Africa Speaks Reasoning Forum

I think the people who made this video are extremely talented. I really appreciate what they have done here and their message.

Africa For Norway - New charity single out now! Official christmas video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJLqyuxm96k&feature=player_embedded#)

Many of the things western countries do - often aid or intervention in conflict- is superficial and the deeper motive reveals that actions are taken from a racist position and therefore not really about finding solutions. Politically it becomes about how they can benefit in the short or long term, about bragging rights and temporary fixes to soothe shallow consciences. Popularized and stereotyped images of Africans as violent, crime prone and corrupt that are portrayed in the media are presented without taking stock of the nature and cause of these occurrences. Therefore they have not taught us what to do; they have just helped themselves feel good about the kind of situations they have created because of exploitive interactions in the past, not just in Africa but in other 'developing' countries around the world.

By listing these problems “poverty, corruption, with H.I.V. and crime” in such a manner, it disassociates the history behind why so many of these problems exist today; all are tied to past European interaction in Africa and current anti-African international policies. Western countries came and continue to come to Africa with clear motives to extract resources from the continent. Their ideas of ‘solutions’ are often based on superiority and arrogance. Africans who attain benefits – financial and material wealth and social mobility – are those that assist western countries in carrying out their extractive and exploitative agenda that does not consider the interests and well-being of the majority. After such gross exploitation occurs, this majority is left with corrupt leaders (those who sought their own interests) and whatever resource sectors that are left are protected from the masses by military styled leadership coordinated by those corrupt leaders.


The following video further explains the motive behind creating this music video.

BBC WORLD Focus on Africa : Africa For Norway (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmbcrnXD1DM#)   

Those of you watching outside Africa may well have an image of a continent riddled with conflict, disease, corruption, poverty, and brutal dictatorships. But that stereotypical negative picture is one that a group of South African students -- along with an aid agency in Norway -- is challenging. They've turned the tables -- by producing a fictional Christmas appeal video -- that portrays Norway as a bitterly cold country full of freezing people in need. And it's Africans rushing to their aid. Focus on Africa's Alex Jakana has more #africafornorway

The video is made by The Norwegian Students' and Academics' International Assistance Fund (www.saih.no (http://www.saih.no)). With the cooperation of Operation Day's Work (www.od.no (http://www.od.no)). With funding from The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) and The Norwegian Children and Youth Council (LNU). Music by Wathiq Hoosain. Lyrics by Bretton Woods (www.facebook.com/brettonwoods (http://www.facebook.com/brettonwoods)).