26.8.08

Thoughts on Brain Drain


I came across an article, while reading Africa Unchained, which I found on Kofi's blogroll, saying that many experts are beginning to believe that Brain Drain has a positive impact on Africa.

The problem with Brain Drain however does not only lie in the worker, but also the country recruiting those workers. Generally, many of the skilled workers who go study abroad or choose to stay in the country where they received their education are given incentives by that country to stay there. In the Capeverdean case, it is rare that a student does not return after getting their diploma. Their lifestyle in Cape Verde is usually much better off than it would be in the United States or France with university credentials. After independence in 1975, countries such as Germany and Portugal, on the one hand, would try to recruit the capeverdean students who graduated top in their classes but not pay them the same salaries as nationals, of course. Cuba, Brazil and the former Soviet Union, on the other hand, made it their objective to send skilled workers back to newly independent African and Asian countries. Brain Drain is by definition the exodus of skilled workers from their home countries, but most of the time, that exodus is initiated by the receiving country. For example, Sarkozy is trying to restrict immigration into France but is also trying to include laws that facilitate immigration of people who have Master’s Degrees or higher.

While I understand where certain economists are coming from when they take on the concept of Brain Drain from a purely economic/financial/ statistical standpoint, I cannot help but to think of the social, psychological aspect of Brain Drain when looking at those who leave their home countries and go abroad. It is a lot harder to return than many think, even if you provide certain incentives and restrictions that would eventually convince or force them to return to their home countries. I fully agree that studying abroad gives non-Europeans/Americans an interesting perspective and a certain level of know-how and experience that they would not necessarily receive at home. However, instead of restricting the acquirement of such knowledge to the Occident, why not work towards establishing institutions with the proper materials and conditions to provide that same level of learning to students in their own countries, with the option of studying abroad. I just feel like we are automatically trying to find solutions that propogate the Dependance Theory by trying to find solutions that get skilled workers to go back to their countries instead of finding ways to provide the kind of education they need in their very own backyards so that they are not forced to leave in the first place.

Many of my friends who are second and third generation Africans and Asians (sorry to bunch you all up in two continents like that, heheee) dedicate their time and energy to achieving sustainable development in their home countries.... but most of them see going back home and working as out of the question. Many say they first want to be economically potent and established in order to "make a difference", which I completely understand and others love their parents’ home countries, but just not to actually live there, hahaaaa, and I completely understand that as well. After all, when you are born and raised in the states, as much as you hate to deny it, you are American. If you are not born and raised, at least for a while, in the country where your parents are from, I do not believe one has the obligation to work or live there, or even like it for that matter. Home is where your heart, memories, desires and ambitions are. It is one thing to be conscience of the problems that plague the African and Asian continent and quite another to try to tackle those problems in the field.

I am definitely not going to front. Because my interests have always been geared towards following a career in the area of sustainable development, I have always looked forward to one day working in Cabo Verde, but I never planned for it to be so soon, and when I came back, I was not expecting my assimilation into capeverdean society to be so difficult.

To conclude, because it is normal to want to live, work and start a family where you feel most comfortable, I think it is important to create the necessary conditions to educate Africans and Asians in African and Aisa, at levels beyond high school that can compete with the best institutions in Europe and the Americas, rather than continuing to rely on the few immigrants that actually choose to go back.

Ya dig?


peace + balance
p.s. picture taken from UNESCO site

OHHHHH DEEEAR: For Rosalie

I know I am constantly complaining about how much I miss my friends and fam in the states…and I am always reminiscing about old times, blah ladi ladi da….i knoooow. But I can’t help it! Take Rosalie for instance. When I left the states she was about 10 years old and now she is about to start highschool! And she likes boys! And she knows the lyrics to Lupe Fiasco songs! She can do her own hair, she pays attention to how cute she looks and is voicing her opinion in complete coherent sentences…and I missed that whole transition part so it was crazy to spend part of this summer with a cousin who has turned into a mature young woman (not) before my eyes. I am so proud of her. She plays the violin and is going to try out for volleyball in highschool (after about 10 years of pressuring her to play football, heehee).

I did spend half of the summer yellin’ at her because she spends all her time on the net chatting to her little friends but I have to say that internet communications is going to help me a lot with though. She is entering a phase in life that I always wanted to be present for. I never had an older sibling to give me advice about highschool life or puberty so I went to G.S. with an automatic defense guard up that made me come off as mean or pretentious. I don’t want Rosalie to be as insecure as I was and even though I yelled at her for chatting with her buddies all the time, I am grateful for the advances in technology that are going to allow me to be there for her even though an ocean separates us….and that goes for all of you as well. Can you imagine if I could not chat with you online or read your blogs or look at the most up-to-date pics of u….I would know nothing of you guys. I love having that lil’ insight into what’s going on in everyone’s lives. Those 5 minute chats or just hellos in passing to go to work or a class really make my day yo….for real.


