| JOHANNESBURG--For
two weeks, all the roads led to Johannesburg.
The world came pouring into the Sandton Convention
Centre, which shone with cultural and ideological
diversity. The first day was quite frightening
and disorienting; a new environment, a sea of
new
faces and the daunting task of understanding
the issues and conveying them to readers in a comprehensive
yet interesting way, making them realize that
yes,
they should keep and eye on what is cooking in
Jo'burg. Be informed on what ingredients go into
the pot and through knowledge challenge the process,
otherwise you will not be happy with the resulting
meal.
With
each passing day, the journalists' bond to SCC, especially
to the garage lighted by rows of computer screens
and those who produced articles that propelled Jo'burg
into many corners of the world, grew stronger. Just
after less than two weeks, I feel part of an extended
family, each member working towards the same goal:
to examine and untangle the daily developments and
setbacks at the conference.
Talk, talk, talk, launching of this
initiative and that one, announcing of
that partnership and the other, reaffirmation
of countries' commitments to the concept
of sustainable development, rounds of
applause for many, but not for the United
States. Some came with the genuine intention
of making progress, while others offered
only empty, transparent and predictable
blablablabla.
On Wednesday,
the official final day of the conference,
the United States
decided to make an appearance at the
summit. There was not one empty seat
in the large ballroom and eventually,
the doors had to be shut, since the incoming
flow was overwhelming. A few sentences
into his speech, Colin Powell was silenced
by the sudden eruption of cries. They
chanted and screamed, "Shame on
Bush, shame on Bush," as the room
pumped with energy. Protesters were escorted
out by police officials, and many of
them left of their own initiative.
Action or no action, commitment or no
commitment, that remains to be seen in
the years to follow. It was humbling
and magical being part of an endeavor
as grand in its purpose as the Johannesburg
Summit on Sustainable Development. Will
it make any waves, and will there be
discussion of the achievements of Johannesburg
10 years from now, just as there was
with the Earth Summit? I look forward
to see progress and to be part of the
next world gathering where I can once
again see the familiar faces, with an
extra wrinkle here and there.
|
