and I'd also like to thank... internship

Nostalgia is a flavour that can be savoured only in retrospect.

I have often (and I do mean often) bemoaned the state of my medical internship. I've often glanced enviously at my corporate counterparts, imagining the glorious salaries that they were commanding while having clean toilets to use.

Perhaps the sweetness of an experience can only be felt once the madness has passed and given way to a moment (and I do mean moment) of reflection.

Over the past few years I have met patients who didn't have the R8 that it takes to catch a taxi back from the hospital. Eight rand - that's almost a cappuccino. I have seen old ladies cry about one son being on drugs, while two sons were on ARV's. I have been moved by young, strong and able men who would do anything to have a stable job... anywhere.

I've seen how apartheid has raped the social structure that was meant to support individuals, while being exposed to a 'lost generation' , forgotten by politicians and ignored by society.

I have fortunately been allowed into that personal space surrounding a human being , and with guilt I admit that I did not always use this opportunity constructively.

I have seen certain government policies work : I am in awe of poly-clinics (a one-stop-health care-shop). I have also seen the disastrous effects of mixed health-care messages.

I have met AIDS, spat at it and have vowed to never reconcile.

I pray that the Almighty always keeps us close enough to the ground, that we may have the ability to almost-empathise with the 'poorest of the poor', and that He will open up channels for us to help alleviate their plight.

My comfort-bubble has been utterly shaken
for this I'd like to thank ... internship.

Latitudes of Platitudes

From protest to protest
from march to march
our brains in our mouths
our hearts in our pockets

we will give ,
till it doesn't hurt
and shout
till it doesn't rattle

and a slumber
will be lifted
at a time inopportune

and the people shall be sorted
and the scales will be tipped
and regret shall have no virtue

for the ones who spoke
but didn't do

Inverted Reality (more from the archives)

Inverted Reality

'Raise the alarms- Truth has been captured
It was taken across the boarder last night'
Alert the media-
Integrity was caught in crossfire
'Collateral damage' they said.

A freedom fighter by any other name
would smell as sweet
Colonisation dressed up in democracy
will be exposed

'Insurgents of reason are causing unrest'
'Let missiles of liberation silence them'
Defence is aggression
Aggression ... defence
War will bring peace-
It's a pre-emptive strategy

'Breaking news: Truth has
been assassinated,
dragged through the streets and spat on.
Its innards exposed
It's difficult to recognise.'

Morality is impotent
Aggression spreads its seed
Something is amiss-

a reality inverted

Palestine Memories

In trying to enhance some solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Palestine, I dug up some archives, a piece from my trip in 2005.

With our hearts , with our souls, we will defend you Oh Aqsa... really ?

Today is the first day that we go to work in the villages. I realise that I've left my passport at home. Apparently the first rule of international travel is – always keep your passport and money on you(I'm a novice). I don't think that I've been this stressed out ... If they stop us at any of the checkpoints, I could have real problems.

As we pass the checkpoints .. my autonomic nervous system kicks (heart starts beating ,palms start sweating, mouth goes dry ...). Maybe on some small level I'm getting a glimpse into what the Palestinians feel like , having to move around with identity documents (like the'dompas' that we know) , being asked to produce it at the whim of some nineteen-year-old soldier. There are fundamental differences though –I have international immunity (for whatever that's worth) ,this isn't restricting my movement in my own country and I definitely don't have to do this everyday.

I'm thinking about a conversation with Ebrahim yesterday : " but freedom of movement is a basic human right, " he said in disbelief.

Disbelief ...

Hard to believe that all this is happening in our 'civilised world.'

Last night we watched a video showing how the wall surrounds certain towns almost completely.The only access in and out is through security gates manned by soldiers. Then too, you need a valid permit only issued for specific reasons.

According to the elders of the village that we are passing, the well that Prophet Yusuf AS was thrown into, is located here. So much history ... so beautiful ... so tense.

We pass Ar-Rabi military base .



there are military towers jutting out across the landscape . It's so out of place.
We're almost there.