This summer, seeing Rose as a young woman has made me feel very very old and oh so proud of you. And don’t worry, I shall eat the last piece of your auntie’s delicious homemade lasagna that you love oh so much, with you in mind :)

So Rosalie, as you embarck on your new journey I want you always to remember this quote and ask yourself this question:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be? "



(This quote is often attributed to the great Nelson Mandela, but I am pretty sure he did not originally say this.... i dig it though :) )




I really miss those days with u...








.......................... or maybe not actually






you are sooooo white yo. If u had come out with Auntie Rosa's hair and not that nappy ball on your head, that u have since permed, i would think u were french, hehehe. Ok Ok, I know i'm not the darkest one in our bunch, hehehehe. Note: CapeVerde = Mother Africa's melting pot






















14.8.08

thank you + Nha Terra S.Nicolau+ pics

Beautiful people,


First and foremost, thank you all for remembering me on my 23rd bday... it was soooo nice to receive all your messages :)
Instead of partying and doing all that was expected from me on that day, I stayed home instead. It was a day of reflection upon this past year of my life. I was able to reflect mainly because i couldn't move after stuffing my face with my mother's special lunch and my neighbor's special desserts :).


Mama's special lunch:


- octupus cooked on a traditional wood fire
- grilled shrimp
- plantains
- capeverdean cuscus
- white wine (made in Fogo, Cabo Verde :) )

Neighbor´s (Sofia) special dessert:
- traditional capeverdean rum cake!!!!!!
- capeverdean style cheesecake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Year 22 definitely was definitely not the best year for me but I'm treatin' year 23 completely different. Changes will definitely be made in the life and times of Crislaine Brito Medina and i'm hoping those changes will lead me to see many of you very very sooooon
So to start off positive:
As some of you may or not may not know, Cabo Verde is made up of ten islands and eight islets. We currently have two local airlines that fly between the ten islands except for Brava and Sta. Lucia, which do not have airports. However, since Sao Nicolau is not on the government's list of priorities, flights to and from my mother's hometown are scarce, especially during the summertime and there are many immigrants that fly in from the States, Holland, France, England, etc. to visit the motherland.


Sooooo, all of the above makes it hard for me to flind flights to Sao Nicolau but aaaaahhhh HA! I found two tickets for Rosalie and me two weeks ago that came back on Sunday...so i went to visit my granma!!!!!!!!!!! Ya'll would not believe how GREEN my village is. It has not rained this much in years!!!!! Being there was an amazing experience, especially for my lil cuz who is soooooooooooooooooo American. Unfortunately however, due to climate change and high elevation I got a li sick and couldnt fly back on Sunday. The next available flight was the following Wednesday..... i wasn't too upset about that though :)
Check out the beeeeeeautiful, breathtaking island of S.Nicolau---- and my villagetown , Todj



the lil' yellow house is my family's...where my granma currently lives

































This football pitch is usually dry as anything and all u usually see is dirt and a ball made out of socks being kicked around.... check that out FIFA!!























This is called "fundo" (deep) where people go to wash clothes because there isrunning water there. You have to climb down a steep rocky cliff to actually et there, thats why they call it "fundo".




















typical village center building...i got plans for S.Nicolau one day...






















The wrinkely white lady in the middle is my Queen, my granma!!!!




Tarrafel is a fishing village that is quickly becoming modern and developed... the beaches there have black sand, which is used for thereaupetic treatments... and yes, i sucked up my cowardly fear of heights and travelled there by car on the sketchiest road eeeeeeeever :) I love Cabo Verde, Mama A.

7.8.08

For Real, I mean really President GW Jr...I mean for real maaaaan


My people !! Yadadai!!




I have not posted since my return to Cabo Verde. To be quite honest, it has not been a result of no time, energy or topics to write about. I just have been in the mood to write my own personal things and not necessarily post them for the world to see. However, just before logging on to tell you guys what I have been ùp to in my mamaland, I made a stop at nytimes.com and was immediately struck with intense, sarcastic laughter when I read the article about Bush's visit to Thailand. I mean foooorrrrrr reeeeeeaallll, besides the fact that Thailand is not the best location to make a speech about democracy and human rights (but what country really is right?), GW Jr. actually had the balls to condemn the human rights situation in Burma Myanmar and China the very same day that Osama Bin Laden's former driver,Salim Ahmed Hamdan, was convicted of one out of two war crimes charges filed against him by Bush's new military commissions system.




