peace

the point was never NEVER send your meney or thsat money is more important...

point is that if you gonna help (WHICH IS WHAT WE ALL WANT) , help in a way is MOST SOCIALLY TRANSFORMATIVE....THATS INCLUDES critiqueing yourself for the power and privilidges you have and how they can BEST be put to use....

there are better ways to DIVERT MONEY, to REAL PEOPLE ON THE GROUND WHO ARE DOING THE MOST SOCIALLY TRANSFORMATIVE WORK (which in my opinion has to be from WITHIN the local community)

you, me, missionaries, etc may come and go, the people and their problems stay.....

>I'm not going to Africa as the fortunate American who wants to
>help the people who are different. I'm not going there to
>solicitate American culture and politics. I respect the
>differences. I'm going as a person who cares for humanities all
>across the world.

its not about what your feelings/attitudes are (though that is important). its what your power/priviledges are compared to the average african, and how those POWER DYNAMICS CAN BE FLIPPED....all im adding is that you should choose the most effective method, strategically, monetarily, and morally...

>Money is constantly circulating in America, but how often does
>it leave America for the good?

THAT IS POWERFUL...getting money to PERMANENTLY LEAVE THE US and INTO LOCAL HANDS who can put it to good use....

>Furthermore, I think you shouldn't dis the missionaries who
>want to share their views with people across the world because
>althought they might push their views on other cultures, I'm
>sure they have done more humanity work than your dollar has
>ever done.

YO....EASE UP!!!!

first, i never claimed anything bout my money...i AINT GOT MONEY to send nowehere cept my family....im not that privileged...

yes, missionaries do some good work, LIKE democrats do some good things for black/brown/imigrant/poor people....

BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER is that they are PART OF A SYSTEM THAT SYSTEMATICALLY OPPRESSES africans (read your history, and read current news about roles of missionaries...) they work WITH and IN CLOSE CONJUNCTION with "outsider" NGOs, IMF, World Bank, foreign govt/churches, etc etc

thas why i WILL KEEP criticing them, cuz their work, though helpful, is not transformative....

GIVE POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

respect...