Page 47 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 16

Community

speaks of ‘meta-silence’ to explain opia; an insidious form of bigotry stream and Social Media, it is on the
our mental ability to silence an issue against the helpless. It blinds us harsh portrayal or avoidance of the
to the point of silencing even the from recognizing their physical pain invisible citizens. As a rule, the me-
inquiry regarding the reason for and deafens us from hearing their dia never speaks of them primarily
our denial and silence. He explains mental and spiritual agony. Our top because they are not commercially
how this is a psychological defense national priorities speak of this sad attractive. Even a magazine named
mechanism of protecting our inno- truth. We have created a narrow and ‘Justice’ never speaks of their injus-
cence because the recognition of a superficial existence; our existence tice, even ‘Fortune’ and ‘Capital’ fail
pressing crisis necessarily leads to is truncated in ethnicity, religious to mention these invisible citizens
personal engagement. When we see sects, market values, and endorsed because they are unfortunate and
this in relation to the homeless, we by media that either ignore or blame without capital. The myopic spec-
silence the issue and never ques- the invisible citizens. trum of the media is unaware that
tion ourselves because recognition a country that fails to identify and
challenges our minds and makes us Our identity is utterly narrow to alleviate the plight of helpless citi-
restless unless we act constructively. allow humanity to operate uni- zens can never be just or civilized.
In reality, protecting our innocence versally, not even nationally. Such The crime of the Medias is worst
through the denial of suffering will an identity leads to an apathetic when it actually speaks of them.
only intensify it, transforming crisis forgetfulness towards the helpless After we treat them inhumanely, we
into a catastrophe. street residents. We have forgotten held phone-in radio programs where
them when we sealed our identity in we display our audacity to judge and
It is indeed a catastrophe when a ethnicity. Alas! How empty rheto- condemn them. We call them lazy
country accommodates the co-ex- ric is ethnic identity, which fails to while we are too lazy to help. We call
istence of two irreconcilable lives even notice the homeless and the them criminals when we are the true
– lives in the street and lives in a orphans. The failure of every ethnic social criminals who extended their
modern-day castle. Dr. Cornel West group to incorporate them can only unfortunate lot through indifference
cautions us from calling it a prob- indicate that the helpless ones are and ostracism.
lem, because to these invisible citi- without identity. What’s worse, we
zens, it is a ‘catastrophe that visited abandoned them as we fortified our In all areas, we see a callous machine
upon them’ with no fault of their humanity in religious sects. Every operate in the name of modernity
own. According to a study conduct- religion translates humanity into a and civilization. We have to rec-
ed in 2020 titled, ‘Pathways through status gained for being noble cre- ognize that traditional societies, at
homelessness among women in Ad- ations of the Creator. But each sect least in Ethiopia, do not produce
dis Ababa, Ethiopia,’ there are some extends humanity to followers and homeless people because the strong
50,000 homeless people in Addis abandons all the rest to rot in the social bond doesn’t allow it. Home-
Ababa alone. About a year ago, the hell of an earthly and afterlife. The lessness is dominantly a city crisis,
Ethiopian government announced academic and economic identity is where people are too busy with
that it will rehabilitate 22,000 home- no different. As we have barricaded personal indulgences to the point of
less people from 11 cities in Ethio- ourselves in intellectual and trade forgetting their social responsibility.
pia. The success of this attempt is unions, we closed the gates for iden- I hope not to be a hypocritical critic
questionable. tity on the very people who need who hastily condemns but never
recognition for existence. In the provides tangible solutions. I can
Despite the government and chari- final analysis, we have made them only mention that this article is a
table works, the situation persists. It voiceless through a political system beginning of a long discussion that
is a national problem that requires that identifies a person only through will only end when tangible solu-
concerted action from each one of IDs, property, ethnic identity, and tions are forwarded and the problem
us. Yet it is seldom discussed as a the countless systematic shackles is addressed. This is the first attempt
major issue. that makes them invisible citizens. to recognize the problem and raise
an agenda. I only wish to remind us
Our inhumane treatment of the The inhumane reality we created that the ‘invisible citizens’ exist and
desperate ones is proof of our mor- is transformed into an acceptable deserve the dignity of life we declare
ally bankrupt social, political, and social standard through the silence as democratic citizens under the
personal lives. We cannot see or hear and utterance of the media. If there banner of human rights.
these invisible citizens of the street is an accord between the main-
because we suffer from mental my-

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