Experiencing the U.S. Election in Tanzania: Freedom with Responsibility
“Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.” John F. Kennedy.
Being able to vote in the last 12 elections, I am thankful to experience this election while in another country. It has given me new perspectives of the meaning of democracy, freedom, peace; yet responsibility both individually and as a country. Yes I did vote absentee from Tanzania over a month ago as soon as the ballot was emailed to me.
I also am grateful it is not a year for Tanzania’s presidential election which happened last November. From what others have said it made life and university teaching a little more crazy here during their election. Schools started a month late thus ended the year a month late. I am not sure I could take understanding another countries unique unfolding events as it has been difficult enough to understand the U.S. election.
We have watched the election events with many discussions with Tanzanian citizens as well as other expats here working from many countries. We have talked among fellow volunteers as well as with others about what we think about the candidates and the election results. More than my own personal beliefs or voting choice, I hope my actions speak of who Americans are to those I form personal relationships with here. We set examples and have had discussions with our Tanzanian house mama, electrician, taxi drivers, neighbors, host family, church members, our coworkers, and students. My hope while here is to leave a lasting of view of what Americans are like and their values with those with whom I interact, as well as improve health status of Tanzanian citizens through education. Peace Corps is not a political nor religious organization so what I write represents myself as an American guest in another county and not the US government or Peace Corps.
I do not believe social media is a place to vent my personal political or religious beliefs. But since I try and do a weekly blog you will get some thoughts about the experience watching the campaign and election from Tanzania. Over the past month I have preferred to read most of my news about the election from reliable news sources rather than social media and for a while just turned off my newsfeed as most posts create unrest and division. My personal thoughts are that my actions speak much louder than posts.
Personal Responsibility
Until this year I have not been able to travel or work internationally and am by no means an expert at this. Though it is stretching me to my limits to adapt, learn, be positive and see the good in the differences, I try each day to remember who I represent, why I came, be more open, work hard at my assignment and focus on the changes in myself not what I can and cannot change in others.
After the election to be positive and do something above my work role as a nurse educator the picture above was our house mama’s 3 boys who I spent 2 hours teaching English to Saturday morning (and they taught me some Swahili) and then played with the neighbor girls. It took me awhile after them sitting for 2 hours doing English to get these under 11 year olds to participate in a game and laugh- but maybe that is because they don’t understand English. I taught them tag and red-light green light to get them to learn a few English words. Their parents and the neighborhood were watching me as an American play and have fun with children which is not always part of these children’s lives.
Not that I have been perfect in the U.S. in my interaction with others unlike myself. But I can say over my lifetime I have had involvement in various ways in the U.S. with homeless women with children, immigrants who work at jobs no Americans want to do, those with mental health disorders, divorced and single mom’s struggling, widows who are grieving etc.. Working with these I realized the similarities and difference between them and myself and often the close margin in how I might have been in the same situation if it had not been for my heritage and someone who reached out to help me over and over again during my lifetime. What I have gained through these interactions as well as my own life path is that that no matter how different we are, the choices we make, how hard we work, humility and less pride in myself and my accomplishments are good lesson to learn. It makes us depend on something higher and more powerful than our own intelligence, work, compassion, possessions, and family and social connections to accomplish something and often just to survive.
Freedom Yet Responsibility
After being here for 4 months I have a new appreciation for America, the values it represents, as well as the many privileges it affords. In understanding others unlike myself I can say I had great examples from my parents in openness and service. My parents were accepting of others of different races and economic status. My mother taught at a north end elementary school going above a teachers normal requirements for her students many from poverty homes. She also brought from her missions interests those from other countries into our home. I will always remember seeing my Dad serve others, drive a bus of low income children from the east side to church at West Side every Sunday during the “bus ministry”, then worked in his retirement until about age 85 doing janitor jobs, never buying new clothes or vehicles, or traveling so he could give money to missions he valued. I never heard him say he should save this money for needs he might have when he got old. God honored him by allowing him to be healthy and live at home until he was 95. Their actions of openness and giving spoke much more than any speeches they could have given me.
Even though I believe in free speech, the news and negative posts I read on social media creates a desire in me to respond by saying “try and influence the world by giving of your personal time and self to others less fortunate. Get to know someone unlike yourself in terms of income, race, religion, beliefs and family upbringing”. So I challenge you to do something this next year in response to the election results. Get involved in some way to show true American values and attempt to make some positive change in your community. Bias and prejudice can be decreased by spending time with those unlike yourself. Especially for those who have never left their town of birth and have not lived in communities and with people unlike yourself and your family, maybe find a way to be uncomfortable in some role that is not like your normal life and form relationships for an extended period of time with someone not like you and see what growth, understanding and change of perceptions you might experience. Differences make us stronger.
American Heritage: Who Has Supported Our Freedoms
Right after the election was Veterans Day where we honor so many of those who served to protect our freedoms. During WWII, many who served had not been in this country long and sent their sons many who died for our nation and many continue this sacrifice today. So being in another country and thinking of immigration issues I have had to think about my heritage. Last winter in doing some ancestry.com genealogy research on my own and my husband’s family history from Germany, Sweden, Holland, and England, I realized most of us if we look back at our family members who came to this country, they came trying to avoid persecution of some kind, military service they did not believe in, and famine with the hope of having a better life. They worked very hard to create a life here coming with very little except that dream. Most of us would not be here if they had not risked so much. Wars fought resulted in our freedom and peaceful living. Most of us value the best of America but often in our quest for more forget how much we have. I would not be in Tanzania if I did not believe in the good of our country and government and the importance of building bridges of peace and understanding between American and other countries.
