The Secret Conflict in Your Pocket
In the new age of technological advancement, it has become almost bizzare not to have a device of some sort; May that be the iPhone in your pocket, the computer you use for work, or the tablet you use to watch your favorite shows. These things have become essential to our day to day lives, especially in the tech booming industry of Silicon Valley. Nevertheless, I bet you've never considered how these things end up in your hand. As it turns out, our seemingly harmless purchases are fueling atrocities across the globe.
Conflict minerals: Tin, Tantalum, Tungsten and Gold, referred to as the 3TG (Achilles), are found in most devices and products of your daily life. These minerals have earned their name due to the conflict being inflicted where they are mined. Militia groups govern these areas with a iron-fist; treating workers harshly and sell these goods, that have a high demand, and earn significant profits. They use these profits to power their inhuman activities, such as rape, murder, and child labor (Achilles).
¨In 2010, the Interahamwe (a militia group that played a huge role in the Rwandan genocide of 1994) broke into Congolese mother Generose’s house. After cutting one of her legs off with a machete, the group murdered her eight year old son when he refused to eat it¨ (Kushberry), an account told by a writer of the Berkeley political review, an established new base run by Berkeley students, reporting analysis on important issue around the globe. With the lack of attention attributed to this issue, it will carry on in the unforeseeable future, leaving inhuman groups to reign terror over a whole nation with no consequences.
Although there have been efforts to create a ¨conflict free¨ product, as seen with application of the Dodd-Frank act, signed by Barack Obama in 2010; Containing a provision requiring companies to verify their minerals are ¨conflict free¨ (GLC). We have seen no significant change in the eight years after its enforcement. In fact, it has set companies into defense, fighting to keep the origins of their minerals concealed. According to Jeffrey P. Justman and Nicole J. Leimer (both credible sources that belong to branches of the federal government) the National Association Manufacturers filed a lawsuit against the Securities and Exchange Commission for the violation of First Amendment rights by the requirements of the Dodd-Frank act (Jeffrey). When presented to the Court of Appeals, it was initially rejected. But, in April of 2014, the courts reversed its prior ruling, finding that the Dodd-Frank act violates companies First Amendment rights (Jeffery).
With conflict minerals in most products of your daily routine and devices followed with companies lack of accountability, the origins of our minerals are becoming less and less clear. As long as there are minerals to mine, it seems the frightening militia groups will always have a buyer to attribute to their countless episodes of violence. Without change, the number of victims will only grow.
Works cited:
"What Are Conflict Minerals." What Are Conflict Minerals? N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2018.
Justman, Jeffrey P., and Nicole J. Leimer. “ Dodd-Frank Act Violates First Amendment.”Dodd-Frank Act Violates First Amendment, www.faegrebd.com/dc-circuit-reaffirms-that-portions-of-dodd-frank-conflict-minerals.
Berry, Kush, et al. “Conflict Minerals In Our Everyday Lives.” Berkeley Political Review, 6 Apr. 2016, ddddddbpr.berkeley.edu/2016/01/23/a-habit-we-cant-kick-conflict-minerals-in-our-everyday-lives/.
"Conflict Minerals." Global Issues in Context Online Collection, Gale, 2016. Global Issues in Context,
Sunday, March 25, 2018
Friday, March 23, 2018
Somali Journalists Taking More Shots Than One
Somali Journalists Taking More Shots Than One
In the United States, our current president has the freedom to post factually inaccurate tweets while citizens have the freedom to mock him expressing their disdain and rebel against the federal government through their expressions on social media, organized marches and protests in cities across the country. In Somalia, however, journalists working for independent news and media sources are virtually powerless having no freedom to photograph notable sightings and report on actual newsworthy events. In the United States, educated, trained journalists receive certain immunities and protections for their news reporting whereas similarly educated and trained journalists in Somalia receive no such protections, even though Somalia is considered the most dangerous country in the world for journalists.
Over the past decade, there have been twenty-six killings of journalists in Somalia and none of them have been solved in that no murder charges were brought or perpetrators found and brought to justice. At least 930 journalists within the past decade through the end of 2017. Nearly all of these killings have been committed by the terrorist group known as Al-Shabaab (Cook). During this period, only one out of the ten reported incidents led to a conviction. Based on these horrifying statistics, if a journalist in Somalia were to report on a controversial topic, they run a high risk of getting bombed, shot, or subjected to some other fatal event and would likely get no support from the government. Equally alarming and perhaps even worse, is that notable people in Somalia doubt the work being done by journalists because they want to censor their opinions and essentially ban them from doing what they are trained and skilled to do. Because of this, journalists will not report on what they are doing, making the journalist vulnerable to physical attack without any support or protection from the government.