******************
We did some painting at a school in the Tulkarem district. Sometimes I think that we do some volunteer work just to make ourselves feel better. Doest it make a real difference? probably not ... but you sure do feel great afterwards.For the group though ,it was a real bonding experience.

We're on the way back and we're passing another checkpoint. The Palestinians tell us to sing and clap just to provoke the soldiers.It's a really small act of defiance, but why not...

These checkpoints are a humiliating reminder to the Palestinians that their land is being occupied. Also a reminder that I don't have my passport.

Rationality, history... everything... shows that oppression won't last forever. The question here is – how long will it be and what will it take for it to crumble?

Tell it to the wind...

Talk to me of gardens with companions pure
Sing to me through colours unpaletted onto
a canvas of a scene as vivid as a post-rainfall picture
Laugh with me through melodies melting into
unadulterated contentment

Don't tell me in your half anaesthetised state
of the father that you cannot find,
I cannot resurrect your mother
Don't ask me for more drugs
to dry up your tears and
deaden your heart

Let's revel in the contradiction of the African sunshine
lets exploit the fruits of democracy now
hold my hand while we skip salutations
to our struggle heroes under the rainbow

Don't pick at my conscience
or tell me of your reality
for I will be sure to explode
under the pressure of inactivity
how bad can a child headed house-hold really be?
Your eighteen, jump on the bandwagon of BEE,
and leave me be
Don't call me a 'kind person' because
I pretended to listen

Don't tell it to me...
tell it to the wind

It's a cruel , cruel Summer ...

The topic of Refugees is an uncomfortable one. The recent Xenophobic attacks have left our nation with unexplored feelings of guilt. Any psychologist worth their salt will tell you that pent up emotions can't be too healthy.



" who is The Other?"

" why are our levels of tolerance so low?"

" are WE in any way responsible for the refugees?"

While we know that the situation in South Africa is not simply about foreigners, it seems as though we have just wished away discussion around the topic once 'Xenophobia' migrated from the headlines.

The reason that we need to have 'this discussion' is because issues around migration and refugees are sure to gain more importance but less exposure. Reasons for this include nations tightening their boundaries (under the guise of national security), civil-wars, strained resources and climate change.

The first three reasons have been explored to a large extent, but I wish to focus on the last cause for the emerging class of refugees.

The definition for "Environmental Refugees" has not yet been crystallised, but there is a call for a universal definition which would entitle this recognised group to receive aid that is allocated and allowed for refugees. One definition, developed by El-Hinnawi in 1985, sees environmental refugees as: "those people who have been forced to leave their traditional habitat, temporarily or permanently, because of a marked environmental disruption (natural and/or triggered by people) that jeopardized their existence and/or seriously affected the quality of their life [sic]. By ‘environmental disruption’ in this definition is meant any physical, chemical, and/or biological changes in the ecosystem (or resource base) that render it, temporarily or permanently unsuitable to support human life.” (El-Hinnawi quoted from UNU-EHS 2008). Analysis around classification of refugees would show that the classes are interlinked .

The factors driving environmental migration include 'poverty, failing Eco systems, vulnerability to natural hazards and gradual climate-driven environmental change'. (1) Climate change impacts on the environment in the following ways: warming and drying reduces agricultural potential by destroying clean water and fertile soil, it leads to extreme weather events (eg. floods) causing mass migration. Finally, rising sea levels permanently destroys coastal regions, again causing mass migration.

Questions then arise ," do we really need to intervene? will the environment not just regulate itself? can we take responsibility for natural phenomenon?"

An honest analysis would reveal that 'We' (the energy guzzlers of the modern world) , are a direct cause for many of these dramatic events. Conisbee and Simms (2), in the handbook 'environmental refugees - a case for recognition' state: more than any war or political upheaval, global warming stands to displace millions of people. And global warming is being driven by the fossil fuel-intensive lifestyles that the West enjoys."

