An African man was the last person I expected to find in Northern Ireland. I was a few miles short of County Donegal, the most remote and commonly Gaelic-speaking region of the island and there he was: a Kenyan standing in the front of our classroom, introducing himself as our professor.
In fact, he turned out to be the only black man in the entire town of Derry. Tall, dark, and extremely proud – he stuck out miserably against the pasty-faced drunks that populated the streets and where I as an American was much more familiar with different colors, the Irish were clearly ill at ease.
Regrettably, I don’t remember his name, but he taught me everything one should know about Africa. The day he left, he gave us two books for suggested reading that really rocked my reality: “Lords of Poverty” by Graham Hancock and “Africa Unchained” by George Ayittey. If you haven’t already, you should read them as soon as you’re done reading this – or at least take a look at George Ayittey’s latest plea.
A celebrated African economist and co-founder of Radio Free Africa, Ayittey was featured this week on BBC’s 60 Second Idea to Improve the World. He stated:
“I would like everyone to write the following on postcards and send to governments around the world. Freedom of expression and of thought was not invented by the West. It has existed in traditional societies — even primitive ones — for centuries. Human progress would not have been possible without it. I’m saying this as a black African from Ghana because today around the world, we have “educated” barbarians who want to suppress this freedom by arresting and jailing dissidents, writers, journalists and those they disagree with. In fact, the UN should expel those countries that do not respect Freedom of expression, which is Article 19 of the UN Human Rights charter.
When everyone has written this thought on postcards and sent them, they should also put them on POSTERS and hang them up in market places, in windows, on the sides of buildings everywhere. So that around the world will be the unmistakable visual reminder of the freedom everywhere.”
BBC’s featured Forum panelists – Renaissance scholar, Lisa Jardine and Defense Expert, D.P.W. Singer – go on to discuss with Ayittey the implications of his idea. All agree in principle, but the idea of “naming and shaming” those who do not comply with rights of free speech will likely be ineffective. As with most responses to the UN, it is clear that the perpetrators behind the suppression of free speech in Africa know full well what they are doing and do not have any intention of stopping due to a wagging finger.
Jardine points out that the problem still lies in education. You have to have the knowledge that you are free and what it means before you can begin to fight for that freedom. Most Africans do not have that basic education. Fortunately,with his organization Radio Free Africa, that’s exactly what Ayittey intends to deliver to his people.
Founded in 2008, Radio Free Africa recognizes the critical importance of an independent and free media – to facilitate the free flow of information, to expose wrongdoing, and to disseminate ideas. Their current projects include compiling news and resources related to the power of free media in Africa, academic and policy review, legislative outreach, technology outreach, and locating the hot spots of Article 19 violations.
“Africa is poor because it is not free,” Ayittey asserts. His postcard idea is meant to combat the cracking down against the press that is characteristic in many African nations. If everyone puts out a postcard, the government cannot persecute everyone. Radio Free Africa is modeled after Radio Free Europe, a free broadcasting organization for Europe that was unveiled after WWII to combat communism. The postcard idea is just one example of how Ayittey makes a compelling argument for his home continent wherever he goes. Another is his book. Another is his speech at the 2007 TED conference. Undoubtedly, the man will be tireless until freedom of expression exists wholeheartedly in Africa.
Radio Free Africa
Radio Free Africa recognizes the critical importance of an independent and free media for Africa.
- Organizatio n Type: Non-Profit
- Website: http://www.radiofreeafrica.org/
- Founder(s): George Ayittey and David Goodman
- Founded: 2008
- Location: across Africa
- See complete company list here
