government is fighting separatist guerrillas seeking autonomy in its northernmost provinces, Eritrea and Tigre. These provinces are also racked by drought and famine. But because of the civil war, the government is reluctant to send relief. Why battle your enemy when you can starve them? Government planes have been seen bombing refugee lines in the north, claiming guerrilla infiltration. Furthermore, in the fall of 1984, Ethiopia spent $150 million to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the communist revolution. Villages and clusters of buts perched on the tops and sides of mountains, without, apparently, any roads leading to them. It was beyond me how food could be grown and people survive in that Godforsaken land. This was an outrage at the time when people were starving only 40 miles from the capito.l. Before the revolution of 1974, the United States backed the regime of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selasie, and equipped his army to fight the Eritrean and Tigrean seperatists. Somalia, Ethiopia’s traditional enemy to the west, was backed by the Russians, who also supported the Eritreans and Tigreans. In 1974 these roles were all reversed with the overthrow of Haile Selasie. The United States was thrown out of Ethiopia and Somalia attacked, trying to recapture land they’d lost to Ethiopia in 1891. The Russians refused to back this campaign and transferred their support to the Ethiopians, leaving Somalia no choice but to ally itself with the United States. Somalia was initially able to recover its territory, but then was defeated and pushed back across its original borders (along with 750,000 refugees) by the combined forces of Ethiopia and Cuba. The United States has since allied itself with Eritrea and Tigre as well. In this scramble for political power and shifting international alliances, the common people are starving and dying. Originally the United States was hesitant to provide relief to Ethiopia because it was communist. Now the only help given is food. No transportation or other assistance is allowed. Yet it is doubtful the starving people have ever heard of Marxism or capitalism. Politics should not interfere with saving human life. Other problems have plagued these emerging African nations. Methods of farming that work in North America or Europe don’t always succeed there. I heard of one instance when some “agricultural experts” saw a field used for growing grain with many rocks in it. They immediately suggested clearing the earth so more grain would grow. This the people did. Only later was it discovered that the rocks keep moisture in the ground and the plants grow up around them. Without the rocks the fields just dried out. On December 26th our filming was officially over. I spent an additional two weeks in Kenya before returning home. After spending more than two months in Africa, the huge disparity that divides our luxurious culture from their depressed one became more than obvious. It is hard for people to realize how much suffering is taking place in Africa at this very moment and how much more assistance is needed for these unfortunate people. Even though the world, and the American people in particular, have been very generous, only the bare minimum of relief has been received. And the bare minimum is not enough. I hope that this terrible situation is not destined to be noticed briefly and then forgotten. I cannot stress enough that more help is needed for the starving in Africa. Nicholas Blair is a San Franciscobased freelance photographer. This is his first contribution to CSQ. Sweet Dreams Futon. Six-inch thick Japanese beds, all cotton or with two- inch foam cores. Send $2 for our catalogue of sweet dreams at sweet prices. Or come visit! 