American Values
I have thought a lot about the values we hold as Americans and what those mean to me personally over the past 5 months. During the election campaign and election we have watched here as you have in the U.S. We have been shocked, grieved, been embarrassed, angry, fearful, devastated and sad at the behaviors of our leaders. I am much more aware of how much other countries pay attention to what happens in America and how it depicts us based on the views they see and read about. It has been difficult to watch America from the political level as well as the individual level the past few months and try to explain who we are as Americans, our government and leaders.
Tanzanian Election Perspectives Observed.
Most African countries, Tanzania being no exception, remember the arrival of the US Peace Corps soon after their independence , which was an effort by Washington under John F. Kennedy in 1961 to help newly-independent African countries (Tanzania, 1961)build their capacity in various social services. In 2003 President George Bush started PEPFA which funding still supports programs like mine to assist in the global AIDs, Malaria, and TB epidemic.This protects U.S. Citizens as well as assists other countries.
I have met several older educated Tanzanians who the 60s had young Peace Corps volunteers serve in their schools. Though they have not said so directly, I can see their appreciation for those American teachers who investment in their lives. Those investments probably led to these two going to college, obtaining higher education, resulting in their work for Tanzania and the ability to support of their families. They have felt honored to give back just in terms of welcoming me to Tanzania and being open and friendly and discussing each of our respective countries. Both these men prior to the election expressed concern over this election as it has world implications. I think of the influence of the U.S. 50–60 years later continues for them, their families, and the country of Tanzania.
Under new U.S. Leadership some Tanzanians worry about foreign policy, aid for programs like ours funding which might impact programs here. Being in a country that was ruled by Germany, then England, and now independent and now has many Chinese and other countries influencing them economically with investments into their hospitals, buildings, roads, gold and uranium.
I see Tanzania valuing the peaceful nation they live in while other African nations have not been so fortunate. So they value that peace and have concerns of how America and the election outcomes might impact this. One response was “WWIII will start”.
Other responses I have heard from Tanzanians “ no one will be able to visit America from our country”, “why does your president not like those with our skin color”, and “programs helping our hospitals and health care will no longer come here”. There is uncertainty on many levels of what the election results might mean for them and this country. Many said “pole” meaning so sorry to us after the election. Some just have said they do not understand our culture to know why the election results were as they were.
Did not miss the Campaign
We often joked over the past couple of months that we were glad to miss all the election campaign on a daily basis as we do not have TVs. But we do have internet so did keep track by reading news articles and watched live stream early Wednesday morning as the results came in Tuesday night in the U.S. We also have a whats app group of our 17 that was going nonstop with reactions and results from each of our respective states. We each viewed the results from a different lens though we are all are volunteers. Many of the Americans here as were in the U.S. shocked, fearful, sad and upset at the unfolding unexpected events and questioned how this could have happened. Most of my co-volunteers have given up successful careers or put them off, given up the comforts of home, left family and friends for at least a year and tolerate a lot for beliefs in changing perceptions and the health of this country. And we are not even close to the sacrifices made by those volunteers (225) who live in huts in small Tanzanian villages with the other Peace Corps programs.
We value leadership who represent our own and our county’s America values. Many on both sides have felt torn by wanting to be represented by a leader who is honest, promotes democratic freedom of rights and religion, has respect for upholding our laws and human dignity. Unacceptable are ideals that promote hatred, fear, racism, hostility, vulgarity and ugliness that occurred during and after this election. It is difficult to compare acceptance and inclusion vs. selectivity and exclusiveness; diversity versus isolation; building bridges or fences. Our views are mixed as we try and promote peace and understanding in the international community on an individual level yet must explain how the election campaign and its result do not show true American values. I have realized through this election how America is not an isolated country but has a personal, community and national presence, influence, and responsibility. I have in this year of the election ask myself who is my neighbor and what does that mean. It is difficult to explain to others in words the feeling of responsibility we have to show and affirm our American values to those watching our country, our leaders, our citizens, and our behaviors.
How to respond?
After listening awhile to the poll results, I went to teach my class as showing up gives one view of Americans. After a short report on our elections results, I had a great class with my Master’s student and listened to them in their struggles of a new curriculum with 7 classes this semester. I felt for the first time in 5 weeks I finally was gaining their trust by showing up, discussing their concerns, following through with getting them information they requested. Then I had lectures to prepare for the next day for 5 hours of a community health course. At the end of the day I had chosen to be positive and do something for others instead of be negative and upset watching the election results.
Later as I caught Hillary’s speech I thought of how much we as Americans have, yet do not appreciate our many freedoms. On a daily basis here I see struggle, really hard work, lack of freedom, tolerance for many inconveniences in life, yet contentment in what they have, and welcoming, friendly citizens who value family and their religon. Many here have security concerns with new American leadership. I see the importance to them as Tanzania has remained a fairly peaceful country in that they value acceptance of different tribes, religions, and language. That doesn’t mean they have no problems, as every day I see guards at every corner in every institution (education, health, banking, and stores). This makes me value how our freedoms are protected in American society.
I see how young college students value everything they are given in universities and the potential they hope for as they try to better themselves in the midst of much more difficult educational path. I challenged them in 2 of my classes to look at what they can do for their country with their knowledge and education. What I see as provided in educational and healthcare institutions compared with what we have makes me think about our university students demands even though they are given so much more.
I don’t expect what I think or write to change the election results or anyone’s voting choices or views of a political party. But, in view of the election, I challenge you to think of what we as Americans have and be determine to do one new thing to uphold our heritage, values and beliefs individually. Look at how you can by your personal behaviors and influence, support our countries leaders even if you do not agree. Think of how you can through some involvement continue to uphold American values on an individual level. And lastly be thankful for all you have in terms of personal freedoms, peace and opportunity.