Al-Shabaab is a jihadist fundamentalist group based in East Africa and has publicly vowed their devotion to the militant Islamist organization, Al-Qaeda. The Al-Shabaab’s primary goals are to turn Somalia into a fundamentalist Islamic state and are considered the group most responsible for the violent attacks on journalists n Somalia. Al-Shabab has targeted journalists as part of its offensive line against the Somali government leaving the government authorities feeling afraid and powerless as they have neglected their responsibility to appropriately investigate and prosecute the killers who have been identified as responsible for the atrocities against their country’s journalists, who live in constant fear of being a victim of a fatal attack. (Bekele). Journalists in Mogadishu are repeatedly subjected to such attacks as they bear wounds from explosions and attacks by the Al-Shabab. The Al-Shabab routinely charges hotels, which are familiar meeting places for officials, parliamentarians, and government-connected business officials. Most of the reporters for events held in these hotels are freelancers, with no connection to a larger news organization for them to look for possible defense and support in the event of an attack on them and suffer even greater than significant news journalists because freelancers typically have no health benefits to cover their medical expenses if they are injured on the job (Mohamed Olad Hassan).
While Al-Shabab has modeled itself as the first menace to the media, journalists have been under attack from a variety of state and non-government sources. A journalist in Galkayo, Puntland states, “The authorities, the public, and the militants are all hostile to us. We are like fish in poisonous waters, we can be attacked or killed at any time” (Bekele). Famous people in Somalia want to silence journalists because they want to repress what they post about them. Violence against journalists and other media workers that is unpunished and uninvestigated indicates broader privilege and frequent disregard for the rule of law in Somalia. Government inquiries and prosecutions of targeted assaults on journalists have been infrequent, and the only actions that have taken place have been for killings alleged or supposed to have been carried out by Al-Shabab. The federal government’s center on events associated to Al-Shabab to review these assaults adds to one-sided responsibility (Bekele). Political figures often intimidate and punish journalists because they want to “control the narrative” (Cook). They want to cover up their exploitation and gain executive control and journalists often stand in the way of that, or reveal uneasy exposures (Cook).
Journalists continue to live in constant fear of their lives because of terrorist groups, and because in their role as a reporter they can be viewed as an extension of a government official, thus, for this reason, they are treated with an extreme bias. For this problem to be solved, the Somalian government needs to provide adequate and equal security protection to journalists so they can do their job to report the news, even if it means they report and write articles that do not portray or benefit the government and its authorities in the most favorable light.
Work Cited
Ali, Abdifatah Hassan. “No Escape Plan for Somali Journalists.” Women Thrive Alliance - Making gender
equality a reality., https://womenthrive.org/no-escape-plan-for-somali-journalists/. Abdifatah Hassan Ali’s writing examines the case of Hindia Haji Mohamed who was a mother of five children and served as a journalist for a state-run radio station and TV channel in Mogadishu. She was killed after a bomb was planted under the seat of her car soon after she was leaving her University. Hindia was the widow of a former journalist who also died in a 2012 restaurant charge. Ali highlights the gravity of the situation and the disparity these journalists face. Ali is a Project Officer at Somali Women Development Center. Therefore, he is a credible source. Ali is an activist in this field and displays it in the article. Thus, there is some bias. This essay aided me to see the cruel violence journalists as well as the people of Somalia experience given the oppressed government.
Bader, Laetitia. “Five Wrongfully Detained in Somalia Now Free.” Human Rights Watch, 13 Sept. 2016,
www.hrw.org/news/2016/09/13/five-wrongfully-detained-somalia-now-free. Bader’s article focuses exclusively on the agents of the National Intelligence and Security Agency who wrongfully arrested five men at the offices of the Mogadishu Center for Research and Studies. Bader has a master’s in international affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and holds a bachelor’s in history from University College London. She has worked as the Horn researcher at Human Rights Watch focusing primarily on Somalia and on issues of political repression, including mistreatment of political detainees therefore this article is credible. Bader uses part of the article as a call-to-action on the Somalia government making the article bias. This article gave me a hard example on the extent of barriers researchers and journalists face in Somalia.
Bekele, Daniel. “"Like Fish in Poisonous Waters" | Attacks on Media Freedom in Somalia.” Human Rights
Watch, 12 July 2017,
Bekele’s article focuses extensively on the entire issue of free speech in Somalia. Because Bekele is the Africa Director for the Human Rights Watch and prior to journalism, practiced law in Ethiopia as a partner and served as the legal department director and secretary of the board for United Insurance Co., he is a credible source. Bekele begins the article by telling the reader about Abdirisak Jama Elmi, who was known as “Black.” Abdirisak Jama Elmi was a veteran journalist working for the private Somali Channel TV and while he was outside his home in Mogadishu, a man in a car started shooting at him. He adds that bullets struck Abdirisak in the hand and several times in the back and he spent four months in the hospital. As a result of his injuries, he can no longer carry out his reporting activities. There is no bias in this article because he is simply giving examples of extreme situations, as well as statistics and data on the issue. This article helped me understand the terror and struggle journalists, as well as citizens in Somalia, must experience given the strict and secluded government.
