Ubuntu -- made in China - Thought Leader

On 12 May 2008, at 2.28pm, an earthquake registering 8.0 on the Richter scale hit the Chinese province of Sichuan. The earthquake, believed by scientists to be 30 times as fierce as the one that hit Kobe in Japan in 1995, released the energy of five atomic bombs combined. More than 40 000 people are confirmed dead, tens of thousands still missing and countless houses and other buildings destroyed. Millions are displaced by this natural disaster.

But what really hit me was the strength of the Chinese people during that time of utter devastation; when many of us would have curled up in self-pity. Look at the following:

The Chinese Prime Minister arrived on scene within 2 hours after the first reports. He is still there, after assuming the role of chief of operations, working around the clock with rescue workers (note: unlike Bush and hurricane Katrina; as well as many other heads of state and government).

There had been no looting, no complaints — just people helping one another (not my observation, but that of CNN).

Within 24 hours, Chinese bloodbanks all over the country reported that they had ran out of storage space, due to ever-increasing numbers of people willing to donate blood.

Within an hour after the first shockwave, the roads to Dujianyang (20 miles from Chengdu) were blocked — not by people fleeing, but by volunteers, led by about 1,000 taxi drivers from Chengdu; coming to assist with rescue operations.

Chen Guangbiao, owner of a construction company about 1,500 miles from the disaster area, arrived within 24 hours with about 60 construction plants and 120 volunteers to assist with the clean-up operation.

11,000 paratroopers jumped into the disaster area within 3 hours afetr the first reports. Notably they jumped in heavy rain, low cloud cover and very strong winds, conditions normally not condusive to parachute jumping. They were led by their 51 year old commander, Senior Colonel Li Zhenbo.

The 57 year-old Commander-in-Chief of the Sichuan Military District, Major-General Xia Gerofu, led a troop of over 6,000 soldiers and military medical officers on foot for over 21 hours to reach the disaster area.

Rescue workers and volunteers often had to lift and move tonnes of concrete and earth with their bare hands in order to ascertain whether there were any survivors, often having to be forced to rest.

Three year old Song Xinying was found after being buried for 2 days. His parents formed a combined human shield to protect him against falling rubble. Sadly, he was orphaned through their herioc stand against nature.

A five year-old boy was found after being beneath a heavy load of earth for almost 24 hours. His left hand was broken, but he still saluted the soldiers who found him. Soldiers started crying, being touched by his bravery in the face of disaster.

Zhan Jiwang (12) carried his three year old sister for over 12 hours to get away from the epicenter of the quake, after having to witnessed his parents crushed to death when their house collapsed.

Grade school teacher Yuan Wentin died when she threw herself over two learners to protect them when their school building collapsed. Before that, she managed to rescue about 34 other young children from the building.

A high school learner lost both her legs when her school bus overturned, and was buried under a landslide. When she was resqued 48 hours later, her first words to the appalled rescuers was “Be brave”.

*A four month-old baby was found under what at first appeared as a broken table. Closer inspection revealed the baby’s mother crouched over her, as to shield her from the collapsing building. The mother’s mobile phone flashed a message: “Baby, if you survive this, always remember, Mommy will love you forever.” The soldier who found her, immediately asked his commander to support his application to adopt the baby.

Many things had been said about China. Most recently, most Western countries attacked the Olympic torch on its way to China, citing human rights abuses and lack of democracy in China. And quite right, I might add, we know that the People’s Republic of China is not really based on the will of the people (pun intended).

But after seeing the footage described above, I must ask myself whether this is not better for China than our westernised understanding of democracy. Especially weighted against how “democratic” countries seem to handle disasters — both human and natural.

I salute the government of the PRC, who did not whimper and beg the world for hand-outs after the earthquake. They dipped their hands in their own coffers, while knowing that the citizenry had been condition to jump into action, and everyone does what s/he can.

Now if that isn’t Ubuntu, I’m so far out, its not even funny!