As I do whenever
arrive newly anywhere, I first start by making an observation and in the
process asking questions. I did the same when I arrived at NED. I took time to
observe and start asking questions. Hence I did not immediately focus on my
research topics. I first spent some time observing the behaviors of a few
permanent staff that I could go close or speak with them. Secondly, I focused
at understanding how NED functions, especially that, prior to coming to NED, I
had heard a lot of stories about its capacities and influences. The aforementioned observations were
necessary because, as a black African and a journalist, even though I love and
respect the United States and the entire western democracies, I am still
suspicious of westerners, their governments and all institutions that they are
or may be sponsoring. My suspicious are based on the fact that the African
continent and its people have throughout history been exploited and abused by
the same western governments and institutions that, they support financially or
materially. Even though the United
States and most liberal democracies have strong institutions and strong
independent media and well organized civil society organisations, which would
have been enough to check the excesses of their governments, I have discovered
sadly that, those hurdles/checks are not elevated or solid enough. This is so
because the rise to power of people such as Donald John Trump in US or Viktor
Orban in Hungary with the propensity of attacking or defying democratic institutions.
And in defying or attacking democratic institutions, cracks have appeared on
the walls of those institutions and through them, most western governments and
their sponsored institutions have carried out actions which are at variance
with what they most often promote: liberal democracy. Fortunately
for me, I discovered that, NED might be sponsored by US government and
institutions, it was genuine in its support for democracy and free speech
around the world.
Questions & contradictions
Although
western liberal democracies do champion the promotion of good governance or
liberal democracy around the world, there are nonetheless questions or doubts
about their sincerity in most cases of regimes and causes that they do on
occasions support. For how can liberal democracies from the US to Australia
possibly conciliate their promotion of democracy, respect for human rights and
free speech, while they have as strategic friends, dictatorial regimes such as
Saudi Arabia and many others? How can they claim to fight against corruption while
at the same time still allowing most African leaders to steal wealth from their
respective countries and secure them in western banks? Why will western
governments supported organisations, such as the UN, UNDP sponsor associations
and organisation promoted by wives and children or family members of African
despots? The above questions are where my suspicions of western governments and
institutions stands and equally the enigma and contradictions that they
willfully or not, entertained. Hence, some African journalists and prodemocracy
activists are shocked and disgust whenever they discover that, most dictatorial
regimes in Africa do survive or generate their legitimacy from the same western
governments that claims to be against dictatorship.
