In March, Dawn posted about Mohammed Bah Abba's "Pot-in-Pot" refrigerator design, used in Northern Nigeria. This week, SciDev.net brings us a lengthy article about the proliferation of the Pot-in-Pot in Darfur, Sudan. Known locally as the "zeer," they are being produced by the Women's Association for Earthenware Manufacturing. Use of the zeer reduces waste for the (mostly) women who sell vegetables in the local markets, thereby increasing their income.
One disturbing aspect of the article, however: it's written by an employee of the local development organization underwriting the manufacturing of the zeer, and nowhere in the article does it even mention the humanitarian disaster in Darfur. Since the mass slaughter of civilians targets one particular ethnic community, one can only conclude that the productive, positive folks quoted in the article are of the dominant group, not the targeted group. This is not to assume or assert that they support or participate in the massacres -- nonetheless, the juxtaposition is unsettling.
Comments (3)
it also look like it was written in 2002 as the market in Al Fashir is currently not it operation and Rwandan troops (AU peacekeepers) are in the city at the moment.
There are reports that the displaced populations situated in the IDP camps on the outskirts of Al Fashir were forced to sing when the UN showed up to inspect the camps. Even more bizarre was the camp in Meshtel (5km away) where 1000 people were 'moved' the day before Kofi showed up...
http://www.sudantribune.com/article_impr.php3?id_article=4423
this article is pretty depressing - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/05/03/wdarf03.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/05/03/ixworld.html - but then again so is the whole damn situation.
Sorry for my rant, but I'm up to my knees in it at the moment.
regardless this product looks a little like the potters for peace invention Vinay keeps touting...
Posted by Cameron Sinclair | August 31, 2004 4:43 PM
Posted on August 31, 2004 16:43
Thanks, Cameron. I don't think the article is 2002 vintage -- not because it was published today, but because it makes reference to events in 2003. Still, it sounds like it doesn't reflect the current situation in Darfur.
Posted by Jamais Cascio | August 31, 2004 4:58 PM
Posted on August 31, 2004 16:58
yep, your right more likely 2003.
This link is from April '03 and talks about the program
sorry its a html version via google to the ITDG website turns out to be the same source that I recieved info about the empty markets
Posted by Cameron Sinclair | August 31, 2004 5:11 PM
Posted on August 31, 2004 17:11