Cook, Jesselyn. “Getting Away With Murder In Somalia, Where Journalists Are Killed With Impunity.” The
Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 31 Oct. 2017,
www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/somalia-cpj-impunity_us_59f6195ce4b077d8dfca3d2c. Jesselyn Cook’s article gives detail into the dozens of journalists that have been killed in Somalia in the last ten years and how none of their killers have been brought to justice. Because Cook is a Canadian-American world news reporter who graduated from NYU in the field of Joint Studies and International Relations, she is a credible source. While Cook is a journalist and is vulnerable when it comes to this topic, she does not present any bias in her article. This document was useful to use because it gave data as well as key quotes from notable people.
Hassan, Mohamed Olad. “To Get Story, Somali Journalists Risk Bullets and Bombs.” VOA, VOA, 30 Jan. 2017,
www.voanews.com/a/somali-photographers-reporters-risk-lives-to-get-the-story/3698936.html. Mohamed Olad Hassan’s report follows the events in Mogadishu which he uses to show why the Somali capital is the most dangerous city in the world for journalists. Hassan is the Chairman at Federation of Somali Journalists at VOA, he is a credible source. Hassan covers specifically on the attacks in Mogadishu while also aiming the attention towards freelance writers in general. While Hassan is a journalist and activist in this field, there is no bias in this article because he is only stating facts and examples, as well as quotes from notables on the issue. This report helped me see the motive and terror journalists as well as the people of Somalia experience given the strict and divided government.
Maruf, Harun. “Somalia to Open First Journalism School in 26 Years.” VOA, VOA, 1 Aug. 2017,
www.voanews.com/a/somalia-first-journalism-school-twenty-six-years/3968230.html. Harun Maruf’s article presents the first journalism school to open in Somalia in 26 years. She tells that Somali journalists bear uniquely challenging conditions, including the numerous ambushes, attacks and suicide crimes by al-Shabab that expose them to danger, particularly in Mogadishu. She also adds that parliament has passed a media law that demands serving reporters to have a journalism degree which is a robust document to get in a country without journalism schools. Harun Maruf is a journalist and Writer in the VOA Africa Division. Therefore, he is a trustworthy source. This article, in particular, is an informative article, although an opinions article as well making it partially bias. This article revealed the actions people who are not part of the government are building in an attempt to give journalists the freedom they deserve.
"2017 Turned Out to be Another Grim Year for Journalists and Journalism in Somalia, says NUSOJ." Africa
News Service, 1 Jan. 2018. Global Issues in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A520983218/GIC?u=los42754&xid=6b28b195. Accessed 23 Mar. 2018. This article reveals how 2017 in specific was horrid for journalists in Somalia. It describes how throughout 2017, the enemies of media freedom intensified their struggles in their journey to banish, jail or censor journalists. I found this source in the database, therefore, it is reliable with little bias because it is informative. The article adds that journalists proceed to suffer arrests and illegal detentions whereas some are beaten up and others brazenly threatened with extrajudicial punishments in most prominent cities such as Kismayo, Beledweyne, Garowe, Hargeisa Baidoa and Las Anod. This source, in particular, was effective because it informed me that Somaliland authorities have developed as the sole authority that actively penalizes journalists by using the penal code to criminalize what they reflect on being "fake news."
Geographically Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place
As our country prepares to impose extreme tariffs on China and other important countries to our economy, it's important to remember how other nations are faring in their trade negotiations. For example, landlocked countries are countries with only land borders. This means that they have no direct access to the ocean, one of the world’s cheapest way to trade internationally. There are a little over 30 of these countries in the world and 15 of them are in Africa (Rosenberg). In fact, these 15 are among the least developed countries in the world. This is owed in part to their landlocked state (Rosenberg). Their location causes them to face many disadvantages and be less stable overall.
The disadvantages these countries face seem minor, but in fact have a large effect on the development and economy of the country. This map ranks the HDI of a country, a measurement of how developed a country is, visually, from white to dark green (World in Data). Niger and Chad, sitting at .35 and .39, are extremely less developed than their northern, Mediterranean neighbors, Algeria and Libya, .74 and .72 (World in Data). This is because these landlocked countries have to make unstable trade deals with their neighbors, resulting in delays and extreme tariffs on all products (World Bank). In fact items headed to inland may need to pass up to three separate security checks, taking upwards of five weeks to cross from coastal to inland countries, meaning that the real issues in this system are the ports and their management (World Bank). While these disadvantages are extreme, there are solutions being worked on.
It may seem difficult to overcome these issues, but there are a few solutions being worked on by foreign aid organizations. The most extensive project being worked on is China’s railroad project. This project will attempt to cut costs by 50% and decrease danger and emissions. (Oirere) According to Shem Oirere, a freelance reporter who once worked in a Kenyan newspaper, “Transportation… to the landlocked countries of Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan and parts of Democratic Republic of Congo is… expected to be much faster, safer and more efficient” The project focuses on getting products out of ports rather than into the countries because the majority of the delays are focused in the ports. Another important development happened only a few months ago, in the form of a bill which, if past, aims to support integration and increase the United States’ ability to help these countries (Hrubry).
