Animals (?)

Sunset over Tsavo East, Kenya

And so it wouldn't be much of a East Africa blog without paying some homage to the incredible animals found across the region, but in my own way I'm going to try and put some quasi political / philosophical bent on it.

On safari in the beautiful Tsavo East national park near Mombasa, I found myself wondering why so many are drawn to the plains to seek out the exotic wildlife.

For the machismo mid-life crisis male geared up with matching safari outfits, I think the idea of the law of the jungle, where only the strongest survive, is the draw because this probably mirrors their view of our own society and their lives in the boardrooms of their massive corporations.

For others I imagine it's the element of (albeit minimal) danger of getting close to wild animals without cage bars and electric fences separating them. The bragging rights at dinner parties when they get home that they survived a 'near death experience' with a charging elephant.

For most I think its simple pleasure of seeing the big five in their own environment. To see the natural world at its best, and reconnect with an ancient time where the divide between humans and animals was less severe.

My experiences have made me think more and more about the parallels between ourselves and the lives of wild animals - how we are so similar in our motivations and actions yet in such different circumstances.

In Uganda I saw tree climbing lions sleeping contently in the afternoon sun. Their bellies fat from the morning hunt, they barely acknowledged our presence as we drove within meters of them, and they reminded me of the satisfaction of working hard and getting your just rewards, much like the feeling you get after a good steak and glass of obnoxious red wine at the end of a stressful week at work.

In holding a stare with a young male gorilla which I blogged about before, I felt a similar connection that I hold with my brother and sister. That natural presence that has always been there, is so familiar and comforting yet difficult to explain.

The mating behaviour of the Ugandan weaver bird involves the male building a small nest on the shores of Lake Edward to attract a female. She will inspect the nest, and if the construction is deemed to be adequate will remain with the her new mate. If not the male will smash the nest and start again. Although in the extreme, and though we probably would draw the line at bulldozing our house in its pursuit, our own behaviour to get girls probably isn't a million miles away from this.

In Kenya I was lucky enough to see a cheetah meander past on it's way to a nearby water hole. And it strikes me that all of the animals that I have seen, big and small, carnivores and grazing animals, all depend on a source of water to survive. Just as we do.

I've just finished reading an inspirational book by a Kenyan environmentalist who promotes the protection of, in particular, forestry in the Congo basin to maintain the lives of millions of Africans. The destruction of this valuable natural resource and other forests across the continent has lead to diminished water supplies in neighbouring communities because rain in not absorbed into the soil, and has also changed rain patterns both within the region and globally . It has helped me understand how essential promoting environmental sustainability is within the development model to improve Africa's future as we rely on our water sources to thrive just as animals do.

Of course, there are huge differences between animal and human behaviour and societies. Our societies work on the basis of shared beliefs and cultural norms, where in the main behaviours like killing and taking from each other what is not yours are punished whereas kindness, good citizenship and hard work are rewarded.

In the developed world at least, most societies recognise that we are born with equal rights. That under international charter, we should be free from persecution regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or political opinion. For me, this conviction is what separates us from animals. This makes us human.

On Kenya's East coast I encounter the worst and best of humanity. In David Cameron's speech last week he called on developing countries to recognise gay rights under the legislative frameworks, or face a reduction or even withdrawal of aid money from the UK. Usually I disagree with anything the man says by proxy, but in this case I think he was spot on.

The reaction across the Kenyan media was scary. Politicians, writers and high profile media types came out in unison criticising the statement, saying that the UK and other donor countries should not be allowed to alter the cultural traits of the recipient country by placing restrictions on aid. But aid should have restrictions placed on it - governments with a sustained record in abusing human rights should not be able to access aid unchecked. Indeed, all development investment from donor countries must have strict conditions to ensure that the intended outcomes are properly monitored, that administration of the monies are free from corruption and that the monitoring process in transparent.

In Mombasa I meet a gay rights activist from the UK living in Kenya. She tells me that under Kenyan law, homosexuality is punishable by 14 years imprisonment. This is about the equivalent for murder, and six years more than convicted rapists can expect to receive. If any Kenyan citizen should become aware of someone who is gay, they have 24 hours to report this to the police or they face the same punishment.

Further, she tells me that gay women are subject to collective rape by the police to 'straighten them out', and others are subject to regular sexual abuse from officers when they are seen in the streets. I am filled with anger when she tells me this - no one should be subjected to this kind of persecution, regardless of what some Africans subscribe their 'culture' to be. This is clearly wrong in any context regardless.

This truly is the worst of humanity, but there are positives. People like the activists that I meet who are willing to place themselves in considerable danger to fight for the rights of oppressed minorities. Because they believe in the fundamental rights which should be afforded to all of us, not just a select few.

These people are our inspiration. They show us what humanity can be if we are prepared to fight for it. That although attitudes change as time passes, there are fundamentals which we, as a modern society, should be insisting on, not politely asking for.

One of my favourite ever quotes is "Our lives begin to end the moment we fall silent about things that matter" by Dr. Martin Luther King. I used it frequently at work, and it is with this kind of mantra that we must live our lives or else live under fear and repression from regimes with evil ideas.

We may be the same as animals in many ways, but for me this belief is what sets us apart. To fight tirelessly, and if necessary die for those ideals is a purely human trait. Only humans are able to have faith in their own species in this way.