I always knew about Mohandas Gandhi. I knew that he was a peaceful man who championed peaceful protest called satyagraha. However, his physical presence in South Africa from 1893 until 1914 was lost on me. He originally came to South Africa to work for Dada Abdulla & Company, but stayed well past his intended return to India once it became clear that the colonial government planned to deny Indians some of their rights.
Yesterday I attended the 100 year celebration of Tolstoy Farm, a farm originally envisioned by Gandhi and his friend, Hermann Kallenbach, located just outside of Johannesburg. I was originally purchased with the intent of it being a communal farm for passive resisters and their families. Also, the simple style of living was intended to prepare passive resisters for prison.
A large number of people showed up for the celebrations despite the chilly weather (it's not always sunny in South Africa, unfortunately). Furthermore, since only the foundations of the farm remain (it is no longer a working farm), a large tent was set up. The program consisted of a number of different events, from lecturers to a dance group and a "youth" group singing Gandhi's favorite hymn. And by "youth," I mean teens and early 20s. The lecturers were amazing, especially Ela Gandhi, Mohandas Gandhi's granddaughter, who is also politically active and an advocate of peaceful struggle. She stressed the importance of education, peace, and leading a simple life. Within the latter topic, she explained that if you take less, more is available to others.
The program ended with the planting of a tree..followed by people getting into their cars and turning up the heat.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Is the World Cup good for South Africans?
Last week I toured some of the most desperate areas of Johannesburg. Areas of Soweto and Alexandra ('Alex') Township can best be described as situations of dire poverty. Alex is approximately 8 km² and population estimates are between 450,000 and just under 1 million. Some areas contain dwellings that are nothing more than tin shacks and unsuitable for habitation. In the whole of South Africa, 41% (a 2008 statistic) of the population lives below the poverty line (cited at R367/month, or approximately $45USD/mo. (*Statistics cited in the NMF's 'Community Conversations,' p.15).
The cost of hosting the World Cup in South Africa is around R9.8 billion or 1.3 billion USD (2008 estimates). See: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/217096,2010-world-cup-to-cost-south-africa-much-more-than.html.
New stadiums have been built when many adequate structures already existed in the respective host cities.
Do you see the dilemma?
Hosting the World Cup is obviously an honor and a privilege, and a way to place South Africa on the world stage, but at what expense?
The cost of hosting the World Cup in South Africa is around R9.8 billion or 1.3 billion USD (2008 estimates). See: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/217096,2010-world-cup-to-cost-south-africa-much-more-than.html.
New stadiums have been built when many adequate structures already existed in the respective host cities.
Do you see the dilemma?
Hosting the World Cup is obviously an honor and a privilege, and a way to place South Africa on the world stage, but at what expense?
Friday, May 7, 2010
Arrival
I've arrived in Johannesburg! I arrived last evening around 6pm after a 15-hour flight from Atlanta. I was picked up from the airport by Verne Harris. Yes, the Verne Harris. Pretty incredible. All my fellow archives and records management students definitely should recognize this name thanks to Professors MacNeil and Duff. He's a really interesting guy and I cannot wait to learn more about archives and South Africa from him.
We also stopped in at the Foundation so that I could see where I would be working and meet a few of the employees who were still around. I met a nice woman (whose name I cannot remember...ugh, I'm so bad with names sometimes) who I will be working with, and Sello who was busy working on a CD-rom for Mandela day. I will be heading back to the Foundation today at 2, along with Wendy, the intern from the University of Manitoba, for a more formal introduction.
The bed and breakfast (Abbotsford House) is lovely. It's located in a northern suburb of Johannesburg and is so peaceful. It's also really close to the Mandela Foundation.
The one negative thing so far is that Delta lost one of my two bags. Thankfully, it was located and should arrive this afternoon. On the bright side, it was my small bag so at least I had a change of clothes.
That's all for now since I want to squeeze in a nap before 2.
