Just a Moment... Just a Moment...

Hi Folks. I'm supposed to be posting about "Ghana Today," but I don't feel like it. I'll give the "Reedside view of today's Ghana" soon, but I'm thinking a rest from all that learning is in order. I've posted some nice Ghana pictures just the same; they were published on the net by others who've visited. Of these beautiful Ghana images, I boast nothing but the good fortune of running across them.

Meanwhile, the Reeds are fully embedded in a long Grand Rapids winter. In fact, as I hunt and peck, we are in the grips of another frigid storm with temps in the 20sF and six inches of blowing, drifting snow expected. We are also in the midst of a long wait to return to new responsibilities in West Africa and a new home in Accra. Hannah and Noah are in no hurry to leave new friends and activities, but Renita and I are champing at the bit to get started. The delay is due to the fact that Renita is applying for US citizenship and the process takes a few months. We can't leave until she gets it.

Its a bit of a bummer. My colleagues, the CRWRC West Africa Ministry Team, are meeting right now in Jos, Nigeria and I would normally be there. And in Liberia, a team of people from four West African countries and the US and Canada are meeting with LEAD and the University of Liberia to discuss future partnerships. The LEAD conference is also taking place. with the Vice President of Liberia offering the keynote. Renita is missing it, as she is very much a part of what is happening there. So on this snowy Saturday, we are a little sad.

Time to bake cookies.

The view from our front porch. I'm really noticing that stop sign-- a metaphor for our lives.

So let's enjoy the pause! Inside, daughter and mother bake cookies. Twelve dozen cookies.

Noah eats cookie dough and hangs out with friends in the cyber Carribbean world of Disney's Pirates site. Or maybe he's playing Stronghold. Or Spore. Or Age of Empires. Or--well, you get it.

Ok, and now for life 5700 miles away. A few Ghana images as we continue this online orientation of our next homeland.

The Accra skyline. A modern city of two million.

Fishing boats along the Accra beaches. Like other West Africans, Ghanaians love their fish.


Another colorful Accra market. I think you can recognize everything, right?

Not bad, eh? A typical Ghanaian beach down the road from Accra.

In the 'burbs, more construction as the city expands.

Sheep in the yard.

The train from Accra to Kumasi.

Kumasi, Ghana. Population 1,500,000.

Traveling through a village, market tables waiting for market day.

Northern Ghana.

Pastoral, ain't it?

Great shot down an interior road.

Keep the goat outa the coco beans! Need I elaborate?

Waterfall near the Togo border.

Oh. Have I mentioned the elephants? They have the right of way.

Ghana 101

Ghana History, Part Three: 40 Year Labor Pains

Ghana was the first of the colonies in sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence. In 1957, Kwame Nkrumah was named the first prime minister and was later named president of the republic. Africa and the rest of the world followed the creation of the new state with great expectations, and the situation in Ghana inspired nationalist movements all over the continent. Ghana's future was promising with her rich resources, especially in minerals, gemstones, and timber. In addition, Ghana was the leading cocoa exporter in the world and produced one tenth of the world's gold. 25% of the population was literate then(which was high compared to other colonies at the time) and many were educated.

Nkrumah was initially popular, but faced the huge problem of uniting a country of people who for hundreds of years actively competed with, fought with, and even enslaved one another. It did not take long for the Nkrumah regime to begin repressing and imprisoning dissenters. Through the '60's the economic situation to worsened with deepening debt and inflation, and in 1964 a desperate Nkrumah suspended the consititution over the protests of the Western world and turned to the Soviet Union for support. However, the economy was out of control and the people got poorer.

The First Coup/Junta 1966-1969

On February 24th, 1966, a bloodless military coup ended the rule of Nkrumah and his government. Nkrumah was exiled to Guinea. In the following days and weeks all Nkrumah statues in Accra were taken down by the crowds. (Nkrumah died in exile in 1972.) The new military government called itself the National Liberation Council (NLC). All connections to the Soviet Union were severed and technicians from USSR and China were expelled. The west saw this as a new direction in Ghanaian politics and economics.

The Second Republic 1969-1972
In 1969, Multi-party elections were held and a new civilian government was formed by Dr. Kofi Busia and the Progress Party. High prices on the cocoa market gave Busia a good start, but in 1971 the prices dropped again and the economic situation in Ghana worsened. The government devaluates the Cedi-- the Ghanaian dollar-- leading to increased prices and general unrest in the population.