400 SW 2nd, Portland 97204 516 15th Ave. East, Seattle 98112 Hours: Mon-Fri ll-6/Thurs 11-7/Sat 11-5 MODI H E S71 COM PA\NV| ►1 □ EZZI EEIHFBS c n □ « APPAREL Bohemia 8 Cotton Delight 56 El Mundo (CB) 54 Gazelle 39 La Paloma 30 Let's Dress Up 51 Now & Again 38 Nanu 17 Reflections in Time 17 Sachet 2 Sew What 23 ARTS & CRAFTS/ OFFICE SUPPLIES Art Media 39 Flying Colours 16 Frameworks 22 NW Working Press (E) 13 Paper Tree 16 Scribbles 21 Shannon & Co. 17 BOOKS Book Barn 38 Cannon Beach Books (CB) 54 Early Childhood Bookhouse 27 Empty Bowl (PT) 48 Great NW Bookstore 51 King of Rome 51 Looking Glass 20 Paper Moon 20 Peralandra (E) 12 Sinsemilla Tips (C) 47 Serendipity 15 Thurman St. Bookstore 20 Yamhill Book Merchant 51 CAR & BICYCLE CARE Amazon Motors 14 Cielo 39 Companion Carrier (E) 13 Coventry Cycle 23 Hawthorne Auto Clinic 23 NW Bicycles 26 COMPUTER PLANNING Glick & Associates 49 FILM/VIDEO Clinton St. Theatre 17 Laskey's Video 38 L 'Auberge 26 PSU Film Committee 14 1st Stop Video 21 FOOD/RESTAURANTS Barley Mill Pub 17 Bijou Cafe 21 Bread & Ink 22 Broadway Revue 47 Cafe de la Mer (CB) 54 Cassidy's 42 Chocolate Moose 47 Dandelion Pub 20 Duchess of Burnside 47 East Ave. Tavern 47 Echo Restaurant 38 Escape From NY Pizza 35 Foothill Broiler 27 Flying Pie Pizza 15 Half Shell Restaurant (PT) 48 Hank 's Franks 43 Hawthorne St. Cafe 22 The Hobbit 15 Hunan 20 Indigine 35 Jarra s 23 Key Largo 43 Korgan 's 23 La Patisserie 16 L Auberge 26 Martinotti's 42 Morrison St. Deli-21 Mountain Song (NC) 48 Nob Hill Cafe 20 Papa Haydn 30 Parchman Farm 16 Pharmacy Fountain 27 Porretta Pizza 15 Prego 23 Rimsky Korsakoffee 23 Riverway Inn 51 Salal Cafe (PT) 48 Starkey's 15 Sweet Basil 14 Wooden Spoons 17 Zoo Zoo 's (E) 12 FOOD/TAKE-OUT Food Front 16 Murphy's Seafood 26 Nancy's Yogurt 13 Ota Tofu 2 Pastaworks 22 Paul Bergen 20 Popper's Supply 44 Ross Island Grocery 16 Savoy Truffle 35 Starflower 54 GET-AWAYS Breitenbush (OC) 44 Bishop Victorian Guest Suites (PT) GIFTS Companion Carrier (E) 13 DaVinci's 32 Della s Deco-Ware 22 Ellen's Flower Cart 26 Escential Lotions 27 Haggle Shop 23 La Paloma 38 Oasis Antiques 23 Oregon Country Fair (E) 12 Rainy Day Flowers 38 Real Mother Goose 21 Scribbles 21 HEALTH Alternative Family Health Care 23 Dr. Alvin Ackerman 22 Everett's Flotation Tanks 44 Metro Crisis 26 Michael Sears Chiropractor 27 Stephen Woolperl Massage 23 HOUSE & GARDEN Da Vinci's 32 Eurostyle 55 NW Futon 55 Oasis Antiques 23 Rejuvenation House Parts 35 Shelby Fine Arts 14 Urban Gardens 26 Yestershades 23 INSURANCE Bridget Downey 39 LEGAL ASSISTANCE Sanders, Dixon, & Nichols 49 RADIO KLCC (E) 13 KOAP 2 PERSONAL TREATS Apropos 38 Breitenbush (OC) 44 Escential Perfume 27 Family Hot Tub 22 Inner City Hot Springs 44 Stark St. Hair Design 42 Stephen Woolpert Massage 23 RECORDS Artichoke Music 26 For What It's Worth Records 50 Peralandra (E) 12 Music Millenium 51 Rockport Records 42 SCHOOLS/SEMINARS OMSI 39 Pacific NW College of Art 2 Sailing Center 34 Shelby Fine Arts 14 SPIRITS & ENTERTAINMENT Barley Mill Pub 17 Cassidy's 42 City Nightclub 17 Key Largo 43 Parchman Farm 16 Primary Domain 51 Satyricon 43 Storefront Theatre 51 World Music Festival 20 Cannon Beach (CB) Corvallis (C) Eugene (E) North Cascades (NC) Oregon Cascades (OC) Port Townsend (PT) Clinton St. Quarterly 55
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc4NTAz