Miss Landmine Angola 2007

on March 20, 2007
Category: Feminism, African Women

If you are wondering how low some people will sink then this is just about it. Colleagues in Norway sent me an email with this story about a Norwegian project to promote a beauty contest for landmine survivors in Angola and to create a fashion magazine for specially designed clothes for survivors. The project has received some $80,000 from funders including the Norweigan government. In the opening they state that

the MISS LANDMINE project puts the global landmine problem and its survivors in the spotlight in a new, celebratory and life-affirming way.

There is a brief background to landmines in Angola and a link to landmine statistics. Then the justification which the “WHY”

“Angolan culture has a relaxed and open attitude to physicality and sensuality. Furthermore, beauty pageants are a huge cultural phenomenon and a firm tradition in large parts of sub-Saharan Africa, not least in Angola. A startling contrast to the politicized, often highly controversial atmosphere that surrounds such events in Europe and USA, African beauty contests are most often an uncomplicated celebration of cultural identity, not unlike Brazil’s carnival tradition (which is also celebrated in Angola).”

In the “HOW” part it is revealed that

The first manifestation of the Miss Landmine project is the making and publication of a fashion magazine in the style of Elle, Vogue, Cosmopolitan and others. The Miss Landmine magazine will feature female landmine survivors presenting specially designed clothes, spectacular natural settings and the latest in landmine-related technology, such as prosthetic gear.

Drawing on the expertise and network of Angolan authorities as well as international aid organizations see our PARTNERS page, we are currently in the stages of recruiting Miss Landmine candidates from each of Angola’s 18 provinces, who are willing and able to pose as models for the world’s first Miss Landmine fashion magazine.

My mind is not in a place where I can think clearly but my gut reaction to this is that it is highly offensive, disgusting exploitation of African women. In the background of some of the photos there are these white people smiling and glowing as they make up and dress the women - like mannequins. Putting the issue of beauty pageants aside and the patronising comments on Western opinions and African cultural traditions etc, it is still an inappropriate tool which objectifies women beside landmine survivors are men as well as women. Even the use of the words Miss Landmine is horrible. And who the hell is going to be buying these glossy magazines and wearing these fancy clothes? Certainly not the women survivors who are poor unemployed women?

My friends are wanting to write a piece about this but would like to carry out a small survey with the aim of putting together a critical piece in a Noweigan feminist online site called Fett.

We would very much enjoy hearing your comments and reactions to this project, Here are some of our questions (to get you started):

What are your opinions in general about the project?
Is this project contributing to strengthening or improving the position of the women involved? of victims of landmines in general?
Is it challenging stereotypes?
What attitudes towards African women does the project convey?

Please think about the questions and leave comments if you can. If you want further information you can write to Siri Lindstad at: siri.lindstad at fett dot no

Tags: Feminism; Angola; Landmines; Beauty pageant;

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37 Comments so far

1. Obi

March 20th, 2007 at 9:44 am

my question - how exactly (culturally, morally and financially) is this project supposed to help these victims?

very disturbing and the David Cronenberg movie “Crash” comes to mind. I can think of better ways to invest $80000 to help victims of this terrifying tool of war. woe are we the great unwashed.

OK I don’t wish these women to be hidden from their society at large but this project?! These middleclass/rich norwegian folks would be better recieved petitioning the western companies and governments that produce and allow the distribution of these offensive weapons (cluster bombs in lebanon anyone?)

2. deviousdiva

March 20th, 2007 at 11:58 am

I will put the word out on my blog Sokari. This really stuck in my throat! Miss Landmine! How low can people go to exploit victims of war. I also do not wish that the women are hidden from us, but this is exploitation pure and simple.

3. THIS IS NOT MY COUNTRY - The only thing necessary for the persistence of evil is for enough good people to do nothing. » Miss Landmine

March 20th, 2007 at 12:06 pm

[…] Miss Landmine By deviousdiva Go over to Black Looks and read this article about a Norwegian project to promote a beauty contest for landmine survivors in Angola and to create a fashion magazine for specially designed clothes for survivors. My reaction when I read it was similar to Sokari’s. my gut reaction to this is that it is highly offensive, disgusting exploitation of African women. […]

4. mshairi

March 20th, 2007 at 12:49 pm

Thanks for the alert to this atrocity, Sokari. I will blog about it and link to it and also attempt to respond to the survey (the link to Fett is not currently working, btw)

5. Sokari

March 20th, 2007 at 12:54 pm

I think we all agree that survivors of landmines or any other kind of violence or illness should never be hidden away. On the contrary their testimonies must be heard. We need to speak of these things and make them visible to everyone. There are many ways of doing this and working with communities and individuals but no this is not the way.

