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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>Now,
dear friends, here is a challenge truly worthy of your genius, imagination and
compassion – swapping ideas and views about the usefulness of somehow
creating or supporting an African Transport Survival “Forum”.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>Martin
Strid sets it out for us in the attached note, which places this ‘nth banal
transport advisory proposal’ in a most troubling context, which is in
fact what the real world is giving us all to work with. It is my view that if
we are not able to keep all these matters in mind, we and those concerned would
really be quite unprepared to understand and make wise decisions concerning the
specific issues to which this forum might in time be addressed.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>Before
we move ahead I would like to draw your attention to a sadly all too typical ‘old
mobility’ initiative in another part fo the world via the following
(below) recent article from the New York Times on “<font color="#333322"><span
style='color:#333322'>Delays mire </span></font></span></font><font
color="#333322"><span style='color:#333322'>U.S.</span></font><font
color="#333322"><span style='color:#333322'> road project in Aceh”.
I know that there are plenty of Afircan examples of misplaced zeal along these
lines but this happens to be one that is immediately at hand. The message is
both clear, and universal.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#333322" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#333322'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#333322" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#333322'>So what happens now? Well for starters,
let me propose (a) not too fast and (b) together. Also we will from the
beginning need to find as many black Africans to get involved here, since
otherwise it’s just one more exercise of good hearted but hey! neo-colonial
do-gooding. This is not to say that the lessons that are to be learned from
such a group exercise will be limited to </span></font><font color="#333322"><span
style='color:#333322'>Africa</span></font><font color="#333322"><span
style='color:#333322'> alone, most will surely be universal. But we can’t
have this as one more Mzungu* grandstand. Can we?</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#333322" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#333322'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#333322" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#333322'>And we can’t have this as a
male-centric and driven project either. Can we? The heart of </span></font><font
color="#333322"><span style='color:#333322'>Africa</span></font><font
color="#333322"><span style='color:#333322'> beats in the breast of its women.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#333322" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#333322'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#333322" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#333322'>Your thoughts on this?</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#333322" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#333322'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#333322" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#333322'>Eric Britton</span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>PS. Here is what Jeraldi
from the Kamuis project (<a
href="http://research.yale.edu/swahili/learn/?q=en/node/244">http://research.yale.edu/swahili/learn/?q=en/node/244</a>)
has to say about this word. "Mzungu" shares its stem with the
verb "kuzungua" or "kuzunguka". Both of which basically
mean to go around, wander around, run around here and there, etc. The
"m" on the front changes it into "one who...." so
"mzungu" basically means "one who wanders around" or
"one who runs around here and there in a restless manner". To
understand why this word is used to describe white people in general, one needs
to visit </span></font>East Africa and observe the differences between the
visiting white people and the locals. In general, the locals take their time in
their daily activities. They might visit a friend for a couple hours, sit
through a 4 hour church service, visit with 5 people on their way home without
being in a rush, etc. In contrast, the white people generally seem to be in a
rush to get somewhere and do things and tend to have a more business-like or
hurried manner. These are of course gross generalizations that don't apply to
everyone but they are pretty accurate. It pretty much boils down to the
difference between what's called island time, Africa time, etc. which is a more
slow-paced lifestyle, and I guess American time, European time, etc. which is a
more fast-paced lifestyle.</p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>-----Original Message-----<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>From:</span></b> martin.strid@vv.se
[mailto:martin.strid@vv.se] <br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> </span></font><font face=Tahoma><span style='font-family:Tahoma'>Thursday, November 09, 2006</span></font><font
face=Tahoma><span style='font-family:Tahoma'> </span></font><font
face=Tahoma><span style='font-family:Tahoma'>5:05 PM</span></font><font
face=Tahoma><span style='font-family:Tahoma'><br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> eric.britton@ecoplan.org<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Wafrika waamke</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 color=blue
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue'>Eric,</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 color=blue
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue'>Legis vian resumon pri la diversaj
diskutejoj mi hodiau. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 color=blue
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue'>Proponon mi havas kaj vershajne
vi havas opinion respondan pri ghi. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 color=blue
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue'>Temas pri la forgesita kontinento,
nia komuna praorigino kaj malricha najbaro de Europo: </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 color=blue
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue'>In view of the coming,
perhaps imminent (according to Mr Samsam Bakhtiari, <a
href="http://www.peakoil.net">http://www.peakoil.net</a>) oil shortage crisis,
there are a number of issues for Africans to deal with:</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 color=blue
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue'>- How to get rid of
colonial heritage: inefficient bureaucracies, crazy borders (that generate
civil wars), foreign education systems and the ever-present inferiority
complex towards Mzungu power. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 color=blue
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue'>- How to get rid of
criminal regimes and armies financed by more or less illegal trade with natural
resources, especially mineral resources. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 color=blue
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue'>- How to gain democratic
control over those resources, in spite of the growing greed of exocontinentals.
