Tag Archives: society

Jun5

Watch the finger…

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I had dinner with two great sons of Ghana today. Well, let me rephrase. I had dinner with four great gentlemen today, but the Ghanaians took over the conversation and all we could talk about was the sad state of our country. These are very vibrant achievers, both soon to be graduates of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), One of the best, if not the best Tech. Schools in the World. Our friends subsequently became spectators. I’m interested to hear their thoughts later, but for now, let me focus on the conversation that ensured. Several things stood out. First, that these gentlemen were very passionate. Second, that they were both extremely intelligent. Third, that they had strong opinions of how Ghana should be lead and where it should be going; the corruption and the inadequacies of those at the forefront. They painted a very good picture of the doom and gave predictions of the catastrophe that awaited the country if the leadership of the country didn’t change drastically.  Most importantly though, what stood out to me was their hesitation to enter politics. I can’t say I was surprised. I have had many such conversations and they have somehow become typical.

Countless smart and highly educated individuals who could perchance make a difference, but who stay out of politics and leadership roles because it is dirty and will corrupt them. One of my fine friends during the conversation made a very good point. Quoting him ‘ you can’t put garbage in and get apples out, the Chinese understand this’. I wondered if he heard himself speak? and then he went on to say ‘sometimes I cry for Ghana’ to which our non-Ghanaian friend responded (bless his soul) “staying in Boston and crying isn’t going to help!”

I must say that I feel like crying for Ghana when I come across all these great people who are ‘too good’ to enter into the arena to help play the game in the favor of our nation. The men and women who know all the answers and can give you a history lesson as well as a lesson in best governance from around the world. They are experts in global, local politics and economics and understand what must be put in place to ensure sustainable development. Yes, they are experts in talk. To their credit, some try, but at the very possibility of their ‘good name’ being challenged, they quit (interestingly, the ‘bad guys’ can give them a lesson or two in tenacity!). This brings into the dynamics another question around where can one effect the most change and whether one must compromise ones values to some extent for the higher purpose? Does the end justify the means or does it excuse it? This is another subject for discussion on another day entirely…

You must admire the ‘corrupt’ politician for one thing though, at least he is in the ring fighting and unless you are actually in the ring, you have no idea what the fight is about. Who are the people exercising real leadership in the system and making a difference quietly? what are the various factions and interests in the system and what is driving them to fight to either maintain the statues-quot or change it? why are things the way they are? what are the global triggers and determiners? who are the puppet masters and what are the trade-offs? what strengths are being leveraged and which ones are being underutilized? et cetera, et cetera … Guess what, if you are a good business man and you refuse to enter into politics, people who don’t know the first thing about business strategy will determine what environments affect your business. If you are a master in strategic management and you leave yourself out, people who haven’t managed anything in their lives before, including themselves, will manage you. If you are the best negotiator, but are not at the table when the country negotiates with our strategic foreign partners, you can’t blame anyone when you end up with the short end of the stick. The world has changed significantly and yet, individuals who probably don’t have a Facebook account themselves or understand the ecosystem and where the rest of the world is going may be determining our future. It is OK for that to happen, but they do need the support of those who know how to at least help put together policy issues with a good understanding of how the next 10 years may look like, because all other things being equal, they will definitely be alive and capable of partaking in it, don’t you think?

The most interesting comment I hear these days, especially since I graduated from the Kennedy School of government is “Juliet, you guys have to change the system’. I don’t mind this comment. After all, even before coming to the Kennedy School, such issues occupied my thoughts. What I mind is the continuation of the thought that someone will make it better. There is a saying ‘ be the change you want to see’ Who should make the world a better place for you? You are satisfied with being  a spectator in your own life? be my guest…

May30

The poverty mindset…

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A lady posted this on my Facebook page and it got me thinking “My government paid for me to get my degree but not everyone lives in a rich country. This issue is very complicated. You are one of the lucky few”. This is in response to a previous comment I made “I believe strongly that Education is the only means by which we can break through poverty and the poverty mindset…”. I’m I one of the lucky few? I could go on about all the difficulties I have gone through to get to where I am, but I wonder really if that is the point she tried to make. What I take from what she said is something I link to the last part of my quote “Mindset”. The mind is a powerful thing. It is independent and most frustratingly, there is a conscious part to it and a subconscious part as well. How then does one control the subconscious when you are not even aware what it may be thinking or how it may be influencing your actions.

There is an interesting book titled ‘Thinking fast and slow’ by Daniel Kahneman that talks about the first and second brain and how they influence our reactions, deductions, perceptions, etc. For me getting people out of poverty is not really a difficult thing, but getting people out of the “poverty mindset” now that can be a herculean task!

Africa may be free physically. Our people managed to throw our captors and slave masters out, but are we free from the slave mentality? what is our default mode? what is our self-esteem? Again I go back to the point made by the contributor at the beginning of this piece. So, I finished Harvard. This is not the point. The point is that there are probably more people who have better qualifications than I have who may qualify for the program, but guess what, I was the only Ghanaian in my class! I am sure this is not for want of people who dream of the same opportunity. But dreaming and acting are two different things. How do you act when at the core of you, you suspect that you may not be good enough? and even when you whip the courage to apply, the society you live in will drum it down your head that you are not good enough and not only that, they may go out of their way to prove this to you by engaging in acts that emphasizes their point?  there is a little bit of self fulfilling prophesy going on here, don’t you think? For this reason, I hardly told anyone, including my family that I was applying, because they would have reminded me of all the reasons why I may not qualify, instead of a little focus on the one reason or two, why I may!

And so yes, I am part of the lucky few, because I choose to be that. We can easily give strategies for overcoming physical poverty and may very well be on our way to eradicating it in some parts of the continent. But what are we to do about our mental poverty? how do we tell our children that they are good enough and that they can do whatever they set their minds to and that failure is necessary for progress? that failure can actually be a catalyst that  spurs you on to try again and possibly do better? I remember watching the documentary ‘Rivers and Tides’ and the Artist, Andy says something like this each time his Art work is destroyed by the water ‘ I understand the stones better and each time I try again, I get better!” and then he says something even more profound ‘the river can make of it far more that I ever could’.  How do we motivate our young people to dream big and work hard and strive for the best because only the best is good enough for them? how do we encourage our authority people to realize that they are looting our nations because they too are poor mentality and their poverty blinds them to the realization that there is so much more in them they can give than take from the people? Physical riches does not lead to self actualization, does it?

Mental poverty is a serious condition. It is a tool by which you can forever enslave a people or enslave yourself and the best thing is that you don’t even know it is there…  you are a free crusader for its sustenance as you steadfastly go about conquering your world. Hey and you are king of that world too! I say the main fight for us is not to fight to eradicate physical poverty, for that can easily eradicate itself when the mindset is right. People who achieve, don’t achieve because there are no limitations, they achieve despite their limitations!, but your mental limitations, boy, you can have all the riches in the world and you will still be poor. Africa has many of the world’s resources, don’t we? you tell me what you think…