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The Danger of a Single Story : Welcome To the Caribbean 

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The Danger of a Single Story : Welcome To the Caribbean 

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The Danger of A Single Story: Welcome to Caribbean 

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The Danger of A Single Story: Welcome to Caribbean 

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"Welcome to The Caribbean: white beaches, Bob Marley’s reggae, and marijuana. No laws and all you do is to chill or as the local people would say, lime. So grab a beer and enjoy the breeze!"

It is what we know; this is the single story of the Caribbean trough media, news, Hollywood, and the video above is how I imagined it. All of it is true, but as  Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the Nigerian writer says in her Ted Talk, The Danger of a Single Story, "it is not complete."

So ending up in Trinidad, the largest producer of natural gas in the Western Hemisphere and an island depending on oil was the opposite (GOV. TT). Also seeing an isle provide free education with a population literacy reaching 99% 2015 (Trinidad and Tobago Literacy), and moreover, an island where a female prime minister entered the stage 2010 for the first time challenged my perceptions of the Caribbean (The Guardian). There was not only music, beaches, and tropical fruits.

Although, all of this true, these things never reached out. It is not the version of the Caribbean that exist in my world. But by excluding these another part, we excluded people, and we dehumanize their values as human beings. By only showing magazines with honeymoon beaches we diminish this part of the world believing this is all they are capable of so the places, the people, the events become unilateral and skewed. Moreover, this is what Adichie feared in her speech, that people would stop believing in what others are or can do. That preconceived images prevent people from being given a chance and instead, they have to prove that this is not all. But to change a set mind, that is a challenge in itself. Therefore, Adichie's speech is crucial, not only in the Caribbean but all over the world.

“Trinidad and Tobago Literacy.” Trinidad and Tobago Literacy - Demographics, 9 July 2017, www.indexmundi.com/trinidad_and_tobago/literacy.html. Accessed 27 Nov. 2017.Web.

“Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago .” (GOV. TT). Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries: Oil and Gas Industry 26 Nov. 2017, www.energy.gov.tt/our-business/oil-and-gas-industry/. Accessed 27 Nov. 2017.Web.

“The Guardian.” Trinidad and Tobago elects first female prime minister, 25 May 2010, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/may/25/trinidad-tobago-female-prime-minister Accessed 27 Sep. 2017.Web.

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Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Faran med bara en enda berättelse

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Våra liv, vår kultur, består av många sammanvävda berättelser. Novellförfattaren Chimamanda Adichie berättar om hur hon fann sin egen röst - och varnar för att om vi bara hör en enda berättelse om en person eller ett land, kan det leda till ödesdigra missförstånd.

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The Flag on Top for Haiti  (2017, November 16)

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The Flag on Top for Haiti  (2017, November 16)

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The French flag raised during the 18th century, Haiti, the leading producer of coffee and sugar within the Caribbean (Encyclopædia Britannica). Following time, 1804, the Haitians' gains independence and rises another flag. However, the flag would stay, but the prosperity and ground would die as the picture shows.

In 2010, after the earthquake, young Canadians came together performing a version of Wavin' Flag (Young Artists for Haiti). The song demonstrated the tragic outcome of the shock and encouraged people to help. In the end, they sang "We can be the reason they can see the flag rise again." A quotation that brought hope but where was this when all Haiti did was to call for their freedom but instead ended up in poverty, debts, no infrastructure, and violence?

It is not bad luck that made Haiti one of the poorest countries sustaining on foreign aid, but the earthquake viewed as bad luck. But if Haiti’s’ independence would have accepted, and the colonial powers understood peoples request for freedom, the shock would probably not have had that tremendous impact making 55 000 people still living in camps 2017 (Cook). These consequences of the disasters have its beginning in the 18th century, Haiti becoming the first independent country, winning a war against the colonial powers. A war that not only gained freedom but the cost of lives, destroyed the land, and emptied the national budget. To make France leave and to achieve their recognition, Haiti had to pay an indemnity that lasted until 1947. At that point, the economy never recovered (Henley). And today, we see the price paid for the fight of freedom. People are living in poverty and crime, but also, in democracy. Although the cost was high, Haiti is independent, and today known for being the first out of slavery, to raise their flag on top, and for that, they should be pride.

Cited Works

"Encyclopædia Britannica."  Haitian Revolution, 2016.   https://www.britannica.com/topic/Haitian-Revolution . Accessed 12 Nov. 2017. Web.

Cook, Jesselyn. "7 Years After Haiti's' Earthquake, Millions Still Need Aid." The Huffington Post 1 December 2017 . https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/haiti-earthquake-anniversary_us_5875108de4b02b5f858b3f9c 10 November 2017 Accessed. Web.

Henley, Jon. (2010, January 14). "Haiti: a long descent to hell." The Guardian 14 January 2010. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jan/14/haiti-history-earthquake-disaster 12 November 2017 Accessed. Web.

YoungArtistHaitiVEVO.

"Young Artists For Haiti - Wavin' Flag." Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 9 March 2010. Web.  10 November 2017.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB7L1BIDELc

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The Importance of Peace (2017, October 9)

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The Importance of Peace (2017, October 9)

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To be independent and free define people’s future, and to understand one part of the colonial powers impact on the Caribbean freedom, a comparison to Sweden, as inheriting a history of liberty, exemplifies how peace and independence could affect development and freedom of a nation or a region.

