Double labor standards?

I am facing something of a dilemma.

When I and my family came back to Cape Verde recently from a long break in our home country Sweden, one of the first thing we did was, naturally, to get acquainted with our new house guards. While I find it a bit disappointing that we need guards at all, it is something I have learned to live with. Crime is on the rise, especially in and around Praia and in the tourist areas, and we have little choice but to adapt. It is sad, but the days when Cape Verde was know as a country virtually without crime seem to be gone.

For various reasons, we decided to change guard company while we were away, and I thought it be a good idea to talk to the crew in order to get to know each other a little and to gain mutual respect. I was both surprised and disappointed of what I learned during our conversations.

First of all, there is no “crew” as such. Actually, there are only two guys, covering a 24 hour guard duty. My first reaction was that this would not be possible, that I must have misunderstood something. That would mean that the have no day off at all; they would have to work 7 days a week, 12 hours per day. But it was no misunderstanding.

Secondly, they told me that they were not entitled to any vacation.

Third, I was told that the company dos not provide any “seguros” – the national health insurance in Cape Verde. This means that they would have to pay the full costs for treatment and medication in case of illness.

For this job, they receive a salary of only 18000 Cape Verde escudos a month (about 240 USD).

To me, this could almost be called paid slavery – something I thought was banned or at least regulated by law in Cape Verde.

As a matter of fact, it is. At least in principle. I have learned that there is indeed a law on labor standards, which covers issues such as minimum wage, maximum number of hours per week and month, vacation and health care. According to this law, I am informed, the guards should normally be entitled to at least one day off per week, and they should have the right to vacation and Seguros.

It appears, however, that the law on labor standards covers only those with Cape Verdean nationality. As the two guards that work for the company that we hire are (legal) immigrants from Guinea Bissau, it seems that they are exempt from this law.

(The situation reminds me remotely of another case from Sweden: A few years ago a Swedish company contracted Lithuanian builders for a construction site in Sweden, and refused to accept the Swedish workers union’s so called collective agreement, stipulating work hours, wages etc for Swedish workers. As a result, the Swedish union, in order to protect the rights that they had gained in Sweden throughout the years, accused the company for “social dumping” and blocked the whole construction site. The construction project was eventually abandoned, even if, in this case, the company actually followed agreed EU rules. Recently, the EU Court of Justice reviewed the case and ruled that the action taken by the Swedish union was against EU regulation.)

If what I have learned is correct, it is hard for me to understand why the Cape Verdean Government would exempt foreign workers from their labor standards. It appears to be both unethical and economically unwise. Is it really a good idea to attract emigrants to jobs in this way, when Cape Verde is struggling with a 24% unemployment rate? I should think not, but maybe I am not aware of the full picture.

So what is my dilemma anyway? I have 24 hour guard duty, so why am I not happy?

Well, on the one hand I don’t think that the guard company’s employment policy is acceptable. It is inhumane to force workers to 12 hour shifts, 7 days a week, without any vacation and without supporting any form of heath care, and I believe that it is highly inappropriate that the company does not to meet Cape Verdean labor standards (even if they, as it appears, are not obliged to by law). I don’t want to be part of that!

My gut feeling is therefore to terminate the contract with the current guard company and hire another one which – as a minimum – follows Cape Verdean labor standards.

On the other hand, I don’t want to put the two guards on the street, making their life even more difficult than it currently is. Like many other migrant workers round the world, they have been forced to leave their home country and their family and friends to try to make a better living in another country. It is quite possible that they will loose their job if we discontinue our contract with the guard company. Maybe they prefer to accept the harsh terms offered by the company, knowing that the option – to be unemployed and/or having to go back to Guinea Bissau – is much worse.

I also have to acknowledge that I am myself a culprit in this whole story, even if I was unaware of the guard’s poor working conditions until recently. One of the reasons that we chose to opt for another guard company in the first place was, naturally, that it was cheaper. Obviously it was cheaper for a reason – and the guards are paying, through inadequate labor rights.

After reflecting further, I realize that it cannot be justified to take advantage of this situation, and (provided that the information I have is correct; I hope not) consequently the contract should be discontinued. Even if it means that it might create difficulties for the two guards in case they will not be relocated to different guard duty within the company. Also – and this is important – I need to let everybody involved know why the guard service is terminated. Hopefully we could thereby contribute to improving immigrant worker’s rights in Cape Verde.

The issue at hand is in some ways similar to the debate on child labor. Most people would agree, I think, that we need to boycott child labor products and services, even if it would mean that some children are put on the street under even worse conditions. The long term negative effects of encouraging an unjust system are worse than short term consequences.

Issues like labor rights and child labor are not easy to deal with. In both cases, however, I believe that the best thing to do is to stop supporting an unfair system, and let as many as possible know about the injustice. Regarding our guard service, I will take action to that end.

The name game of life

Recently, I had the great privilege of becoming a father for the second time, and one of the first important decisions to be made for the little one is to pick a first name. It is hard to imagine a situation were the choice of names is very limited, and where the name you pick will be scrutinised and possibly rejected by the authorities just because it is not considered to be an appropriate Christian name. But this was reality in Cape Verde during the time of the Portuguese colonial oppression. In many cases, the authorities apparently designated “proper” Portuguese names to newborns, which the parents were more or less forced to accept.

Some might argue that your name doesn’t make that much of a difference. Personally, I would not agree. On the contrary, I think that a person’s first name is very significant, and that as a parent, you are placed with a heavy responsibility to get it right, or at least not to screw it up. Not withstanding that there are many other factors (including many which are more important) that influence a person’s identity, there are few other decisions which are as quick and simple with such potentially large consequences, as naming a newborn.

To a greater or lesser extent, your name will influence who you become in the world. I think that what you are called affects your options in life, the ability to make friends, the possibility to be chosen for a job interview. For instance, would it be easier or more difficult for a person named, say, “Grobjart” or “Barbie”, to become a successful politician, to date someone they like, or to become an artist? I think that the answer is obvious.

No wonder many celebrities use stage names or nicknames - Madonna, Pelé, Marilyn Monroe, Buffalo Bill… Even the US President apparently tries to make his name seem a little more interesting and unusual, by the addition of “Dabya”.

Moreover, the name is the key instrument to distinguish people from one another in everyday life. It is normally the first information we give – and get – when meeting someone for the first time. The first phrase you learn when studying a new language is “What is your name? My name is…” Not to remember a name when being introduced to someone (I have trouble with this myself) can be considered something of a social handicap.

As I see it, there are three main categories of names. The first one could be called neutral names. Here, you will find all the most of the rather common names, such as John, Thomas, Christina, Maria or George. Bearing these names will probably have limited impact on the life success of its bearers. A majority of all names belongs to this category.

The next category could be labelled beneficial names. These names will actively contribute to improving the conditions for a happy and rewarding life, all other factors equal. As an example, I watched the Swedish version of the TV-show “Idol” the other day. Surprisingly many of the female contestants in the runner-up to the finals – all of them self-confident, talented and determined – turned out to have rather unique names, such as Gathania, Särla, Evelina, Anastasia and Tamela. Was this pure coincidence? I doubt it. I believe that their names, at least to some degree, have contributed to getting them where they were. Whether they are more talented and self-confident because they have unusual names (e.g. by feeling special or chosen) – or, if they have been treated differently (more favourably) by the surrounding world because of what they are called, thereby making them more self-confident and brave, is hard to say.

Finally, there is a third category: the unhelpful names. What they have in common is that they could be a direct disadvantage in life. For instance, I know a little three year old boy in Praia called “Kurtrussel”, named by his father after the famous American actor. Now, what would be a likely impact of this choice of name? Is there reason to believe that his class mates will tease him for his name? That his name will work against him when trying to find a date later in life? That a future potential employer will reject his application purely on the grounds of his name? I might be wrong, but my gut feeling is that “Kurtrussel” will not be a very helpful name for the guy. And I think that there are quite a few similar unhelpful names out there.

