This week was pretty low key. We got back from Swakopmund on Sunday, and have just had a normal week of classes and internships. Sorry if this blog ends up being focused entirely on academics, but that’s what my week was like!
With a partner, I was in charge of leading our religion class this week. It was a little intimidating because class is 3 ½ hours long, and we weren’t able to get a guest speaker. But we ended up having an awesome debate about whether apartheid was right or wrong, representing the sides of the churches that both opposed and supported apartheid. Some of our arguments were a little absurd, but we were able to see how individuals born into a society in which they were extremely privileged would attempt to justify their actions. If I had been in that situation, would I have been able to stand up against a violent government and say they were wrong? I’d like to think I could, but I honestly don’t know.
In history on Thursday we had a guest speaker, Mburumba Kerina, who was involved in the Namibian independence movement from abroad. He was so entertaining! He told us funny stories about cultural differences in the U.S., including getting stuck on the subway because he wasn’t quick enough getting through the doors. Mixed in with his humor, though, was the story of making it out of Namibia and to the U.S., and the things he had to go through to get out of the country. Kerina was interrogated by the South African police prior to obtaining a passport, and even after he got on a ship out of the country, officials from the South African embassy in London attempted to detain him. Even in the U.S. he wasn’t very safe, because South Africa declared his passport fraudulent and tried to get him sent back (he was the son of a chief in Namibia, and they were worried he would present Namibia’s case to the U.N.). However, a friend reported his case to JFK, then a senator, who advocated for him to stay in the U.S. Kerina ended up testifying before the International Court of Justice, and lived in the U.S. for over 40 years before returning to Namibia (post-independence). He told us stories about his friends in the U.S., who of course included Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Maya Angelou. He was pretty amazing to listen to, especially since he helped author the Namibia’s constitution.
Development class today was also pretty good. We visited USAID (United States Agency for International Development) to learn about its programs in Namibia, along with the basic types of jobs at USAID and how people can get started working as a foreign service officer. It was interesting to learn about the role of USAID in Namibia, especially since our class today was focused on international investment and aid, and whether or not it helps the countries it was designed to help. There has been lots of criticism against the role of the U.S. in foreign aid, but after speaking to USAID it seems like they are taking the criticisms in stride, and that they are actually doing good. They definitely seem to be providing services to Namibia, and although it might not be the best aid approach for Namibia, they help fund many essential organizations. The woman we spoke to also wasn’t sure how the proposed budget cuts for foreign aid will affect these programs. It was interesting to learn about the role of USAID, and it was a much more positive view of foreign aid than we received in our class readings for today.
This week wasn’t too exciting, but I really enjoyed all my classes. They brought up many thought provoking issues, and I hope you enjoy getting a peek into what I’m learning here!
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