</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 color=blue
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue'>- How to avoid the worst
scenarios of starvation due to climate change and resource depletion. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 color=blue
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue'>- How to develop and
implement, on a massive scale, sustainable cooking (and other energy
technology) based on direct sun heat. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 color=blue
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue'>- How to develop a
sustainable transportation system in the very few years between now and oil
depletion. The issue includes agricultural production, food distribution,
public transport, cycling and road maintenance. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 color=blue
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue'>- How to organise
sustainable democratic societies based on a balanced human ecology, local
cultures and the general use of African languages (imperative for self
confidence and real progress). </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 color=blue
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue'>Kwa sababu mpaka sasa, wazungu
wamegaia na wamenyeta na wafrika wamelipa na wamelia. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 color=blue
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue'>Kompreneble ne povus unu sendolisto
tiujn problemojn solvi. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 color=blue
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue'>Sed almenau la transportan
parton oni povus komencigi. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 color=blue
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue'>And please watch out so
that it does not become a mainly South African affair. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 color=blue
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue'>South African
society is half European and certainly not representative of East, Central
or </span></font><font color=blue><span style='color:blue'>West Africa</span></font><font
color=blue><span style='color:blue'>. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 color=blue
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue'>(Even if they are among
the all too few African countries where an African language is allowed to be
used officially). </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 color=blue
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 color=blue
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue'>So, how about making an
AL'VOKO for an African transport survival forum? </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 color=blue
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue'>Polyglotte? </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 color=blue
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 color=blue
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue'>Amike, </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 color=blue
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue'># :-)</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 color=blue
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 color=blue
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<div class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-left:36.0pt;text-align:center'><font
size=2 face=Arial><span lang=SV style='font-size:10.0pt'>
<hr size=2 width="100%" align=center>
</span></font></div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>I
would like to invite comments on this piece that appeared in yesterday’s
New York Times, which to my mind in hugely rich with lessons that we all will
do very poorly indeed to ignore. The piece suggests some of the contradictions,
but really should have scratched further, because none of these are accidents.
They are part of a greater whole that we will do well to understand, not only
in rural countryside’s in the Global South, but also in the streets and
roads of the so-called ‘developed nations’. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>Here
are the first couple of thoughts that come to mind that I hope will serve to
stir you to more and better:</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>1.
One of the great problems that the Old Mobility folk (and if that is not clear
may I invite you to check into the Old Mobility section of the New Mobility
Advisory/Briefs – you will find it if you click to <a
href="http://www.oldmobility.newmobility.org/">http://www.oldmobility.newmobility.org/</a>
) have with the challenges of human beings and social complexity, as opposed to
the nice smooth world of vehicle throughput and its kissing cousin speed, is
that straight lines, heavy loads and higher speeds are not necessarily the best
solution to the problems of a complex democratic society. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>2.
The assumption of the experts and ultimately the politicians and administrators
who made up this entire project is that the old </span></font>US model is what
“these people’ need. A quarter of a billion taxpayer dollars
(hey, that’s MY money) buying them (whether they want it or not) a
‘high standard’ US road at a million dollars a kilometer (please,
try to imagine what could be done with this money if the real problems and
priorities had been addressed! But no, let’s start with our
solution and who cares about the problem. Eh? Oh how heavy it is the
White Man’s Burden. (Did anyone think to explain to them that it’s
2006 and the rules of the game have changed?)</p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>3.
