Abidjan--Hope and Thanksgiving

Today I took a little time to think about some of the things I take for granted in the United States. Through all of our interviews, many of the parts of my life that I never think about are brought into harsh relief against what the Ivoirians deal with on a daily basis. For example, I never think about having a national identity. National identity is a huge issue here. There are ethnic identities (Malinke, Baoule, etc.) but having an actual nationality is a very different thing. As background, in the 1990s, the Ivoirian president made a big push about establishing what it meant to be an "Ivoirian" citizen. In his defense, one of the main ways to nation build after colonization is to create a national identity around which many groups within the country can rally. However, in a country with very little infrastructure, establishing parentage and history without birth certificates is incredibly difficult. As a result, the last national identity cards were issued in 1998. That means there is an entire generation of children who do not have identity cards. They are essentially without a country. Citizens of the world, yes. But, they are citizens of nowhere tangible. I normally don't think about the fact that I am an American, but when I think about the possibility of having no country, I am really glad to have my passport.

Usually, I never take for granted my right to vote. Never. I am HUGE on voting. However, here in CI, if I were Ivoirian, I could not vote. The concept of "ivoirite" and the right to vote are the most contentious issues here in CI. Ivoirite, I explained above, but the right to vote is another deal entirely. For each election, the Electoral Commission kept a list of all the people in the country who were eligible to vote--if you were over 18 and an Ivoirian citizen, you could vote. However, as I mentioned above, it is extremely hard to prove that you are Ivoirian. So, for elections, they used the electoral register from 2000. Unfortunately, not a lot of people voted in 2000. You then have a double whammy. If you didn't vote in 2000, you have to get on the electoral register by proving your Ivoirian. If you don't have a national identity card, then you must show your birth certificate. Birth certificates=very hard to come by. Therefore, there is an entire generation who are not allowed to vote. As an American, that is crazy. My entire age bracket and anyone younger than me would be disenfranchised. For anyone who studies the social sciences (especially criminology), you know what a major problem it is to have the 18-30 age bracket unable to legally express their political views. That is why you get groups like les Jeunes Patriotes, a super scary fascist student group that supports the government. No good.

Other thoughts on what I take for granted:

1. Fresh drinking water FROM THE TAP.
2. Free, compulsory education up through high school.
3. Electricity that is effective and on 95% of the time (we've had three black-outs over the past 2 days) that isn't run by the government (another story for another time).
   
4. Internet. Granted, we have good internet here, but it's not like home.
5. Vegetables.
6. Access to effective health care. While, I still envy Europe's health care system, I don't have to be seriously concerned about getting AIDS when I go to the doctor. Well, I guess if I went to a hospital in D.C. that would still be a problem where the AIDS rate is higher than West Africa (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/14/AR2009031402176.html?hpid=topnews) . Way to go, D.C.!
7. Good roads. Well, with all of the winter weather in MD, the roads in Abidjan might be better. But, as a whole the streets are way better at home.
   

However, there are some aspects of CI that I will miss when I leave. I will mostly miss the hospitality. We are little mascots here at the hotel. They do just about everything for us and seem very happy to help out. We will be giving them huge tips and Amy and I plan to write GLOWING reviews of our hotel on Trip Advisor. Seriously. They are incredible. My next blog entry will describe our three favorite waiters who have come to miss us at meals where we decide to eat out. It's kind of nice.

Additionally, I will also miss the fruit. Bananas, mangoes and papayas have been forever ruined for me. I never knew a banana could taste so good. Back in the States, I only eat the bananas that are still a little green. The bananas here are another story entirely. They almost have a pineapple flavor. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

The speed of life is so nice. If you're late, no one terribly cares. If you want to take a "pause cafe," that's fine. It's a genuine joie de vivre. Yesterday, Amy and I were discussing how bitter and sad the Ivoirians could be based on all the terrible things they could face. But, no. They are a generally happy people. I know I would be bitter and sad if I had to face all that they face on a daily basis. It's really a testament to the resiliency of a people. Many of the people we have interviewed have stated how tired they are of the political situation, but they still have hope. I suppose that's the lesson of the day. Regardless of how terrible your situation is, it's important to still have hope.