Poverty Tourists

What do delegates who discuss ways of reducing poverty from the plush environs of the Sandton Hall venue do in their spare time? They go for...

What do delegates who discuss ways of reducing poverty from the plush environs of the Sandton Hall venue do in their spare time? They go for guided poverty tours. On the list of every delegate8217;s must see and do list is a visit to the nearly Alexandra township, notorious for its numerous squatters and abject poverty. And Johannesburg can8217;t stop having enough of it. Sample this newspaper advertisement: 8216;8216;Meet the Real Alex; She is vibey, loves meeting new people and adores a party. She is getting a 1.3 billion Rand facelift too. So you may not recognize her! She is Alexandra, a township like no other. And she is opening her heart to the visitors. Come and see her during the world summit and you will love her in no time.8217;8217; The ad8217;s an invite for a historical tour, some curio shopping, tree planting and a chance to enjoy authentic African cuisine. Thank you and all that, but some would rather just enjoy the poverty.

Pressing On

The United Nations decreed that NGOs at the summit would be allowed only one press conference inside the convention centre during the last three days of the summit. So, the NGO coalition of Oxfam, Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth and all the rest called a press conference outside the venue and on the street8212;behind the bicycle sheds where hacks generally congregate for a smoke. If only for the sheer novelty of the venue, 50 journalists turned up and stayed on for ten minutes before the UN and South African police moved in. Even after that, two people sneaked right back and continued to hold forth until ferocious and very hungry-looking dogs were unleashed on them. And that was the end of that press conference.

Missing The Point

An item in Ecoequity, a summit journal: How did Italian President Silvio Berlusconi make it all the way through his five-minute opening speech without once mentioning the word environment? Was it deliberate or inadvertent? Our question: How8217;s it possible?