Black Looks

Another long morning not doing very much but feeling very busy – trying to get our packs and finish the registration. 3pm and still no packs so we come back by 5 and hope they are there – everyone looking for everyone else. We managed a few podcasts and I took some videos – the vibes are good and everyone is up and full of energy and HOPE – Now I am off to Uhuru Park for the end of the march which we missed as probably did half the people here. Realised I had brought the wrong shoes and should have my trainers for all this walking but my back is holding up touch wood. Am on a high and should be resting but cant – Met Kasha from Uganda at last and a couple of women from FEW who are here but leaving tomorrow which is a shame – there are a few events this evening if we can manage to get there and get up to be at WSF by 8am tomorrow!

Spoke with quite a few people for podcasts but the most interesting comments were made in general discussions. Two SA guys who complained that the whole thing was dominated by NGOs and the revolution wasn’t happening! Asked what I thought so far – I said I thought the organisation was dismal and too much time had been wasted on the registration and getting our kits process – when I left the conference center just now people were near rioting to get their kits! I also said the people of Nairobi were easy going and it was a laid back stress free place and I felt most people were hoping for a positive outcome. His response was to Nairobi was it was “passive” – I said that was a pretty negative description and that coming from a place full of aggression it was a welcome relief to walk about the streets of Nairobi. We both agreed however that the real grass roots people were not getting their voices heard even here and it was doubtful there would be much to come away with except possibly building solidarity with other groups in Africa and elsewhere.

It was all rather depressing – promised to get in touch with them in Cape Town and Joburg and check out more on what they are doing. I also met a sweet group of school girls who had been brought into town for the opening day and we spent quite some time talking about their school and what they wanted to study in the future – unfortunately I forgot my SD card in the laptop so no photos there. But they were so enthusiastic – a breath of fresh air in the underlying pessimism of some participants. Frankly I think the whole thing is way to huge. A couple of Italians for Palestine looked bemused and confused and said they had spent the day walking around in circles and hoped that tomorrow things would become better. Maybe individual issues can be dealt with country by country and networking across the globe is positive – but another world – as Gil Scot Heron Said “The Revolution will not be televised” in this case it will not be starting in Nairobi Kenya…. The struggle continues – some of us are ready but we need to be more coherent and well it will not happen without some serious sacrifice and risk taking and people are just not yet prepared to SEIZE THE TIME!

PZ participants will be posting podcasts on PZ blog with a couple of interviews probably be up tomorrow or later this evening……………..

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Tags: WSF; Kenya + Nairobi;