Vote Sizing Institute

From the beginning of the Book of Genesis, The snake asked the woman, “Did God really tell you not to eat fruit from any tree in the garden?” “We may eat the fruit of any tree in the garden”, the woman answered, “except the tree in the middle of it. God told us not to eat the fruit of that tree or even touch it; if we do, we will surely die”.

 

The snake replied, “that is not true: you will not die. God said that because He knows that when you eat it, you will be like God and know what is good and what is bad.” “The woman saw how beautiful the tree was and how good its fruit would be to eat, and she thought how wonderful it would be to become wise. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, and he also ate it.”   “That evening, they heard the Lord God walking in the garden and they hid from among the trees”. “But the Lord God called out to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden; I was afraid and hid from you because I was naked”.

 Farmland in Jakiri. Bui Division,  NWP Cameroon, March 2008. 

 

The idea of you becoming more powerful than you suppose to be, is the beginning of corruption. And this "more powerful", in reality, is weakness, is vulnerability, and that why, the woman/man in the Garden of Eden, thought that they will become more powerful, as powerful as God, when he eats the forbidden fruit. That is why hen God came calling for the them, instead of being courageous and powerful as God,  to boldly stand and tell God; "here we are", which was the reason why they ate the fruit, on the contrary we find that, they were afraid, afraid and vulnerable. So the begining of man's collapse began when he tasted the fruit, simply because the snake deceived the woman, when it told them, "you will become more powerful, wise and be like God himself.

 Biyem-Assi Yaounde,  Central Province, Cameroon, June  2008.

  

Why did our forefathers decide to bring an opposing force or betterstill, opposing value system, which is power – voting power? To my opinion, it was because money, that they thought could help resolve our problems and create a peaceful environment was becoming obsolete and counterproductive. This opposing fundamental value, according to Vote Sizing is Voting Power. Financial or Economic Power and Voting Power therefore are two fundamental value systems that were put in place by us, human beings, to create a peaceful and harmonious society for both the poor and the wealthy class. 

 Sabga Hill, NWP, Cameroon, March 2008.

 

Who were those to have this Voting Power? Since the wealthy class already had the Financial power and power over society, was there any sense to let them handle the other opposing voting or political power, Voting Power? An opposing thing, to my opinion, should be handled by those who are deprived or unable to have the other thing, that is to be opposed – that is what we call EQUALITY. 

 

 Bamunka - Ndop, NWP Cameroon, March 2008.

 

“Who told you that you were naked? God asked. “Did you eat the fruit that I told you not to eat? The man answered,, “The woman you put here with me gave me the fruit, and I ate it”. The Lord God asked the woman, “Why did you do this”? She replied, “The snake tricked me into eating it”. Then the Lord God said to the snake, “You will be punished for this; … I will make you and the woman hate each other; her offspring and yours will always be enemies. Her offspring will crush your head, and you will bit their heel”. And He said to the man, “… the ground will be under a curse. You will have to work hard all your life to make it produce enough food for you.”

 

This Biblical allusion is not different from what we are living in the world of corruption today. Everybody throws the blame on one another not knowing that we are all in the same sinking Titanic. So instead of throwing the blame on one another, let us put our hands together and get to the root cause of corruption so that we can prevent this "Titanic Planet" of ours from sinking.

 

Looking at corruption in a democracy, Vote Sizing thinks that, the idea of “more money equals more power and vice versa”, which is concentrating the Economic and Voting power in one hand is what promotes corruption . This is, because it creates what we call in our society, the wealthy, powerful and influential minority who are piloting the plane which we all find ourselves in, to crash on, who knows, may be another World Trade Center in the middle of the universe.

 

Until the belief that the more money you have, the more powerful you become is completely reversed, we will forever be experiencing ever-growing corruption, more US $700bn bail-out bills plans, the growing gap between the rich and poor and Global Warming.

  

Awafong Julius

Outreach Coordinator – Vote Sizing.

Yaounde, October 2008.