Europe's attitude will make Kenya look East

The Boma Hotel.  Photo/BD

In Summary

• Travelling to some European countries has become a real odyssey.
• France and Germany have put in place compensation packages to increase birth rates, but growth is still dramatically low.
• This is making Europe expensive and it is quickly becoming financially unattractive.
• What about the East? Getting a visa is quite straightforward; simple and fast. A visitor seems always welcome.

By LUIS FRANCESCHI
More by this Author

Kenya is looking at the East, and the East is looking at Kenya.

Europe, like all continents, had their positive and negative aspects, plus and minuses, pros and cons.

The continent is amazing in many ways. Modern Africa has been historically tied to it.

Europe demarcated its boundaries and distributed its land at the Berlin Conference.

Europe exploited its resources, brought material development and the faith that it is now so intent on taking back.

These historical ties cannot be denied. Europe’s contribution has been and still is immense. Europe has done a lot for the world: Art, religion, law, rights, history, institutions, governance…

But why did our President travel to the East? What’s happening in the East? Will the East be Africa’s new Europe?

It seems so. It will be so unless Europe wakes up and lowers its guard.

AIRPORT NIGHTMARE

Travelling to some European countries has become a real odyssey. It begins at the visa point; its requirements and processes.

It is not just a nightmare, but a morning-mare, midday-mare and afternoon-mare.

At some European airports, everyone seems to be, in principle, a terrorist unless proven otherwise.

Policemen have a volatile attitude; their job is to get the 'terrorist' out of your soul. They seem to follow a strange motto: instil terror to unmask it.

But as much as this puts off innocent travellers, the alternative is risky.

Security threats and illegal immigrants have turned the pendulum too far towards the wrong side. Maybe they have no choice now.

They are suffering the consequences of many years of wrong policies; a sort of big brother attitude that was not reversed on time.

ZERO BIRTH RATE

It is worrying that Europe does not seem to realise that there is a problem.

The continent is getting old, humanly and financially, and the authorities, in most cases, seem oblivious or do not have the guts to face the problem.

France and Germany have put in place compensation packages to increase birth rates, but growth is still dramatically low. In Germany, it is 0.0 per cent and France 0.4 per cent.

Germany’s zero rate includes a natural increase of -0.2 per cent. According to Matt Rosenberg, this means that without immigration Germany would be shrinking.

This is making Europe expensive and it is quickly becoming financially unattractive. Worse still, their population is rapidly aging, losing grasp with the modern world…but still insists on not having children.

VISITOR ALWAYS WELCOME

What about the East? Getting a visa is quite straightforward; simple and fast. A visitor seems always welcome.

They are aware of your presence and grateful that you decided to travel eastward. Their service in most cases is candid, cheerful and gracious.

Landing in Asia is unsophisticated. If the traveller has the documents in order there is no harassment at airports.

They do not ask the visitor to remove shoes, belt and laptops. This makes a big difference. They do not ask the innocent to stand like a criminal, be x-rayed, searched and often shouted at.

Life in the East is fast and so is their growth. Indonesia, the biggest South East Asian economy, has grown at an average of 5.4 percent between 2000 and 2012.

This is getting better with annual economic growth rates at 6.5 percent in 2011 and 6.3 percent and 2012.

According to Mr Axel van Trotsenburg, World Bank East Asia and Pacific Regional Vice President:

“East Asia Pacific continues to be the engine driving the global economy, contributing 40 percent of the world’s GDP growth - more than any other region.”

BUGATTI, FERRARI SHOPS

There is life in Jakarta. Plenty of people, young people, children, all moving: Millions of motorbikes, more than mosquitoes, plenty of cars, sky-creepers, highways and flyovers. Bugatti and Ferrari shops, Ritz Carlton and what not.

But surely not everything is rosy in the East. They have their problems and they need to face them: deficient labour laws, poor working conditions in many factories, pollution, corruption, etc. A long to-do list, but they seem to be trying.

This is why Kenya seems to be looking East: It is growing and it is gracious. Their problems are closer to ours but they are trying to resolve them. They are a role model without the big brother attitude.

Europe needs to change its attitude. Security is not incompatible with gentleness and good manners. If they want to continue influencing Africa they must open to Africans.

The days of “taking” are gone. True globalisation demands a level playing ground: giving and taking.

In fact, this is so real in Indonesia that the way to say thanks in Bahasa Indonesian is “Terima kasih”, which literally means “give and take.”

Europe needs to open up, welcome outsiders and be ready to give and take.

Unless they change their policies and attitude towards Africa, also with regard to financial aid, Kenya will continue looking happily over to the East, with or without a neck-ache.