A Better Day on the Island

August 23, 2008

This is a story about why I've been getting depressed lately, and about the miraculous epiphany that suddenly swept it all away...

So it's Campaign Week in Vanuatu. Need I say more? Perhaps I do, but for um, diplomatic reasons, I can't really say too much. I guess I always assumed that witnessing a democratic election in a developing country would be kind of inspiring...you know, Power to the People! Take Back the Night! etc, etc...

Well...let's just say democracy in a developing nation isn't as...democratic as one may hope.

Yesterday I had an interesting discussion with my Chief about the need for the government to form a system giving chiefs actual legislative power at the federal level. "The basic principle that this government has hitherto overlooked," [I'm translating, and therefore obviously paraphrasing] he informed me, "is the sovereign power of each local Chief. According to our custom, every man, woman, and child is the Chief's private property [his emphasis]." He repeated that phrase, the only one in English, several times over the next few minutes, as he went on to explain the key role chiefs play in maintaining "justice, peace, and unity" at the village level. He had a variety of suggestions for government recognition, including a percentage of the federal budget to be earmarked as tithes for chiefs.

So here is one reason why I've been squirming through all of these campaigns. There is, as you might imagine, a lot of talk about the appropriate use of public funds. But what no one seems to be talking about is how much of this government's money comes from international aid: New Zealand and Australia being the major monetary players, with China quickly rising in the ranks, and then you have Canada (CUSO), the U.S. (Peace Corps), Japan (JICA), and the UK (VSO) sending in the unarmed (as in without money) troops into the field.

A fellow volunteer told me it's about 40% of government's funds that comes from international aid, and let the record show that I have no idea where he got that number from or if it's remotely accurate. You may be thinking that's an awfully large Christmas present from the international community. Personally, I cannot imagine how that percentage can be so low in a country without income tax, I would have guessed more like 80-90%, but I'm no economist.

So here's why I get uncomfortable. It's not like I'm a proponent of colonialism or anything, but surely the average Australian taxpayer might have some opinion about where their money should go. And I recognize that Vanuatu is by constitution a Christian country that sees no need for the separation of church and state, but surely Ramachandra in Auckland or Avraham in Brisbane or Mohammed in Perth or...a whole lot of communists in Beijing might have something to say about that? I mean, I know God is supposed to punish those heathen sinners, but how can we forget that their slave labour at... ToysRUs, for example, just paid for the penicillin that saved your dying child and that new fishing boat just donated to your village?

Which begs the question, how can you have political independence without economic independence?

I mean, surely, I'm not the first person to ask this question here...right?

Incidentally, I'll share an anecdote that I'm pretty is not 'tabu' if I don't reveal the candidate or party in question. So, like, I GET my apolitical role, right? I am very careful to stay happily outside of the circus ring that is Elections 2008. I have perfected my Political Poker Face when candidates appeal to me in their speeches, and everyone turns anxiously to see if the lone Whiteman has given away anything with her eyes.

But the other day this candidate was talking about taxes, and I got excited, because I love taxes! And when we were all casually discussing it after, I casually explained how GST and PST work in Canada, and sort of asked the group at large, "What is the VAT tax here anyway? 12%? 15%?" and was met with a sea of blank stares, to which the candidate replies, "Look, I don't write the platform, ok? The Big Men do that and just tell me what to say..."

Anyway, I'd worry more about potentially intervening in this political process with my ill-advised question (surely the VAT is public knowledge?) if everyone else didn't nod emphatically, almost apologetically, as if to say, "We're really sorry for our Whiteman, sir. She's really short & small, but she is always asking embarrassing questions. We've tried everything to stop her..."

So last night my mom gets home from this parents' meeting at the high school (the one I'm doing the Drama Team with) and tells me about all the parents' responsibilities she learned about. "Great!" I think, "I love parental involvement in education! What did you learn?" And she's like, "So these reports they get, right? Well if it says A, that's good, right? You should tell them that they are a good person. But like, if it's one of the bad letters, like, um, you know a D or E? You need to whip them good! And ground them! And never let them see their friends...and then you need to make sure they cut their hair..."

I wish I was joking, but there is currently undergoing a mass 'cleansing' in the dorms. You know, cause everyone knows that today's dreadlocks are tomorrow's rapists. Clearly all we need to do is shave their heads and all our societal problems will disappear...

There was a lot more said about corporal punishment (there always is) but I'll spare you the details. It's too sad. But here's the thing I have to remember: all these teachers and parents truly believe in their heart of hearts that beating a kid really is in the child's best interest.

And, of course, it is, if what you want is to create a race of obedient, subservient beings..."private property", if you will. All I could hear was that phrase echoing in my mind from 1 a.m.-6 a.m. last night (have I mentioned I stopped sleeping around June? It's kind of a problem...)

I've seen some literature floating around from UNICEF about the CRC, you know, the rights of the child: going to school, not being beaten, etc...and all I can think of is, "Says who?" I would not at all be surprised if I saw someone roll up one of those handy little brochures and beat a kid with it if they said they had homework to do instead of chewing kava for an uncle.

So this brings me back to the fundamental question: Are there universal rights? I mean, are there really? And, if so, who has the right to...administer them? There are some of the questions I ponder in the long hours between one and six when everyone else is asleep.

But are you ready for the epiphany that made it all better? Ready? Here we go:

I AM CAMERICAN!

Born in New Jersey to Canadian parents, and transplanted to Toronto at the age of six and three-quarters. I'm not anyone's private property! My countries have come up with some beautiful things, like the right to the pursuit of happiness and Section 15, respectively.

I was never much of a patriot before. As a Camerican, I never really knew where my loyalties stood and besides, being a leftist you're generally supposed to despise nationalism and The Man, right?

But I am a born-again Camerican and I don't care who knows it! I love my countries, and this is why:

1. Right to Free Speech. Seriously, it's pretty amazing. Think about it. You can't imagine how awesome it is until you've seen it...not in place. And I mean, this is Vanuatu, the "Happiest Place on Earth", not some military junta or anything. I'm sure free speech is on the books...somewhere...wherever they store all that CRC paperwork...but the fact of the matter is, we don't get a whole lot of books out here on the outer islands, and if we did, who knows how to read them?

2. Freedom of Worship/Separation of Church & State. They're the same but different. I'd pontificate on this issue but I'd run out of ink and I'm low on pens as well as everything else. Just think about it.

Education! Taxes! Social services! Telecommunications! Sure, there's some...um...flaws in our systems, and sure my countries (okay, one more than the other) has made some very serious mistakes but...

But I love Camerica with all my heart and you can't ever take that away from me!

GOD BLESS CAMERICA.

Peace.