What strikes me in the first place and above all is that the right road under
these circumstances would NEVER go in a straight line. For all kinds of
reasons. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Wingdings><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings'>n</span></font><font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size-adjust: none;font-stretch: normal'><span style='font-size:
7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'> </span></span></font>First,
it ignores the social and cultural topography, something that is every bit as
important in any society as the physical landscape. All those signals that the
protesting locals are giving are in fact part of the solution, not part of the
problem.</p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Wingdings><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings'>n</span></font><font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size-adjust: none;font-stretch: normal'><span style='font-size:
7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'> </span></span></font>Second,
straight lines inevitably induce speed. So out they go. We need to design roads
that will both accommodate basic needs and ensure the well being of all those
whom it is intended to serve. </p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Wingdings><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings'>n</span></font><font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size-adjust: none;font-stretch: normal'><span style='font-size:
7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'> </span></span></font>Third,
a high speed road induces the kid of rolling stock that takes advantage of the
potential for high speed and heavy loads. But is that what we really want and
need in this and thousands of other contexts – and not only in rural
communities of the Third World. </p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Wingdings><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings'>n</span></font><font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size-adjust: none;font-stretch: normal'><span style='font-size:
7.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'> </span></span></font>Fourth,
lower speeds – much lower speeds in fact, and I would need to hear some
convincing arguments indeed for designing such roads to accommodate more than
30 kph speeds – permit the road to accommodate many of its traditional
economic and social roles. Vendors including of local produce, tire and vehicle
repair, and of courses all kinds of walkers who are not only numerous but very
important. And all this on the streets of New York City or serving people and
the economy in Aceh! </p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>4. A
good road will serve the full range of social roels and needs. In poorer
countries in this new and one would dearly like to think more aware century,
the favored transportation should be what most people can afford – human
powered means, for both personal and goods traffic. You can design and build
for that and while I am not an engineer I bet that you can get a lot more than
a kilometer of such appropriate roads for a million dollars than just one.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>At
this point let me get out of the way and invite you to read on. But once you
have had your look, I would like to invite you to have a look at a few
videos that we have set aside for your attention in this context only
this morning. It’s pretty simple stuff by way of presentation, but the
messages are anything but. To get to them, please click to <a
href="http://newmobilitybriefs.org/">http://newmobilitybriefs.org</a>, then on
the left menu The Challenge/Old Mobility videos –you’ll see.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>And
now your comments?</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>Eric
Britton</span></font></p>
<table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=421
style='width:315.75pt'>
<tr>
<td width=421 style='width:315.75pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm'>
<div style='border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm'>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=5 color="#333322" face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:#333322'> </span></font></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><a name="OLE_LINK1"><font size=5 color="#333322"
face=Georgia><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:#333322'>Delays
mire </span></font></a><font size=5 color="#333322" face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:#333322'>U.S.</span></font><font
size=5 color="#333322" face=Georgia><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:
Georgia;color:#333322'> road project in Aceh </span></font></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width=421 valign=top style='width:315.75pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm'>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=1 color="#555544" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#555544;font-weight:bold'>By Jane Perlez</span></font></b><font
size=1 color="#555544"><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#555544'> The New
York Times</span></font><font color="#555544"><span style='color:#555544'><br>
<img border=0 width=1 height=1 src="cid:image001.gif@01C7080B.C0E9AAB0"><br>
</span></font><font size=1 color="#555544" face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:7.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:#555544'>Published: </span></font><font size=1 color="#555544" face=Verdana><span style='font-size:7.0pt;font-family:Verdana;
color:#555544'>October 8, 2006</span></font></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width=421 style='width:315.75pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm'>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#555544" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#555544'><img border=0 width=1 height=1
src="cid:image001.gif@01C7080B.C0E9AAB0"></span></font></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width=421 style='width:315.75pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm'>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:7.5pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:7.5pt;color:#444444'> </span></font><b><font size=1
color="#444444"><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444;font-weight:bold'>KEUTAPANG,
</span></font></b><b><font size=1 color="#444444"><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;color:#444444;font-weight:bold'>Indonesia</span></font></b><font
size=1 color="#444444"><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> A $245
million stretch of blacktop intended to be the signature good-will gesture
from the American people to survivors of the 2004 tsunami has instead become
a parable of the problems of Aceh's recovery. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>Construction of the 240-kilometer road,
about 150 miles, along the devastated coast has yet to start, stalled by a
host of obstacles, like acquiring right of way through residential and farm
land; schools; and, particularly sensitive, several hundred graves of
mystical and religious significance. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial;-moz-background-origin: -moz-initial;
-moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;background-attachment:scroll;
background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:50%'><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;color:#444444;background:yellow'>Though villagers welcome the idea,
some have reservations about an American-style thoroughfare with a wide
shoulder on either side that will replace the ribbon of churned dirt and mud.
