What's the Deal With Mauritania?

What's the deal indeed. This post is just going to give anyone interested in Mauritania a few sites and articles where they can learn more.

The US Department of State offers Background Notes on every country in the world. If you're concerned about the impartiality of what the US Government publishes, just check out what they have to say about Venezuela and Hugo Chavez. That will clear up any concerns.

Wikipedia also gives a brief background of Mauritania, though I do warn you that it is very brief.

Here's a Full Text Book that the feds put out back in 1998. There's been a lot of relevant history since then (a military coup, democratic elections, oil reserves found), but the history is pretty thorough.

The Presidential Elections are a very big deal. The military rose up against a tyrannical government and did what they had promised- installed the mechanisms that a democratic government requires. It's still early, but the current events are very promising.

The Oil Discovery could be an enormous financial boon for Mauritania, one of the poorest countries in the world. Particularly noteworthy is the fund of profits set into a safe account by the leaders of the military junta, an account that would be available to the incoming, democratically elected government. While there are current disputes over prior contracts regarding access to the oil and corruption on the part of the ousted regime, oil could provide much more opportunity for growth and development than iron ore and fishing, the two traditional chief exports of Mauritania.

This is an article that I feel highlights some of the issues that are currently faced in Mauritania. Health, women's rights, culture clash. On the surface it's a very small issue, but it touches on so many issues.

Mauritania also faces concerns about Racism and Slavery. Much like the US, people with darker skin are often disenfranchised. And while slavery is illegal, it is believed that there is still an underground slave trade within Mauritania.

Other resources for information on Mauritania include the World Health Organzation, the Human Rights Watch, Relief Web, and the World Food Program.

It's Like The Sex Talk, But Without The Psychological Scarring

You asked, now you get your answers. I've received a few questions and comments about Mauritania and about what I'm doing, so I thought I'd try to respond.

Hadn't I been hoping to serve in Sub-Saharan Africa? Yes, but I decided that improving health in one of the poorest countries in the world while getting to know another culture and learning three languages would be tolerable, and that I can go on safari and see zebras later.

One comment noted that I'm not so much as "Bob Hope" as a "Bob Pessimistic." I believe that the sought-after word was "Despair," putting my wit more on the vein of "Bob Despair." I'm afraid that I haven't run across his work, but I'm sure that when I do I will be duly impressed.

Which blob is Mauritania on the site www.developmentcrossing.com? (For clarity I have included the pictures in this blog, but both images are borrowed directly from the aforementioned site)

At the upper right of the red toothpick that is Africa you will find Mauritania. This map depicts the portion of GDP spent on public health throughout the world. According to the WHO, Mauritania spends 4% of its GDP on public health (most of which is from government programs). With a GDP of about a billion dollars, that amounts to only $40 million for public health, which is less that $14 per person. Annually. I have friends whose pet health insurance premium is higher than that every month.

In this image the size of a country is represented by its AIDS population. Mauritania is doing quite well comparatively. While Sub-Saharan Africa has a staggeringly high proportion of the world AIDS population, Mauritania has kept the problem in hand. The current estimate is that less than 1% of the adult population carries AIDS.

Would I like to have "the Road To" series returned? No, thanks, but I do appreciate the thought.

Kristen, Christie, Sarah, and Ted, you all not only know where Mauritania is but offered some additional information (politics, entertainment, notes from visits). Had CNN asked you then the poll results would have been very different, but as we all know, intelligent people know that when asked "May I have a few minutes of your time," the proper response is "No."

The Wit of Bob Hope, The Voice of Bing Crosby

That's right, folks, I'm once again On the Road To Someplace Exotic. Mauritania, this time.

At this point, almost all of you are saying "The Peace Corps won't send you to a imaginary country," and the rest of you are saying "I know that's a country. Just not sure where." Which is not uncommon. In fact, a recent poll showed 90% of Americans denying that such a place existed, 9% replying that it was located in the South Pacific, and 1% reasserting their love of ham. Sadly, CNN was unable to find a single American who could locate Mauritania on a map, and Fox News respondents just kept repeating "If you're not with us, you're with the terrorists. God bless the USA and the South will rise again."