The tricky thing is that the boundaries between the different categories are obviously not clear cut, especially as the impact of names tends to differ over time. A neutral or beneficial name in the 50’s, say Elvis, could prove unhelpful in the 90’s. Likewise, the name Adolf is probably OK until WWII; after that it is a good example of an unhelpful name.

Moreover, names can have different impact in different countries. Looking at my own name, Ulf, it would probably be classified as rather neutral in Sweden, while somewhat unhelpful abroad (few English- or French-speaking persons can even remotely pronounce it correctly, and most foreigners will consider it a rather odd and funny name). Given that I have spent a lot of time living and working abroad, I hardly think that my name has been an asset.

To find a suitable name for my own kids, I have identified a number of principles together with my wife, which I have tried to apply for the choice of name. These were, e.g.:
- to look for a name that goes well with surname and initials (in terms of phonetics and rhythm)
- to look for a name which is internationally workable (both in terms of pronunciation and meaning)
- to avoid names that are too common or too uncommon in his generation, as well as all names that might appear weird or strange and could lead to teasing
- to avoid names that are too “symbolic” (in particular, I don’t want the name to be closely linked to a specific religion or society class)
- to avoid names which are likely to generate unhelpful nick-names.

I am fortunate to live in a country and a time where I and my wife can choose the names of our children freely. I am not sure how much time and energy parents in general devote to finding a “perfect” name for their little one, or how aware they are about the significance of this decision. But I can tell you that I certainly gave it a lot of thought. And I am pretty convinced that it is time well spent.

Ah - you want to know what my kids are called? Elias and Jonathan.

Whether the names are beneficial or not? I guess time will tell.

Opposites attract?

Being temporarily back in Sweden for holidays since end of June, some striking differences between my native country and my new temporary permanent home country Cape Verde immediately became apparent. I will dwell on two of them.

First: the weather. After eight months without rain in CV, we were greeted in Sweden by the wettest and coldest summer in decades. It started already on the train from Kastrup to Falkenberg, when the rain suddenly started pouring down. And then it continued. And continued. Heavy rainfalls, light rains, showers, drizzles, mists, downpours, sprinkles and thunderstorms – water came down in all forms and shapes. The first new word my two year old toddler learnt in Sweden after the arrival was “blöt” (wet). The word turned out to be more useful he probably could imagine.

Initially, I kind of appreciated the new climate. I guess that most people value some degree of variation in their lives, also when it comes to weather. However, as the rain continued to come down, day by day and week by week, I started to miss the ever shining Cape Verdean sun. In particular, I missed the outdoor living I had became so used to in Praia – to play tennis whenever you want, to go for bike rides or hikes at any time, to take a nice swim at will, to invite friends for brunch under a blue sky without any rain checks… This is a real advantage in Cape Verde, and a constant source of discontent in my native country.

It might be hard for a foreigner to understand, but summertime for a Swede is really serious stuff. It is the only time of the year when there is an actual chance of some descent long-lasting sun and in Sweden, so many Swedes tend to spend most of the rest of the year building up a lot hope for a nice and warm summer. The anticipation is so high, that the disappointment deriving from a cold and wet summer – like this one – is a serious problem and a real cause for depression, leading to desperate ticket purchases for flights to the south for those who can afford it.

Someone said that without its wet, dark and cold climate, Sweden would be heaven on earth. One could possibly say the same about CV, without its droughts. But then, no place is perfect.

The second difference that I imminently noticed when coming back to Sweden is of a quite different kind: It has to do with the level of service that you get when approaching various institutions and functions in society. There are no doubt many exceptions in both countries on this point, but the general impression is still very salient to me.

Let me explain further. In Sweden, the general shopkeeper, civil servant or waitress that you meet in everyday life will most likely be helpful, well trained, kind and service-minded. Wherever you go – to Ikea, a pharmacy, a local grocery store, a specialist bike shop or, say, a ticket booth, you will generally be happy with the service and feel well informed and content when you leave. If you call and leave a message on an answering machine, someone will call you back, mostly within a day or two. If you send an email, be it to a company or to a government institution, you will get a response.

There is a mutual advantage here; happy customers will undoubtedly be inclined to buy more, which in turn will make the shopkeeper happier.

Unfortunately, my experience is that good, or even descent, service is very rare in Cape Verde. When going shopping in Praia, the staff that you meet will normally not only be uniformed about the products they offer, but often act uninterested, or even bothered, when you approach them with a specific question or a request. I almost get the impression that they would prefer not selling anything to you rather than having to talk to you.

Just before leaving for holidays, I went to buy a gas stove in Praia. One small but very crucial part was missing in the package, namely the piece to connect the stove to a gas hose. I made it clear to the employee that I would buy the whole package if only he could help me find this little thingy – probably easily and cheaply found in one of the nearby hardware stores. But he made no effort what so ever to help me out. Rather, he tried to convince me to buy the stove without this crucial part. So I left, frustrated, and went to look for a stove somewhere else.

On a different occasion I wanted to buy a parasol (a very useful item in CV). Contrary to what you could expect, it proved hard to find one, and when I finally did, the shop wanted to sell only the umbrella thing, without the stand. Naturally, I explained to them that a parasol without a stand would not be of much use to me. No sign of sympathy. No help. No deal.

Another day I was looking for a washing machine. The shopkeeper seemed strangely unfamiliar with his products and gave us very poor advice. When we nevertheless decided to buy the product he recommended it turned out he actually didn’t have it, nor could he have it ordered. I haven’t returned to that shop since.

The story is the same on many restaurants – some waiters seem almost disturbed when you give your order, ask for the check or wonder why the food doesn’t arrive. On many occasions, I have literally been forced to wait for hours for my food or the check, becoming more and more frustrated as the time passes. The result: I rarely go out to eat in Praia anymore, especially if I have any kind of time constraints.

Moreover, companies don’t usually call back when you leave messages and they don’t respond to email messages. And if there is some kind of disagreement between the buyer and the seller, things might turn quite sour. The term “the customer is always right” seems to be unheard of in Cape Verde. The major CV airline is notorious in rescheduling or cancelling flights without even informing the customers. My previous blog “My relationship with Toyota” is another case in point (even if that little adventure actually finally turned out to have a happy ending).

OK. At this point I realize that I might sound like a spoiled foreigner, or perhaps like an ignorant neo-colonialist. So don’t get me wrong. I really like Cape Verde and its people. And in fact, I can’t be totally of the mark, since the CV government itself has identified this issue as one of the main obstacles to tourism development. The main culprit seems to be a general lack of schooled and skilled labour, limited language skills, and possibly lack of serious competition due to the country’s limited size. Maybe there are other explanations as well (anyone?).

In any case, I am not requesting all Cape Verdean shopkeepers to have a master’s degree in customer relations, only that they treat their customers with a little more respect, decency and effectiveness. Just common sense, really. Customers don’t want to feel uniformed, neglected or even insulted when they go to a shop or a restaurant. If so, they will leave empty-handed, or choose not to come back, to the disadvantage of all involved. Customers want to feel welcome and special. If not, they will choose another shop – or, in the case of a tourist, another country.

Sweden and Cape Verde are, in many ways, quite different, with their respective pros and cons. Maybe that‘s why I can appreciate – and sometimes be frustrated – with them both. Maybe there is some truth to the old saying that opposites attract.

Of course, there are many other differences between the two countries. And also similarities, perhaps. But that will have to be a theme for another blog.