Villagers say they fear speeding traffic - they have thrown rocks at
fast-moving cars of foreign aid workers - and want to be able to sell snacks
and tea from stalls snug by the roadside, as they have always done.</span></span></font><font
size=1 color="#444444"><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>The difficulties of getting started on
the road, one of the largest infrastructure projects in </span></font><font
size=1 color="#444444"><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>Indonesia</span></font><font
size=1 color="#444444"><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>, reflect
the weariness among tsunami survivors with the long return to normality. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>A demonstration outside the main
Indonesian reconstruction agency turned violent last month when protesters
complained they still lacked basic services and demanded more money for
education. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>The patience of American officials is
wearing thin, too. They complain that the government has been too slow in
buying up the land and resolving the fraught issue of the graves. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>Lately, the Americans have become so
disconcerted about delays that they have tried to pry more action from the
Indonesians by suggesting that the money for the road could be diverted to
the </span></font><font size=1 color="#444444"><span style='font-size:9.0pt;
color:#444444'>United States</span></font><font size=1 color="#444444"><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> reconstruction efforts in </span></font><font
size=1 color="#444444"><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>Lebanon</span></font><font
size=1 color="#444444"><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>"It was threatened they would take
the money away," said Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, director of the Indonesian
rehabilitation and reconstruction agency in Aceh. He added with a shrug:
"That's standard. I just swallow everything for the sake of the
road." </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial;-moz-background-origin: -moz-initial;
-moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;background-attachment:scroll;
background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:50%'><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;color:#444444;background:yellow'>The Indonesians say the Americans are
imposing first world standards of efficiency on a poor region</span></span></font><font
size=1 color="#444444"><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> that was
pounded by civil war and then swamped by the tsunami, which killed more than
100,000 Indonesians. Records of land titles were washed away, and questions
of inheritance among devastated families take a while to decide, they say. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>The idea for the road evolved soon
after the tsunami when the Bush administration wanted to show that the </span></font><font
size=1 color="#444444"><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>United
States</span></font><font size=1 color="#444444"><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;color:#444444'> cared about </span></font><font size=1 color="#444444"><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>Indonesia</span></font><font size=1
color="#444444"><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>, the world's
most populous Muslim country, in its moment of need. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>It was decided early on to finance one
substantial American project that would make a splash rather than a number of
smaller ones. At first, rebuilding a significant portion of the provincial
capital, Banda Aceh, into a kind of "signature city" was proposed. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>Instead, a well-engineered road from
the capital to Meulaboh, the southernmost coastal town, which was nearly
completely wiped out, was considered a more fruitful project that played to <span
style='-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial;-moz-background-origin: -moz-initial;
-moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;background-attachment:scroll;
background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:50%'><span style='background:
yellow'>the American strength of fast and modern construction</span></span>.
The new road would connect the poor fishing communities of the wasted west
coast of Aceh to the outside world. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>But the Americans did not anticipate
the long negotiations over compensation for land or the strong local feelings
about the graves. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>Tucked under a grove of coconut trees,
a pale-hued boulder and an ancient tree trunk represent this village's most
mystical grave, the place where a white tiger is believed to run loose in the
event of human transgression. Nearby, red and yellow flags left by surveyors
indicated the American road is set to plow right through the sacred spot. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>A local elder, Mohammed Noor, 60, who
forded a river and clambered over fences to show off the grave, says he cannot
imagine that it could ever be moved. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>The problems with the road have not
only to do with Indonesian sensibilities. An audit by the Inspector General
of the United States Agency for International Development last March said the
design of the road was delayed because the development agency asked the
contractor to modify the design plan at least four times. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>It also noted that when the contract
for the engineering work was awarded to the American firm Parson Global
Services, it was awarded in November, four months late. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>By May, when the process was bogged
down, a veteran of building big American projects abroad, Roy Ventura Jr.,
was brought in by USAID to expedite things. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>On June 29, </span></font><font size=1
color="#444444"><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>Ventura</span></font><font
size=1 color="#444444"><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> said he
presented the Indonesians with the final plan for where the road would run.
He was told by Indonesian government officials, he said, that right of way
would be ready so construction could begin for the first portion of the road
to the </span></font><font size=1 color="#444444"><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;color:#444444'>village</span></font><font size=1 color="#444444"><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> of </span></font><font size=1
color="#444444"><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>Lhoong</span></font><font
size=1 color="#444444"><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> by July 25,
and by Oct. 3 in the area farther south to the town of </span></font><font
size=1 color="#444444"><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>Calang</span></font><font
size=1 color="#444444"><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>According to that schedule, American
officials said they expected the first eight kilometers of the road to be
completed by Aug. 23, and that new sections of the road would continue to
unfold after that. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>But instead, USAID is paying the
Indonesian road contractor, Wijaya Karya, about $100,000 a month to maintain
the old road, money that should be going toward the new construction,
American officials say. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>"The Americans are arguing that
there should have been land acquisition a year ago," said Kuntoro.