Landlocked countries face great disadvantages all because of their positions. They must deal with great delays, tariffs, and weakened economies which, in turn, make their governments less stable and their people less happy. These problems are being dealt with, however, by powerful countries like the U.S. and China, who are increasingly helping as much as they can.
Works Cited
Rosenberg, Matt. “Can You Name All of Africa's Landlocked Countries?” ThoughtCo, 9 Apr.
“Human Development Index (HDI).” Our World in Data,
“Landlocked Countries: Higher Transport Costs, Delays, Less Trade.” World Bank, 16 June
Oirere, Shem. “Feature: Modern Railways and the Route to Boosted Growth in Eastern Africa.”
Supply Chain Digital, Shem Oirere, 23 Feb. 2018, www.supplychaindigital.com/distribution/feature-modern-railways-and-route-boosted-growth-eastern-africa.
Hrubry, Audrey. “Congress Poised to Remove Hurdles to U.S.–Africa Development Aid.” Axios,
Domestic Violence Against Women in Sub-saharan Africa
Domestic Violence Against Women in Sub-saharan Africa
Domestic violence in Africa is one of African Societies biggest faults. In such a melting pot of living, thriving cultures, how does such an atrocious quality remain an underlying similarity? 71% of women in Ethiopia reported having been beat or raped by their husband or significant other (Rainbo). The oppression and maltreatment of women persevere as culturally it remains accepted and as the justice systems do not offer their due support.
Many of Africa’s cultural norms and values have allowed for domestic violence to flourish, unabashed. The notion that physical abuse may be used discipline is instilled from a young age in many African countries. Many teachers use corporal punishment to discipline students in the classroom (Boas). At home, many boys grow up watching their fathers beat their mothers which causes them to believe that men are supposed to abuse their wives, perpetuating a never-ending cycle of violence (Christiaensen). From childhood, the belittlement and undermindment of a woman’s value are seen as African families make clear their preference for sons over daughters (Boas). Daughters are less far likely to receive an education over sons and therefore have less opportunity to financially support themselves (Kimadi). Furthermore, some parents require their daughters to undergo various traditional practices of female genital mutilation and breast ironing are damaging to a child’s body, while not done with malintent are damaging to the body (Boas). These and other traditional practices may send the message to growing girls that their bodies are not their own to control. These cultural norms that girls are raised around set them up to grow into women with low self esteem little self worth. Wives are seen a property, often stemming from many practices that include giving a dowry or present to the bride's family in exchange for her (Alesina). This practice may give a man a sense of ownership and the belief that he is entitled to beat her should he choose. As a result of such attitudes, women raised in such cultures may feel that they “deserve” to be abused by their husbands because they are not being “good wives.” 51% of African women report that being beaten by their husbands is justified if they either “go out without permission, neglect the children, argue back, refuse to have sex, or burn the food”. Some women may feel ashamed and guilty for being abused, and as a result may feel too embarrassed to report domestic violence.
Many African countries do not have specific laws in place to outlaw domestic violence or prosecute perpetrators. In fact, more than one-third of African countries have laws that allow abusers to justify their acts of violence. For example, in Nigeria “a husband may lawfully beat his wife for the purpose of ‘correcting’ her, as long as the beating does not result in ‘grievous harm.’” Furthermore until recently in Ghana, “a wife could not revoke her consent to have sex with her husband until she was legally separated or divorced from him.” Therefore, marital rape was legal in Ghana until as recently as its repeal in 2007. There is a perception that domestic disputes should not be dealt with by public law-enforcement and court systems because they are a private or family matter that along with the absence of adequate laws very much affects the probability of a successful prosecution of a domestic violence perpetrator. Women who report domestic violence to the authorities are often blamed for the abuse, taunted or humiliated, and told by the police to “go home and be a good wife.” The U.S. Department of State reports that in many African countries, “authorities are not well-trained to combat domestic violence; laws that exist to protect survivors of domestic violence are not effectively enforced; officials are reluctant to intervene; and many governments repeatedly fail to take any action to combat violence against women.”
Cultural norms develop slowly over time. As Heidi H Boas an attorney who provides legal representation and outreach to African immigrants and refugees in the Washington, D.C. area has written, “each culture may have its own specific barriers created by family, society, and the legal system, which significantly impact a woman’s ability and willingness to leave an abusive relationship and seek protection under the law.” Legal punishments per se may not be the solution if African society does not commence action to change defective social norms. Women who receive education are less likely to put up with abuse and more likely to seek legal help (Christiaensen). By educating women in Africa and communicating positive norms through the media the social opinion on domestic violence can gradually be changed.
Alesina, Alberto, et al. “Violence against Women: A Cross-Cultural Analysis for Africa.” Vox EU, 25 Mar. 2016, voxeu.org/article/violence-against-women-cross-cultural-analysi.
