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10 Responses to “Miss Landmine [Angola]: A Grotesque Display of Insensitivity”

1. OK Imnakoya, a sugestion.

   Would not the money have been better invested taking these ten girls and putting them through a language and secretarial course (for example) allowing their gainful employment and a means by which they could escape the discrimination they have to live with by demonstrating the useful contribution to society that they could make? Seeing them as productive citizens would do more to highlight the inhuman horror of landmines, the legacy they leave behind and awareness for the victims than parading them in such a questionable and obviously, as far of the future of this particular project is concerned, unsustainable maner.

   It is not just in Africa that handicapped people suffer discrimination. The rest of the world had to introduce legislation to combat it. In Angola, these poor people are generally referred to as ‘Mutilados’, the mutilated. If they do not have a family to take care of them, they are reduced to begging on the streets in abject poverty. By re-introducing them into society, the same society that has shunned, or at the very least ignored them, that society will gradually come to accept them.

   Below is the article that I wrote on the project:

   Jump on the bandwagon; it’s there for the taking.

   Imnakoya laments the fact that with so many talented African artists, such a dubious initiative by a non-African can gather so much funding.

   The black looks site describes the project as a ‘highly offensive, disgusting exploitation of African women’

   The only report on this that I can find in the international press (a cursory internet search I have to admit) was on the blog of Peter Walker, a Guardian on line correspondent, whose article, ‘A Travesty of Beauty?’, made no informed comment and ended with a lame: ‘Brave and liberating or appallingly misjudged? Surely the question remains open.’ Perhaps Mr. Walker was merely setting the scene for informed debate.

   The latest resourcing update for the World Food Programme in Angola makes for depressing reading. The requirement is for some $90 million dollars over the next two years. The biggest donors so far are the USA with just over $4.5 million followed by France with $3.6 million (the two countries with the most valuable oil production and exploration concessions in Angola), followed by Japan, the UN, and Angola itself with donations of around $2 million dollars. Portugal, the former colonial power in Angola came in with a generous $200,000 and Norway with half that. That leaves a shortfall of nearly $65 million, or precisely 71.84% of what is needed.

   Visit the websites of GOAL and other worthy charities, and you will find the same thing. WFP hand out food. Nothing complicated, no hidden agendas; until something better and more sustainable comes along, they will try and put sustenance into starving bellies. GOAL, from my experience, do something similar, although not on such a grand and well funded scale. They will try and provide shelter for starving and abused orphans; will provide clean water and health education, at the very least a sympathetic Irish shoulder to cry on. They all, though, are trying to dip into a pot that very definitely has a bottom.

   With funding never likely to meet demand, one would imagine that only the most deserving projects would benefit from the largesse of government development programmes or altruistic corporations and individuals. Although sometimes harsh and often crude, it would not be unreasonable to assume that each proposal would at least in part be measured on its ‘cost to beneficiary ratio’, the idea of helping as many as possible per limited dollar expended. Being humans, however, means that no matter how hard we try to remain objective and dispassionate, emotion will always play a part in our decision making process. Emotion is a good thing. It is what distinguishes us from animals and makes us more or less civilised. Without it we would not have the desire to achieve, compassion, or love. It is also the weakness that the less scrupulous can exploit.

   Imagine if, as a morally bankrupt individual, a person was able to identify a highly emotive and topical cause. Imagine if that person went still further and connected the first with some other cause equally current and just as emotive, its emotional appeal would accelerate the project proposal straight to the top of the bureaucrat’s in-tray.

   I have no idea what Norwegian artist Morten Traavik was on when he had his ‘Eureka’ moment but whatever it was, it must have been good stuff. I can imagine him sweating it out in his sauna, ice-cold aquavit in one hand, a huge spliff in the other. Some lissome young lady swatting hot coals with the branch of a fir tree, when all of a sudden it occurred to him to link the landmine issue with the ‘empowerment’ of African women.

   Traavik has managed to persuade enough people and organizations to fund a beauty pageant for female landmine victims, ‘Miss Landmine 2007′. He even managed to get the Angolans to donate $15,000. His stated intention was to select one girl from each of Angola’s 18 provinces. In the end, he managed just ten in spite of the fact that he paid them for their services.