Second Coup/Junta 1972-1979
Forces within the military once again forced a coup in January 1972. The National Redemption Council placed Colonel Ignatius Acheampong as head of the state. But Acheampong lacked experience and economic-political visions. The result was a growth of corruption in all levels of government and society. By 1978, with the economy close to collapse, Acheampong was forced to resign as general William Akuffo was placed as head of the "Supreme Military Council II". Akoffo promised to hold elections later in 1979.(Acheampong is on the left in the picture, Akuffo on the right)

Third Coup: May 15, 1979

A young Flight Lieutenant named Jerry John Rawlings headed an uprising within the army. The coup attempt was unsuccessful as Rawlings was arrested, but soon freed by his supporters.

The Fourth Coup: June 4, 1979
A few days before the planned election Rawlings led a new military coup. The Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) took power, but promised to hold democratic elections later the same month. The stated aim of the coup was to ensure free elections and put an end to the corruption and economic chaos, and to prevent the SMC generals from retiring to a life in luxury after having run down the country. In the elections, Dr. Hilla Limann and his People's National Party won, but it was a close call: PNP got 71 of the 140 seats in parliament. Rawlings supported the AFRC in its determination to end corruption and restore order and justice before returning Ghana to democracy. The former leaders from the SMC government were tried and executed together with the three former chief of states: Acheampong, Akuffo and Afrifa. Several hundred government officials and businessmen were sent to prison.

The Third Republic 1979-1981
Four months after the elections, the AFRC turned over power to Hilla Limann (right), the elected president. Rawlings and his soldiers returned to the army. The new government was not successful and widespread corruption continued. It was not able to solve the economic stagnation of Ghana. Jerry Rawlings gained more and more popularity as he continued to demand an end to corruption. But Limann did not learn much from his predecessors, and his reign is doomed.

The Fifth Coup

December 31, 1981: Jerry Rawlings once again took over through a military coup. The Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) established Rawlings as chairman. The parliament is dissolved and all politcal opposition is strictly

forbidden. After a decade of maintaining a tight hold on power, fending off take-over attempts, assassination attempts, Rawlings sees the economy of Ghana improving significantly. Ghana had the highest growth rate in Africa. In 1990, Rawlings formed the National Commission for Democracy to work out plans for the political future of Ghana. In 1992, A new democratic constitution was passed. Political prisoners are freed and parties are allowed. Free press and human rights organizations emerges in Ghana.

The Fourth Republic 1992 to Now
Multi-party elections are held in Ghana, and Rawlings won the presidency outright with nearly 60% of the votes. Independent observers declared the elections free and fair. During the 90's the political climate between government and opposition slowly improved. Economic growth continued in Ghana, which was praised by the IMF. Rawlings was re-elected in 1996. NDC remained the biggest party in parliament, but John Kufuor's New Patriotic Party also enjoyed strong representation. The opposition and all observers approved these elections as well. The West continued to be supportive and optimistic about the situation in Ghana, even though economic progress was slowing.

Jerry Rawlings' presidency ended in 2000 as he bowed to constitutionally mandated term limits. Vice president John Atta Mills was a presidential candidate, but John Kufour (left) from NPP who took the victory and became the new president. He initiated a truth and reconciliation commission to investigate human right abuses during the many years of military rule.

Ghana celebrated 50 years of independence as the first sub-saharan African nation in March 2007.

2008 Elections

After having lost Ghana's two previous elections to outgoing President John Kufuor, opposition candidate John Atta Mills won in a second round of the presidential election. Atta Mills was victorious over his rival, Nana Akufo-Addo from the ruling NPP party. The smooth trasition of power was praised by international observers.

John Atta Mills, the new President of Ghana.

