ninehillsRAMBLE in the JUNGLE
Interests?
By Wanaku Verdzekov · · Global
Date note: Undated Facebook note, written between 2011 and 2014. The addendum is from 2017 or later.
Tags: representation, globalisation, narrative
In a new, flat, global world,
at each point in time,
whose INTERESTS are being rightfully represented:
– foreign?
– national?
– leaders'?
– the people's?
In most cases, it seems that ALL but the people's INTERESTS
are represented.
And that is where everyone scratches their head to figure out:
WHAT TO DO?
Do we know what to do?
TribalMonk
A later addendum:
Humans are addicted to stories (true or false). Stories shape and bend human minds into beliefs, and then into the actions that bring those stories to life. If the narrative about Ambazonia is hijacked by "louder speakers", guess which story of Ambazonia is out there? The consequences are subtle, but strong and lasting. Attempts at Ambazonian "loud-speaking" have been timid: at best good journalism, but poorly distributed in a multimedia global environment.
— Wanaku Verdzekov
Reading & grammar
Reading level: Gr 8–10
Understand
- List the four kinds of interests the author asks about.
- According to the author, whose interests are usually left out?
- What does the addendum say about who tells Ambazonia's story?
Grammar focus: bulleted lists and parallelism. The list "foreign? national? leaders'? the people's?" keeps each item in the same form. Parallel lists are easier to read and compare.
Try it: Rewrite the list as a full sentence with commas. Which version is clearer, and why?
Discuss: Who should a government represent first: its people, its leaders, or its foreign partners? Argue your ranking.