-Lindsay
We also stopped in at the Foundation so that I could see where I would be working and meet a few of the employees who were still around. I met a nice woman (whose name I cannot remember...ugh, I'm so bad with names sometimes) who I will be working with, and Sello who was busy working on a CD-rom for Mandela day. I will be heading back to the Foundation today at 2, along with Wendy, the intern from the University of Manitoba, for a more formal introduction.
The bed and breakfast (Abbotsford House) is lovely. It's located in a northern suburb of Johannesburg and is so peaceful. It's also really close to the Mandela Foundation.
The one negative thing so far is that Delta lost one of my two bags. Thankfully, it was located and should arrive this afternoon. On the bright side, it was my small bag so at least I had a change of clothes.
That's all for now since I want to squeeze in a nap before 2.
-Lindsay
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Departure: 5 Days!
The departure date keeps drawing nearer and nearer. I know that this is what usually happens with time, but I can't believe that it is coming up so soon! So, before that time comes, I want to ensure that I adequately cover the steps I took in preparation for this magnificent adventure.
I found out in mid-March that I was selected for the internship, and have been preparing ever since. Previous University of Toronto interns, including both Victoria and Juanita, have been an invaluable source of information in my preparation. Without them, I would have arrived in Johannesburg with a suitcase full of shorts (it's winter in Africa) and uncertainty.
Also, since I am an American student studying in Toronto, I faced a few unexpected challenges that I may not have encountered otherwise.
I would organize (because that's what information professionals do!) my pre-departure process into three categories:
1.) Visa
2.) Medical
3.) Other stuff
Visa:
The South African High Commission requires visitors to South Africa who are staying over 90 days to obtain a visa. All of the requirements, which can be found on the Toronto consulate's website, are straightforward and easily obtainable. For example, obtaining a Canadian police certificate demands only a trip to the Metro Toronto Police Headquarters and a week to process/ship. However, as an American citizen, I also needed to obtain an American police certificate. This process requires a mailed request and fingerprints to the FBI in West Virginia. The processing time was 13 weeks. So, roughly 3 months. This unfortunately ruled out a 90+ day stay for me. Fortunately, the Foundation approved an 89 day stay. I will now be staying in South Africa on a general tourist visa, obtained upon arrival in Johannesburg.
One more thing: you need 2 blank passport pages upon arrival in South Africa. One is for the arrival stamp and one is for departure. My passport had the required 2 pages. More specifically, I had 3. Obviously I am in fine shape to arrive in South Africa on May 6, but since my motto is 'always prepared,' I decided to get additional pages during my brief stay in the United States rather than wait to visit the U.S. consulate in Johannesburg. Today I made an appointment at the Detroit passport agency and dropped off my passport for pick-up on Monday. So, although it is difficult to get a get a police certificate quickly, it's nice to know that there is a face-to-face option to get passport pages added or to get a new, shiny passport quickly.
Medical:
I visited the travel clinic about a month ago. The doctor explained the type of vaccinations I needed for the area that I was going to live in (Johannesburg) and any additional medications needed for travel elsewhere. For Johannesburg, the doctor urged me to ensure I was up-to-date on all general vaccines, including DTaP (diptheria, tetanus, pertussis), and that I had received a recent Polio booster. He also recommended the Hepatitis A vaccine. I opted to also get the typhoid vaccine.
Since some areas of South Africa are malarious (ie: Kruger Park), the doctor advised me to get malaria medication...just in case I visited these areas. He also prescribed medications for another common ailment: traveler's diarrhea. These were optional, of course.
I chose to be overcautious by purchasing all of the 'optional' medication, because, as I said, I like to be prepared.
**Please keep in mind that the I am not prescribing the above as medical advice. Definitely visit a travel clinic before any visit to Africa.
Other Stuff:
This section is pretty much a hodgepodge of stuff that fits nowhere else.