6. Global Voices Online » Blog Archive » Angola: Miss Landmine Angola 2007

March 20th, 2007 at 1:34 pm

[…] “If you are wondering how low some people will sink then this is just about it. Colleagues in Norway sent me an email with this story about a Norwegian project to promote a beauty contest for landmine survivors in Angola and to create a fashion magazine for specially designed clothes for survivors. The project has received some $80,000 from funders including the Norweigan government,” writes Sokari Ekine who considers the project highly offensive. Ndesanjo Macha […]

7. Jay Sennett

March 20th, 2007 at 2:20 pm

Miss Landmine Angola 2007…

Yes, you read the title right. As a trans man I am all too familiar with this kind of apparent fetishizing of difference.
File this one under “Wrong. Very Wrong” then spread the word.
If you are wondering how low some people will sink then …

8. Mentalacrobatics

March 20th, 2007 at 2:25 pm

Something about the whole thing strikes me as very creepy and sinister. What is with that “Everyone has the right to be beautiful” like the organisers of this event have a monopoly on beauty? I will do the survey

9. Del

March 20th, 2007 at 4:09 pm

Will add it to my site also…..

Disgusting and there are MANY other examples of tragedy being “commodified to “heighten awareness”………….

10. Noli Irritare Leones » Blog Archive » Blogwatch

March 20th, 2007 at 4:11 pm

[…] UPDATE: Black Looks on Miss Landmine Angola 2007. […]

11. Enough is Enough » This is disgusting

March 20th, 2007 at 4:49 pm

[…] My friend Sokari the author of Blacklooks alerted me to this galling endeavor. Apparently someone thinks it’s time to hold the world’s first Miss Landmine pageant. […]

12. Clair

March 20th, 2007 at 5:00 pm

What are your opinions in general about the project?
A: Many but all are completely negative.

Is this project contributing to strengthening or improving the position of the women involved? of victims of landmines in general?
A: This project undermines (!) the position of the women involved. It ignores all male victims as well as girls and ‘older’ women victims.

Is it challenging stereotypes?
A: Absolutely not. It fosters and reinforces stereotypes. My particular favourite bit of racist stereotyping is the following “Angolan culture has a relaxed and open attitude to physicality and sensuality”. Priceless!

What attitudes towards African women does the project convey?
A: It treats African women as children. It assumes all Angolan women are the same. It assumes they want beauty contests rather than say, food, education, ipods, etc etc.

Shame, because if I remember correctly Norway NGO’s were very generous to the Apartheid struggle.

13. heidi

March 20th, 2007 at 5:08 pm

This is really disgusting. Particularly sinister is the white people primping the women. I imagine though that the artist is deliberately making it this controversial as people’s lives are often used in art as spectacle. Provocative for the sake of it rather than serving any useful or empowering purpose.

14. Susan

March 20th, 2007 at 8:04 pm

OK, if we’re going this route, might I suggest the Miss Human Rights Activist Zimbabawe 2007 Beauty Pageant. Activists who were beaten, arrested, and denied medical care could be contestants. I am of course, and make no mistake about this, not serious. Only to emphasize that Miss Landmine Angola 2007 moves in dangerous, trivializing, and uncontexualized directions. The project strangely seems quite happy with its goal to commodify suffering. While the project might “put the global landmine problem and its survivors in the spotlight,” it seems the project would do little to “spotlight” the underlying factors as to why landmines exist in Angola as well as why men, women, and children might be differently vulnerable to stepping on a landmine.

Further, the foundation of the why and how justifications are deeply flawed. The why text reads: “African beauty contests are most often an uncomplicated celebration of cultural identity.” Beauty contests are not uncomplicated in Africa. And worse juxtaposing beauty contests in Europe/USA as politicized against beauty contests in Africa as uncomplicated potentially sends an all too common reinforcement of racist “othering.”

The two paragraphs of the how text are out of order. How can “the first manifestation of the Miss Landmine project” be to publish the magazine if the organizers have not yet determined if a fashion magazine is something landmine survivors actually want? And worse, “recruiting candidates willing and able to pose as models,” well recruiting could turn out to be quite easy if there is money behind participating, but providing money does always equate to a well-conceived project.

15. Shailja

March 20th, 2007 at 11:30 pm

Amputee fetish.

Pornography of mutilation.