Alberto explores the foundation of domestic violence in African countries and the history and catalysts for such behavior. This academic writing digs into the roots of domestic violence in the social opinions and norms of many sub-Saharan countries cultures. Its main points are an acceptance of domestic violence as justified, the view of women as lesser than a man and in a role of obedient wife, and economic underdevelopment.
Boas, Heidi H. “Understanding Cultural Perspectives on Domestic Violence in African Immigrant Communities.” Expert | ENewsletter VOL. 13, Winter 2009, American Bar Association, 2009, www.americanbar.org/newsletter/publications/cdv_enewsletter_home/vol13_expert1.html.
Heidi H Boas is an attorney that uses her background and lawful skills to accumulate an extensive overview of laws in Africa regarding domestic violence. Her article draws parallels between cultural acceptance of abuse and injustice in the law system as well as lack of prosecution. It explores the different laws and justice systems of many different countries in sub-Saharan Africa, their faults, and their successes. The overall conclusion is that change must occur and laws need to be enforced.
Christiaensen, Luc. “Domestic Violence and Poverty in Africa: When the Husband's Beating Stick Is Like Butter.” African End Poverty, The World Bank Group, 18 Feb. 2016, blogs.worldbank.org/africacan/domestic-violence-and-poverty-in-africa-when-the-husbands-beating-stick-is-like-butter.
Luc Christiaensen is a lead agriculture economist in the World Bank's Jobs Group and an honorary research fellow at the Maastricht School of Management. His take on domestic violence in Africa is that it is too commonplace. His aversion to such behavior is clear and he makes striking points about how unvalidated this behavior is in African culture.
Kimadi, Mary. “Taking on Violence against Women in Africa | Africa Renewal Online.” United Nations, United Nations, www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/special-edition-women-2012/taking-violence-against-women-africa.
This article written by Mary Kimadi for a sector of UN Women, African Renewal discusses the widespreadness of violence against women in Africa, what it looks like and how it can be changed. It ties social acceptance, lack of prosecution and the inadequacy of the justice system in assuaging this issue back to African culture and history. It sends the message that while laws do little to change the social norms that have been in place for decades, social activism can make a huge lasting impact.
Ilo, Stan Chu. “Tackling Violence Against Women In Africa.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 28 July 2016, www.huffingtonpost.com/stan-chu-ilo/tackling-violence-against_b_11204320.html.
Stan Chu Llo is an author for The Huffington Post, he is a published author with a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto. His article outlines the core issues of violence against women in Africa, it displays how ineffective laws and government have been in stopping the issue over the last few decades. His message provides no solution but brings awareness to the issue,
“The Epidemic of Violence against Women in Africa.” Rainbo.org, Rainbo, 13 Mar. 2018, www.rainbo.org/the-epidemic-of-violence-against-women-in-africa/.
The rainbo organization or Research Action and Information Network for the Bodily Integrity of Women is an organization that was created by African immigrants in the US. Members including Nahid Toubia and Susan Izett have contributed to the World Health Organization’s library, a very well recognized source for global issues. The articles main voice was that of advocacy, it pounded fact after fact to put the reader in a pensive state and open their eyes to the issue. It gave way for a broader understanding of the issue of violence against women in Africa.
Occupations, Malnutrition, and Education - the Chain of Climate Change Issues
Occupations, Malnutrition, and Education - the Chain of Climate Change Issues
Recently, climate change and its effects have become a pressing issue. The melting ice caps have affected places all around the globe. California was recently exposed to a severe drought and series of wildfires caused by the changing climate. However, this is nothing compared to the drastic impacts climate change has had in Zimbabwe.
In 2016, The El Nino effect caused a massive drought in Africa that devastated the country (Africa). This, combined with global warming is causing drastic climate changes and severe problems in Africa, especially Zimbabwe. With their water levels rapidly decreasing below 30%, the population is struggling to compensate with the changing climate (Chakwana).
With the decreasing water levels, occupations depending on water such as tour guides and fishermen are being negatively affected. This issue impacts many people across the world, about 1.5 billion, and especially in Zimbabwe where the water levels are extremely low (Nexus). One tour guide explains that as the amount of water reduces, the flow of tourists will dwindle which negatively hurts the workers’ income. He also explains how climate change affects the fisherman by saying, “people are forced to turn to the lake as a solution to feed their families, to earn more money, or simply as a last resort for survival”(Lemke). In this quote, he introduces the topic of malnutrition and how it continues to grow due to climate change. According to the Zambezi River Authority, water levels near Zimbabwe’s largest water dam have reached near-record lows (Lemke). If the water levels continue to decrease, the population of people in poverty in Zimbabwe will increase, creating even more malnutrition.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states, “food production in many African countries may be ‘severely compromised’ by climate change” (Africa). Currently, approximately 72% of Zimbabwe’s population lives in poverty. The people of Zimbabwe live in the driest area of the country, which makes it even more difficult for them to maintain a stable food supply.