(Portuguese) Football fever in Mindelo

Last week I spent some time in Mindelo on the island of São Vicente, an appealing little city distinguished by its quaint local charm, colonial history, live music and vibrant Cape Verdean culture. On Sunday, the talk of the town (at least for the male half of the population) was the last round of the Portuguese Premier League, with three teams (FC Porto, Benfica, and Sporting) all having the chance to become Portuguese champions.

I already knew that there is a significant football interest in Cape Verde, but I must admit that I was a bit surprised to see the proportions it all took.

For many, the build-up apparently started long before the actual game, and already at lunchtime I had spotted quite a number of more or less intoxicated young men walking the streets, waving distinctly colored flags and garments, chanting away at something that remotely reminded of some kind of football hymns.

Sitting on my hotel balcony enjoying some afternoon sun, I overtly overheard the roars of joy and despair from nearby local bars and apartments, as the games commenced. Apparently, all three football clubs enjoy a fair amount of support among the locals, although I could not tell for sure which team was the more popular.

But when FC Porto eventually emerged as the triumphant team, winning the championship trophy, the party was ON. Honking cars all around the city in never-ending circuits, blue-and-white supporters dancing and jumping in the streets, samba-groups with heavy drumming equipment touring the main square, and lots and lots of ecstatic faces everywhere (the gloomy faces appeared to stay inside). It was as if Cape Verde had won the African Championships.

Personally, although being somewhat of a moderate football fan, I couldn’t care less about who wins the Portuguese Premier League. I remotely follow the Swedish league, and more closely the Swedish national team, but football leagues other countries have never really caught much of my attention.

I therefore can’t help being a little curious about where the enormous interest the locals took in this Portuguese event came from. Especially since I have learned that most, if not all, of the Cape Verdeans are immensely proud of their own country, and generally keen to obliterate, rather than generate, any relations with the old colonial power. So why this huge exception when it comes to the game of football? Why is Portuguese football more important than, say French, Italian or Swedish football (OK you don’t have to answer that latter part of the question). How can it be that one of the most common hotel names in the country is “Hotel Benfica”?

The fact is, I don’t know. Perhaps the national football league in Cape Verde is not yet fully developed (although the national team almost made it to the world championships last time around). Or maybe cheering for a Portuguese football team is one of the few still accepted ways of openly showing a close relationship with the former colonial power, without politics becoming involved.

But this seems to me to be rather bleak explanations. Anyone out there, who might read this and have a better idea, let me know.

From Agent Orange to a 4WD: being an environmentalist in Cape Verde

It is quite possible that my environmentalism started when I was around 10, somewhere in a clear-cut forest in the north of Värmland, Sweden. I and the rest of my family were taking part in a demonstration against airplane pesticide spraying. However unlikely it would seem today, it was customary throughout the 60s and 70s to spray aggressive chemical pesticides (”Hormoslyr”, similar to the chemical “Agent Orange”, used by the USA in the Vietnam War) on forest clearings in Sweden to kill off all deciduous (foliage) trees. To stop this malicious practice, some courageous people positioned themselves in the middle of the clearing, and dressed up in colorful garments so that they were plainly seen from the sky. The pilot was not allowed to spray if people were present, since the pesticide was a direct health threat to humans, and would thus have to turn back.

I vividly remember the mounting tension while having hot chocolate and sandwiches sitting on a big tree-trunk, waiting for the plane to show up. Eventually we would hear a roar from afar and spot the wings in the horizon, getting increasingly nervous that the pilot wouldn’t see us or simply break the rules and spray us anyway (we had brought umbrellas, just in case – not that it would help that much). Luckily enough, the pilots always spotted us and we were never sprayed.

These protest were successful; not only did they stop the spraying temporarily in situ, but they also created a lot of media attention which stirred a ferocious debate leading to the banning of the chemical by the Swedish Government by the end of the 70s. This was a crucial win for the growing Swedish environmental movement, and it no doubt contributed to the formation of the strong environmental awareness and policy which is now mainstream in Sweden. (Ironically, today everybody, including the forestry industry, agrees that killing deciduous trees is a very bad idea, also economically).

Since then, my interest in protecting the environment has only grown. I soon became a member of Youth and Environment Sweden, I chose biology and environmental management as my main subjects at the University, I advocated environmental solutions as board member of a tenant-owner’s society, I worked non-profit for an environmental NGO, and I applied for a position at the Ministry of Environment, eventually working for the Foreign Office as an environmental negotiator to the UN in New York and to the EU in Brussels. Throughout the years, I have remained convinced that, however difficult it might be in some cases, it is possible to change the world and to save the environment.

Moreover, as far as it is possible for someone grown up in the materialized Western world, I try to live as I preach. What I mean by this is that I seek to minimize my own resource and energy use as well as transportation, eat more vegetarian, and recycle and reuse as much as possible. While by no means being an ascetic, I have resolved to live a less resource-intense and materialistic lifestyle than the average Westerner. Not as a “sacrifice” or out of guilt, but as a way to feel more at ease with myself and the surrounding world.

Then we moved to Cape Verde. And as it were, I suddenly felt more ore less forced to give up many of my previous ideals. Here are some key examples:

Transportation: Before moving, we considered that we needed a car, and in retrospect I have to admit that it has been quite indispensable (especially considering that we have a toddler). It is my first car ever, and what is worse, it is a 4WD (albeit one of the markets most energy-efficient models, the new Toyota RAV4). Obviously, this considerably worsens my environmental performance – regardless efforts to minimize driving and to drive efficiently. What is more, our air travel has increased considerably. Given the geography of Cape Verde, unless you choose to stay on the same island, you need to fly to get anywhere in or outside the country. Consequently, the number of kilometers traveled by air has soared during the past year.

Resource and energy use: The perhaps most valuable – and scarce – resource in Cape Verde is water. Being aware of this, I make an effort to minimize water use in the household, for example through decreasing the water pressure, avoiding flushing toilets at night-time, refraining from taking baths, shutting off the water in the shower when shampooing, asking the cleaning lady to use less water, etc. Nevertheless, I am sure that I use much more water per day than the average Cape verdean. My old habits from Sweden, where water is abundant, are hard to give up completely. Regarding energy, we try to limit our consumption, and with the exception of the computer and the refrigerator (I am frustrating my wife by insisting that we need only a small one) we don’t have many electric appliances running. However, during the hot and humid season we are relying on air conditioning to be able to sleep at night, and during this period our electricity use (and cost) skyrockets.

Food habits: Generally, meat-production requires about 10 times as much energy input as vegetable- and grain production, and to eat less meat is therefore increasingly considered as key to reduce overall environmental impact. In addition, vegetarianism is healthier and ethically appealing. I now realize that being a vegetarian is relatively easy provided that you have access to good vegetarian restaurants and good sources of fresh vegetables. This is not the case in Cape Verde, unfortunately, and as a consequence, my meat-eating has increased considerably. On the positive side, Cape Verde can offer a lot of locally captured fish (most of the meat seems to be imported from Brazil).

Waste generation and recycling: So far, I have seen no system for either reuse or recycling in Cape Verde, and consequently there it would be rather pointless to separate our waste (in fact, I have become so accustomed to recycling that I now, being unable to do so, feel quite frustrated). Also, littering is a huge problem. Where I live there is a fairly well-functioning waste collection, but in other parts of the city, as well as in the countryside, waste scattering and dumping is commonplace. Not only does it create a dangerous and un-healthy environment, it also creates a unaesthetic living environment, deterring tourism and promoting depression and perhaps even crime.

Chemicals use: Unfortunately, it is very difficult to find environmentally friendly chemicals in Cape Verde. See my previous blog, “Out of Reach”.

