Open Letter to Our Kenyan Friends in Ireland

What Happened to Dr Wangari Maathai’s Legacy?

Dear Kenyans in Ireland

We are writing to you about an issue which is a matter of urgency and great importance.

On Christmas Day at lunchtime, the following Advert, Effects of Climate Change in Africa: The Human Cost was aired on RTÉ One television.

One may never know the reason why the sponsors of the advert decided to schedule this to be transmitted at that particular time; needless to say, imagine if an Irish family had invited African guests for Christmas dinner?

The stated date for this advert as seen on YouTube is 27 January, 2021; and it has been airing on Irish television channels over the last twelve months.

Two issues currently under public discussion in Ireland are: 

mental health; and 

attitudes towards ‘the other’, including people of African heritage.

Under normal circumstances, it would be preferable if those who are the subject of a story in question would speak for themselves and respond accordingly.

However, because recipients of messages might not necessarily make a distinction, but would rather tend to see a story from one relatively small part of Africa as representative of an entire continent, something needs to be done.

The classrooms in Ireland are where your children are receiving their education. This is also were messages by non-educational bodies about Africa are directed.

 

Here is what Professor Jane Plastow of Leeds University Centre for African Studies wrote:

Whether consciously or not, the words and images we use about a place and / or its people evoke powerful feelings in those they are meant to portray, and the reaction of Professor Plastow’s son is an illustration of this.

Dear Kenyan parents in Ireland, do you know how your children feel being subjected to these messages, both in the classrooms and at home through television adverts?

Kenya 🇰🇪 is the home of the Green Belt Movement, @GreenBeltMovmnt 🌳 which was founded by the late Dr Wangari Maathai. This was also long before the world woke up to the environmental crisis.

The world had now come to know and remember the late Dr Maathai as the recipient of the following awards: 

Right Livelihood Award (1984)

Goldman Prize (1991)

Nobel Prize (2004)

West Africans, for example, are envious of the fact that the late professor was not ‘one of our own’, so to speak; notwithstanding, we are equally delighted to share your happiness in her successes.

What, therefore, would the late Dr Maathai be thinking from her final resting place about this depiction of her Motherland here in Ireland through the advert referred to?

Twenty-six years ago to the day today, the 16th of February, Comhlámh organised a Conference which was attended by representatives of all the Irish NGOs involved in projects in Africa; yours truly was in the audience.

The guest speaker was Dr Ikaweba Bunting, former Oxfam Communications Officer for East Africa and a citizen of your neighbouring country, Tanzania.

Below, was what he had to say, among a lot of things, during his presentation:

Dear Kenyans living in Ireland, can the rest of Africa rely on you, our East African friends, to allow your “voices of dissent to be heard”?

We hope so.