"But how could that happen when we did not know from the Americans where
the road was running until June 29?" </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial;-moz-background-origin: -moz-initial;
-moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;background-attachment:scroll;
background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:50%'><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;color:#444444;background:yellow'>Kuntoro, a graduate in engineering
from Stanford University who understands American impatience for fast results
as well as he knows the Indonesian preference for discussion, sometimes to
the umpteenth degree, has become the point man for many of the problems.</span></span></font><font
size=1 color="#444444"><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>He has been visited in his office in
Banda Aceh by the American ambassador to </span></font><font size=1
color="#444444"><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>Indonesia</span></font><font
size=1 color="#444444"><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>, B. Lynn
Pascoe, by </span></font><font size=1 color="#444444"><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;color:#444444'>Ventura</span></font><font size=1 color="#444444"><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>, and this week by investigators from
the General Accounting Office in </span></font><font size=1 color="#444444"><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>Washington</span></font><font size=1
color="#444444"><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>. They all ask
the same thing: When will enough continuous land be ready so that bulldozers
can begin clearing the way? </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>In fact, Kuntoro said in an interview
Tuesday, he had just written a letter to Pascoe saying that his agency had
gained title to 5.4 kilometers of continuous land and major construction
could start. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>But on Thursday, </span></font><font
size=1 color="#444444"><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>Ventura</span></font><font
size=1 color="#444444"><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> said that
he was not satisfied that the titles were transferred, and that work could
only begin on a bridge involving a sliver of land. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial;-moz-background-origin: -moz-initial;
-moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;background-attachment:scroll;
background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:50%'><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;color:#444444;background:yellow'>"The road itself is no different
to any place in the world," said </span></span></font><font size=1
color="#444444"><span style='-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial;-moz-background-origin: -moz-initial;
-moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;background-attachment:scroll;
background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:50%'><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;color:#444444;background:yellow'>Ventura</span></span></font><font
size=1 color="#444444"><span style='-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial;
-moz-background-origin: -moz-initial;-moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;
background-attachment:scroll;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:
50%'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444;background:yellow'>, who was
with the </span></span></font><font size=1 color="#444444"><span
style='-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial;-moz-background-origin: -moz-initial;
-moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;background-attachment:scroll;
background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:50%'><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;color:#444444;background:yellow'>Montana Highway</span></span></font><font
size=1 color="#444444"><span style='-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial;
-moz-background-origin: -moz-initial;-moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;
background-attachment:scroll;background-position-x:0%;background-position-y:
50%'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444;background:yellow'>
department for 10 years</span></span></font><font size=1 color="#444444"><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> and has managed construction sites in </span></font><font
size=1 color="#444444"><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>Saudi
Arabia</span></font><font size=1 color="#444444"><span style='font-size:
9.0pt;color:#444444'>, </span></font><font size=1 color="#444444"><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>Jordan</span></font><font size=1
color="#444444"><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> and the </span></font><font
size=1 color="#444444"><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>Philippines</span></font><font
size=1 color="#444444"><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>.
"The process of getting right to the land to get the road built is very
different." </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>In an exchange with the Governor of
Banda Aceh, Mustafa Abu Bakar, the frustrated Americans suggested that the
governor consider using eminent domain procedures for speedy possession of
the land. In reply, the governor said in a letter that in order to keep
community support for the road he would use eminent domain only as a last resort.
</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>"The government sees the people
here as victims of the tsunami and very vulnerable," said Eddy Siregar,
a construction manager for the Indonesian contractor, Wijaya Karya, as he sat
on the side of the old road in the village of Pasi, watching his men do
maintenance instead of new construction. "It would be a big trauma if
their land was taken. So they want to try the soft way." </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>Late Wednesday afternoon, Noor got word
that his village leaders had agreed with the provincial authorities to move
the grave of the white tiger. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'>"I can't imagine how they will do
it," said a crestfallen Noor. "Will they do it nicely, or will they
do it roughly?" </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color="#444444" face=Arial><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#444444'> </span></font></p>
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