   His intention, after an exhibition of his work soon to take place in Oslo, is to create a Cosmopolitan style magazine featuring the lucky girls posing with a variety of specially designed clothes and prosthetics. For whose benefit, one wonders? I cannot see the average Angolan amputee rushing out to buy the magazine; they are lucky if they can beg enough on the streets to be able to eat. Even the future of the original ten Miss Landmine’s is not certain. Traavik’s website clearly states in reference to the sustainability of the project, ‘…for the project to grow and develop, with or without the assistance of the original Miss Landmine team’.

   Whichever way you look at it, the project does smack of cynical exploitation.

   What concerns me though, is not so much the moral indignation that this project arouses, as the sheer waste of valuable funding. The project may well do some good. It will help to spotlight the inhuman horror of landmines; it will raise awareness of the victims, albeit amongst a limited audience; it will undoubtedly have earned for the ten girls greater self-confidence and no-one should blame them for accepting money to take part. But please do not try and convince me that this was the wisest use of scarce funding. Look at it this way. Who gains the most from this project in the long term? The ten girls, or the artist?

   Another thing that worries me is the standard of photography. A child with a disposable Kodak could take better composed and lit photographs than the examples that Traavik has displayed on his site. Even the quality of his work is questionable.

   I have no idea what this project will cost in the long term but it will be a significant amount. With all the serious and well-conceived proposals out there begging for funding, how is it possible that presumably sane donors decided to fund this project, a project that benefits so few and offends so many? Mr Walker charitably provides the alternative interpretation of ‘brave and liberating’. ‘Plain daft’ is the expression that sprngs to my mind.

   I have a good idea for a project. It appeals emotionally to those that are interested in oppressed minorities, animal rights, gender issues and rightful ownership. It is called, ‘Land Rights for Gay Whales’.

   By Hippo
   March 27, 2007 at 8:14 am

2. Even though western humanitarian efforts keep showing that they apparently lack understanding of the real issues affecting Africa, I find it had to condemn them. afterall, they are doing something! Ethopia, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Eretrea and Sierra Leone getting headlines in international media for all the wrong reasons.And we are not yet doing enough in these parts to address the issues. We shouldn’t, for instance, sit back and let Zimbabwe fall into the cesspit of history and then blame western “charitable efforts” for not finding a solution to “our (leadership)African problems”

   By Adeleke Adesanya
   March 27, 2007 at 11:00 am

3. I agree with you wholeheartedly. My friend, the BBC stringer in Angola is desperately frustrated at the lack of positive reporting on African issues. Sadly, only misery, corruption and pop stars seem to be newsworthy nowadays.

   No-one can condemn an honest effort, however misguided, to help alleviate suffering worldwide (not just in Africa), but this Miss Landmine thing reeks of self aggrandaisement and opportunism. One cannot condemn the poor old donors, they have simply been taken in by a clever proposal.

   I was once asked to write up a proposal for the demining of a stretch of road in northern Mozambique the clearance of which, would result for organisations like the WFP, access to a significant number of beneficiaries. Having reconnoitered the road, I calculated that it would cost nearly a million dollars and three months to clear it. I asked a Danish friend of mine who was busy rehabilitating roads how much it would cost to bulldoze a new road 100 metres to the side of the old road. Just 200,000 including marking off the danger area and only two weeks to do the job.

   The charity for whom I was to write the proposal were livid with me for I had apparently denied them a lucrative project by providing for the donors, a much more cost effective solution.

   I could appreciate their point of view but my conscience could not alow me to sympathise with them.

   By Hippo
   March 27, 2007 at 1:15 pm

4. [...] Miss Landmine [Angola]: A Grotesque Display of Insensitivity [...]

   By Grandiose Parlor » Blog Archive »
   March 28, 2007 at 12:51 pm

5. Hello
   I have been following your discussion with interest. As the managing director for the Mineseeker Foundation operation in South Africa, I would like to draw your attention to out campaign “The Sole Of Africa”. The “sole’ is intentional as it is representative of the feet that people loose when treading on a landmine.

   Our campaign is to use new technology using airships to scan the ground. However, this is just one part of the problem, onece we have identified and declared land safe from landmines, what then ? This is why we have partner with other NGO’s to form a program that’s vision is “Africa feeding Africa”.

   I have to agree that although it is hard hitting to have a fashion showm it is also the REALITY of the situation. A situation which is constantly being overshadowed by other issues.

