Harri Englund. Prisoners of
Freedom: Human Rights and the African Poor. Berkeley:
University of California Press, 2006. xi + 247 pp. $21.95 (paper),
Reviewed by Steve Sharra (Michigan State
University)
Published on H-SAfrica (June, 2007)
Published on H-SAfrica (June, 2007)
A Guest Who Brings Sharp Tweezers: Rights,
Freedoms and Disempowerment in the New Malawi
For most Malawians, the biggest news story of
2006 was the adoption of the thirteen-month-old baby boy David Banda by the
mega pop star Madonna. The adoption caused a storm both in Malawi and outside,
but for very different reasons. Most of the views expressed in the mainstream
media and on blogs in the West focused on whether Madonna was adopting David
for reasons to do with enhancing her own media image; yet in Malawi, the debate
was on why human rights non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were opposing the
adoption. As far as comments expressed in the Malawian media and on the street
went, human rights NGOs opposing the adoption were doing so for reasons that
had little to do with baby David's welfare, and everything to do with the NGOs'
own image. Many Malawians saw the NGOs' actions as defending themselves from
accusations that all they cared for was for their pockets and prestige, as
evidenced by the conspicuous, sudden wealth acquired by NGO activists, from
expensive SUVs to mansions in Malawi's big cities.