The “compromise” of food production not only causes malnutrition throughout many of the country’s younger generation but also “compromises” their education. Since the children do not receive the proper amount of food, they are unable to draw their attention away from their growling stomachs and concentrate on what is being taught in class. One student, Pamhy, says that somedays, she is so hungry, she “cannot even read what is on the chalkboard or hear what the teacher is saying” (Lemke). This loss of focus causes these children to perform poorly and fall behind in school.
To help the climate change issue, many meetings and panels have been organized to discuss future steps. In 2007, the IPCC recognized Africa as one of the most susceptible regions to climate change. As a developing country, Africa does not have the resources to deal with the devastating effects of their changing climate. So, under the Copenhagen Accord in 2009, developed nations agreed to aid developing nations “slow emissions growth and deal with the impacts of climate change” (Africa). However, real action needs to be taken to combat this issue.
Climate change has a direct negative impact on water levels affecting occupations such as fishermen resulting in food shortages and malnutrition. Without proper nourishment, children are distracted and unable to succeed in school. This chain of cause and effect stems from climate change and must be cut in order for Zimbabwe to prosper.
Works Cited
"Africa: Climate Change." Global Issues in Context Online Collection, Gale, 2016. Global Issues
in Context.
Chakwana, Christopher. “The Effects of Climate Change in Zimbabwe.” One Young World, 11
Apr. 2016.
Lemke, Rebekah Kates. “The Impact of Climate Change on Education: Pamhy's Story.” CRS, 28
Sept. 2016.
Lemke, Rebekah Kates. “The Power of Climate Change in Zimbabwe.” CRS, 2 Mar. 2017.
"'The Nexus Between 'Water and Jobs'." Africa News Service, 22 Mar. 2016. Global Issues in
Context.
Ethnic conflict in the DRC
Manuel Macias
World Lit H. 6.
Ms.Bennett
03/20/18
Internal conflict in the DRC.
Imagine going home one day, laying in your bed, relaxing but never being able to truly feel peaceful, even at your own house well, this is a reality that many in the DRC have to face as they can be attacked by a neighboring tribe at any second.
Ethnic clashes in Africa are not a recent topic in fact, there are 15 states in Africa with listed “on going” ethnic conflict, each differing from a two to four ethnic battlefront. So how did the DRC, a great place of diversity ever come to such a tragedy? delineating the ethnic clash between the Tutsi and the Hutu tribe servers as a great general illustrator for understanding the reason and the existence of ethnic clashes in the DRC. 1996 to 2003, the DRC faced the “Second Congo War”. This was an effect of the Belgian government gaining dominion over the DRC in 1906 after, Leopold II was forced to surrender the Congo. With Belgian dominion, the DRC economic structure came to crumble as there was a sudden decolonisation from Europe, stagnating the growth and system of the state (Springerlink). With their premature and unanticipated liberty, the citizens of the congo had limited education on all topics which left the country with a huge shrug on what to do next. The Congolian leaders had no leadership, economic, or government skills to implement into the new free state (Crash Course). The poor leading, along with a colony based economic structure, that was never meant to bring prosper upon a liberated situation, designated the DRC as chaotic and disorganized. Such extremities rendered the ethnogenesis to host a war for resources and income. The ethnic conflict between in the Second Congo War left 5.4 million individuals of all ages dead (Global Conflict Tracker).
Inadequate leading rendered the Congolian people into internal conflict as it was the most profitable course of action for them. War meant purpose and provided a living in a failed economy for the Congolians. In retrospect the DRC suffered the cumulative effect of 4 awful leaders before their first democratic elected president took reign (Springlink).
The implemented economy in the DRC was colony based meaning that, it wasn't meant for a nation state but for a colony whose resources were meant to be extracted for wealth by the colonizer (Crash Course). From the start the DRC was meant to fail if the Europeans left and without education for the Congolians, they were left with a “try” at playing house which corrupted leaders took advantage of, leaving the state in debt and impoverished. This failed economy motivated the Congolians to fight as they could earn money to provide for themselves and for their family (Pulitzer Center).
The tribes are facing horrible internal conflict that was caused by the inexperienced government and their deficient economy but, there is progress being made. China has invested 9 billion dollars for the construction of the Congo in exchange for future revenue (Crash Course). While the Congo may be in really bad shape, they are starting to grow.
Works cited
Pulitzer Center:pulitzercenter.org/projects/africa/roots-ethnic-conflict-eastern-drc.
Crash course: https://youtu.be/4uArRzwKHvE
Global Conflict Tracker: https://www.cfr.org/interactives/global-conflict-tracker#!/conflict/violence-in-the-democratic-republic-of-congo
Springlink:https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4614-0448-4_1
Africa's Economic Hinrance
Africa's Economic Hindrance
International trade is a vital part of any nation’s economic success. It allows the government to collect revenue from tariffs, provides jobs, and builds strong relationships with other countries. For Africa, however, it has been nearly impossible to find a niche in the global economy until just twenty years ago when many governments signed the Abuja Treaty, a long-term plan committing them to building a stronger future for Africa (ICTSD). Africa’s lack of foreign exports costed the government hundreds of thousands of dollars in the years before 2010, but Africa’s revenue has been seeing more growth thanks to the government’s efforts to establish relations with the US.