All in all, despite good ambition and real effort, my environmental performance in Cape Verde is bound to be pretty poor. And, without trying to blame this on someone else, I have become ever so convinced that it is absolutely imperative to have strong environmental policies, regulations and incentives in place for any environmental ambition to be fulfilled. Without eco-labelling, it’s almost impossible to choose an environmentally friendly product. Without well functioning, safe and reliable public communications you are left with the car. Without as system for waste prevention, reuse, recycling there is no way to avoid creating lots of garbage. And without strong environmental education there will be no environmental awareness.

I just hope that also the Cape Verdean Government realizes this. I have had a look at their 10 year environmental plan, “PANA II”, and it is without doubt a well elaborated and ambitious document. But it needs to be fully implemented and developed further, as a very high priority. If not, sustainable development for Cape Verde will prove elusive, with a high cost for both the environment and for people’s health and livelihood.

Island charms

A few weeks ago, I got in touch with a Swedish traveler who wanted some advice on what to do and see in Cape Verde. It appeared that his main hobby was to visit all kinds of different islands around the world.

Afterwards, I found myself slightly intrigued by this idea of only traveling to islands – although initially I thought it was a bit odd. Why only islands? I started to search my memory for travels that I have made throughout my life, identifying my favorite spots. Well, there turned out to be a very clear pattern: A great majority of these places was in fact islands. Whether on Bali, Manhattan, Corsica, Corfu or in the Stockholm archipelago, most islands that I have visited have made a special impression, and often a very positive one.

This made me wonder: What is it that makes islands so interesting places to visit? As I am now living in Cape Verde, one of the world’s most unique island countries, it seems natural to give this question some more thought, both in a general context and in a Cape Verdean perspective. These were some of my conclusions.

A sense of overview: Most islands have a limited and clearly defined land area, which I think is generally appealing to many people. Some islands can be circled by foot, others by vehicle; yet others will require days to cross. It creates a certain sense of comfort, of control, of never having to worry about finding your way. This sense of overview is valid for individual islands of Cape Verde, but hardly for the whole country. The islands vary widely in almost every aspect (culture, dialect, size, geology, development, nature etc) and in order to get a good understanding of the whole of Cape Verde Verde you need to visit all of them – which for practical reasons is something of a challenge.

Exotic and unique. I believe all travelers are seeking something different, something out of the ordinary. Many islands are truly exotic, embodying such aspirations. In fact, when you to picture something exotic, you probably think of something like a Caribbean island. I find Cape Verde very exotic in many senses (although for sure very different from the Caribbean).

Less traffic. In most places in the world, traffic is both dangerous and annoying, being a main cause of accidents, stress, noise and pollution. Since on most islands road infrastructure is limited and vehicles can only be imported by boat, the traffic intensity is lower than in the mainland. This means fewer accidents and less noise and pollution, which will create a sense of safety and tranquility.

Island nature and wildlife. Islands often have a very interesting biology, with unique (or as biologists say, endemic) wildlife and plants which cannot be found anywhere else. Many of them also offer great diving. In Ecology, there is even a special theory called the “Island Theory”, which holds that the number of species found on an island is determined by two factors; the distance from the mainland and the island size. The wildlife in Cape Verde can hardly be described as rich, but there are some completely unique plants, birds and reptiles.

Isolation: There is something challenging, something tempting, about being alone in the middle of the sea. It gives a sense of exclusiveness, of uniqueness, which, I believe, many people find themselves attracted to. When being geographically separated from the mainland, it might be easier to disconnect also mentally from all the duties and problems that you confront back home. Of course, in certain situations the feeling of isolation can become too strong. For me, this is almost the case in Cape Verde. When I think about how far it actually is to the mainland, and how extremely dependant I am on a boat or a plane to leave this island, I actually become a little anxious.

Quaint languages or dialects. Somewhat depending on the distance to the mainland, dialects, or in the case of some islands such as those of Cape Verde, separate languages, easily develop. This adds to the flavor and exoticness that make islands special. The Cape Verdean Kriulo certainly makes this country much more interesting.

Island culture. Many island populations also form more distinct cultures than on the mainland. There are some common denominators which will contribute to this: the sea, fishing, isolation, limited infrastructure, absent friends and family who have left for the mainland, etc. Cape Verde has developed a very distinct culture and music style, captured by the word “sodade”, which means something like “loneliness” or “longing”.

Boat trips. Islands all have a special relationship to boats, as the main means of transportation. Most will agree that traveling by boat is usually a pleasant experience. There is something fresh and exciting about boat trips; it makes you think of the smell of sea-salt, strong wind in the hair, sun-drenched decks and adventure. I have never been much of a sailor, and I can’t stand the thought of spending more than a few days at sea – but I do like short journeys by boat, to or in between islands. In Cape Verde, the distance between many of the islands is, unfortunately, too big to easily travel by boat, except between some of the closest ones (e.g. Santiago to Maio or Fogo).

Island food. Just as culture and language on islands tends to diverge and become distinct from those of the mainland, most islands will also develop a specific cuisine. Cape Verde’s national dish is Cachupa, a bean and corn-based casserole with or without meat and fish. I must confess: I am not particularly fond of Cachupa (although at times I can appreciate the “refugada” version, which to some extent reminds me of the Swedish dish “pytt i panna”). But it is certainly different to anything I have tried before.

In summary, it is easy to see that there are many great advantages of islands as compared to the mainland. And for those of you who visit Cape Verde, you will encounter many of them.

The power of language

Which main feature distinguishes humans from other advanced animals? Some would say the ability to make fire, some perhaps that we know how to use tools, others yet that humans might have some kind of “souls” which animals wouldn’t.

I would say – language; the ability to speak and communicate.

Just a few days ago, our two-year-old started to use a new expression from his quickly growing Portuguese vocabulary: “não pode”. Consider the power of those few words: “You may not”. And consider the difficulty if you couldn’t utter or understand them. Of course, little children have other ways of communication to express their will, but before they start talking it’s on a pretty basic level (after all, “uääääää” can mean a million things, sometimes confusing even the most ambitious of parents).

Seeing my little boy’s language skill develop as rapidly as it does makes me almost speechless (no pun intended). As we are both learning Portuguese for the moment, it is interesting to compare our abilities. And while it takes at least five repetitions for me to recall a new word in Portuguese, he will remember immediately. What is more; he somehow manages to learn THREE languages at one time. Depending on who is talking to him, he understands and uses either Portuguese/Kriulo (with Cape Verdeans), Finnish (with his mother) or Swedish (with me). Not that he realizes that it is in fact three languages – he simply adapts to the circumstance that different people call things differently. Sometimes he will even say the same thing in all three languages just to make sure that he is understood.

The desire to learn a language is surely one of the most powerful driving forces we have as human beings. According to the Harvard professor Steven Pinker, language is a human instinct, wired into our brains by evolution like web-spinning in spiders or sonar in bats. In several books, he has convincingly explained how evolution has led to our brains being genetically pre-programmed, just waiting to be filled with grammar and vocabulary at a very early stage in life.

And it makes sense, since language is an absolute precondition for our species to live and prosper on this planet. For one thing, it is by far the most efficient way to get something you want. If you cannot communicate what you want, chances are quite slim that you will get it. If you can’t tell people off, there is a big risk that they won’t stop. Therefore, children who learn languages early on will have an enormous payoff, even affecting their chances of survival. And the more languages we pick up as children, the better linguists we become as adults.

We can all relate to the lack of language skills, being unable to express ourselves properly or to understand what people are saying. It can be very frustrating. A good example of this was when our new car broke down in Cape Verde some months ago (see previous blog “My relationship with Toyota”). The local Toyota representative refused to accept the warranty, and it took a lot of time and effort to resolve the issue. I am convinced that this was mainly due to the fact that I didn’t speak Portuguese or Kriolu very well. With only basic knowledge of a language, it is almost impossible to explain and negotiate a case, put forward demands and claim rights. Language means power.

