- Idland: The better critique of the Oprah critique
Another excellent post on Oprah’s Academy. The question raised by Financial Times - I have also asked on this site, and it’s one I have yet to find a good answer to, not even from Inland. One thing that I have noticed is why some sensible questions always seem to provoke off-the-point and often negative responses?
- Business in Africa: Africa Must Look East
“China is not (morally) different to the West, from an African perspective,†he says. “It’s not better or worse. They all want our resources. The real issue is how can we, as Africans, take advantage of the opportunity.â€
You write: “[W]hy some sensible questions always seem to provoke off-the-point and often negative responses?”
Engagement is key, and I appreciate that you encourage that in your writing.
When the rich and notable get engaged in African issues it doesn’t necessarily lead to productive engagement by regular folks, but sometimes it does.
For folks like me who have to think hard about $40 not $40 million dollars the pros and cons of Oprah’s investment seems pretty abstract. Could that money be better spent? Maybe, but I’ve got to had it to her that she is engaged. From what I understand she’s setting this up with the intention that she’s going to live there at least part of the time; it’s a long-term commitment.
I think regular folks can be engaged. Oprah and Bono get savaged for being so different–”the rich are different from us.” But I’ve got to hand it to Bono at least for showing ways for how regular can be engaged.
The great thing about blogs is mostly their the product of regular people. I think we bloggers just have to step up to the plate and encourage engagement as we can. Sure, our engagement will be different from the rich, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be significant.
January 12, 2007 at 2:53 pm
Thanks for the comment John.
January 13, 2007 at 5:32 pm