The Tribune

By Frederick Smith, QC

In the Bahamas, the irregular communities that we disdainfully refer to as shanty towns are looked upon as a regrettable nuisance, a shameful stain on our national image that must be ‘eradicated,’ as one cabinet minister recently put it.

The truth is, such communities are a fact of life in every region, including the most advanced and developed societies in the world. These outposts of misfortune, a seemingly inevitable by-product of human civilisation everywhere and at all times, are populated by individuals who for various reasons find themselves excluded from society’s grand plan, forced to scrape together an existence by whatever means necessary.

But it does not have to be this way. Over the past few decades, several progressive developing countries have found exciting and innovative ways to turn these harsh realities to their social and economic advantage. Along the way, this has often translated into an increased appreciation of the tragic human drama that is playing out within shanty towns every day and a greater recognition of the fundamental rights and basic humanity of the residents.

The lives of others

Curiosity has long inspired a fascination with the day-to-day reality of those who live on the fringes of society. Often referred to somewhat disparagingly as “slum tourism,” the practice of visiting poverty stricken neighbourhoods first emerged in Victorian London where wealthy citizens began touring the East End, drawn by the opportunity to scrutinize lives that were starkly different from their own.

Today, this practice is making a comeback: wealthy Westerners are once again seeking to journey into homegrown communities across the globe – from the barrios of Mexico to the favelas of Rio, the slums of Mumbai and even the skid row areas of American cities like Detroit and LA.

Concern has been expressed that this practice can be voyeuristic and exploitative, but not if undertaken with sensitivity.

If done right, it can have a profoundly transformative and positive effect on the communities themselves and on society as a whole. The idea is to redirect the focus away from the usual complaints about irregular communities – unsanitary conditions, overcrowding, lack of clean water, etc. – and allow other more positive and unique aspects to shine through.

People who manage to survive the daily struggle to exist are by necessity resourceful and industrious. They have incredible and heartbreaking stories to tell, innovative homegrown skills and technical abilities that were born of necessity, vibrant artistic and handicraft cultures. Offered the chance to thrive in a reimagined tourism industry in which they are themselves the attraction, many transform virtually overnight into highly productive tour guides, souvenir craftsmen, sales people, chefs, performers, entertainers and street artists.

A good portion of the profit is usually reinvested in the community, leading to improved conditions and an expanded local economy. Soon, neighbours who once lamented the existence of these communities find themselves drawn in, taking part, contributing to and benefiting this new local industry. It is a model that has produced incredible results around the world.

Brazil

In 2008, in preparation for hosting the 2014 World Cup and 2016 summer Olympics, the government of Brazil began cleaning up the sprawling hillside slums known as ‘favelas’, a feature of virtually every major city in the country. Initially this was viewed with hostility by suspicious favela residents and as a waste of public money by wealthier Brazilians.

Today, the result is a thriving tourism industry that in many of the largest favelas, has brought not only sanitation and health problems under control, but also crippled the once endemic violence and shut down several major drug trafficking rings.

The change required significant investment to provide the utilities and sanitation services that were lacking and to establish permanent police units within the communities, but the results have been nothing short of amazing. Almost immediately, crime began dropping, conditions improved and the value of the land began to rise. And today, a single favela in Rio de Janiero, known as Rocinha, welcomes upwards of 50,000 tourists a year.

Indonesia

A more relevant model for the Bahamas in both size and scope might be the village of Kampung Pelangi in Indonesia. Once a dilapidated hillside eyesore, this group of 232 houses has been transformed into one of the country’s top tourists spots through a plan that required very little investment at all.

Using the equivalent of around $22,000 in funding from the government, last year every building in Kampung was covered with multicoloured stripes, creating a stunning “rainbow village” that people now come from around the world to see.

The project took only a month to complete, yet one year on, thousands upon thousands of tourists have already made it their destination of choice, boosting the local economy to such an extent the government is now actively working to repeat the model in several other villages.

Its popularity is driven by the ever-growing frenzy on social media for new images of this unique and vibrant spectacle.

Kampung Pelangi has become a bonafide internet sensation. The locals have taken full advantage of the newfound attention, selling homemade crafts and souvenirs to the visitors, then reinvesting in their village where social and sanitary conditions are improving dramatically. All it took was some vision, a little inspiration, and a fresh coat of paint.

South Africa

Other plans focus on the historical value of a location, for example the famous township of Soweto, locus of the Soweto Uprising in 1976 when unarmed students were attacked and killed by police for refusing to study in Afrikaans. The community has been very successful in marketing itself as “the heart of the freedom struggle” and the centre of South African black urban culture. Today, the streets of Soweto teem with local art work for sale and the town hosts a number of cultural festivals each year.

Many tours include a visit to the Apartheid Museum which is a short distance away, as are several theme parks and adventure excursions. In this way, the surrounding areas are benefitting from the economic buzz generated by this historical attraction.

Visitors are encouraged to stay overnight in Soweto and immerse themselves in the now vibrant and bustling local scene. In addition to creating employment for craftsmen and tour guides, this approach has created a huge boost for hotels, guest houses and families seeking to rent out rooms.

Many, though by no means all of the residents of shanty towns in the Bahamas hail from Haiti or are of Haitian descent. While North Americans and Europeans may hesitate to visit that poverty stricken and often dangerous country, many would jump at the chance to experience – within the relative safety and comfort of their cruise ship vacation to the Bahamas – a small slice of the world’s first black republic, the only society of former slaves to throw off the yoke of European slavery. Additionally, Haiti is world renowned for its paintings, wooden sculpture, metallic work, dance and musical expression. Why not make a wonderful virtue out of necessity and celebrate the Haitian ethnic culture in our midst

Meaningful change

The benefits of this approach go far beyond the financial, leading to unforeseen but far-reaching social benefits as well. Seeing themselves as the object of interest – and in many cases concern – for people from around the world often instills in the residents of these communities a new sense of capability and self-worth.

Suddenly, that crippling sense of despair that is poverty’s conjoined twin and the driver of so much antisocial and criminal behaviour begins to dispel and once hopeless people begin to imagine a brighter future. They begin to engage in constructive pursuits and take a greater interest in their safety and the appearance of their surroundings. They allow themselves to have hopes and dreams for their children that go beyond mere survival. This is the essence of real community.

Over time, the perspective of the wider society towards questions of poverty, race, class, ethnic difference, etc., can begin to evolve as places and groups once considered blemishes upon the face of a country become valuable assets to be deployed in the national interest. Far from merely highlighting differences, if done properly ‘slum tourism’ can actually bridge the perceived gap between people, bring them together, make them understand one another and dispel many of the negative stereotypes that plague societies like ours.

To the extent the authorities in this country feel something must be done about our irregular communities, I implore them to reflect on these and other models of positive, progressive change, and begin to think of our shanty towns not as a crisis but rather an opportunity.

A chance to end the cycle of violence and human rights abuses against the ‘undesirable’ class of people; a chance to create grassroots economic activity that is organic, self-sustaining, self-perpetuating and does not rely on giving away our valuable patrimony to some foreign investor in return for a few jobs; a chance to help the country shine on the world stage as a locus of innovative and positive change.

This is the kind of out-of-the-box, transformative thinking people expect from a ‘change government’ – one elected by a population that was sick and tired of business as usual and wanted a radically different approach.

I encourage the Minnis Administration to take up this challenge and find positive, creative, lucrative solutions to the shanty town situation that also recognise people’s basic humanity and establish tolerance and acceptance as ideals that are fundamental to our national character.

It may take nothing more than a history story or a fresh coat of paint.