As another example, I have been working many years as an environmental negotiator, and one of the first things I realized was how important it was to use the diplomatic language. Regardless which language-base you use (English was mine), there is a set of fairly strict rules to apply – most of them unwritten – based on courtesy, formality and repetition. This skill is absolutely necessary in order to build agreements between constituencies with different cultures, traditions and priorities, since it creates trust and minimizes fear and disbelief. Diplomats who mastered this language got a lot of things done, whereas those who didn’t failed miserably. Again, language equals power.

But language is not only necessary to get what we want. I would claim that without a language, we would hardly know or understand anything. Imagine life without words and sentences. Try to form a concrete thought without a language. You can’t. And even if you could, what good would it be if you couldn’t share and communicate it with anyone? Without language, the world would be a complete blur of confusing and inexplicable impressions, without any possibility to differentiate or understand them. Probably it would be a very scary place. Understanding is about distinguishing and identifying, which simply can’t be done in any detail without a language.

Consider that we would have had no language at all. I don’t think we can even start to imagine what our lives would look like. A couple of weeks ago we could read in the papers about a woman who spent 19 years completely alone in a remote forest in Cambodia. What I found most intriguing about this story was that she spoke no language at all, and I can’t help wondering what this meant to her ability to understand herself and the surrounding world. As could be expected, the reports describe the woman as generally confused and terrified. Her comprehension will no doubt increase considerably however, if and when she learns a language.

Putting all of this into a Cape Verdean perspective, I realize two things.

First, the importance of preserving and developing the local language, Kriulo, as a corner stone of Cape Verdean culture and national identity. Optimally, Kriulo should be developed and become the formal language, to be used also in Cape Verdean law, governmental decisions etc.

Secondly, it seems to be a good idea to encourage more Cape Verdeans to learn other foreign languages (besides Portuguese). Tourists and investors alike, most of them will inevitably feel more comfortable in a country where they can communicate more easily.

Schools apparently have an important role in teaching 3^rd and 4^th languages. But I am also told that over half of Cape Verde’s population live abroad; many of them must necessarily speak English or French. Perhaps I am too bold, but what if all exile Cape Verdeans made a commitment to teach their foreign language to family and friends when they come home for visits, or that they sponsor foreign language classes in Cape Verde so that the rest of the family can learn their new language while they are away? I would think that this be one of the most efficient, cheapest and quickest ways to boost tourism and economic development in Cape Verde.

I, for my part, have started to give some simple English lessons to our guard, so that one day he might find a better job, perhaps as a guide. It’s a small step, but it’s something. Moreover, I will make an effort to learn kriolu, just like my son, so as to better understand the Cape Verdean culture – as well as my son! Kre papia kriolu...

To be a full time dad in Cape Verde

Today is the International Woman’s Day. I will therefore devote this blog to a favorite subject of mine: parenthood and gender-equality.

Let me start by a declaration: I am an extremely privileged man. Not only am I happily married to the most wonderful and smartest woman I know. And not only am I blessed with an extraordinary healthy, energetic and funny little two-year-old. My privilege is even larger than that. Why? Well, it’s quite simple: more than having a family that I love, I actually have an abundance of time to spend with them, and in particular with my son.

Historically, geographically and culturally, the concept of a stay-at-home-dad is very new, and it still is – unfortunately – extremely rare. The number is growing, but it is yet only a tiny proportion of all men who ever gets the chance to spend any significant time with their children. In almost every culture and society around the globe, women are considered most appropriate to bring up children full time, in particular small children. Some would even claim say it’s against “God’s will” or the laws of biology to do otherwise.

This is all nonsense, of course. Men are just as fit and capable to raise small children as women are, if only they had the will and the encouragement. The only thing that men can’t do is to breastfeed, which is why it might be more convenient for the woman to stay at home during the first 6-12 months. But this biological circumstance gives no excuse for continuing in this way when the baby grows older. Moreover, thanks to the invention of breast-pumps, men can in fact nowadays take care of this aspect as well.

For me, the decision to take a break from my career within the Swedish Government Offices and follow my wife to Cape Verde as a spouse and full time dad was easy, and I haven’t regretted it one bit. The experience of taking care of our little guy and to see him grow, take his first steps, develop new skills and personality, learn to speak (in our case Swedish, Finnish and Portuguese at the same time) is nothing but fascinating, and invaluable.

This is not to say that being a full time parent is easy. Those who might think that being at home with the kids equals leisure and fun only are very much mistaken. Changing nappies, cleaning up all kinds of mess, making baby food and having to get up in the middle of the night to comfort a baby can sometimes be very tiring. What is more: the level of responsibility is immeasurable. Being responsible for a baby’s or a toddler’s safety, sustenance, clothing, hygiene, physical and psychological development etc is a HUGE task. The predominating idea that paid employment is somehow more important or valuable to society than raising kids is completely flawed.

To be a full-time dad anywhere is great. But to be a full-time daddy in Cape Verde is even better. During my first paternal leave, when we were living in Belgium, I was responsible for almost every home duty, including cleaning, dish-washing, cooking etc. This would be the normal situation for the parent staying at home. As expats living in Cape Verde however, it is almost compulsory to employ a housekeeper. This means that I am liberated from many of these ordinary obligations, and I can therefore concentrate even more on fatherhood. Moreover, we have employed a babysitter who takes care of our little one now and then. This gives me some free time which is normally a very rare luxury in this area. Thanks to this, I benefit from all the advantages of being a full time dad, while still finding some time of my own, for instance to write a few blogs.

So, what are the downsides of being a stay at home dad in Cape Verde? I can only list a few, and they all have to do with other peoples prejudice and expectations. For instance, at times I have received surprised stares, laughs and comments in the streets of Praia when taking walks with the baby pram. I remember two women once passing by who even offered their help to take care of the baby. Also, quite a few people who have been unaware of our family situation have taken for granted that I am the one with a job, and addressed my wife as a housewife. I must confess that this is a bit annoying. Other than that, life as a house-daddy is not difficult here.

It should be obvious by now that I am quite proud to be a stay-at-home-dad. And I call on all fathers to try it on for size for as long as they possibly can; ideally to (at least) the same extent as the mother. If you are working, take parental leave. If you are unemployed, take full responsibility for the kids for a while. And if you somehow find that being a full time father is incompatible with your opinion of what a man should or shouldn’t do, get over it! It’s not worth loosing your time with your kids just because of an obsolete prejudice. I’m telling you, you won’t regret it. It is a true privilege to be a full time dad.

Small scale philanthropy: does it work?

According to Wikipedia, the word philanthropy means “the act of donating money, goods, time, or effort to support a charitable cause, usually over an extended period of time and in regard to a defined objective. In a more fundamental sense, philanthropy may encompass any altruistic activity which is intended to promote good or improve human quality.”

Somehow, I have always related philanthropy to rich people. Rich like in stinking rich. People such as Bill Gates or George Soros, serving the noble cause of helping poor and deprived people by using part of their enormous wealth to improve their lives rather than just buying more sports cars, jewelry and villas (or whatever rich people buy for themselves).

But I have reconsidered, realizing what is really quite self-evident when you give it some thought: philanthropy might work just as well (or probably even better) on a smaller scale, without creating large foundations and employing hordes of bureaucrats just to manage and supervise the money.

By Western standards, I am not rich. But by Cape Verdean standards, every westerner living here is rich. One day one of our night guards (not the same guy as described in my previous entry about Christmas stress) approached me and asked if I would be in a position to give a contribution to him in order to build a simple house for him and his family.