Saartjie Baartman for the 21st Century
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saartjie_Baartman

16. imnakoya

March 21st, 2007 at 12:58 am

To say this project is despicable is an understatement, it’s an appalling means of social advocacy, and a reckless display of human and cultural insensitivity.

However, what we need to understand is that this “beauty show” was not designed to mock or be-little the circumstances of the victims, and if the victims were Norwegians it would have been appropriate for their society. The project back-fired because Morten Traavik, a Norwegian artist (no wonder!), and the the originator of the idea, failed to consider the implications of his project.

After reading the 15 comments to the post, I’m somewhat deflated that no one has proffered alternative means of “showcasing” the plight of these victims of landmine horror. After all, it is our insensitivity as Africans (some of us), and our inability to proffer creative solutions to our socio-political issues that breath life into projects like Traavik’s. There are artists and musicians in Angola and all over Africa, but I’m yet to hear/see any concerted advocacy efforts from this sector. If we Africans can’t think and work to deal with our issues, then someone else will!

I’d prefer if the conversation continues beyond making harsh statements: how can we work more (individually and collectively) to address the zillion social-political issues on Africa?

17. Women of Color Blog » Miss Landmine Angola 2007

March 21st, 2007 at 2:39 am

[…] Colleagues in Norway sent me an email with this story about a Norwegian project to promote a beauty contest for landmine survivors in Angola and to create a fashion magazine for specially designed clothes for survivors. The project has received some $80,000 from funders including the Norweigan government. […]

18. …My heart’s in Accra » links for 2007-03-21

March 21st, 2007 at 5:23 am

[…] Black Looks Sokari’s got an interesting post about a beauty pagent for victims of landmines in Angola - she’s critical of the idea and worries that survivors are being turned into mannequins for clothes they can’t afford. I suspect the intention was to show survivors (tags: africa angola women) […]

19. Online Flash Games » Blog Archive » Links for 2007-03-20 [del.icio.us]

March 21st, 2007 at 7:04 am

[…] Miss Landmine 2007 This is so wrong. […]

20. Sokari

March 21st, 2007 at 7:41 am

Imnakoya@ I take your point but I dont think there is any commenter that is not aware of the issue of landmines and how they are destroying communities.

The various anti-landmine campaigns in Africa and the West led to the Ottawa Treaty signed in 1999 which bans the sale and use of landmines. However the problem now is 1) dismantling the old ones and again there are various organisations that are involved in dismantling old landmines but it is a slow process and b) getting governments to implement the ban on producing landmines which means putting pressure on those western companies that continue to produce them. Most of the worlds military powers have not signed up and pressure needs to be put on them by their respective citizens - Anti-Landmine Campaign.

There are so many ways the impact of landmines has been shown and can be shown - with $80,000 a documentary that was sensitively made and enabled survivors to testify and talk about their lives - I remember the excellent film made by Sierra Leone, Sorious Samura journalist on HIV/AIDS.

There are many African film makers (I know two who could have made such a film IF they could have got funding) who could have been commissioned to make a documentary . They would be in a far better position to present a culturally appropriate and sensitive piece that does not exploit and objectify human beings in this way. But people like this group do not want to do that - they want to maintain control of African lives believing they know better. We come across these people everyday here in South Africa and across the continent. White people getting furious when Africans think for themselves, and organise themselves without the help of white liberals and leftists to the point where they attempt to destroy such grassroots movements. Yes there are bands and musicians in Angola but a global project needs money – so go to the community and ask them what they would want to do to highlight the landmine issue, commission a local film maker and then provide the funding and let people do it. The Norwegians received funding for this project and Africans also need funding if they are to carry out similar projects.

PS : maybe something like this might have been more helpful and certainly more sustainable and dignifying: . Africa Unchained

21. Africa Media

March 21st, 2007 at 8:58 am

Reminds me of the saga of Ota Benga of the Batwa ethnic group, a pygmy brought to the US by missionaries for “display” at the St. Louis World’s Fair at the turn of the last century. He was then “exhibited” for an extended time in the Monkey House (it was said to he part of his “cultural tradition”) at the Bronx Zoo. Apparently all involved thought they were celebrating/helping/etc. too.

22. Matt

March 21st, 2007 at 3:29 pm

My first impression was probably closer to the idea of whoever thought of it in the first place: “What a great way to raise awareness!” But after reading the comments here, in particular the first paragraph of Susan’s post, I think I see it another way.

@ Clair: I know your answers to the questions posed were all negative, but if asked “Would this serve to raise awareness of landmines and landmine victims?” what might you respond?