   We are currntly at the start of our global awareness campaign and we are focussed on raising the landmine issue to the highest levels. We have the backing of Nelson Mandela and high level patrons, so we are confident that we will succeed.

   Should you iwsh any further information please contact me at info@thesoleofafrica.org.za

   Best wishes
   Kai Von Pannier
   MD - Mineseeker SA
   The Sole of Africa

   By Kai
   April 10, 2007 at 10:18 am

6. [...] The post -”Miss Landmine [Angola]: A Grotesque Display of Insensitivity” generated a feedback from another NGO working to rid Mozambique and Angola of landmines. [...]

   By Grandiose Parlor » Blog Archive » The Sole of Africa: From Landmines to Farmlands
   April 10, 2007 at 7:31 pm

7. Hi
   While ago back in 2006, i wrote to the team encharged about Miss landmine project raising many aspects of this project. I have never received a reply to this day I send you the text i have fowraded to the team at the time which involved people that seem no longer there…

   Dear Mr.,
   I am writing to you expressing my concern with an event you are organizing entitled Miss Landmine
   which came to my knowledge while browsing the internet and of which I and the general public have
   no access in no other language rather than the English or Norwegian.
   My concerns are with the following points:
   (1) The event purposes
   (2) The event is organized mainly with revenue for the organizing team hence it seems there will be no
   financial counterpart for the contestants involved and presuming the organizing team doesn’t live
   annually in the place of such an event the financial budget involved in a country like Angola with
   one of the highest costs for travelling and living must be high.
   (3) The event organizers in linking children/teenagers under 18 victims of mines with an
   entertainment show where these same children are paraded and taken pictures and voted by mainly
   foreigners seems to ignore the fact that human zoos were part of sad history of racialization,
   Imperialism and Colonialism in the late 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries and have made its
   come back with recent events in Germany and Belgium.
   Of which Sarah Baartman is the most known case only solved with the return of her remains to her
   homeland in 2002.
   (4) Solidarity and mutual communication/information/ understanding are a questionable side of this
   enterprise and seem to be in contrast with exhibiting, subjugating to the public children victims of
   mines in the internet for no money for the participants but in clear financial and promotional advantage
   of the organizers.
   (5) None of the elements of the team seem to have experience in working with children or with film or
   with photography which questions their ability to take part in a project like this more, none of them
   seem to be fully able to speak Portuguese or any other local language fluently.
   Which leads to question of the artistic nature of such project and any possibility of communication
   between team and contestants..
   (6) Images such as this similar to those dating from old times contribute to the stereotyping of
   Africans as miserable, poor or freaks which sometimes are these days promoted as multiculturalism.
   (7) The contestants participation seems to have no legal documents, i.e., are there contracts between
   the organization and the adults responsible for the contestants in their own language explaining their
   rights what use their image will have, their gains and the risks of such images being exploited so on.
   And again in their own language?
   (8) Is the organization aware of the sexual exploitation of children in African countries not rarely by
   highly respected institutions like UN (recent example abuse of children under 13 DR Congo) and if so
   what measures has the project instituted to avoid such abuse inside the organization and from other
   parts.
   (9) Are the pictured contestants images protected and for what and under which circumstances will
   they be used. And is this written legally and accepted by both parties involved.
   (10) In the current global economy when marketing of difference is big business and when educational
   institutions and so called charity , humanitarian organizations such as NGO’s need to generate more
   revenues, the incentives towards racialization and towards sensationalism seem to become a more
   common practise.
   (11)Because of all this: racialization , paternalistic and exploitative aspects are facilitated by events
   like this, (promoted in English and Norwegian and not in the language of the children involved ), and
   are not harmless or inoffensive . This because they fall back on the purposes enumerated before andon a past history. Therefore a project of this nature can contribute to more discrimination and induce
   in perverse images of Angolan and African people. Sadly enough its similarity with freak shows is
   frightening.
   I will develop some of those points furthermore with the information that has been made available to
   me which is little, hence all of it is in English or Norwegian.
   The event: Financial characteristics of the event, financial interests , other interests
   1) The Team
   Financial Advantages, its Background
   The idea of organizing an event like this comes from a team where the majority of the elements has
   never worked with cinema or photo. Plus who have never worked with children and have no
   preparation to work with children victims of mines.
   I do not know which institution is the main donor for such enterprise but it seems to me as it is
   explained in the text it is a cultural event for which the sum of money must be really high.
   Just in transports, per diem, hotel for a team of five people who live in Europe that accounts for a lot
   of money involved.
   However to my surprise no money is attributed to the contestants.
   I will point out furthermore on the financial nature of the donors in the late point connected with the
   Policies for Culture in Norway.
   2) The contestants
   Financial advantages, psychological/social advantages, positive versus negative influence on
   self-esteem, legal protection against any forms of abuse by people involved in the project, legal
   contracts considering the conditions of such enterprise
   Many points regarding this project seem obscure on the side of the participants. First of all they are
   mostly underage so for their participation in such an event the adults responsible for the contestants
   should have fully knowledge of what event the children are taking part and the full conditions of their
   participation in the form of a contract.
   The organization is obviously using this event to publicize their humanitarian activities and probably
   to raise more funding for such events and for their work.
   The launch of a website not in Portuguese but in English but also interviews in Norwegian leave no
   doubt about that matter. However raise the following questions what are the advantages for the people
   involved (contestants) in the project and for the Angolans specifically, none, I could not get any
   information about such project in Portuguese and neither in any other local language.
   More taking in consideration past initiatives like human zoos and the racialization of African people
   through Europe I raise my questions if such project does indeed profit the contestants involved and the
   Angolans.
   I also question how is it that such an event where reasonable money is involved on the part of the
   organizers has no financial counterparts for the participants and how is it possible that no specific
   actions have been put in practice to protect the children involved: Who will be able to use this
   pictures, is it possible to download them from the net, will the organization be able to make profit with
   them without any revenue for the participants …..?

