Archive for April, 2012
Partnership for Peace & Oil
The time has come for China and the U.S. to become allies to stop the war in The Sudan and get oil pumping, again. The U.S. must immediately nominate China as mediator in the North/South Sudan conflict with wide powers to demarcate borders. Yes it’s agonizingly obvious it’s all about oil, but China unlike the [...]
Bipartisan Balderdash in Africa
Posted by jimheck in Charity, Perceptions of Africa, Politics on April 27, 2012
We in America can’t agree to increase taxes for better education or health care, but we can all agree to pay an extra ten million or two to obsess about a fallen Africa criminal. The absolute farce with Invisible Children reached the otherwise empty halls of Congress this week. The viral YouTube video based on [...]
Why Do Cheetah Drop Spots?
Posted by jimheck in Big Game, Wildlife Research on April 26, 2012
Does a cheetah lose its spots as an adaptive strategy? Can recessive genes play a larger part in natural selection than we thought? Lately there’s been a lot of research and argument about what rolls color and color patterns have in the natural selection of wild animals. The color of giraffe, the striping of zebra [...]
Breakup Brokers need China
Only China can stop the Sudanese war. This is the first great test of its diplomatic strength and savvy in Africa. Last week South Sudan restarted a generation-old war with its former northern master, Sudan, by invading an oil field on the common border which remains disputed territory. Five days later the South retreated having [...]
How Much did the White Lady Pay?
Posted by jimheck in Volunteerism on April 23, 2012
The main motivation for the vast number of foreigners who wish to volunteer in Africa – including religious-based “missions” – is not to help Africans but to help themselves. That in itself is not necessarily bad. And it was as true of David Livingstone as it is of an early adult in Britain trying to [...]
Cute little loquacious Rat
Posted by jimheck in Big Game, Wildlife Research on April 20, 2012
Scientists just discovered that the little furry African rock hyrax is an amazing communicator. So why didn’t he put up a fuss when I told everyone he wasn’t related to the elephant? One of the best parts of my job as a guide is to drop amazing factoids. Like (1) the distance from Dakar in [...]
Trouble in Paradise
Posted by jimheck in African Awakening, Kenya, Politics, Twevolution on April 19, 2012
After 4-5 years of impressive political progress throughout the continent, dark clouds form above Africa. The last two days in Kenya haven’t changed my predictions for a peaceful future, but they are worrisome. I still believe that next year’s March 4 Kenyan election will pass into history as one of the most impressive maturations ever [...]
The Children Are NOT Invisible
Posted by jimheck in Charity, Corruption, Culture, Uganda on April 17, 2012
Invisible Children has produced a viral YouTube video that is dangerous. Like other U.S. organizations embracing an African cause they exploit part truths to make a buck. My young hero, Conor Godfrey, wrote an incredibly balanced and unemotional blog about this that you must reread to understand the facts of the case. That way I [...]
Zulu Kingman Zuma
Posted by jimheck in "Modern" Africa, African Traditions, Politics, South Africa on April 16, 2012
More wives and less freedom is the trend in South Africa as President Zuma marries for a fourth time and a draconian government secrecy law moves through the parliaments. There is a chilling connection. The press is all abuzz with Jacob Zuma’s marriage this coming weekend to a prominent businesswoman with whom he has a [...]
Manhood Explodes, Now What?
Posted by jimheck in "Modern" Africa, Health on April 13, 2012
Last week a Zambian infatuated by South African advertisements for Viagra obtained a local herbal alternative. It worked, then killed him. As euphemistically described in Zambia, he exploded his manhood. Traditional medicines are remarkably important in the developing world. According to a 2003 WHO report, affirmed by a 2008 report, 60% of children with high [...]
Failed Saviors
Posted by jimheck in Community Based Tourism, Tourism Trends, Wildlife Management, Wildlife Research on April 12, 2012
Are ecotourism and wildlife conservation in Africa so sacrosanct in the minds of their supporters that they’ve dodged proper regulation or perhaps even swerved off moral pathways? I obtained with pride a Conde Nast ecotourism award in 2004 for my client, Hoopoe Safaris of Tanzania. But in the decade since then my own ideas about [...]
The Evil King is [almost] Dead!
Zimbabwe tyrant Robert Mugabe is near death in Singapore; but what will follow? Mugabe has been “near death” before, but the reports today are substantial despite an official Zimbabwean government statement castigating foreign journalists for writing “hogwash.” An important cabinet meeting in Harare last week was surprisingly cut off, his private jet flew to Singapore [...]
The ERA is in Africa
Posted by jimheck in "Modern" Africa, Culture, Women's Rights in Africa on April 9, 2012
Many societies in Africa are daring to challenge the oppression of women in a way that if even partially successful will leave America in their dust. Both the young Kenyan and South African constitutions mandate up to a third of public positions be filled by women and many of the other African countries are not [...]
Lord of War Behind Bars
Posted by jimheck in Corruption, Economy, War on April 6, 2012
One of Africa’s most heinous arms dealers is now in a New York jail for at least 15-20 years. It’s about time. American administrations all the way back to Nixon have avoided prosecuting these terrible men, often because they used them. Viktor Bout‘s sentence doesn’t begin to bring justice to the millions killed in Liberia, [...]
The Last Countdown Begins
The cycle closes: 11 months from today we’ll know if Kenya has been reborn strong, free and welcoming; or if this potential jewel of Africa has fissured irreparably. March 4, 2013, is the date set for the next Kenyan election. It will be the first national election since December, 2007, when widespread mayhem caused a [...]