Africa’s political structure and economy were heavily influenced by European colonization during the nineteenth century. Africa was subjected to European goals, including building a trade network that had Africa exporting commodities such as oil and diamond to Europe (Trace).
Africa still relies on this commodity based trading system today, which makes Africa’s market very narrow and volatile. Commodities are not a reliable export good because their income depends largely on the outside demand. Moreover, government does not incentivize merchants enough for Africa to compete globally, even on the small commodity market. For example, in the US, sellers are provided export subsidies: sums of money granted by the government to promote trade and competition. In Africa, exporters do not receive subsidies, so they do not have the same edge that allows US merchants to put a low price tag on their goods. European countries are also reluctant to lower export subsidies for their own products, which makes it extremely difficult for African traders to profit. The US and Europe could reduce export subsidies for a short time in order to give Africa a chance on the market, however, these countries seem relucatant to do so. Another major concern is “tied-aid,” a relationship which largely diminishes the effectiveness of aid that Africa receives. Africa receives billions of dollars for disease, disaster relief, etcetera from other countries such as the US (ecasurv). The catch is that Africa must return this favor by purchasing that country’s goods. These goods are imported on an uncompetitive market, so the prices can be hugely inflated by the exporting country. Tied aid obliges Africa to still purchase these goods, decreasing their value by 25 to 40 percent because of the steep costs (ecasurv).
Africa suffers these disadvantages because of the economic structure it was built on. The development of a stronger trading system is the first step to reintegrating Africa and is key to facilitate more exports. Africa’s closed-off past still stands today, so Africa trades almost entirely domestically. Recently, however, the African government has been taking large steps towards achieving the goal of rebuilding Africa’s system to promote competition and international trade using Regional Economic Communities, (RECs) of which there are currently eight. The responsibilities of RECs are to mediate trade and work with other governments in order to boost the progress of the continent through economic growth and social development (UN). The RECs provide the overarching framework for Africa’s new trading system. This system aims to organize a more encouraging and prosperous economic environment by ultimately creating a Continental Free Trade Area, constructed by combining all eight RECs into one large market (ICTSD). This area would decrease domestic trade because all businesses would be trading on essentially one marketplace, effectively forcing competition and the creation of new markets.
Though the government is taking the necessary baby steps towards economic success, the road ahead is still long. Even if all the African government's can collaborate to create the CFTA, it will be a slow road to success before Africa can escape from its own past and find its place the new world as a global supplier.
Works Cited
“Africa Trade Statistics.” Africa Trade Statistics, www.trade.gov/dbia/africa-trade-stats.asp.
CHAPTER 6. REGIONAL INTEGRATION IN AFRICA, www.fao.org/docrep/004/y4793e/y4793e0a.htm.
Economic Report on Africa 2004: Unlocking Africa’s Potential in the Global Economy. United Nations Economic and Social Council, 12 May 2004, ecasurv2004.doc.
“OSAA, Africa, UN and Africa, United Nations and Africa, Special Adviser, UN, United Nations, NEPAD, African Union.” United Nations, United Nations, www.un.org/en/africa/osaa/peace/recs.shtml.
Settles, Joshua Dwayne. “The Impact of Colonialism on African Economic Development.”Trace: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange, trace.tennessee.edu/utk_chanhonoproj/182.
“The Continental Free Trade Area: What's Going on?” The Continental Free Trade Area: What's Going on? | International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development, 28 Oct. 2014, www.ictsd.org/bridges-news/bridges-africa/news/the-continental-free-trade-area-whats-going-on.
The West in the Congo: A Empire of Blood,Coltan and Uranium
Long have the days of World War II passed from the memories of the West. No more bloody battles and heated confrontations to attempt to control natural resources. No more wars of ideology and hatred. We know live in an age of peace.But what if I told you the war never really ended? What if I told you it just became much more complicated and bloody. Most people know world war two ended with the fall of Hitler and the German Reich, however, most do not know about Africa's equivalent to world war two as well as there crucial involvement. The Congo, a land filled to the brim with resources, which rival the great halls of China and the mechanized superpowers of the west. For so long, however, they have been in a state of disarray and chaos. A never-ending war. Millions have died and millions more continue to while prices of those resources drop and the west carries on. What the hell started this war? Why is there still fighting? What is happening in the Congo.