It becomes a situation (in many cases) of the world's poorest communities paying for the mistakes of the wealthiest nations. This seems to be a recurring theme ... the economic crisis reflects this philosophy as well.

At the moment we find ourselves at the point of trying to define the problem , some circles are still trying to decide weather the problem of 'environmental refugees' actually exists.

Interventions at this point will be far from pro-active, but ignoring the importance of this , in my opinion , is negligent. We have seen (in South Africa) how refugees can bear the brunt of frustrations when it comes to strained resources. The situation globally is sure to worsen , are we prepared?

The experts have cited solutions that include advocacy around these issues. This is an area that is accessible to us. Blog it , read about it , talk to your book club about it. On a small scale, let us be more conscious about our carbon footprint, on a larger scale, let us put pressure on industrialised nations to pay carbon tax - big time .

An interesting and interrelated subject is that of food and water security - watch this space.

on a more Muslim note : Ponder over the attitude of the ansaar towards the muhajireen. They were accepting and truly made the effort to share their resources ...

(1) Morton et. al : Human Seurity Policy Challenges http://www.fmreview.org/FMRpdfs/FMR31/FMR31.pdf
(2) www.neweconomics.org

Will we ever trust them again?

The bold face of capitalism has been irrevocably distorted.

Banks and Multinational Corporations have gained status as shrines of the modernised world. Their continued existence seemed undeniable and their foundations appeared unshakable, while they loomed over our economy with an arrogance that inspired submission.

The global Credit Crisis has altered this perception. The technicalities that lie behind this wreck are intricate but the motivating factor that underlies it is simplistic.

We have come to realise that the promise of great financial rewards allowed brokers, investors and rating agencies to overlook risk under obviously risky circumstances. Perhaps greed can anaesthetise caution.

The cliche of "building a house of cards" must have originated in anticipation of the crisis that we are in the midst of. A greater tragedy than the tenants of capitalism "collapsing like dominoes" (yet another apt cliche) , is the repercussion of this 'crunch'.

While the real consequences of the situation still needs to play itself out, it is obvious that the least fortunate are to become even less fortunate. The American tax payers will be footing the bill of the proposed bailout. Due to the legacy of Globalisation, the trickle-down effects are already being felt.

Although South Africa is relatively insulated from the crisis, we will definitely be feeling the 'pinch'. Being an emerging market, South Africa is sure to bear some brunt of the mistakes made on Wall-Street.

The most difficult aspect for me to accept is the fact that international aid organisations will be compromised. Laura MacInnis (Reuters) reports : "Washington in particular would be under severe pressure to pare its international aid spending after agreeing a $700 billion financial rescue package, said Steve Radelet, a senior fellow at the Centre for Global Development."

Organisations confirming concern about the negative impact that the crisis will have on aid, include Oxfam and the WHO.

With faith in the capitalist system at an all time low, alternate financial systems have come under the spotlight. Tanya Cariina Hsu (a political researcher and analyst), in a paper entitled, "Death of the American Empire" mentions that eight years ago, Saudi Islamic banker Dr. Nayef bin Fawaaz ibn Sha'alan gave a series of economic lectures in Gulf states ."Islamic banking", he said, "always protects the individuals' wealth while putting a cap on selfishness and greed. It has the best of capitalism - filtering out its negatives - and the best of socialism - filtering out its negatives too ... The essential difference between the Islamic economic system and the capitalist system is that in Islam wealth belongs to God - the individual being only its manager. It is a means, not a goal. In capitalism, it is the reverse: money belongs to the individual, and is a goal in and of itself. In America especially, money is worshipped like God.".

She goes on to say : "the crash of the entire global economic system is a result of America's fiscal arrogance based upon one set of rules for itself and another for the rest of the world. Its increased creative financing deluded its people into a false sense of security, and now looks like the failure of capitalism altogether."

Perhaps economists understanding the solutions offered by Islamic Finance should 'capitalise' on this opportunity to fill a void.

The real face of the financial crisis will be revealing itself gradually in the months and years ahead ...
during this time I pray for compassion and patience - for all.