We are talking about the same Mr. Hamdan from Hamdan v. Rumsfeld (2006), a case in which the supreme court of the United States ruled that the military commissions set up by Bush and his posse violated the Uniform Code of Military Justice aaaaaaand Common Article 3 of the Genevas Conventions which states the following:




In the case of armed conflict not of an international character occurring in the territory of one of the High Contracting Parties, each Party to the conflict shall be bound to apply, as a minimum, the following provisions:
(1) Persons taking no active part in the hostilities, including members of armed forces who have laid down their arms and those placed 'hors de combat' by sickness, wounds, detention, or any other cause, shall in all circumstances be treated humanely, without any adverse distinction founded on race, colour, religion or faith, sex, birth or wealth, or any other similar criteria.
To this end, the following acts are and shall remain prohibited at any time and in any place whatsoever with respect to the above-mentioned persons:
(a) violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture;
(b) taking of hostages;
(c) outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment;
(d) the passing of sentences and the carrying out of executions without previous judgment pronounced by a regularly constituted court affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized peoples.
(2) The wounded and sick shall be collected and cared for.
An impartial humanitarian body, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, may offer its services to the Parties to the conflict.
The Parties to the conflict should further endeavour to bring into force, by means of special agreements, all or part of the other provisions of the present Convention.
The application of the preceding provisions shall not affect the legal status of the Parties to the conflict.




I know it is easy to condemn, criticize and crucify Bush so usually I can hold my tongue when it comes to him because I have so many people to do the talking for me. However, the Hamdan ruling got my blood boiling again because I started thinking about the damn Military Commissions Act passed by the U.S. Congress. I just still cannot believe it. So, since it is normal that the average american or non-american even, is not completely familiar with the act, I have decided to post it to demonstrate that in the face of discussions surrounding human rights, Bush is no one to even slightly go there on the issue as he did in his speech in Thailand.



The Military Comssions Act:

-has consequences for citizens and non-citizens alike

- authorizes the President to detain, without charges, anyone whom he deems an unlawful enemy combatant

-eliminates habeas corpus review for aliens.

-makes providing "material support" to terrorists punishable by military commission.

-procedures allow for coerced testimony, the use of "sanitized classified information" (where the source is not disclosed)

- trial for offenses not historically subject to trial by military commissions. (Terrorism is not historically a military offense; it's a crime.)

-allows the president to authorize interrogation techniques that may nonetheless violate the Geneva Conventions and provides future and retroactive immunity for those who engage in or authorize those acts.


So, where do we draw the line between a lawful and unlawful enemy combatant? This act has eliminated any legal safeguards and has essentially allowed the Bush administration to conduct a manhunt against anyone they want to because they have refused to deem anyone a lawful enemy combatant, everyone is a terrorist and therefore subject to whichever methods the Bush administration deems necessary to carry out their persecution of the "enemy" (whoever that seems to be") and spread their power and control over strategic areas of interest around the world. So Bush is noone to talk about humanity and morals when his administration has designed an act to better control american citizens and non-citizens alike through fear (Boy i hear Foucault ringing in my ears).



Of course, the current administration is not the first government to follow through with such heinous acts but the U.S. government, as all governments, has the obligation to learn from past mistakes and events. Moreover, as arguably the most powerful country in the world, the U.S. is also obliged to set certain standards and adhere to binding treaties it has taken upon herself to sign! Why is it so much easier for us to want to hold China accountable for its violations and not the U.S.??? I am appalled by the role China has played in destabilizing certain African goverments and inter-continental relations as well as its conduct towards its own citizens but I thought four times before publicly condemning China without analyzing the why behind China's actions. Of course China should be held accountable but I am not going to sabotage its Olympics and hold a population accountable for something they cannot control. I know I'm digressing but my thoughts get all mixed when i get excited....but anyways, I am just tired about hearing all the fuss about China when noone steps back to analyze the past 100 years of China's history and noone steps back to notice how Muslims are viewed today. I have friends that I went to college with who had to leave the states because their dorm was set on fire. I know people who are afraid to walk around with their headscarves on. I know people who have changed their names from Ahmed to Charles! Of course I do not want Iran in possession of nuclear weapons but do we forget that it is practically 100% certain that Israel has them!!!!!! Do we forget that the U.S. has not complied with its obligations outlined in the nuclear non-proliferation treaty along with several other countries!!!



I mean seriously Bush! I am not saying we should not call out other goverments when they act a fool because I am a solid believer in making the world smaller and slowly eliminating borders (i know i know, idealism at its best ) but I seriously cannot looooook or listeeeen to you anymore!!!!


I'd rather listen to Sarkozy..... and that is saying aaaaaaaaaaalot.


ok, now that I've gotten out, I wish you all a very happy fun-filled weekend. I'm back to blogging so yea...


peace&balance friends :)