Today, I am thinking about Africa

Almost every morning I sit down to my computer with a big cup of coffee, or two or three depending on the day, click on "Shannon's favorites" in my bookmarks, and hit "Open all in tabs". This opens up about 30 links, mostly blogs and news sources.

Most of the blogs I read are personal, my new favorite is Montessori Mama, rather lighthearted and full of ideas on how to help my child grow up in a loving and creative environment.

I mostly read the New York Times for News, and I hit a few other sources as well.

One of those sources is African Path. Today's African Path headline is Angola Welcomes Responsible Foreign Investments.

This is GOOD NEWS. This is a GOOD THING. The first two paragraphs of the article:

Mail and Guardian reports, "A high-level mission from Angola has visited Portugal to entice potential investors with new business opportunities arising from the new-found stability in the south-western African nation, one of the fastest-growing economies in the world today.

But, they warned, foreign investors should forget about merely transferring profits abroad without leaving any benefits behind.

Now granted, we can come up with all kinds of reasons why this might not be so great, but in general, it is so nice to see reports coming out of Africa about growth, stabilization, and a higher calling in economic opportunities.

The New York Times is thinking about Africa today too.

I highly recommend watching this slide show and commentary about what is happening in Darfur.

It seems like because we have known about genocide in Darfur for so long now, no one wants to talk about it or think about it anymore. Some people question my own interest in Darfur as some sort of white, liberal "cause" and wonder why I even care, or act as if I only care in some superficial sense. After all, I do very little to stop it myself, I don't write letters or call senators about it (anymore), but when I read or watch a piece about it, a piece of my heart opens back up. I carry it with me all day, and I REMEMBER. I begin to know and understand a little more why Coach Purses have so little meaning or place in my life.

A few more NYT pieces about Africa today:

Signs in Kenya of a Land Redrawn by Ethnicity

Turmoil in Africa Alters Focus of Bush’s 5-Nation Tour

China Rejects Darfur Criticism

Zimbabwe: Inflation Surges to Official 66,000%

So, the point isn't to get all depressed and overwhelmed, but to be aware, and to care. I have a hard time grasping why people don't care. I get how they might not get it, how they might not understand, or how they might not know how to respond, but in my world, I want to know what is happening across the ocean, in both the northern and southern hemispheres. It feels right to think about my life in terms of other people's lives and experiences.

And while I should wrap this up because it is already too wordy and lacks good flow, I will stop instead with a political rant, one of which I think kind of sums up my exasperation with the political right, and the general lack of compassion in our world.

On my old block there was a car with three bumper stickers. One said, "Go Cubs!" Another said, "Vote for Bush!" The third bumper sticker said in simple white letters on a black background, "I don't really give a fuck."

(oh, and p.s. if you want to practice up on you African Geography, I love this game: http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/African_Geography.htm)

What are you thinking about today?