employers). Beyond that, it is dangerous to covet these things.

In Nigeria you can easily be distracted by the flashy stuff. Plenty of Nigerians (and other people) are! But it gets in the way--of doing a good job, maintaining strong morals, developing self-control, and staying grounded in the real world.

I was raised to try to create value, human happiness, reduce suffering and develop strong human relationships.

So I am glad that, beyond enough money to live, do some international travel, and to pay off my debts, is enough. I already feel better taken care of by having true friends, good relationships, a tight-knit and supportive family. I would not trade these things for any price.

Thanks for listening!
Alena

Trying to Understand the Niger Delta

Dear all,

I've decided that, while I'm in the Niger Delta, it makes sense to try to understand its challenges and issues. Mentally, I've divided the challenges into: the oil industry, the government and the people (which involve both).

So, strangely enough, when I was looking to meet up with some oil people, I ran into one of the world's leading experts on the Niger Delta conflicts (and the people fighting against the oil industry/the aspects of Nigeria's government, in efforts to get their homes cleaned up and interests represented). Funny how that works.

So, I thought I'd help you, the reader, with some information.

I met Michael Watts from UC Berkeley. His Wikipedia page.

His Book: Curse of the Black Gold

Important articles by him:

List of Publications:

Goodnight and Goodluck Jonathan: The Niger Delta Cries Out for EcoJustice

Niger Delta Rising.


His Program at Berkeley:

Niger Delta: Economies of Violence See the link to the Stained With Blood and Oil: The Niger Delta video at the bottom.

Will go ask the oil people nosy questions tomorrow!

Best,
Alena

Oil, oil, everywhere!

Dear Readers,

I just want to turn your attention to this great article by the UK Guardian about the ongoing problem of oil spills, oil leaks, oil bunkering and other oil challenges. This article examines the oil spills in the Niger delta, Nigeria.

Nigeria's agony dwarfs the Gulf oil spill. The US and Europe ignore it. by John Vidal

There is enough oil 'spilled' in Nigeria to easily dwarf the Gulf of Mexico disaster. Activists and citizens of Nigeria are watching how the US handles this challenge--and wish that their governments and the oil companies that operate there would be anywhere near as proactive and responsive.

I will be headed there soon myself! Will keep you posted.

Best,
Alena