From: Bodie (mclarkc@essex.ac.uk)
Date: Mon Feb 04 2002 - 05:38:18 MST
I don't think there can ever be a perfect border between countries, the
very fact of borders devides people and gives them more reason to fight
each other. The only way to reduce the fighting is to take away official
boarders completely, in once sense this will make Africa one huge country,
but it could work by giving each tribe a lot more control over their
lives, and prevent one tribe having power over another by stopping the one
country, one government style of control
On Mon, 4 Feb 2002, Dr Sebby wrote:
>
> ....Herr Hermit, i've oft wondered about this, and perhaps you might be in a
> particular position, given your historicity, to construct such a solution to
> my problem. my 'problem' as it were is as follows:
>
> Africa...a massive continent, the oldest of human civilizations and
> posessing hundreds of long-term tribal groups for millenia - then via
> europe's power push, devided up by the given nations as per there needs and
> political clout. and yet today, the same borders for the most part, remain.
> once the unifying power of anti-european sentiment was gone and
> independance settled on the african continent, the age old rivalries and
> sometimes bitter hatred returned. so......
>
> ...by your best approximation, what would be the best or most 'natural'
> territorial divisions if created by the africans themselves?...i assume you
> know what i mean....if not, or for anyone else; what would be the most
> 'friendly' border design for the african continent for a peaceful and
> productive future for each and every nation? PLEASE....draw a little map if
> you can....use a simple graphics program...it would be a very rewarding
> educational tool for me and many others. a very simple paragraph
> paraphrasing significant differences or reasons for not being "tight with
> that other group over there" would also be wonderful, but whatever you can
> do.
>
> ...i hate asking such a chore of you, but ive always wondered just what
> africa 'should' look like if it had been left up the africans. just through
> mild exposure from my ex g/f, i learned how devided even such a relatively
> prosperous nation("relatively") as Kenya is with all the inter-tribal
> jealousies and so forth.
>
> ...i recall her telling me that the kikuyu tribe was primarily responsible
> for kenya's independance(her tribe), and yet years later Moi assumed power
> and basically dealt out huge amounts of wealth and property to his(a
> different) tribe....and that still today, tribal rifts exist to a very
> significant degree, whereby a future president will be instantly judged upon
> by his tribe affiliation and thus mistrusted by others not of that tribe
> etc.
>
> drsebby.
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