SERENGETI HIGHWAY
The Serengeti Highway is a proposed road that will cut through the Serengeti National Park. The construction of the road has been a controversial topic and raises issues about the human-environment relationship.
WHERE DO YOU STAND?
We were assembled in a small concrete building in the middle of our campsite in the Serengeti when our academic director slapped a large piece of paper on the wall. He took a pen and drew a line down the center of the paper. He wrote on the top of the page “Road through the Serengeti” and on one side titled “Yes” and the other side titled “No.” He declared “Alright wanafunzi, now is the time to know where you stand. Take the afternoon and think it through. You must put your name down on either side by this evening's lecture.” Throughout the semester we had been observing, hearing, and appreciating Tanzania's wildlife and people for our educational benefit. However, this was an important reminder that we are active participants in the world and we should be able to formulate opinions on issues that are important to Tanzania and the larger global society.
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The construction of the highway through the Serengeti has been a controversial topic of discussion. The planned road will cut across the narrowest part of the Serengeti and connect Lake Victoria to the city or Arusha, one of the largest cities in Tanzania. The construction of the highway has outraged biologists and journalists. The National Geographic is calling it a "disaster." It is projected that the road will disrupt the migration of over 2 million animals, with the most impact being placed on the wildebeest. In Jan Bender's book, "Imagining the Serengeti: A History of Landscape Memory in Tanzania from Earliest times to the Present" she describes the perception of the Serengeti as wild, natural, and without history or context. With its golden plains, endless sky, and ultimate wildlife, the Serengeti is held as the epitome of the continent of Africa. Although it is also considered the cradle of human civilization, it is portrayed as an area in opposition to humans and development. The idea that this sacred place may be scarred with a highway has caused an uproar around the world.
There are websites and social media groups around the world dedicated to stopping the construction of the road through petitions and negative publicity. Organizations such as the Facebook group "STOP THE SERENGETI HIGHWAY" focus on the sacredness of the land, as displayed in the group's slogan, "If we can't save the Serengeti, what can we save?" However, other people have recognized that the connection of Lake Victoria to Arusha is very important for Tanzania's development. The highway will greatly increase the transportation of goods, most importantly produce, as well as an increase in tourism.
After a day of reflection and thought, we reconvened with all of our names written on the piece of paper. Our disciplines of study were aptly reflected by where we fell on the page. The majority of science students voted "no" citing the environmental impacts and effects on wildlife. I, along with a few other anthropologists, took the side of "yes." I couldn't feel comfortable saying that Tanzania should not be allowed to build something that would provide an important benefit for its people in order to preserve the tourist's vision of the Serengeti. After our academic director concluded that most of the students were opposed to the road, he then turned to the Tanzanians, our camp crew, and teachers. The great majority of the Tanzanians stated they wanted the road. The construction of the road is important because it highlights how Westerners idealize aspects of Tanzania without recognizing the context and how this contributes to inhibiting Tanzania's potential development as an independent country.
There are websites and social media groups around the world dedicated to stopping the construction of the road through petitions and negative publicity. Organizations such as the Facebook group "STOP THE SERENGETI HIGHWAY" focus on the sacredness of the land, as displayed in the group's slogan, "If we can't save the Serengeti, what can we save?" However, other people have recognized that the connection of Lake Victoria to Arusha is very important for Tanzania's development. The highway will greatly increase the transportation of goods, most importantly produce, as well as an increase in tourism.
After a day of reflection and thought, we reconvened with all of our names written on the piece of paper. Our disciplines of study were aptly reflected by where we fell on the page. The majority of science students voted "no" citing the environmental impacts and effects on wildlife. I, along with a few other anthropologists, took the side of "yes." I couldn't feel comfortable saying that Tanzania should not be allowed to build something that would provide an important benefit for its people in order to preserve the tourist's vision of the Serengeti. After our academic director concluded that most of the students were opposed to the road, he then turned to the Tanzanians, our camp crew, and teachers. The great majority of the Tanzanians stated they wanted the road. The construction of the road is important because it highlights how Westerners idealize aspects of Tanzania without recognizing the context and how this contributes to inhibiting Tanzania's potential development as an independent country.