If you’ve time — don’t miss….

Crossing ContinentsThursday 30 July
11:00am – 11:30am
BBC Radio 4 or via Internet  Click here: Journey without Maps

A Journey Without Maps: Humphrey Hawksley retraces the extraordinary journey undertaken on foot by the novelist Graham Greene from Sierra Leone across Liberia in 1935. He feasts on sardines and luncheon meat, meets the lightning makers and devil dancers and is involved in a near-fatal car crash. How has West Africa changed? Is it better or worse than it was 70 years ago?

A highly-intelligent young woman graduated from Cambridge and took a job with Goldman Sachs. Very quickly, she became disillusioned with the world of finance. She became interested in the developing world. She spent a year in Liberia.  She did post graduate studies at Harvard. She applied to work for the British government. At her own cost, she flew over for three separate interviews, after which she was accepted over some 4,000 other applicants.  She was told she would work on tax or treasury issues. She was keen to work in her area of interest and expertise. She e-mailed, telephoned and wrote asking for a meeting or at least a conversation. She received no reply — not even an acknowledgement. She is no longer working for the British government. She has opted to apply her talent elsewhere.

I am not sure what era these civil servants believe they are working in. But I suspect with their pensions secure and benchmarks of achievements low, they have no incentive to ensure that Britain’s government is staffed by the best and the brightest. Everything in this story could be acceptable and explained — accept the refusal to reply to the correspondence. That is one symptom of a failing institution.

On the issue of democracy and dictatorship, I would like to share part of an e-mail I received today from a missioniary working in a very remote part of Liberia. I won’t put a name or place, unless  told I may.   

“When I look at Liberia, I see the events of the 16 year civil war that began as an attempt to rectify years of inequity to the indigenous people but then turned into local tribal fighting and individual power struggles, then I see man’s freewill turned sour.” 

Liberia  has technically been a democracy since 1847. It is one of the poorest countries in the world with 15,000 UN troops in place to keep the peace.

Could we please move on from this immature notion that those who question democracy, favour oppression and dictatorship? 

I am worried by Dominic Lawson’s statement in The Sunday Times (July 12th 2009):- ‘Democracies may lack outward “harmony”, but they are able to accommodate internal political disagreements — and changes of government — without bloodshed.’

Lawson, I hope, is speaking about developed Western societies where institutions are strong. In others societies where institutions are weaker and values different, the overarching question being asked every day is how to move from dictatorship to greater freedom — without bloodshed. 

Most of us in the West have failed to answer this. It’s time we started.

The Kings Road lobsters flown in from Canada are better than those in Sierra Leone. In fact, Jimmy’s at 386 Kings Road, Chelsea, www.jimmychelsea.com is one of London’s finest. Shown to a window table, overlooking the old haunts of Vivien Westwood, Mick Jagger and Jimi Hendrix, with excellent service, a lean, but efficient wine list, and well-mixed Gordon’s gin and tonic, this conpact, but stylish, restaurant is a perfect antidote to the unpredictability of Sierra Leone cuisine. The lobster in question was served with a medium rare chateaubriand, preceded by squid and scallops and rounded off by creme brulet and wild cherries with chocolate. Much recommended to anyone passing by.