Changing Dialogue With Dialogue: Confronting The Language Of Ebola

 

 

US President Barack Obama meets with ebola 

survivor,  Dr. Kent Brantly at the oval office on 

September 16, 2014 (pix Pete Souza/White House)

By Emma Fox

The African continent – which is so often unjustifiably spoken of collectively and dismissively throughout the globe as a one entity – can truly claim a unity through its diverse and eye-opening library of great literature and language.

Whether it is in the dreamlike magical realism of Ben Okri, the underlying critiques so carefully yet organically articulated by Nadine Gordimer, or the poignant and profound work of Assia Djebar, Africa’s many shapes and sounds have been delivered in a perpetual life poem which has courageously addressed various social challenges and defined the continent as a rich and creative Diaspora of contemporary literature. 

 

While these works detail issues and triumphs which are focused on a particular region, they also encompass the bigger picture – just take Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, for example – which has accumulated some truly remarkable responses to the heavy footprint of colonialism and the rest of the world’s inability to look at Africa and African countries separately through an unclouded lens. It is through language and literature where reclamation, liberation and life transform, a vital tool through which lies the potential for change, and is especially crucial in combating the recent challenges which certain parts of western Africa are facing.

Health Workers at Ebola Treatment Centre, Liberia 

 An Epidemic of Misplaced Words

The battle with language has proven immeasurably challenging across the centuries throughout the world, and its use has both spurred on revolutions, triggered wars and changed the entire constructs of society. Yet even in the 21^st century, in the subconscious language of corporate media photography, headlines, and discussions, the dialogue surrounding particular challenges remains very problematic. The recent Ebola outbreak which has been responsible for more than 2,000 deaths in West Africa is a prime example of how misconstrued dialogue can prove harmful. On the one hand, governments and major health organisations have failed to acknowledge the severity of the outbreak and take precautions in all areas necessary. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the international media, particularly in Europe, the UK, and North America, have propelled an increasing paranoia about the virus.

This paranoia is not entirely unfounded, of course – extremely contagious with a fatality rate of up to 90%, an Ebola outbreak anywhere can quickly become disastrous. Yet the western world is much more sufficiently equipped to deal with any outbreak, and measures have been implemented to ensure that the virus doesn’t go overseas. What is telling about this paranoia is that it threatens a sense of security and complacency in the western hemisphere, because it is so devastating, foreign, and out of control – and in turn, with the exception of the courageous aid workers who have gone to Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria – compassion has been waylaid for fear.

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Liberia and Sierra Leone are in desperate need for resources for tackling this disease, but the dialogue surrounding Ebola – both locally and internationally – needs to change. Local governments need to open up a transparent discourse with effected communities as well as navigate their resources effectively, and educate officials on how to deal with the outbreak as well as compassionately discuss customs – such as wakes – which must be foregone in the event of an Ebola-related death. Internationally, more pressure needs to be placed for aid but not as a scare tactic for major mainstream media. Not only does this further particular stereotypes without addressing the problem, but because it is merely “shock news”, it falls off the radar even when the crisis is still present. Will Ebola ever gain an objective, or completely immersive voice?

Learning from Language

While attention must be turned to the vital voices of the community such as families and loved one who have been affected, doctors and nurses, conscientious journalists and other people who have become involved with Ebola, one of the most powerful voices which can truly shed a universal – but not reductive – light on this crisis is through personal journalism and literature. Just like Phaswane Mpe’s moving chronicle set in South Africa, Welcome to Our Hillbrow, confronts the issue of AIDS and the struggle of living with its social implications in Africa, emphasising the need for resources to cope both physiologically, socially, and personally, so too should other sources which engage directly with the virus. While HIV still encounters a large amount of stigma not only in African countries but across the globe, it has an emerging voice which will continue to grow through the words of those with HIV and AIDS as well as the families and friends who have been affected.

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 It is critical not to associate AIDS with Ebola, given that the two illnesses are vastly different in nature and must be dealt with in very different ways for obvious reasons from a medical perspective; nor is it acceptable to appropriate these with Africa as an entity. But changing the way that people speak and hear about these challenges is key to empowering individuals and societies who can in turn put pressure on governments and organisations – and even reach out further afield – for help. Without romanticising or stereotyping the illness, more people need to speak out about Ebola, especially those with a strong voice who can make the rest of the world listen. It is an obligation of those voices of the community to step forth and address this issue, to ensure that eyes are opened, that pressure for aid is made more public, and this topic does not fall of the radar.

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*Ms. Emma Fox, a freelance writer residing in London is a contributor to SCRUPLES. Prior to becoming a full time scribe, she worked in banking