June 20, 2006

Last week, I went to an anti-child labor and anti-child trafficking celebration at the American Embassy in Yaoundé.

While overall it was a fun event, and important, there are a few nagging thoughts that have stayed with me for about a week.

First of all, it was a fashion show of work done by kids rescued from child labor. Not only did the kids design the clothes, they made them. The workmanship and the designs were actually quite good, if a bit repetitive. Lots of bright West African patterns in traditional flared skirts and buboes – a sort of one-piece outfit – for the girls. The guys wore the male version of buboes, as well as Western-style shirts in the West African fabrics. Blues, oranges and yellows were the dominant colors.

I know that the event was meant to celebrate the potential of these kids, and they’re all going to school now. In fact, in many ways, I don’t find some forms of child labor so bad. For example, there’s a little restaurant Bec and I like to go to for omelets on weekends. A family runs it, and all the kids take part in making the business run. I think that’s positive and a far cry from the child labor activists campaign against.

But really, if you’re rallying against child labor and trafficking, is making them put together clothes the best way to make your point.

On a similar note, these were all children rescued from child traffickers and slave-labor conditions. They were also the models for most of the clothes on display. So it was a little jarring when the host of the event kept repeating, “Everything you see on this stage is for sale.”

Finally, can Mississippi please remove the Confederate flag from its state banner? It’s embarrassing, especially in this part of the world. The 50 state flags from the 50 states are up in every embassy. It’s an introduction. This is who we are. And then, in among the state crests and flags that feel the need to take the mystery out of what they represent – I’m looking at you Montana and Wisconsin – there are the Stars and Bars up in the corner of the Mississippi flag.

Think about it. Cameroon is one of the regions from where the slaves came. So when taking around dignitaries or visiting students, American diplomats have to show off the Confederate flag. All because Mississippi has to be difficult about it. I’m sure it makes life uncomfortable for the embassy staff every once in a while. “Oh yes, this symbol. Um, well, it’s from the time when we fought over slavery. No, the people who fought under that were for slavery. And yes, the Ku Klux Klan has taken it as one of their symbols. But you see, it’s a heritage thing.”

The embassy in Yaoundé has the state flags off the main corridor. You really have to go out of your way to find them. I wonder if that was on purpose? You don’t have to go out of your way to find the Rosa Parks posters.

This will be my last posting before our much-needed vacation. A week of French people, French food and probably shopping for Third World-made American products. Five nights in a chateau as well. Bec keeps walking around her office saying, “I’m the queen of the castle.” I guess that makes me the court jester. Talk to everyone at the end of the month.