Firstly, Sweden avoided war for more than 200 years (The Local). Further on, it never fought for independence and stayed out of WW1 and WW2 (Erixson 1996). Those conditions are essential when it comes to how it developed. Many other countries, especially former colonies had to, during the post-war time, seek for their independence. The Caribbean islands were fortune though because of their size; it made them stay out of the war. Instead, they received their independence. Crucial facts that could be a reason for not developing civil war, which has been a consequence in many African countries after freedom. However, the Caribbean was still colonial, so when they finally were free and could establish a political system, Sweden had spent 25 years of developing in technology, industries, and political systems. An advantage that is still shown in contemporary societies and especially in economics.

Secondly, being a former colony has affected relations between other countries. Swedish people have access without significant difficulties to travel and get visa easily. However, for citizens of the Caribbean entering, for example, the U.S. a visit to the Embassy in Barbados is needed. Instead, Europeans can make a fast online application (US Embassy Barbados, 2017). Additionally, the price is unfair. The Caribbean's pay 160 USD compared to Europeans who pay 15 USD for a VISA into the U.S. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 2017); it limits the ability to travel and explore.

In summary, these two examples show the importance of peace and how it could affect contemporary societies.

Cited Works
Erixson, Lennart.”The Golden Age of the Swedish Model: The Coherence Between Capital Accumulation and Economic Policy in Sweden in the Early Postwar Period  Economic,1996. http://www2.ne.su.se/paper/lerixon.pdf. Accessed 27 Sep. 2017

"The Local" Sweden celebrates 200 years of peace 2014,  https://www.thelocal.se/20140815/sweden-celebrates-200-years-of-peace . Accessed 8 Oct. 2017.

“U.S. Customs and Border Protection” ESTA: Electronic System for Travel Authorization 2017,  https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/. Accessed 27 Sep. 2017.

“U.S. Embassy in Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean, and the OECS.” Nonimmigrant Visas, 2017, https://bb.usembassy.gov/visas/nonimmigrant-visas/ . Accessed 26 Sep. 2017.

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Sweden has not actively taken part in a war since 1814 - breaking even Switzerland's record for peace. One peace and conflict expert has told The Local that Swedes learned the hard way to take the non-confrontational stance.

Precisely 200 years ago, on August 15th, 1814, Sweden entered a new era of peace. The last battle took its final breath on August 14th after the signing of the Convention of Moss , ending a brief war with Norway sparked by the nation declaring its independence.

The war would be Sweden's last.

"Sweden as a nation has not participated in war for 200 years," Peter Wallensteen, senior professor of peace and conflict research at Uppsala University, told The Local.

How has Sweden managed to stayed out of war for two entire centuries?

"Primarily by luck," Foreign Minister Carl Bildt told The Local on Friday.

Wallensteen pointed out that Sweden has contributed forces to UN peacekeeping operations, has an active military and a thriving arms industry , and that the definition of peace is debatable.

Nor does avoiding war mean that Sweden is officially neutral. Sweden left its policy of neutrality when it joined the EU in 1995, opting instead for "non-alignment".

"But there is an absence of the use of political violence in the country, no international wars, no civil wars, and no military coups," Wallensteen explained.

Due to Switzerland's unfortunate civil war in 1847, Wallensteen said, Sweden's tally even beats the capital of neutrality.

All of the Scandinavian nations had a chance at taking the prize longest reign of peace, Wallensteen said, since they stayed out of the first world war. It was during World War II that things started falling apart.

Sweden never officially took a side in World War II - but the nation has received harsh international criticism for letting the Nazis use Swedish railways to travel to and from Germany and Finland from invaded neighbour Norway, questioning the image of neutrality and indeed casting a light of shame and cowardice upon the country.

But historians say Sweden did not favour Germany. Rather, Sweden took the most non-confrontational stance it could.

During the war posters were hung on building walls with a yellow and blue tiger, and the words "en svensk tiger" - translating both as "a Swedish tiger" and "a Swede keeps his mouth shut".

According to Wallensteen, this attitude is not native, but learned.

"Politicians realized as far back as 1905, after the treaty with Norway, that war creates lasting animosity. But solutions create lasting cooperation where everybody benefits."

Today Swedes have a reputation for being reserved and non-confrontational. How did the war-faring Vikings and mighty kings of the late Empire of Sweden transform into humble striped cats?

"I think that Swedes have learned it doesn't pay to engage in violent conflict," Wallensteen told The Local. "There is an attitude of strong conflict awareness. There is a willingness to find solutions that work, solutions that are pragmatic, practical, and rational."

The Swedish climate of compromise, Wallensteen said, grew from experience.

"People do take a stand, but they do not take a stand so incompatible with others that discussion becomes impossible. Due to long historical experience, Swedes are willing to open up to negotiation."

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Sweden has not actively taken part in a war since 1814 - breaking even Switzerland's record for peace. One peace and conflict expert has told The Local that Swedes learned the hard way to take the non-confrontational stance. Precisely 200 years ago, on August 15th, 1814, Sweden entered a new era of peace.