I make an exception below to comment on a purely social matter that is pertinent.
Over the last couple of weeks, the press in Africa, Europe and the US were filled with stories of the difficult legal process that baby David Banda has gone through in order to be formally and legally adopted by Madonna and her husband. This is one case in which there are unlikely to be winners because enduring questions that cannot be adequately answered. Madonna and her family are making a very brave step by opting to adopt a child from a separate continent, race and yes, that word culture. Typically uninformed objections and support for the process covered the press pages about whether all this was an exercise in vanity and therefore inimical to the best interests of little David. To their credit, Madonna and her family went about that process with dignity and minimum comment.
A story in the press today reports that she finally went on the offensive by attacking the bunch of those opposed to the adoption of baby Banda and that is where she completely lost the sympathy and respect on my side. Appearing on the Oprah Winfrey show aired on the 25th of October, she alleged that the press maelstrom was hurting all orphans in Africa. That is just pathetic. To my mind, it is akin to another argument recently heard that any adverse comment on the state of the war in Iraq would be "aiding the enemy". The attacks were not worth responding to especially when it is also reported that the father of the child may be having second thoughts about the adoption. Bad advice from whichever publicity firm she employs! While most of the attacks and support for her desire to adopt were really strident and sometimes personal, she has merely ensured that a more critical eye will be cast on her in terms of the parenting outcomes regarding David. She cannot win this and the sooner she stops parenting through the press the better. Fight no one now as your greatest obligation is to David for whom you now have elected to try your best as a parent. While at it, try and get David's biological father to rediscover some higher regard for you. A sanctimonious sermon on Oprah Winfrey show is not the way.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
I’ve watched with interest the outrage, and certainly relate with the dilemmas posed by media critics, children’s organizations and activists about the issue of child adoptions in Africa, in light of Madonna’s quest to adopt a Malawian baby boy.
It is a dialectical problem though, and rather than overly problematize the issue at the expense of genuinely needy children, the situation could be made to work for the children - the publicity thirsty stars could be made to work for the African child...
Adoption restrictions placed on non-UK citizens notwithstanding, there is nothing in the current anti-trafficking laws to actually stop or illegalize the adoption. And in the absence of concrete legal provisions it is fairly complex to discern ‘genuine’ parties from potential and/or active child traffickers.
Again I must add that the noisemaking NGOs are not exactly innocent - some of them are the reason Madonna/Jolie have such unchecked access to African children in the first place!
Anyway;
i. The celebrities could be held to accountability by showing previous records of social action (charities, donations, activism) and genuine non-media centric interest in the plight of African children; in short a solid track record of interest in poverty alleviation on the continent. Under this criterion, Madonna would (arguably) qualify - as I understand from media reports she is already involved with some charities in Malawi. The exponential gains that may be made from just one hundred 'A-listers' scrambling for our children under this kind of accountability approach are worth considering.
ii. Engage local community members, particularly parents and guardians in continuous dialogue regarding their wishes about their children’s well being and future - such clarity cannot hurt, particularly in a continent ridden with uncertainties of war, famine and HIV/AIDS. I see the reaction of the boy’s father as rather drastically concocted under pressure from the interest groups. Granted that there may have been some deceit in getting him to sign the adoption papers grounded on the belief of a Christian upbringing for his boy, but is a different religion really the worst thing that can happen to a child whose father admittedly couldn’t look after him (and had given him away anyway?) And besides, Madonna’s track record - children’s books, own kids, (forget the videos!) far from depicts her as an unfit mother.
Creating an interface, engaging the community, could be educative to both potential adopters and current care-givers; such dialogue as we witness now over the fate of this one child is in my opinion unnecessary, face-saving ploys, rather than a genuine desire to solve the problem, or indeed generate standards for similar future undertakings.
iii. Lastly, looking for a conspiracy theory in every single case of adoption simply does not help the fight against trafficking, let alone its victims, and is almost akin with throwing the baby out with the bathwater. The reality of Africa today is that millions of homeless children defy the logic that external assistance can only best serve neo-liberal interests - these children need cheaper ARVs, they need food, they need clothes, schools and playing fields, they need role models, and most of all they need love.
Lets cut Madonna some slack; her latest outburst is not too farfetched given her current 'fishbowl' status.
Post a Comment