This boycott of diamonds coming from Botswana started because of the authorities illegally forcing the Basarwa from their ancestral lands in the Kalahari to make way for diamond mining.
Survival International's director Stephen Corry told the BBC that, "What we want to happen is for the government of Botswana to stop treating them like third-class citizens and to stop having what is effectively a kind of neo-colonialist attitude towards them." The government has a history of not fulfilling the rights of
these people and it goes to show even more so no that they have no rights or as Stephen Corry said they are being treated as second class citizens.
The campaign group also goes to say that the Government is ignoring a court case that stated four years ago that the Bushmen had been illegally forced from the Kalahari Game Reserve.
However it is being told that the government and non-profits that are talking on behalf of the Bushmen are at the negotiation tables. The minister of the environment, wildlife and tourism told the BBC's that, "I don't believe you would want to see your own kind living in the dark ages in the middle of nowhere as a choice, when you know that the world has moved forward and has become so technological."We do not want to leave any of our people behind yet in the same breath we do not want any of our people to lose their culture." He also goes on to say that this mineral wealth will benefit everyone and challenges tourist to come a judge for themselves.
It's sad that many people in power believe that in order to have rights, you must keep up with the times and have technology. My ideas about society has changed a lot from learning about Africa, a society doesn't need technology and STUFF to be first-class citizens or respected, we should just respect each other as human beings.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what the Bushman would choose. I'd like to hear the point of view.
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