Next Time: Ghana Today

Ghana 101

Ghana History, Part Two: The Slave Coast, The Gold Coast


Continuing our story: the land that we now call Ghana was dominated by several African groups prior to the European era of exploration. But in 1471, The Portuguese arrived in the region, and in 1482 they build the first of several fortresses-- the one pictured above called Elimina-- on the coast.
The Ga people were living in their capital of "Great Accra" about 15 km inland, but soon built "Small Accra" directly on the coast as a base for trade with the Portuguese. In time, the British, Dutch, French and others arrived. They were all attracted by gold, ivory and timber. By 1650, the first Danish ship arrives at the coast. The Danes were the last of the Europeans to arrive, who competed and sometimes fought each other, for trade rights with the Africans. In 1661, the Danes built the fort they named "Christiansborg" (sometimes known as Osu Castle) in Osu (modern-day Accra). It became the home of the Danish governor and later the center of Danish slave trade. Tody, the fort is the residence and office of Ghana's president.

The Slave Trade

Within a short time the commodity of choice was no longer ivory or timber-- it was human life. Slaves, desired for plantation work in the Americas, became even more valuable than gold. England, the Netherlands, Portugal, Germany, France, Sweden and Denmark all vied for the human trafficking market, which became highly organized and efficient. With its slaves, gold and accessible coastline, "Ghana" became the center of all European activity in West Africa for 350 years.

By the 1700s, several of the southern kingdoms were deeply involved in the slave trade while others had been virtually wiped out-- their people stolen for slavery. The Akwamu, Fante and Asante enjoyed significant benefit from the trade. Through their European connections the Asante received weapons and used them to conquer more land and fight other kingdoms. The Asante capital of Kumasi became highly developed more advanced than many European cities.

The Europeans traded weapons and manufactured goods for the slaves, which were transported across the Atlantic Ocean to work on plantations in "the new world". The trips took five weeks. More than two thirds of the slaves died during capture attempt, in the dungeons of the forts, or during transport. It is estimated that more than 12 million slaves were transported across the Atlantic.
In March, 1792, Denmark decided to stop the so-called "trade with Negroes" to the Caribbean colonies. The King and politicians were under pressure from the growing anti-slave lobby, but the decision was based on economic, not moral, calculations: Denmark simply no longer made enough profit on the trade.

The new law only addressed the import of slaves to the Caribbean islands. It was not a general ban on slavery. Furthermore the law is not to be effective until 1803. Result: In the following ten years the slave traders intensified their efforts to make as much profit as possible on human lives.
Later in 1792, Britain passed a law similar to the Danish - not to take effect until 1807. Both countries laws stopped only the import of slaves to the colonies, not a decision to actually abolish slavery itself. Within the following years all the European countries and America drafted similar laws, but slavery and the trade with people continued to be legal.

Meanwhile, Osei Bonsu ascended the Asante throne. He was king of land reaching beyond the borders of present-day Ghana – and sought to expand the Asante kingdom. In 1806, the Asante kingdom invaded kingdoms to the south and war broke out with the Fante confederation which was supported by Britain. The ever expanding Asante were threatening British commercial interests in the region.

Slavery Ends, British Domination Begins

British ban on slave trade from the Gold Coast became effective in 1807. The British dominated the region and decided to change business from slavery into exploiting cocoa, gold, timber and palm oil. 1824, the Ashantene, Osei Bonsu, dies. The British sought a chance to break Asante control of the Gold Coast trade and the first Anglo-Asante war began. By 1826, the Asante were forced to give up their claims to areas on the coast.

Slavery was officially abolished in all British colonies, and all British-owned slaves were freed in 1833. Fourteen years later the Danish crown abolished slavery in Danish colonies. Eventually, Denmark sold all its remaining forts and possessions on the Gold Coast to Great Britain for 10,000 pounds, thus Great Britain dominated the region completely. Only the Asante kingdom resisted British control. The British efforts to control the Gold Coast and especially the gold trade resulted in the another British-Asante war. Asante history recorded a victory, but they only managed to hold back the enemy for a few more years.

The Gold Coast: A British Crown Colony

In 1874, the Gold Coast was officially proclaimed a British crown colony. Originally the colony was only a 100 km wide strip along the coast, but the British continued to harrass the Asante kingdom and their wealth of gold. The British attacked again and burned down the Capital of Kumasi. (Echoes of the War of 1812) The kings palace was found empty, but the British grabbed all values they could find. (More 1812 echoes)

1884-1885 saw the infamous Berlin Conference, in which King Leopold of Belgium called the the European countries together to draw up and impose new borders on Africa. Thousands of kingdoms throughout Africa were instantly squeezed into approximately 50 European colonies. No consideration was made regarding existing people groups, kingdoms, cultures and languages. Present-day Ghana was placed under British control, with the exception of the eastern region being part of German Togoland. Britain maintained control over the Asante kingdom. As a symbolic act the British sent the young Asante king (Nana Ageyman Prempeh I) into exile.

