Complex of the foreigner [Archives:2005/876/Opinion]

By Prof. Dr. Abdulaziz al-Tarb
We always attach the release from suffering would come at the hands of the foreigner. We watch the coming of foreign initiatives and assistance from others, whereas we adopt the attitude of spectators towards our problems. We do so even regarding the simple of our problems that there is availability for resolving them with little effort, altruism and initiative. Nevertheless, we break into loud wails of complaining hand-folded, talking constantly with clapping noise.

In this context the column is in increasing in length of those waiting for saving their children who are afflicted with congenital deformation at the hands of foreign physicians who nowadays work in more than one Arab capital as part of US-based Operation Smile to carry out this humanitarian task of conducting free of charge plastic surgeries necessary for children and to restore the smile to the faces of innocent children.

We have skilled physicians and surgeons capable of delivering those children from their agonies and restoring the smile to their faces and inspire liveliness into their bodies and invoke hope in their souls, but they prefer money and turn their faces away from the poor. The rule that govern their work is advance payment though it is known that surveys indicate that the proportion of congenital deformations in this country amounts to one out of each 780 born children. This is not a little proportion, in addition to accidents injuries and burns. The case is the same for the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) which do not act but on occasions despite that their numbers are increasing annually and their responsibilities are continuously doubling in line with the regional and international demand, and what they get of foreign aid and local support in many an Arab state and capital.

Therefore, it is imperative to deal with justice and objectivity and to qualify ourselves properly for the forthcoming of duties and tasks. Is it possible that we can present a research or figure on the unemployed and the proportion of women among them, or can we offer a research and study on the number of street children or child labour? Is it possible to present a study on the number of women prisoners or those prisoners who have ended their terms of imprisonment and are waiting to pay their dues of fines or other financial obligations? He other thing is that can we prepare ourselves to work out a perception on the number of those having the right to elections in local councils? For instance the number of persons, whose names have to be added to the lists, meaning those who have reached the legal age and eligible to practice their election eight?

Registered organizations and associations have to reconsider their programs and prepare perceptions and orientations for their tasks, away from waiting for the help of the foreigner. It is imperative that we present plans and trends in order to make international organizations aware that Yemen is capable, through its civil organizations, of playing essential role in the process of political, economic and social reforms.

Since the establishment of these organizations and societies, it has been expected that they would undertake voluntary, organized and persistent work through organization of campaigns including all walks of life; socially, politically and economically.

The fifteen years, elapsed since the establishment of the unity and permission of publication of newspapers, and magazines and formation of political parties, societies and organizations, have witnessed little of finished statistical job. Shall we expect the Yemeni arena would see much of work in this regard, taking into account that we are living amidst scientific conferences and political parties' congresses as well as preparations for local councils and presidential elections? Or are we to stay hostage of the foreigner complex dominating directions of our future work and to present concepts and proposals? Are we going to do that or wait until the foreigner demands us to do?
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