   3) The Promotion of the event
   From what I could access from the event :
   The promotion is mainly directed to people who speak English or Norwegian which is the same to say
   to people living in Europe and not the contestants or the people of Republica Popular de Angola.
   There is no information about the event in local, national news and the promotion of the event in
   English in the website raises more questions towards who is the real audience of such an enterprise
   and what are its purposes and points towards the direction evoking the sad parades of human beings
   in zoos not rarely for unusual characteristics of their bodies . In the past these people were paraded
   through Europe photographed made fun of, insulted and even sexually abused by Europeans.
   4) Isues of exoticism, weirdness (freak shows), Tolerance and Mutual understanding,
   Exchange
   As pointed out before the use of people with “exotic” characteristics to promote events in
   “faraway lands” , dates from long time in European Colonial History.
   The use of pygmies for their short stature, the use of people with certain unusual body
   different characteristics case of Sarah Baartman, or very simply the display of African people
   wearing traditional dresses to sell an idea is part of the history of such enterprises.
   I question the mutual understanding and tolerance that such an event can generate for the
   people of Angola and Norwegians or for the countries that continuously sell mines to other
   parts of the world. Hence there is not even a common language shared between the majority
   of the team and the country of the happening.
   The question is from the beginning answered: It is impossible that real exchange and real
   communication can take place.
   5 Role of Humanitarian Organization involved
   The information provided on the website about the problem of mines is rare if not almost null.
   What is the role of the Humanitarian organization in such an event I ask myself. Why is it that
   there is no information about which countries sold these mines about the historical
   background of the war in Angola etc.
   6) The question of the event as educational
   Again we are confronted with the following points none of the people of this team have as
   native language Portuguese not even to speak about native languages from Angola, none of
   them are educated as teachers or pedagogy, very few have ever worked with children, more
   which is frightening none of them seem to have any kind of education in dealing with issues
   of psychological problems caused by people affected by mines, there is nobody with
   knowledge about historical issues concerning Angola or sociology connected with the
   questions I raised before and last but not least if we could even consider the artistic side of the
   event none of them have professional experience in film directing or photography and finally
   none of them has experience in the beauty market ( beauty magazines, beauty contests) which
   raises one more time what are the real characteristics and purposes of such an event.

