Out of Africa

I was three weeks in Kenya and Uganda. Occasional flashbacks and unexplained moods tell me that psychologically I have not completely returned to Finland, yet. There was nothing really extraordinary that we encountered during the trip but, even so, the world looks a little different.

I think I started to understand some of the complexity of African politics. It was difficult to find people willing to discuss politics, though. In addition to a handful of taxi drivers, my companions were Martin Meredith's book The State of Africa. A History of Fifty Years of Independence (2005) and local newspapers.

NewAfrican magazine featured a cover story on the Chinese investments in Africa. It was an article full of praise and no criticism - except for the West. "In contrast with the big shows, the charity-business and other high profile humanitarian diplomacy promoted by the West, the United Nations, NGOs and the international financial institutions, China ensured that deeds preceded words", the article levels.

The same issue features a column by the Senegalese President Abdulaye Wade titled "The Time for the West to practice what it preaches". In language that can make you feel very uncomfortable, Wade plays the West against the Chinese, reminiscent of the way African dictators used to do with the socialist threat in the 70's and 80's. "I have found that a contract that would take five years to discuss, negotiate and sign with the World Bank takes three months when we have dealt with Chinese authorities", Wade boasts. "When bureaucracy and senseless red tape impede our ability to act and when poverty persists while international functionaries drag their feet, African leaders have an obligation to opt for swifter solutions". The message is clear. We don't want to deal with the obnoxious West with its twisted code of ethics. We'd rather do business with the Chinese who never ask questions about the state of democracy and the like.

Up to our days, thrashing red tape has equaled pocketing significant benefits for the political elite in dozens of poor African countries. After the collapse of socialism, the West was able to implement more controls over their financial support. This "bureaucracy" has now been interpreted as neo-colonialism by the likes of President Wade. The Chinese have no objections to dicatators who do not respect freedom of speech or fair elections. They just want the oil and all the other minerals Africa can produce, in order to keep the chinese economy growing. It is clearly an win-win situation for both sides.

I think there really is a lesson here for "the West". Words and deeds must go hand in hand. But the West does not have a single message or a single line of operation. Free market economics and "charity-business" do not always go hand in hand. Very often they seem to collide. Churches and NGOs preach against the same free market message our governements advertise as the solution. The Chinese, in contrast, embrace free market economics and spice it with a tight control over political power.

I did ask a number of Finnish aid-workers and missionaries their opinion on succesfull projects. They all seemed to agree that a succesfull project is something the local people can own themselves. Big projects tend to be too big for local communities. They become the white man's projects, never owned and operated properly by the local people. When financial aid ceases, the project collapses. But when projects are being initiated and owned by the locals from the beginning, they have good chance of succeeding.

All this said, I must pay my respects to the Catholic Church in Africa. Wherever you go, you will find a Catholic parish. With it, you will find religious orders working with schools, health centers, agricultural projects, etc. The parishes are always "owned" by the local community. In fact, they are local communities. All outside help is integrated within this centrally organized, global and hierarchical structure which at the same time allows the organizations to freely maintain their own identities and goals for the common good. If the Catholic Church had the courage to level some of its theological barriers, it could assume a leadership position bringing together all Christian churches in the fight against ignorance, superstition, poverty and violence. None of the Protestant church bodies - including the World Council of Churches - are up to this task. Maybe the time is ripe for something new to be born.

Mental Packing

It is almost time to start packing for my trip to Kenya and Uganda. But before the plane takes off Monday morning, several things need to be taken care of. I am hopelessly behind the schedule in producing texts for the Daily Scripture podcast (Päivän Sana). Tomorrow we will try to video as many passages as possible. I still have the night for writing... And then there are another two short articles to be written before the weekend.

Friday night we will gather with a group of friends to discuss a bold vision that all of a sudden seems to be coming alive. It is quite possible that beginning of 2009 we could see the Agricola Church separated from the parish structure. It would be assigned to a consortium yet to be founded, with its separate organization, directly under the Dean of the Cathedral Parish. This would create an entirely new opportunity - and a new mode of operation.

The parish structure has long since ceased to serve larger cities. However, local parishes continue to set the rules of operation. The larger the parishes have become - and they will continue to grow due to annexations - the less capable they are in providing a sense of community for the parishioners. People hardly know what parish they belong to, let alone the name of their pastor. A linguistic factor partly explains why the medieval parish structure is still alive and kicking. There is only one word for both parish and congregation in Finnish. The New Testament promises for the community of saints have been read as stipulations for the local parish. Congregations, they do not exist. There is no legitimacy for a congregation that is not a parish. A large part of Finnish Lutheran spirituality has traditionally been channeled through revival movements with their non-parochial, non-congregationalist forms of community. Unfortunately, the most vibrant of these movements have become churches within the church with no respect for the base structure, the parish. In some cases, work in the parishes is being ridiculed. The protestant division of the church continues on the local level. I believe that the local parish/congregation needs to be reinvented and reinvigorated. It is what the Bible talks about. We want to do that. And we need to do that. Maybe not Friday night, but soon.

The last thing to do before packing is to do the necessary shopping. Finnish friends in Kenya have asked me to bring some mämmi. It is a traditional Easter delicacy that is not hard to describe. It is made out of rye flour and syrup, it is deep brown in color and it looks like crap. I am looking forward to meeting with the Nairobi customs with my plastic bags.

P.S. The return flight from Entebbe is booked for March 29.