Weather - Thanks to conversations with the lovely Victoria, I learned that May until August are winter months in Africa. Although an African winter does not equal snow and ice, it also does not equal sun and shorts. I am bringing a wool jacket and gloves for the cool mornings.
Banking - Canadian and American banks generally allow 4-8 digit PIN numbers on debit and credit cards. However, the accepted number in South Africa is 4-5 numbers. The UofT Safety Abroad seminar alerted me to this fact, and I adjusted my numbers accordingly.
For now, that is all I can think of.
Until next time,
-Lindsay
I found out in mid-March that I was selected for the internship, and have been preparing ever since. Previous University of Toronto interns, including both Victoria and Juanita, have been an invaluable source of information in my preparation. Without them, I would have arrived in Johannesburg with a suitcase full of shorts (it's winter in Africa) and uncertainty.
Also, since I am an American student studying in Toronto, I faced a few unexpected challenges that I may not have encountered otherwise.
I would organize (because that's what information professionals do!) my pre-departure process into three categories:
1.) Visa
2.) Medical
3.) Other stuff
Visa:
The South African High Commission requires visitors to South Africa who are staying over 90 days to obtain a visa. All of the requirements, which can be found on the Toronto consulate's website, are straightforward and easily obtainable. For example, obtaining a Canadian police certificate demands only a trip to the Metro Toronto Police Headquarters and a week to process/ship. However, as an American citizen, I also needed to obtain an American police certificate. This process requires a mailed request and fingerprints to the FBI in West Virginia. The processing time was 13 weeks. So, roughly 3 months. This unfortunately ruled out a 90+ day stay for me. Fortunately, the Foundation approved an 89 day stay. I will now be staying in South Africa on a general tourist visa, obtained upon arrival in Johannesburg.
One more thing: you need 2 blank passport pages upon arrival in South Africa. One is for the arrival stamp and one is for departure. My passport had the required 2 pages. More specifically, I had 3. Obviously I am in fine shape to arrive in South Africa on May 6, but since my motto is 'always prepared,' I decided to get additional pages during my brief stay in the United States rather than wait to visit the U.S. consulate in Johannesburg. Today I made an appointment at the Detroit passport agency and dropped off my passport for pick-up on Monday. So, although it is difficult to get a get a police certificate quickly, it's nice to know that there is a face-to-face option to get passport pages added or to get a new, shiny passport quickly.
Medical:
I visited the travel clinic about a month ago. The doctor explained the type of vaccinations I needed for the area that I was going to live in (Johannesburg) and any additional medications needed for travel elsewhere. For Johannesburg, the doctor urged me to ensure I was up-to-date on all general vaccines, including DTaP (diptheria, tetanus, pertussis), and that I had received a recent Polio booster. He also recommended the Hepatitis A vaccine. I opted to also get the typhoid vaccine.
Since some areas of South Africa are malarious (ie: Kruger Park), the doctor advised me to get malaria medication...just in case I visited these areas. He also prescribed medications for another common ailment: traveler's diarrhea. These were optional, of course.
I chose to be overcautious by purchasing all of the 'optional' medication, because, as I said, I like to be prepared.
**Please keep in mind that the I am not prescribing the above as medical advice. Definitely visit a travel clinic before any visit to Africa.
Other Stuff:
This section is pretty much a hodgepodge of stuff that fits nowhere else.
Weather - Thanks to conversations with the lovely Victoria, I learned that May until August are winter months in Africa. Although an African winter does not equal snow and ice, it also does not equal sun and shorts. I am bringing a wool jacket and gloves for the cool mornings.
Banking - Canadian and American banks generally allow 4-8 digit PIN numbers on debit and credit cards. However, the accepted number in South Africa is 4-5 numbers. The UofT Safety Abroad seminar alerted me to this fact, and I adjusted my numbers accordingly.
For now, that is all I can think of.
Until next time,
-Lindsay
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