   7) Issues on Knowledge of Angola and Africa, Exoticism and Stereotyping Africa,
   Charity versus Paternalism, Financial Exploitation
   Is this a positive image that the event wants to promote of Africa and the mines problem.
   How will that be made, what are the implications of such an event and its launching of a
   website which does consider all the points above mentioned.
   How will people that read your news and website will think about Angola and Africa.
   Does the team encharged of this event are aware of that.
   Do they actually believe they are contributing to the self-esteem of the Angolan people with
   such an event and with the launching of such images completely descontextualized from their
   source and the country they are happening.
   What is the purpose behind the availability of these images to whatever purpose or if not why
   isn’t there any information about how they will be used.
   Unfortunately the all event has many points in common with the human zoo of the late
   centuries:
   - Financial and promotion interest of the organizers
   - a certain European superiority ( all the information available can only be accessed and is
   direct towards Europeans),
   - paternalistic ideas about Africa, the educational aspect of those who can look at those
   pictures and see how ”the real mined Africa” is, Europeans are to learn about how children
   victims of mines merely look like as exotic sub-human beings.
   The inequalities on economical power are also obvious there seems to be no benefit for the
   participants involved with a plus on it: nobody knows where and how the material that will
   result from such an event will be used. Unfortunately the points above make us take the
   obvious conclusions, let us just hope that the children are not also victims of sexual abuse like
   it happened in many human zoos but like it happens nowadays with many UN personnel and
   NGO’s.
   Deplorably it seems like the organizers have never considered such dangers in staging such an
   event this lack of sensibility and perception is scary and makes the contours of this all
   enterprise as very much a sensationalist event with many similarities of events made in the
   past. There are many historical examples of such events such as Sarah Baartman who was
   displayed through Europe as a freak and as an exotic different being almost animal like. The
   lack of concern from this event of taking into perspective the context and history of what
   they are working with is shocking.
   Humanitarism, Charity and Cultural Politics of Norway
   The background or landscape against this project is placed: humaniratism and charity does not
   make necessarily see the parts involved as equal and from analysing the different points the
   fact is that portraying people (children) who were victims of mines and place them in a
   beauty show without any other information is only a contribute to the general idea of Africa
   as a poor continent and seeing Africans as freaks. I find it hard to see how such an event could
   improve and benefit such people and Angola in general.
   Broader issues such as who sold the mines to this country and who is in fact now profiting
   from its rebuilding should be accessed so the public in general could get the all picture.
   It is also not by coincidence that a recent report on perspectives for Culture in The European
   Community points out that Norway uses its cultural policies to implement its political agenda.
   I will state as it is in the EC document that addresses the perspectives of Cultural policies :
   “…while Norway is propagated internationally as an environmentally responsible and peace
   campaigning nation with culture as important ingredient. No mention is done to the fact that
   Norway assisted the American war in Afghanistan with special Forces and is investing its oil
   revenue in environmentally damaging fish farms in Chile.

   From 2003, Norway has had a vision of being one of the most innovative countries in Europe
   The consequences are as follows:
   More State subsidies than ever are invested in art. The funds are employed to a greater degree
   through means such as Forum for Culture and Business, and as projects that are directly
   politically initiated and temporary, such as through foreign aid to countries in the southern
   hemisphere. Indirectly, the state supports commercial companies through support for cultural
   exchange connected to larger development projects in the Third World, and through the inter-
   Nordic collaboration Nordic Creative Alliances, a business-based cultural exchange forum.
   The differences between commercial and ideal foundations are blurred.” Tone Hansen
   It seems to me that this project of yours fits well to this description.
   Finally I would like to say to misuse children to justify cultural subsidies by pointing out its
   charity or the educational importance of art is nothing else than exploitation. Good art unlike
   entertainment is always political and bound to society and the people involved.
   Gary Strümpel

   By Gary Strumpel
   November 4, 2007 at 12:10 pm

8. Hi Imnakoya

   I just wanted to add that Morten Traavik, the artist encharged has considered the implications of the project, as I said I have contacted him and some other elements of the team back in 2006. And I received no reply to this day.
   So just like this other danish artist i suspect “backfiring” might be what he really wanted from this project. In fact he is the only to profit from that.

   By Gary Strümpel
   November 4, 2007 at 1:43 pm

9. Gary,

   I am not sure I understand you. Are you saying that Traavik just scoffed the money and did a runner? Did the show ever take place? Was the ‘Vogue’ magazine ever produced? It would be good to know as the Angolans hate being conned and this guy might be reckless enough to try coming back here.

   By Hippo
   November 4, 2007 at 5:33 pm

10. [...] Imnakoya at Grandiose Parlor [...]

    By Deep Muck Big Rake » Miss Landmine Angola 2008
    December 4, 2007 at 8:44 pm

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