I'm trying to make an effort to read up more on my work area. I spend a lot of time in the office writing (re-writing) other peoples words and not a lot is invested into increasing my knowledge. And I have only one person to blame for that.
So this morning I decided to read one of the daily emails (which I usually delete instantly) from The Economist (i'm also a weekly subsriber - but this lands straight in the hands of W). I ventured to my favorite topic - Africa, looked up my home nation - Sierra Leone - and was really excited that in some vague way the article was infact linked to trade, which is what I work in, but also had some fashion (ish) aspects to it.
My excitement quickly dissappeared as I read through the article:
ON NOVEMBER 13th Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, had the fortune to host the 2010 Miss ECOWAS Peace Pageant. The contest, which pits young women from the 15 countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) against one another, is no mere beauty pageant, say its organisers. They are looking for a "peace ambassador" with intellectual substance. The competition still includes a swimwear round though.
The event got off to a rocky start. The website still bears the proud headline “Welcome to Sierra Leone: The Loin Mountains”. The pageant took place in the compound immediately behind Freetown’s main ministerial pile which boasts an erratic elevator and apocalyptic lavatories. When the 28 competitors arrived their changing area was still under construction. Young men were stripping the insulation from electric cables with their teeth and taping the wiring together to light naked bulbs. Despite prior clearance Baobab was ejected three times from the backstage area by the increasingly frantic Ghanaian organisers.The pageant itself ran far into the night. The competitors waved their national flags, read meandering messages of peace, and strutted on stage in their swimwear. At one point Miss Niger nominated Muammar Qaddafi as her favourite African leader.The eventual winner, announced in the small hours after a performance by reggae singer Jimmy Cliff, was Ghana’s Shirley Nwangere. Alongside a new car and $5000 in cash, she wins the heady prospect of “a year of ambassadorial work spreading peace across the sub-region.”
Why do our nations never learn? When are we going to host an event that we can be proud of? If we know we can't deliver in time, why take it on? Why are we hosting events that we play no part in organising? Does anyone see the link between the winner and the organisers? - Need I say more?
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