My first reaction was negative, of course. Philanthropy and altruism does not come very easy in the western culture, unfortunately – somehow characteristics like doubt, selfishness, greed, suspiciousness and cynicism tend to be stronger most of the time. But after giving it some further thought and discussing the matter with my wife, I decided to take a closer look at his request.

I started out by doing some further research. What was his life situation? What kind of house was he talking about? Was he to be trusted? Could he handle money? Did he show any indications of drug abuse?

So I visited his home and family (a girlfriend and a 4 month old baby), and discovered that they lived in a 10 square meter room without windows, ventilation, water and sanitation. In fact, I would best describe the room as a rat hole. I particularly remember the stench, and I thought to myself that no one should have to live like this, especially not with a little baby. For this, they pay about 40 euros a month, which is a great deal considering his monthly salary of about 100 euros from the guard company where he is employed (a salary which I find remarkably low by the way, considering the high fees we have to pay to this company for its services).

I then examined the location where he wanted to build his house: a small piece of land in the outskirts of Praia, overlooking large part of the town. A basic concrete foundation was already in place, which I took as a sign of his personal commitment to the project.

My conclusion was that the guy seemed to be determined, honest and responsible, and very serious about this project. The next question was of course: what would the construction of this sort of building cost? So I asked for a detailed budget plan as a basis for further discussion. It turned out that the budget was reasonable – around 1000 euros for the complete construction.

Together with my wife, we worked out the following proposal for him and his family to consider: We would provide him the money he needed to build the house, up to a limit of 1000 euros, whereof 50% would be a contribution and the other half would be a long term loan to be paid back monthly as soon as he moved in (the same amount that he currently pays for the room they rent). The budget would be divided into four, and after spending each quarter of the sum, he would provide receipts or other proof of payments for all of the expenses. The plan was inspired by the idea of micro-crediting, a method that seems to become more and more widespread in development aid. He accepted the terms more than willingly, and we wrote a simple contract to keep it all in writing.

This all took place in November 2006. Today the house is built, and the family moved in last week. By all means it is no palace but rather a crude and simple concrete building with one large room, a door and a window, in the middle of a steep slope, partly covered with garbage and junk. But it is a home that they own, considerably better than the rathole where they lived before, and with a potential for gradual improvement - “poca á poco” as they say here.

I am intrigued to see if we will get back the part of the sum that we lent him, through monthly payments. I know many people governed by doubt and cynicism, who would tell me that we will never see that money again, and that, even if we did, we are completely crazy to give away so much money to a stranger without receiving anything in return.

However, I would argue that it actually already has given me a good return. I have learned a lot about the everyday life of the Cape Verdeans, and I have made a new friend. Also, it fills me with a tremendous joy to see the concrete result of this project and of the idea that I have contributed to improving the living conditions for this family and for the little baby. All for the cost of a plane ticket Praia - Lisbonor 5 pairs of Diesel jeans. And I come realize that the art of giving, the ability of generosity, is probably significantly underrated in our western society.

My conclusion is so far that this project has been very rewarding both for this family and for me. I remain convinced that the loan will be repaid. And that small scale philanthropy actually works. At least until otherwise is proven.

On security, the human nature and moral principles

The following could be read on BBC News some days ago (extract):

“Two killed in Kenyan carjacking

Armed men shot dead two female passengers as they carjacked a US embassy vehicle near the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. At least one of the women appeared to have been shot for not getting out of the vehicle quickly enough. Carjackings are common in and around the Kenyan capital but they usually take place at night.”

When we started to look for a new posting abroad, we were seriously considering Nairobi as an option. We both love Kenya and its people; it is a truly amazing country. The main reason that we nevertheless didn’t pursue this in the end was related to safety. We knew that the rate of violent crime in Nairobi is very high. We were also aware that even if you are lucky enough not to be directly affected by the violence, your everyday life will become considerably restrained, living behind bars, hiring armed guards 24/7, and being forced to live with a constant fear – if not for your self, certainly for your family members. Adding to this the risk of being injured or killed in a traffic accident, the choice was clear.

Against this background, I was touched by the story of the two women. It could have been me and my family. The fact that someone can end the lives of two women just to get hold of a car is of course incomprehensible to most of us. And very frightening.

This is not only a problem in some developing countries. When I arrived to New York for my first UN meeting in the mid 90s, I was told to take great care, avoid certain areas and never walk alone during nighttime. Crime rates were surging, and New York was considered one of the most dangerous cities in the US, if not in the world. I used to think that the TV series the Hill Street Blues gave an accurate description of the crime scene in New York – and maybe it did. I recall being almost terrified one particular night when, convinced by a friend, we decided to go to a ragged night club somewhere in the Bronx.

Before and during the time we lived in New York (2000-2003) however, crime rates went down dramatically. New York nowadays is considered one of the safest mega-cities worldwide. Many give credit for this to the Mayor of New York at the time, Rudolph Giuliani, who was said to introduce an innovative law enforcement system to quench minor offenses and thereby eventually avoiding also heavy crimes. Others say that police tactics had little to do with it, and that the reduced crime was a consequence of increased economic wealth. Yet others would argue that the crime didn’t actually disappear at all, but only moved outside the city borders. I am not sure which account is more correct – perhaps all of them.

Cape Verde, our new temporarily permanent home, has a widespread (and generally very well deserved) reputation of being a friendly and peaceful place. Nevertheless, contrary to the general feeling of ease and safety actually experienced when moving around in Praia, security seems to have become an issue also here – be it on a very different scale than in Kenya. Burglaries and thefts are clearly on the rise, and we have heard numerous stories about people that have suffered from looting, pick-pocketing or break-ins. Also violence seems to be increasing. Recently, an 18 year old youth went home and grabbed a kitchen knife, went back to school and stabbed a class-mate to death in one of the gymnasiums in Praia. The event was the talk of the town last week, and most people seem to say that this deed would have been impossible some years ago. They see it as a striking sign of the rise of violence in Cape Verde.

I could be recalled that some decades ago, Nairobi was known to one of the safest countries in Africa. Could it be that Praia is taking a similar route as Nairobi? I would hope not. But the fact is that I write this text behind massive iron bars. Despite my aversion against prison-like homes, our office space, like the rest of the house, is heavily protected. Behind me, the small back yard is completely sheltered by high concrete walls, partly covered by glass and nails on top to avoid unwelcome visitors. Following the advice of the UN, we have hired (unarmed) guards almost 24/7, increased the height of the outer wall and changed the security lock.

Philosophically, all of this makes me wonder about the “true nature” of human beings. Are we murderous and selfish creatures, killing and injuring at will? Or are we kind and empathic, caring and generous at heart? And if we really are born generous and good-natured, how can we as humans carry out such atrocities as we apparently do, in so great numbers? How can in certain situations the most precious asset we have, human life, become of so little value?

As far as I can tell, people who commit crimes of the sort described above are driven by a sense of utter despair and hopelessness. Also, they probably believe they can do it with little or no consequence. I am quite convinced that man is born neither “good” nor “evil”, but becomes product of the society he is raised in. We are no doubt biologically predisposed in one direction or the other (just look at the obvious gender differences when it comes to the use of violence), but in the end I think we are all capable of being either Mother Theresa or Adolf Hitler, or anything in between. How we actually turn out will be the effect of the people we meet, the values we are taught and the society we learn to know.

I would also hold the view that all persons are responsible for their actions. A “bad childhood” can not excuse actions that bring suffering or death to another. Still, the question remains whether a person who has had no education or experience in moral values should be held fully responsible for actions that go against those values. Maybe this was the case in the Nairobi killings.

In order to seriously abate violence, you therefore need a society based on universally accepted moral principles that are effectively taught to and applied by everybody, as well as an efficient law enforcement system that puts those who violate these principles before justice. But this is far from enough. The same society also needs to nurture a sense of responsibility, integrity and empathy, and it must be founded on equal opportunities and inclusiveness. Otherwise, you will still find people desperate enough to commit violent crime, as an act of despair.