@ Imnakoya: I agree with your comment except perhaps for the forceful adjectives you used in the first paragraph. It seems that you address the same issue in your first and second paragraphs, but I am much more comfortable with the more nuanced understanding expressed in the second than the vitriol in the first.

Thanks for helping me see it another way!

23. …My heart’s in Accra » Angola enters the “rent a thug” business

March 21st, 2007 at 4:02 pm

[…] So Zimbabwe has turned to Angola for help. Angola is emerging from almost three decades of brutal civil war, where a proxy battle between the US and Soviet Union killed half a million civilians and left land mines scattered all over the country. (A side note: a Norwegian project to improve the self-esteem of Angolan landmine survivors - a beauty contest called Miss Landmine - has come up for some sharp criticism from my friends at Black Looks.) But Angola’s got oil - lots of it, as much as Brazil or Algeria. And international oil companies are lining up to drill in Angolan waters, pumping money into the coffers of a corrupt, low-transparency government that passes very little money to extremely poor civilians. […]

24. Adam Bradford

March 21st, 2007 at 7:15 pm

If Miss Landmine Angola 2007 brings the issues of landmines back into the public domain, where people dont care about landmines/war/poverty/women’s rights, than it will have served a function. So lets do a Hollywood film about it…

25. Maxjulian

March 22nd, 2007 at 12:07 am

White people, who created the problem in the first place will only ever offer placebo solutions; typically the motive is to make them feel more at peace with their racial advantage…AND, to mystify what is actually going on and how it came to be.

We Africans in the diaspora better begin connecting and creating our OWN solutions - movies, movements. Of course, as Sokari noted, when we try to put our heads together, its the white liberal snakes who want in and if they can’t get in, seek to disrupt our nascent unity.

26. Sokari

March 22nd, 2007 at 6:12 am

Maxjulian@ Your suggestion of Africans in the Diaspora beginning to connect and support their sisters and brothers on the continent is a way forward. But even there we have to be careful we dont end up with situations like the Oprah Winfrey school that serves to create a small elite that itself can only end up becomming disassociated with its peer group and families for that matter. What is needed is real dialogue between the different parties to find out what is needed, to understand the environment, the issues etc etc.

27. Rombo

March 22nd, 2007 at 1:11 pm

Korr!

This grates at the spirit.

While acknowledging that the survivors of landmines ought never be stowed away in dark and dingy places and that the problem of landmines itself bears exposing, this campaign seems to me to feed the insatiable appetite that the world has for gawking at Africans in distress.

28. Maxjulian

March 23rd, 2007 at 5:52 pm

We need to be careful, but this is such a great tool - potentially. We get to meet thinkers the world over and perhaps can establish some creative political/artistic alliances, strategize, create new media.

29. Hippo

March 27th, 2007 at 2:02 pm

Would not the money have been better invested taking these ten girls and putting them through a language and secretarial course (for example) allowing their gainful employment and a means by which they could escape the discrimination they have to live with by demonstrating the useful contribution to society that they could make? Seeing them as productive citizens would do more to highlight the inhuman horror of landmines, the legacy they leave behind and awareness for the victims than parading them in such a questionable and obviously unsustainable maner.

30. Hawa

March 29th, 2007 at 3:01 pm

Whereas I don’t think survivors of landmines and any other kind of armed violence should hide away from the world, this idea that parading around for everyone else’s pleasure is going to work wonders is just not the way to go!The money spent in organizing this could be used to support the girls in setting up economic activities and getting skills, things which will sustain them into the future and give them real control of their lives. Oh, and these people could join the global campaign against trade in small arms and light weapons!

31. En qué estaría yo pensando » Blog Archive » Miss Angola campo minado 2007

April 2nd, 2007 at 1:12 am

[…] En realidad, lo que quieren es crear un magazine con las últimas tendencias para mutilados y abrir mercado en Angola. El proyecto tiene un presupuesto de 80.000$ y ha sido creado por un grupo de inversores noruegos con el apoyo del gobierno de aquel país. […]

32. Miss Elisangela DDR.

June 8th, 2007 at 6:07 pm

I am very shoked and very upset, with that kind of sick jock from the Norwigian project- ladmine miss Angola. Those women need lots of help yes! but humiliation from the upper class Norwigian would be the last thing any Angolan expect.
this money would better off helping millions of children and woman in Angola that have lost arms, legs and their family members. all those inocent people need is Medical centres that would help them deal with disability and face a bright future, where they are treated like people.
I am really feed up that Norwegian thinks that they can have fun under the cost of the most vunerable Angolan tragedy.