In 1990, Britain plotted to further humiliate the Asante: The colonial governor Frederick Hodgson demanded that the Asante hand over their Golden Stool, a revered religious and national symbol for the Asante. But the Asante had foreseen this demand and created a fake stool to be given to the British. However the provocation was too much for the Asante: they revolted. An attack on the British fort in Kumasi was led by the legendary Asante woman Yaa Asantewaa.

The Asante were crushed in two years; what was left of the Asante kingdom surrendered to the pressure from England. The kingdom was annexed into the British colony and the area north of the kingdom became a British Protectorate. After World War I the German areas in the East went under British control. Nationalist movements began to rise in the region.

Mining Gold: The old way...

The Road to Independent Ghana

Independence was just a matter of time, and the British leadership probably knew it. The period of Imperial Colonialism was dying throughout the world. In the Gold Coast, legislative elections were held for the first time in 1925. The Asante were allowed to have restricted "autonomy" through the Ashanti Confederacy Council ten years later. After World War II, the USA and USSR lobbied for African Independence. Ghana's Legislative Council held a majority of black Africans, and the British gradually bowed to the pressure for African political representation. 1947, the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) was one of many new political parties striving for independence. Kwame Nkrumah, the future first prime minister of Ghana, was party secretary for UGCC.
February 28, 1948: Riots exploded in Accra when police fired at an anti-colonial demonstration. 29 were killed and hundreds wounded. The following year, dissatisfied with the efforts of UGCC, Kwame Nkrumah resigned and founded the Convention People's Party (CPP). CCP quickly became the major player on the nationalist political scene. In 1950, Nkrumah called for a national strike. He was jailed for his demands for independence. The following year, Nkrumah was released from jail after CPP wins the first election for the Legislative Assembly. In 1952, Nkrumah became the first African prime minister and government leader, but still shared the power with the British governor Sir Charles Arden-Clarke. Nkrumah is re-elected in for the post in 1954 and 1956. The movement toward total independence was inexorable.

...Mining gold the new way.

The Elmina Fort today, Accra, Ghana

Ghana Gold.

Doing Our Homework for Ghana 101

Ghana History, Part One: The Original Ghana

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As the Reeds get ready for their important move, it would be irresponsible of us to do so ignorantly. One of the things that make infamous caricature "the Ugly American" sometimes all too accurate is our ignorance and insensitivity to places we visit or go to live. If we do a bit of homework, our hosts are usually respond with surprise and appreciation that we took the time to learn about them. Beyond that, the more we know about a place, the more we can understand and value the rich heritage underpinning the way others do things. So let's start our study of Ghana by looking at some history.

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First, geographical Ghana as it exists today is only about 50 years old. The former "Gold Coast" became an independent nation in 1957, the first sub-Saharan African nation to do so as colonial influence waned. Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the nation's first Prime Minister, selected the name Ghana, after the ancient empire of the same name.

However, regardless of its name, the ancient Ghana is not geographically, ethnically, or in any other way, related to modern Ghana. It existed about four hundred miles north west of modern Ghana. Ancient Ghana encompassed what is now modern Northern Senegal and Southern Mauritania. The following information comes from the BBC site titled The Story of Africa. If you would like to conduct more research, link to the address at the bottom of this post. Or type "Ghana history" into a search engine like Yahoo or Google.

Origins
Nobody is sure when Ghana came into being. But some time at the beginning of the first millennium AD, it is thought that a number of clans of the Soninke people, (in modern Senegal) came together under a leader with semi-divine status, called Dinga Cisse.

There are different accounts of who he was, but all reports emphasise that he was an outsider who came from afar. It is likely that this federation of Soninke was formed possibly in response to the attacks of nomadic raiders, who were in turn, suffering from drought, and seeking new territory. Further west was the state of Takrur in the Senegal valley. It was linked to the north via a coastal route leading to Morocco via Sjilmasa. What is clear, is that the Empire derived power and wealth from gold. And the introduction of the camel in the Trans-Saharan trade boosted the amount of goods that could be transported.