How then to define the correct moral principles? That is more difficult than one would think. I would, like the utilitarian philosopher Bentham, contest any set of pre-given or inherent moral principles, such as those deriving from the world religions or (however ingeniously) suggested by some other philosophers like Kant. Such principle would never work, since they are bound to be outdated, biased and skewed.

Rather, I would advocate a combined utilitarian and relativistic approach, using a consensus-building process to identify (and subsequently possibly revise) principles that universally minimizes fear for death and suffering.

In fact, such a set of principles already exists. The UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (http://www.unhchr.ch/udhr/index.htm) was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948. I consider this the best attempt we have so far to lay down universal basic principles to guide our society morally. However, the Declaration is not legally binding, and any analysis of the state of the world today would conclude that it is far from fully applied or enforced everywhere – not even by some of the wealthiest and democratic states themselves. Nor is it taught to everyone. One day, hopefully, it will become fully integrated into national law in all countries, and a real source of security for all human beings.

As finalize this text, I learn from the internet that over 120 people have been killed due to a suicide bomber driving a truck with explosives into a crowded marketplace in Baghdad. Yet another act of incomprehensible, meaningless and callous violence. It is so easy to become cynical and to resign in the face of these cruelties – but that would be the same as to give in to the perpetrators of violence. For cynicism equals giving up hope, thereby indirectly contributing to continued violence.

My relationship with Toyota

It is interesting to see how attached you can get in a short time to a product that you never owned or felt the need for before you actually bought it. Home computers, cell-phones, the internet, MP3 players and TVs are products and services that have only existed a few decades or even years, and yet many people would go so far as to say that they “can’t live without them”. I am myself sort of addicted to my computer and the internet service. In fact, when I experience an internet problem, I literally feel depressed. I don’t even dare to think about how I would be affected by a future hard disc failure.

Another apparent example of this kind of addictive product is the car. It seems that many, if not most, people don’t actually “need” a car until they actually buy it – after that however they easily become very attached to it. Again, I pick myself as an example.

For 36 years I lived a perfectly happy life (and presumably healthier due to all the biking) without owning a car, regardless if I lived in Ekshärad or in New York, in Brussels or in Lund. All in all, I considered cars to be dangerous, expensive, problem-causing (sooner or later they WILL break down) and environmentally polluting status symbols. Excellent as taxis and rental cars, but not as property. Also, for some reason I have come to develop this strange aversion against car salesmen and mechanics.

Some of my family and friends (who were already convinced car-owners) would laugh at my way of reasoning and at times they would try to convince me how much I actually needed a car without really knowing it. When Elias was born, one of them gave it 2 months before we would have a car. In fact, it took one year and three months – and moving to a developing country.

It turned out that the research we made on our future homeland suggested that a car – preferably a four wheel drive – was more or less indispensable for the kind of life we wanted to have here in Cape Verde. So we ended up buying a Toyota RAV4. Why? Because 1) Toyota it is a well known and widely used brand in Africa, 2) Toyota cars are known to be reliable and never break down 3) Toyota are known for taking good care of their customers and fixing problems that nevertheless might happen and 4) the RAV4 is one of the smallest and probably the most fuel-efficient 4WD on the market. (As you will see, some of these assumptions turned out to be false.) Toyota was also one of the relatively few brands actually represented in Cape Verde, and it is not considered a status brand and therefore relatively reasonable in terms of the price.

We bought the car in June 2006. And, yes – I have to confess that it didn’t take very long before I started to feel rather attached to the RAV. My previous doubts about being a car-owner tended to be less present as soon as I turned the ignition key.

Before we signed the contract, we wanted to make sure that it was covered by a worldwide warranty. Just in case. And the local car dealer in Brussels ensured us that the warranty was world-wide for three years. Six months later however, out of the blue, the break system suddenly broke down due to an underlying manufacturing failure. The estimated repair cost was around 2-3000 euros. And to our astonishment, the local Toyota garage refused to accept our warranty.

We immediately contacted the car dealer in Brussels who reconfirmed that the warranty should be valid also in Cape Verde. They then referred us to Toyota Belgium and Toyota Europe (customer service), who were rather unhelpful and would accept no responsibility in the matter. Instead, we were advised to contact Toyotas main office in Japan, which we did on several occasions both through fax and email. We never got any response.

At this stage, the situation looked rather grim. How could it be that nobody in Toyota took any responsibility for a major manufacturing problem on a brand new car? It was quite absurd. In a final and almost desperate effort, I called Toyota Sweden for advice, even though they had nothing to do with this. And for the first time my case was taken more seriously. I was given another helpful contact at Toyota Europe, and after that things finally started to move in the right direction.

It took an incredible eight weeks to fix the car, but at least Toyota Cape Verde finally changed their mind and accepted the warranty. I still don’t really know why but I suspect that my most recent contacts with Toyota Sweden and Toyota Europe might have had something to do with it.

I come to realize that this car issue has taken up a great deal of my focus and energy for the last few months. Upon reflection, it is not easy to understand why I got myself so worked up about something that I previously didn’t care much for at all. Of course – being stranded for almost two months without a car in a developing country, where taxis are unreliable and unsafe, especially when traveling with a small child, is not ideal. But probably much off the agitation actually derived from the feeling of being deceived, disrespected and dismissed by so many of the Toyota representatives. Nobody we talked to assumed direct responsibility for the issue. Toyota Japan didn’t even bother to answer us. Moreover, we weren’t even given a proper apology – a simple “Oh by the way, we are really really sorry that you bought a product from us that didn’t work” would no doubt have made some tangible difference.

OK, so Toyota got their act together in the end, and I am glad that they did. Our car was repaired and covered by the warranty. Nevertheless, the time it took and the way the warranty issue was handled was no doubt disappointing. My long term committment to being a car-owner and my relationship with Toyota is therefore a bit uncertain. Maybe the “car addiction” kicks in again, and all my disbelief will be forgotten and my confidence in Toyota will be recovered in a blink. Or perhaps I was right all the time: cars (including Toyota cars) are just expensive trouble, and its better not to become addicted in the first place. Time will tell.

Let’s talk about the weather

“If you don’t know what to say, just talk about the weather”. I have been told that this is true for all cultures, regardless other differences. Is this true also in Cape Verde, known as a country with, shall we say, limited seasonal changes? It appears so.

When we arrived in August, the weather was very hot and humid, in fact rather horrible for a Northerner like me. Not at all as pleasant as the guidebooks said. Clearly disturbed by the heat, and being a newcomer and a total stranger to most people I met, I often used this classical strategy to “break the ice” (if it hadn’t already melted in the heat, that is). And it actually struck me that people seemed to be just as enthusiastic to talk about the weather here in Cape Verde as in Scandinavia. Mind you: that is tough competition indeed, because Swedes just love to talk about the weather – usually because they hope that it will change.

And maybe it will. In fact, it appears to be already happening. Not because of chatting, but due to the burning of fossil fuels.

I just learnt that several large trees have fallen at our summer house estate, due to a really great storm. Trees normally don’t fall very easily in Sweden, but the same thing happened only two years ago. At that time it was described as the worst storm in 35 years, but apparently it only took two years to occur again.

Moreover, reports from Sweden tell us that it is the warmest winter in ages. No snow, only rain, lots of rain. A friend told me that one of the Swedish ski resorts, offering this weird concept of “snow guarantee”, had to manufacture tons of snow superficially and fly it to the slopes by helicopter! I found it quite bizarre, but maybe we will have to get used to these kinds of absurdities as a consequence of climate change.

