Why Robusta and
not Arabica? - or the other way round-, why one of the best coffee taste would
come to the world from Burundi and the same world can’t know and, therefore,
help to the decreasing of its production? Yes, the country is very small, but
if we all can remember Seuss saying “A person’s a person no matter how small”,
let it be applied to “The best taste is the best no matter
from where it comes
from.”
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| http://www.starbucksmelody.com/2013/05/23/ burundi-ngozi-starbucks-reserve/ |
Otherwise, who
does know about that small country Burundi? Many and very few: this statement
is from my experience in USA. So, here is the point: Maelle Noe of the American
University has just told me, “The international communication has nothing to do
with its literal meaning. Anyway, it is very important for personalities,
enterprises, companies, countries, etc.” And I remembered the few I learned any
time I entered Starbucks spaces or, making a queue at Coka cola’s museum, in
Atlanta. And the question is, how aware are we about, or how do people and
those institutions can contribute to the social change?
Giving just my
best known case -Burundi-, I used to say, this is a matter of interest: only
who knows can be interested. How can we explain that, that one of the smallest
and poorest country in Africa has been dedicated one of the Biggest US Embassy offices on the continent - after the one in Egypt-? The answer may be,
“because the country is highly and potentially strategic, and on many angles:
economic, political, diplomatic, geographic, touristic, etc.” And, knows who
knows.
Back to the
coffee, I was being trained on ‘Social Justice’ in Atlanta - at University of
Emory- and I learned that the marketing failure brings absolutely the global
failure nowadays than ever before our age, especially when comes in a country’s
life. Besides, I really agree with one of the American diplomat who knows more
than a few about the continent, “when you happen to economically develop your
country, assuring security to everybody, you have more sympathy from western
support, as a leader” (Herman Cohen). Talking about Burundi, just the neighboring
country -historically, culturally, geographically, demographically, etc. -
Rwanda, stays a good lesson. Let’s
acknowledge that the country’s leaders went
to the best school of marketing and public relations, at least, till now. And
the results are measurably remarkable, in terms of public services and
policies.
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| Coka museum/Atlanta |
I remember
crossing the border to Butare and Kigali to meet some business people and
institutions, as I was leading the organization of my radio station’s Tenth
anniversary, and it looks as paradox but I had the impression to be understood
there than I was back to my Burundi, though beneficiaries of the proposal to be
financially sponsored were mainly Burundians. I understood that the most you
open yourself to others, the most you are likely to learn from them, and the
best you open them to you. And that’s the case of Rwanda. I know what I say, as
a coffee addicted, I can recognize and easily the two false twin's coffee’s
taste. But, how can we explain that Rwandese coffee is better known, and its
production supported than it is in Burundi? Again, public policy and marketing
plus public relations understanding play a lot, period.
 |
| With Amb. H.Cohen |
From Belarus,
Maryna I met in Israel in 2010, came in our classroom and loudly told to some
of our classmates in Haifa, “who have ever tasted the Burundi coffee?” I
raised my hand, and everybody looked at her silently, as she added, “that’s the
best”. I heard someone else saying, “The best taste is from Ethiopia”. Maryna
replied, “Yes, that’s what is written on many pages”. And the day after, I
brought in classroom a short video I made in Nagoya in 2005, and the Brazilian
man pro Ethiopian coffee asked, “How did you manage to serve all those Japanese
aligning for your coffee taste?” I said, it was easy, “we run out of the stock,
and they moved to the Rwandan, Ugandan and Ethiopian stands beside”. Who had
promoted that Burundi coffee then? I said, “what I am sure of, the aroma played
a lot, but the ‘rumor’ had run, from mouth to ears, and that made it for us,
that special Burundi day -it was during the International Exposition-.” I ended
witnessing, “As a result or not, In 2007, covering stories about Burundi coffee
with a KyodoNews special envoy in north of Burundi, Shinichi Fuchino asked questions
to two local coffee farmers, such as, why don’t you and your family members put
shoes?, why is the roof of your house is made of herb?, why don’t you have a
modern toilet?, how come your calf ‘lives’ under your bed?, etc.” Anyway, those
kinds of questions are perfect for a journalist, but they are shocking for some
many others. Are those illiterate farmers to be blamed? It’s a yes or no
question, but all I can say, if governments fail in establishing some public
policies, private sectors “armed by wisdom, understanding and knowledge”, can
transform the community, and that is what Jerry White called “Leadership”, talking to us, yesterday.
Many "transformed lemon to lemonade" -learned from Martha Pien-, as Jerry did and promotes. I learned many things from Magic Johnson -"Bloomberg Game Changers"- even before visiting the Bloomberg head quarter.
I wish I'd bring in Burundi many of you who don't know about that country, I wish NGOs like US Red Cross, The Atlantic Philanthropies, diverse skills, etc., Universities, and other institutions to help or do business in different ways.
You've experienced many other cases in the world, just to mean, "WE can", just if WE get combined and know how.
You've experienced many other cases in the world, just to mean, "WE can", just if WE get combined and know how.
Audace Machado