Most of our knowledge of Ghana comes from Arab writers. Al-Hamdani, for example, describes Ghana as having the richest gold mines on earth. These were situated at Bambuk, on the upper Senegal River. The Soninke also sold slaves, salt and copper, in exchange for textiles, beads and finished goods. The capital of Kumbi Saleh became the focus of all trade, with a systematic form of taxation. Later Audaghust was another commercial centre.

Trade
The route taken by traders of the Maghreb to Ghana would have started in North Africa in Tahert, sweeping down through Sijilimasa in Southern Morocco. From there the trail went south and inland, roughly running parallel with the coast. Then it curved round to the south east through Awdaghust, finally ending up in Kumbi Saleh - the royal town of Ghana.

Islam

Inevitably traders brought Islam with them. Initially, the Islamic community at Kumbi Saleh remained a separate community some distance away from the king's palace. It had its own mosques and schools. But, the king retained his traditional beliefs. He drew on the book-keeping and literary skills of Muslim scholars to help run the administration of the territory. The state of Takrur to the west had already adopted Islam as its official religion and evolved ever closer trading ties with North Africa.

Decline
There were a number of reasons for Ghana's decline. The King lost his trading monopoly. At the same time drought was beginning to have a long term effect on the land and its ability to sustain cattle and cultivation. But the Empire of Ghana was also under pressure from outside forces.

There is an Arab tradition that the Almoravid Muslims came down from the North and invaded Ghana. Another interpretation is that this Almoravid influence was gradual and did not involve any sort of military take-over.

In the 11th and 12th century new gold fields began to be mined at Bure (modern Guinea) out of the commercial reach of Ghana and new trade routes were opening up further east. Ghana became the target of attacks by the Sosso ruler Sumanguru. Out of this conflict, the Malinke emerged in 1235 under a new dynamic ruler, Sundiata Keita. Soon Ghana was totally eclipsed by the Mali Empire of Sundiata.

There were many great African kingdoms before and during the European exploration period.

Ghana, then and now.

One of the few old Ghanaian ruins still standing.


BCC Site: The Story of Africa
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/specials/1624_story_of_africa/index.shtml

ReedNews Update: January

Weather: Heavy overcast and cold, with little snow in the past few days. About ten inches are on the ground. Slight breeze from the Northwest. Temps in the single digits at night, mid 20s in the day.

Wanted to get us all up to speed ala the Reeds on this frigid Friday morn. Some of you know that we left Liberia to begin new, regional responsibilities in Ghana. We remain in Grand Rapids, Michigan USA as we prepare for the move. Our work in Ghana will allow us to continue working with our friends in Liberia, as well as people in six other West African countries.

Renita will be the West African partnership manager for Partners Worldwide.(PW) She will support the existing work in Liberia begun by LEAD, and assist a group in Côte d'Ivoire as they begin the same kind of work. Partners also plans to work in Ghana eventually. The successful model for developing businesses that Renita helped to make work in Liberia has garnered interest in other West Africa nations, so being centrally located in the region makes sense.

Yers Trooly will be working with the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee as the Justice Education Coordinator for the West Africa Ministry Team. I'm still trying to figure out how the position will flesh out, but it at least means acting as a resource person for CRWRC field workers and partners in areas like good governance, conflict transformation, reconciliation, family and gender-based violence. The countries currently included as CRWRC West Africa Team nations are Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. I think both Renita and I will be traveling around the region as part of our work

Hannah and Noah, currently doing great at a school called The Potter's House, will attend one of several schools in Accra, the capital city. We probably will be living in Accra or very close so our school commute will be reasonable.

The Reeds-- at least Renita, Hannah and Noah-- will likely be in Grand Rapids for the next six or seven months. Renita is applying for US citizenship, and the kids will be able finish the semester. I will likely leave for Ghana a it earlier, but it looks like I'll have to hang around at least until US Immigration interviews Renita. It is a bit weird ironic being here, in a place so familiar and at the same time wanting to go to a place we've never been to make a home. But we have plenty to do as we ready ourselves for new responsibilities in Ghana.

The following are pictures of Ghana taken by other travelers.

Independence Arch, celebrating the end of British colonial rule. Downtown Accra. Ghana was the first sub-saharan country to win independence from a colonial power.

Road side market.

Kids are kids...

...where ever you go...

...as are grandmothers.