If you're like me, you will now want more info on Mauritania. Sadly, I haven't much to share. It borders Morocco, Algeria, Mali, and Senegal. It is entirely Muslim, as evidenced by it's proper name, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. It is very large, mostly desert, sparsely populated, and is home to only 3.1 million people. Not much more has been readily available, but I'm looking.

If you're like me, you're also interested in me, or to be less ego-centric, how Mauritania relates to me. I will need to learn a bit of Arabic, a bit of a local language (tbd), and will need a refresher course on French. I will need to get used to blistering heat. And I will need lots and lots of sunblock.

If you're more interested in how I relate to Mauritania, Mauritania can expect an increase in my population in late June.

So for now-

I'm on the Road to Mauritania
My family thinks I'm insane, yeah
There's plenty of sand,
Maybe a national band,
But mostly, I'm on the road
To Mauritania

Indefinite Length of Delay? Indefinite Amount of Fun!

All that I was told was that I couldn't go to Uganda with my program and that my convalescence was a minimum of six weeks. After that I could consult a doctor about my recovery and the Peace Corps would review my case.

Which was fine. I mean, I could barely move my right arm after my injury. I spent an entire week in a sling. How was I going to lug a duffel bag across the world? Not easily, that's for certain. Staying at home where I could recover in peace was the best of all options.

I just wasn't sure what to do. No more skiing, that was right out. And no cross-country skiing either; too much of an upper-body workout. Mostly I would be sitting still.

Leading up to my dramatic moment on the slopes I had been tearing through the M*A*S*H library at home, watching 75 or so episodes since returning home. All that remained was almost too terrible to contemplate- reading. Self-improvement. Preparations. And so with heavy heart, I made my way to the library to find books on Africa and AIDS, which I have since been devouring.

And I found a job. While arranging my life I found that gradually crossing the country and then living as a ski bum hit my savings harder than I'd anticipated, and I would really prefer to have travel money while I'm in Africa. So after I healed up I found a job with the Vermont Department of Taxes.

At first I thought that my job would be great. I'd go in with a long face and my boss would say "David, what's wrong?" "Oh, nothing. It's just that the neighbor's dog crapped on our lawn." "We can't have that! We'll audit the bastard!" "Thanks, boss!" "No problem, David. Have a martini."

I am sad to report that the tax department is not quite so easygoing, relaxed, and fun. In fact, you might say that the fun quotient is in the same ballpark as that of an accountant, but without the aura of grandeur associated with accountants.

Not wanting to work exclusively with other people's money, I've set about consolidating my own. I called my out-of-state banking institution and requested that my accounts be closed and the funds mailed to me. "No problem, sir," they said. "10 business days, tops." I like being called "sir." It makes me feel like I'm respected. Much more so than having to call back ten days later to request my checks. "I'm sorry, sir, I don't know what happened" is much less encouraging. "Three business days" has a better ring to it than ten, though, so I gave them the benefit of the doubt. Four days later I was in a less happy mood; their promise of another check sent by US Post didn't boost my confidence. I don't want you to think that I would be the sort to cast aspersions on this bank, but I would only be too happy to do so. As you might imagine, my confidence in their concern over my difficulties was beginning to wane, and so when their promised package failed to arrive overnight I was less than generous to their abilities as managers of my meager wealth. I am not sure that they appreciated my solemn vow that any future transactions in which I might engage would certainly involve monkeys before that particular institution. Three days later their promised overnight package arrived, and I promptly deposited my long-awaited checks. I expect to be in negotiations regarding their rubber checks in the next week.

But in my opinion, life is good. The Peace Corps has reviewed my file and I have received an e-mail announcing that I have been invited to go...somewhere. The Peace Corps likes to play close to the vest, so I don't know when, where, or doing what. But I expect to know soon. After all, if you can't trust the Postal Service, who can you trust?