Freedom?

These photographs, some astounding, some heart-breaking, some mind numbing, are from different sources compiled on The Big Picture section of Boston.com. They tell a story that we often, for many different reasons, do not want to hear, prefering to cosset ourselves away in the 'safe' world of work and home and TV and food and work and shopping/pub/church and home and TV etc etc.

From: Boston.com:The Big Picture
"Tens of thousands of Africans - men, women and children fleeing their homeland - attempt to make the perilous trip from their home countries to Europe every year, seeking refuge, asylum and economic opportunity. Some travel thousands of miles overland, being handed from smuggler to smuggler, ending up at one of many ports in northern Africa, to be packed into makeshift boats and make treacherous sea crossings to European soil, to places like Spain's Canary Islands and tiny Malta where they hope to either sneak in unnoticed, or, if intercepted, be allowed to stay. Many do not survive the journey..."

Some Comments:
"Many of the people in those photos come from coastal fishing communities. Their waters have been fished out by factory fishing and trawlers mostly from the EU and Asian countries. Off the coast of Somalia the fishing has been particularly devastating, and the Gulf of Guinea has suffered badly from overfishing. The EU countries have been dumping their toxic waste off Somalia for at least 15 years. A lot washed up during the tsunami. "Free" trade has also put a lot of African agriculture out of business with highly subsidized competition. These are major push out factors for workers in the developing world. Most people would rather stay in their own country if they can make a living there. But when you can’t make a living in one place, you’ll try and find a place where you can make a living. The alternative was voiced by a Zambian farmer-trade unionist . . . “If you will not pay us reasonable prices for our exports, we will export ourselves.”"
Posted by xcroc January 23, 09 02:43 PM

"So many pictures, so many people. Not one smile, and that speaks volumes."
Posted by Julia January 23, 09 04:16 PM

"heartbreaking -- how do i hide myself in my basic bauble of troubles? I who am just so lucky to be born in a place where how good I can replay my music is an ongoing obsession? How do I hide myself day after day when the world is full of such faces? Each just wanting a chance to eat a full meal, be able to name a child before 5 and know that their future is just?
Yet my humanity at once blinds me and shows me -- this is the curse and the blessing of a feeble mind."
Posted by septemous January 24, 09 01:47 AM

"If, in this age of free enterprise, we are to believe in the freedom of trade, then why not also believe in the freedom of travel? Why does a crate of banana's have more rights of movement than a human being?
Open all borders and let the chips fall where they may. There's plenty of people in Europe who would love to emigrate too. Why are we all trapped in the boxes we were born into?"
Posted by danskkr January 26, 09 03:51 PM

Further Info:
Boston.com:The Big Picture / Media Storm: Kingsley's Crossing