Africa's Political Crisis
Most African colonies became independent in the 1950s and 1960s amid hopes that this would be the prelude to an era of democracy and development (Cooper, 2002). y the end of the 1980s, Africa was plagued by instability, authoritarianism, poverty, war and famine. In some countries, the state itself had begun to disintegrate.
There are many reasons for Africa's current state of political instability. For one, continuous rivalry between tribal units is a constant source of disunity (Cooper, 2002). For most of the 19th and early 20th century Africa had lived under colonial rule of the Europeans. ecause the European leaders left Africa immediately after it gained independence, many African leaders are relatively inexperienced. Also, many leaders are greedy, corrupt and act entirely based on self-interest. asically, because multi-party rule encouraged ethnic conflict, one party controlled most African states. This has largely contributed to Africa's political instability.
In addition to…...
mlaBibliography
Ahmed-Rufai, R. (2001). The Road to an African Union. FCN Publishing.
Ayittey, George. (1999). Africa in Chaos. St. Martin's Press.
Chazan, Naomi. (1999). Politics and Society in Contemporary Africa. Rienner Publishing.
Cooper, Frederick. (2002). Africa since 1940: The Past of the Present. Cambridge University Press.
However, how are these hardships related to the civil strife and militia? It is this point that is unclear. Edgerton provides more of a subjective review of what he feels is going on and provides a few factual details to support this, but provides little in the way of detail and real conjecture, which would help the average person discern what steps the people of Africa should take to liberate themselves from the grasps of the army or militia today.
Edgerton does successfully suggest the wars in Africa today are nothing more than the results of a "maladaptive" culture (p. 230). This suggests that something is inherently wrong with the people of Africa today. Those engaged in war or civic strife are according to Edgerton, people that are part of any society with its blips, ups and downs. The "warrior Tribes" described in the book are inflated to seem like…...
mlaBibliography
Shaw, Bryant. "Africa's Armies: From Honor to Infamy," Air and Space Power Journal,
Summer 2005. USAF, Troy University, 17, December 2007: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NXL/is_2_19/ai_n15345180
Edgerton, Robert B. AFRICA'S ARMIES: From Honor to Infamy - a History From 1791 to the Present; Boulder, (Colorado): Westview Press / Perseus Books Group, 2002; ISBN: 0-8133-3947-2
Africa: Edgerton
Africa Since 1940
The introduction to Frederick Cooper's "Africa since 1940: The past of the present," asserts that unless one has thoroughly researched African history, or has lived in Africa, it is nearly impossible for an outsider to chronologically organize all of the events that has happened within its borders in order to come up with some kind of clear statement about nationalism. Cooper enters his book with the ideas of colonialism (pre-colonialism, colonialism, and post-colonialism) and how that shaped Africa as it is today, and how that influences Africa as a nation together, a nation divided, and a nation trying to find some sort of statement about their own country.
Cooper's book about nationalism within Africa, and how Africa came to rest at this current (the present is 1994) climate of dualism between tribal bloodshed in Rwanda, and the victorious election of President Nelson Mandela in South Africa (1). Cooper takes…...
mlaWorks Cited
Cooper, Frederick. Africa since 1940: the past of the present.. 1st. Cambridge, UK: University Press, 2002. 1-90. Print.
Wikipedia contributors. "Nationalism." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free
Encyclopedia, 11 Feb. 2012. Web. 14 Feb. 2012.
Africa and the Slave Trade
Give a brief description of Africans' way of life prior to the Atlantic Slave Trade, meaning their Political, economic, cultural and societal organizations. Please take into consideration the Documentary films: " Caravans of Gold" and " King and City."
As is demonstrated in the documentaries 'Caravans of Gold' an 'King and City,' the embattled and economically delayed Africa with which we are familiar today is a far cry from the progressive and innovative African society that existed prior to slave trade. As we learn form these documentaries and from our research, the continent contained an enormous spectrum of cultural stripes represented in the thousands of languages, dialects, religious belief systems and expressive rites then in practice. Political authority varied depending upon the local economy of any given region. In larger economic contexts such as Egypt and Ethiopia, kingdoms ruled everyday life however the vast rural spaces that…...
mlaWorks Cited:
Alkalimat, A. (2008). Africa Before and After the Slave Trade: -The Afro-American Heritage. EBlackStudies.org.