I kept it brief.

It's Ghana.

I'll Try to Keep it Brief

More Giving Stuff

Weather: Exceptionally cold, with temperatures around -5F (-20c) and wind chills of -20F and more. About a foot of snow remains on the ground. Wind steady from the west at about 10mph.

After my last post, I anticipated a few questions along this line: "So, if giving to poor people messes them up and messes us up, what are we supposed to do to help? Nothing at all? What about the hungry children?" Those kind of great questions came, and provided the opportunity for nice conversations with friends around here. I'm glad for questions like this, because it leads to greater understanding and better options. For those of you Loyal Readers who had similar questions, but don't live close enough for a face to face chat, here are more thoughts on the rich extending a hand to the poor.

There are two aspects of poverty hidden in my post and especially in the questions I've received. The first is the macro issue of poverty, specifically poverty in a specific country or region, like Liberia. By poverty, I mean severely limited access to adequate food, water, shelter, clothing and health care to people on a large scale. Because these social ills are often deeply woven into the historical and cultural tapestry of an area, and also because they are often accompanied by corruption, exploitation of vulnerable populations, violence, and racism, addressing poverty is profoundly complex.

But, if I may be so bold, many Americans loath complex problems. In fact lots of Americans believe there is no such thing as a complex problem. I think that's in part because most Americans like to fix things, and keeping the problem simple makes it easier to fix. So, we usually only deal with the complex and macro problem of poverty on a simple and micro level. A village needs a well, so lets give 'em a well. The kids look sad at this orphanage, so let's give 'em some toys and food and make 'em smile. There is no school in this area, so let's build a school. People live in hovels, so let's build a bunch of houses. Too many individuals and organizations drop some money or a couple weeks into a complex situation, look for that smile or that well or that finished house, and then they simply move on to the next problem to be fixed. But the question to this kind of "fix" is this: if those we are giving to didn't have it before we flew in (often without invitation), what makes us think they'll be able to keep it or maintain it after we fly out?

The problem with addressing the superficial, micro symptoms of complex social ills is that our "easy-in-easy-out fix-it" mentality often ignores one of the key variables essential in supporting quality, long term changes: quality, long term relationships-- relationships committed to mutual change and transformation. On the macro or micro level, organizations/individuals willing to engage other organizations/individuals over time, and willing to be changed by that engagement will make a difference. A key to making a real difference over time is in sticking around, or in partnering with trustworthy people who are sticking.

So what might be some wise ways to approach communities of poverty?

First, by all means let us commit ourselves to doing something. It is true that figuring out how to lend a hand is hard. But that point is also moot. Standing together to alleviate poverty is a matter of justice and righteousness. It is not ok to avoid engaging world poverty because it is too complex, or even because we might make mistakes. So congrats on caring enough to stick with it.

Second, we need to do our homework. The concept of "Do No Harm" is the fundamental principle of international humanitarian intervention, and it sounds like a good motto for all of us as we think of ways to serve the poor. Let's make sure funds and efforts go to trusted people and organizations.

We need to avoid knee-jerk reactions to our own feelings of guilt or pity. Instead, we need to respond to world poverty with measured, informed actions out of a sense of of simple rightness and goodness.

It is wise to commit ourselves over the long term to people or communities in poverty. We must insist that the relationships be mutual, and expect to be changed by the people we get to know. After some time, we may see we were helped more than we helped others. We must resist "easy in/easy out" approaches.

If we cannot commit ourselves long term to people in poverty, we can commit ourselves to organizations who do it the right way. We can find out which humanitarian and mission organizations serve the poor by establishing long-term relationships characterized by mutual impact and change. We can partner with these organizations by offering our time and resources.

If we travel to a community of extreme poverty, we need to listen and watch far more that we talk or act. The complexities of poverty require that we try to understand more than we "do something."

If we travel to a community of extreme poverty in another culture, we need to avoid going with an attitude of "helping Them." We need to avoid expressions of pity, or demeaning behaviors. (e.g. Showing up without invitation, initiating projects based on our assessment of need, photographing people without permission, handing out trinkets, snacks, or candy, uninvited touching or personal assessments to strangers.)