Climate change appears to be affecting Cape Verde as well. Even the Cape Verdeans were complaining about the heat during the rainy season, stating that it was hotter than in many years. We were also told that some of the rainfalls (like the one that flooded our house and basement) were unusually heavy. Of course, many welcomed the increased precipitation, as water come in very limited supplies here.

But that was some months ago. Since December, the weather in Cape Verde is just perfect. 25 degrees in the shade, dry cool winds, clear sight, no more rain. Nobody - including me – talks about the weather any more, simply because there is nothing to complain about. Good news is no news, I guess.

This makes me a little nervous however. I will obviously not get any weather-chatting practice for a while. What if I loose this important ability, which I learnt to master so well after 30 years of cultural education in Sweden? It would mean that I have nothing to talk about when I come back…

Out of REACH

This summer, EU:s so called REACH regulation will start to apply for all EU countries. It sets out rules to prohibit and control all industrially produced chemicals. After 6 years of political negotiation, this 849 pages legal act will replace over forty existing EU chemical laws. When I was posted in Brussels as an environmental negotiator for the Swedish Government, I had the privilege of following some of these negotiations from the side, and it feels very satisfying to see that all of this hard work actually will bear fruit in the end.

REACH seeks to revolutionize chemical regulation in the EU by, for the first time ever, taking a comprehensive approach to control the thousands and thousands of chemicals released into our society and environment every year. It shifts the burden of responsibility so that the chemical producers will have to prove that their products are safe to gain market access in the EU. Previously, government and civil society would have to prove that a chemical is harmful before action is taken – a futile if not impossible task considering the large number of chemicals produced. Also, dangerous chemicals will gradually be banned and replaced by safer alternatives (the substitution principle).

While REACH is a compromise between many different interests and therefore not perfect, I believe that it is a major achievement in environmental policymaking in Europe, with many benefits for the environment and for human health alike. Hopefully also producers in other parts of the world will start adjusting their production policies, and perhaps other countries or regions will follow suite.

Cape Verde does not have any major chemical industries, so one would think that the impact of chemical pollution is relatively limited here. But unfortunately, there is no place in the world where you can feel safe from chemical hazards. Many dangerous chemical compounds, such as persistent organic pollutants, are long-ranging, and if they can be found in remote places like Greenland, they most certainly could be found here as well.

Recently, a friend here in Cape Verde told us that her little kid was showing very high levels of heavy metal in the blood during a routine medical check-up in the US. And she had no idea where this problem derived from. Was it the paint on the walls, the water pipes, the soil outside the house, the toys she had bought? The only treatment that worked was to stay away from home in Cape Verde for a certain number of months.

This is a pretty scary story for a father of a two year old. What can I possibly do to protect my little one from this kind of malice? I can see with my own eyes how the shelves in the shops here are filled with different kinds of insect poisons, heavy-duty cleaning chemicals and whatnots. And as a customer, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish the benevolent ones from the more poisonous ones. Whereas in Sweden you can’t find any chemical products without some kind of environmental label and information on them, I haven’t found a single product here with an environmental label. Instead, the labels are showing human sculls and cockroaches lying on their backs. And there seems to be no common sense in the use of chemicals here either – our employees all practice the principle of “more is better”, meaning that a bottle of highly concentrated cleaning chemical is finished within days.

Obviously, I try to avoid using strong chemicals, but at the same time we have to do something to kill mosquitoes indoors (some of which can carry malaria) and to prevent the all-invading ants to destroy our food stocks. Also, I have no idea what the contents are in the paint that so easily comes of the walls of our house after the rainy season. Moreover, I know nothing of what is hidden in the dust and the ground around the house – much of which are construction sites. Is asbestos forbidden in Cape Verde? I don’t know. Is DDT used to kill mosquitoes, as it still is in many African countries? I don’t know.

The point is that I (and everybody else, regardless of where in the world you live) am in desperate need of a strong governmental environmental chemical policy to help me out here – one that entirely bans, or in some cases promotes substitution of, the most dangerous chemicals, one that helps me to get information about polluted sites, one that ensures that the products have labels and true information. If not, I simply have no chance of protecting myself or my family from chemical pollution.

I don’t know if Cape Verde has any chemical laws in place, or if they are followed (I have noted that the petrol is lead free, however). But in any case, perhaps the REACH regulation will have a positive impact also in Cape Verde, at least regarding the chemicals imported through Europe. I certainly hope so.

Christmas stress and New Year celebrations

In my view Christmas has unfortunately turned from a family (and before that, religious) tradition to a crude manifestation in consumerism and materialism. From a Western perspective, the hunger for new gadgets and stuff that we think we need at this time of a year gets absurd, especially when living in a developing country and seeing the everyday struggle of many just in order to survive. I was therefore wondering if Christmas might be different here in Cape Verde.

My impression is however that it is surprisingly similar. Most people in Cape Verde are catholic, so at least the Christmas celebration has a genuine origin here. But the pressure to buy new things for yourself and others at Christmas seems to be just as high as elsewhere, despite (or maybe even reinforced by) the widespread poverty.

When people lack the resources to match all the squander expectations of Christmas, they seek other means. We were thus told by the UN security people to be extra careful during December, since the number of robberies and thefts always jumped significantly during this time of year. And a friend of ours actually told us that when they came home some days before Christmas some years ago their DVD was gone and the household cleaner was never seen again. Apparently she was willing to give up here job (in a country with 24% unemployment) and to take the risk of getting caught just to get hold of this gadget for her self or as a gift.

Candidly complaining about all the expenses they would have for gifts, food and beverage, our own household staff fortunately took another strategy. Instead of stealing, they asked for their January salary in advance and hinted that there is a tradition of giving some extra pay for Christmas (which we were intending to do in any case). Many companies seem to offer an extra month’s salary in December, and considering the average wage they pay and the price level of imported goods in Cape Verde, it makes all the sense.

However, when I met our guard again after Christmas, the first thing he showed me was a new fancy watch on his wrist, after which he almost immediately made a long list of all the expenses he had had because of Christmas and then he asked me for yet another advance. Why? Well, he had used 1/3 of the previous advance to make a down payment on a used TV and now he needed to take another loan in order to pay the rest of it.

I have come to know this guy and his family quite well, and I know that he is very poor, living on one wage only in a miserable and small house with his girlfriend and two kids, and with another kid on the side to support. His situation has improved a little since we hired him, as we give him twice the salary he used to earn. But his house doesn’t even have proper electricity installed, and somehow he still considered a TV to be a main priority. It simply does'nt make sense to me, and the only way I can explain it is that it has to do with the imposed urge to over-consume at Christmas time.

New Years Eve was celebrated quietly on our rooftop with a friend, watching fireworks from a distance. Cap Verdeans are known for their late and long parties, and New Years Eve was certainly no exception. When we woke up on New Years Day to the daily morning wail of our two year old, we could hear music and party chatter from still ongoing festivities in the neighborhood. And after a few hours of pause, it seemed to revive and start off again for a second night of festivities. As a consequence (or is it the other way around), most shops and workplaces are closed also on the second day after New Years Eve.

Praia is a small Capital, and I was reminded by this on New Years Day when I took a small tour in the city. Normally, most of Praia’s roads are relatively busy (however rarely jammed, except during the rainy season when parts of the roads readily collapses), especially in the mornings. This morning, I hardly saw a single car that moved. Nevertheless, I drove extra carefully since we have heard many warnings to look out for drunk-drivers, especially after a big party night. Many here seem to be rather relaxed about drunk-driving, quite the contrary to my homeland Sweden where it is taken very seriously, not only by the law enforcement but by people in general. I am not sure if there is a law here on drunk-driving, or what it says if there is one. I have asked around, but nobody seems to know – or care.