Friday, July 21, 2006
Great Rift
While the 57 country Council on Migrations is being held in Morocco to discuss how best to accommodate migratory populations--a phenomenon that presently amounts to over two hundred million people worldwide--we thought it might be beneficial to reflect on the fact that since the day Lucy's descendants wandered out of the Great Rift Valley of the African horn, our ancestors have all at one time or another decided to go in search of greener pastures. Of particular note in the Rabat conference is the notion of policing as a failed and ineffective means of solving migration problems, which reminds us of the axiom to be good company, whether as guests or hosts--something the indigenous of North America have long entreated upon their paleface relations.
Considering that we are all out of Africa, we'd like to imagine a new scenario where, upon reuniting, long-separated branches of the human family will someday greet those seeking refuge with empathy and understanding. Strange as it now seems, there was a time when this was fairly commonplace.
Considering that we are all out of Africa, we'd like to imagine a new scenario where, upon reuniting, long-separated branches of the human family will someday greet those seeking refuge with empathy and understanding. Strange as it now seems, there was a time when this was fairly commonplace.