If we choose to participate in short-term mission trips or service projects, we can select those that focus more on listening and creating relationships of mutual benefit and less on the tasks, less on "helping." We need to avoid service projects that are really only about us "fixing" things and not so much about engaging people. (e.g. Staying in compounds, going out and focusing on tasks, then returning at the end of the day.) Ask about the day to day schedule of activities of short term service trips.

We need to be especially careful regarding orphanages. Find out what trusted child oriented humanitarian organizations are doing, find out which orphanages are actually operating with true orphans and children without access to family. There is no doubt that millions of orphans need all the support they can get. But not all orphanages are honorable or ethical. Find out before you give.

The pathway of living a life increasingly consistent with the implications of our faith is not always clear before us. The Reeds have made painful mistakes in attempting to walk with the poor. In some of our clumsy but well-meaning giving to others, we have actually put their lives in jeopardy. Armed robbers have attacked and threaten the lives of people to whom we have given, stealing the gift and more, leaving them bloodied and shaken. And that's only the really bad mistakes. Let's all not give up, let's figure out how to love our neighbor, and let's take our time doing it.

I was just thinking

Giving Stuff

A very dear friend contacted me last week. She is a teacher and asked about having her kids participate in a service project that would provide something "tangible" for some of the very poor Liberians with whom we lived and worked. Renita and I get these offers from time to time, and we always have mixed feelings about them. On the one hand, the offers come from generous hearts wanting to give from that generosity. What could be wrong with that? On the other hand, in some situations, giving out of our desire to give may have little to do with the needs of those we give to and everything to do with meeting our own needs. That kind of giving is not generosity. In my conversation with my teacher friend, it was clear she was aware of the complexities involved to giving to people in cultures of poverty. But not everyone is. It is often more important that those of relative wealth learn about the complexities of poverty and how difficult it is to find solutions, than it is for the person in poverty to get something "tangible." Ironically, both the "Haves" of this world and the "Have Nots" desperately need something intangible with regard to their condition, and it is often in providing the tangible that exacerbates that intangible need.

It is essential to consider what "providing" teaches the "provider" and the "providee." Throughout the developing world, millions of people have been taught to "look outward, whence cometh my help." For millions, "my life cannot possibly be better unless others keep giving me something. I have nothing to give." There might be some truth to this in some places, but not in most. Definitely not in Liberia, as bad as thing are there. But the sense of internal adequacy or self efficacy for many Liberians is very low. By contrast, throughout the industrial world, millions have been taught that they have what everyone else wants, and it is good to "lend a hand" to "give to the needy." They have been conditioned that problems are there to be fixed and that they can fix whatever is broken by sheer force of will. They may think, "The poor have nothing to offer. They will not live better unless I give them something."

Yet both the poor person who thinks she has nothing to offer and the wealthy man who thinks he has nothing to receive are profoundly self-deceived and in desperate need, a need not met by giving or receiving "stuff."

The result of these self deceptions are that when people of means simply give to people in extreme poverty, there is no development, no change in the way either party sees themselves. People of means like to give, and people without anything like to receive. Both the free giving and the free taking reinforce the idea that "You Give I Take" (or "You Take I Give") is exactly the way the relationship equation is supposed to be, and that introduces death to the human spirit on both sides of the equation. Without changing the way we frame the equation, the way we see ourselves in relation to world poverty, how can things possibly change? How will the "Powerful Givers" or "Powerless Receivers" ever see themselves as more than just that?

The challenge is to create opportunities for all involved to see the full "intangible" humanity, intelligence, character and dignity of people in situations of profound poverty, and to help all involved see any spiritual poverty, ignorance, oversimplifying tendencies of people in situations of wealth and access. The challenge is to see poverty of spirit wherever it resides-- in the poor or in the rich, and work to bring people afflicted with various forms of poverty (economic, cultural, spiritual,) together, so that each may enrich the other by what they share in common.

Case in point: If someone "gives" the community a well, who is responsible for the well when the pump head gets stolen and the base crumbles? "How nice. They gave us a well. How sad, the well they gave us is spoiled. Where is the water hole?"

When is giving to an orphanage not helpful? When 80% of the kids are not orphans, when parents are solicited by orphanages to give up their kids so the orphanage has a population of wide-eyed waifs that no compassionate soul with money can resist. To freely give to an orphanage without working to understand how broken the orphanage industry is and how much damage it is doing to Liberian society is to participate in the damage and to enable its continuance.