The Congo has long tragic history full of invasions,slavery,occupation and genocides.This is because the Congo is the heart of Africa, filled to the brim with resources which it pumps out to its neighbors and overlords. All of their cultures blend together and battle for influence and control for the vast wealth of the Congo. Let's look into the extent of this. The Congo is about the size of all of western Europe. Its population is 74 Million in 2016 according to the world bank and has a Limitless water supply thanks to the world second largest river,rich fertile soil stretching from east to west, and of course massive deposits of, Diamonds, Coal,Oil, Cobalt and most importantly of all two minerals know as Uranium and Coltan. This country has so much going for it. Yet it has failed so completely.The key issue,the chink in the heart of the congo the reason there suffering and conflict continues, is the west.
Now we cannot point fingers at the west and scream we must go deeper. The Congo originally was separated into a confederation of several kingdoms who were united under a confederation (BBC) This changed when the The Belgians took the congo. This begins the long chain of events. Now when the Congo was subjected it was the height of the slave trade and The Congolese people made up 50% (New york timeS) of all slave imported to the americas and Europe. While this was going on a new invention took the west by storm. The Bicycle! Helping the environment! 95% of all the rubber was coming from the congo where slaves worked to death to destroy forest and extract the precious liquid to fuel the European craze. Now the Pattern continues but most interestingly of all was the congos contribution to both European wars. In World War I “The brass casings of allied shells fired at Passchendaele and the Somme were 75% Congolese copper.” (BBC) and in world war II The uranium used to create Little Boy and Fat Man Atomic weapons were created by Congolese Uranium. All of this happened after the Congo was freed as well. Imperialism had ended or at least transitioned. The most apparent example is Coltan. Now you may no know what this is but by far you are feeling its effects. You know what a computer is? Cell phone? Procesor? These are only possible with colatan. 80% of the world's TOTAL supply is in the congo. The things that make our lives possible come from a country living in absolute poverty while surrounded by wealth. This new from of economic imperialism is simple. The Western powers do not want peace in the congo because they can extract wealth and resources at an extremely cheap price sand they don't need to send troop just let the africans kill themselves and buy from the warlords. Economic Imperialism to this day is making sure that the people of the congo remain in slavery of the West.
However The Congo has had Two Major African wars, both caused by external factors which consumed all of africa. These wars killed millions and most importantly of all replaced a Dictator for a president and president for a dictator and made it possible for constant wars to be waged, ensuring the cheap bloody resources can continue to flow. The UN's largest Peace Corps force is deployed in the congo to “Maintain Peace” while the war to this day the war continues in the east, right next to The UNs bases.
The Congo is a sad reminder of the world we live in, estimates by the BBC estimate that “ The Value of the Democratic Republics resources is 24 Trillion US Dollars” Think about that. The US debt is 20 Trillion and we are struggling to pay, the congo has enough resources to pay off all the US Debt and enough money left over to fully develop their country. Instead they will not see a single benefit to their great natural wealth. This is why conflict continues today, outside powers, foreign interest modern imperialism all to ensure the flow of the veins of the congo go unhindered to fuel our modern world. It's Ironic how everyone claims to defend democracy,freedom and equality. What that actually means is we defend it for everyone except those we can sue to ensure our future.
Center, Pulitzer. “The Roots of Ethnic Conflict in Eastern DRC.” Pulitzer Center, Pulitzer Center, 14 Mar. 2018, pulitzercenter.org/projects/africa/roots-ethnic-conflict-eastern-drc. Accessed 2018.
This article is fairly un biased as it focuses on telling the history of the people of the congo and its a affects. It is fairly reliable as it actively sources its information and does not take sides it merely shows the facts of what happened.
Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Imperialism Of. “The Congo Today.” Imperialism of Democratic Republic of the Congo, Imperialism of Democratic Republic of the Congo, 20 Mar. 2018, drcimperialism.weebly.com/the-congo-today.html. Accessed 2018.
This article is biased as it focuses on the negatives of imperialism however it's fairly useful because it has facts and evidence which support my idea that the congo is still under an Economic imperial control.
Gettleman, Jeffrey. “Opinion | Congo's Never-Ending War.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 15 Dec. 2012, www.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/sunday-review/congos-never-ending-war.html. Accessed 2018.
Very unbiased. The New york times is a well established realoba;le source which focuses on bringing the best information possible. Talks deeply on why ethnic conflict,minerals and other factors are continuing to create the conflict in the congo.
News, Bbc. “Q&A: DR Congo Conflict.” BBC News, BBC News, 20 Nov. 2012, www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-11108589. Accessed 2018.
The BBC is world renown for being as unbiased as humanly possible.. This article is very similar to the new york time only it has much more statistics and information.
News, Bbc. “Too Rich for Its Own Good.” BBC News, BBC News, 9 Oct. 2013, www.bbc.com/news/magazine-24396390. Accessed 2018.
This article talks about the pure mineral wealth of the congo and how this deeply affects the population.
Reliefweb. “Conflict and Displacement in the Kasai - January 2018.” ReliefWeb, ReliefWeb, 16 Jan. 2018, reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/conflict-and-displacement-kasai-january-2018. Accessed 2018.
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