Appiah, K.A. & Gates, Jr., H.L. (1999). Goree Island, Home of 'The Door of No Return.' African-American Registry.
Heywood, L.M. & Thornton, J.K. (2007). Central Africans, Atlantic Creoles, and the Foundation of the Americas, 1585-1660. Cambridge University Press.
Morris, C. (2012). David Northrup's "Atlantic Slave Trade" Review. African History @ Suite 101.
Africa
The continent is one of the most geographically diverse and astounding areas of the earth. It is made up of close to 30,244,050 square km (Europe is 9,700,000 square km). The most northerly point of the continent is Morocco, and the most southerly in South Africa, the extreme west in Somalia, with the most easterly point 7,400 km away. Africa's coastline is 26,000 km in length. The mean elevation is 600 m, while area under 180m is relatively rare, and land over 3,000 m is also uncommon. As such, the continent is marked largely by elevated tablelands. Overall, Africa can be divided into four main divisions. The first is the coast plains, which do not range fare inward, and are often fringed by mangrove swamps. Second is the Atlas range, which is separated from the rest of Africa by the Sahara. The third main divisions are the high southern and…...
mlaWorks Cited
Wikipedia. Geography of Africa. 04 June 2004. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Africa
Bediako Lamouse-Smith, W. And School, Joseph. 1998. Africa Interactive Maps. Physical Features Section. 04 June 2004. http://www.courses.psu.edu/aaa_s/aaa_s110_tah/AFIM/Main_HTML/M_PF.html
Technological advancements are rare in the bulk of sub-Saharan nations, which remain among the poorest in the world due to their weak levels of exports. However, some Sub-Saharan nations possess a range of natural resources from ore to agriculture. Some sub-Saharan African countries such as Sierra Leone rely on a corrupt and dangerous gem mining industry, the profits of which do not reach the general population. Many African nations possess ore and mining resources and other raw materials such as vegetable gums.
On the other hand, North African nations enjoy far more prosperity and technological advancement than sub-Saharan Africa. Egypt's economy is strongly tied to the Middle Eastern nations and also boasts a significant tourism industry. Egypt's sophisticated system of damming also permits the otherwise desert country to produce agriculture for export. Egypt also has some petroleum reserves. Algeria's economy also depends to an extent on oil but that nation…...
It would depend on one's view of the legitimacy of psychoanalysis and its patchwork utility in describing a mental complex.
asil Davidson recognizes the alienated consciousness of Africans, albeit from a politico-historical rather than a psychological perspective. He phrases it in terms of forced African rejection of its own history under hopes of prospering in the new modernization the colonial system pushed for: "The future was not to grow out of the past, organically and developmentally, but from an entirely alien dispensation."
Like Fanon's, his book the lack Man's urden is critical of any notion that liberation could only come from outside Africa through a denial of African roots and acceptance of European models.
His sketch of African history is poignant. Unlike Fanon's book, Davidson's aim is not to liberate the mentality of black men from a colonial alienation. However, he does ultimately suggest a possible way forward that has more to…...
mlaBibliography
Davidson, Basil. The Black Man's Burden: Africa and the Curse of the Nation-State. New York: Times Books, 1992.
Fanon, Franz. Black Skin, White Masks. Translated by Richard Philcox. New York: Grove Press, 2008. (Originally published in 1952)
Prashad, Vijay. The Darker Nations: A People's History of the Third World. New York: New Press, 2007.
Franz Fanon, Black Skin, White Masks, trans. Richard Philcox (New York: Grove Press, 2008), 14.
" (UNDP, 2007) Therefore, the official voice of the UN draws the attention on the necessity of the societies facing difficulties that the best means possible for the re-launch of their economic segment and automatically the eradication of poverty is the share value of the work they undergo.
Despite the realistic tone of most official commentaries, the reality on the ground rarely coincides. In this respect, there are other factors as well that play a significant role in shaping the relations and evolution trends of the countries around the African continent. One of these factors is represented by the financial institutions that make up the World ank Group. Thus, the IMF and the World ank "are two of the most powerful international financial institutions in the world. They are the major sources of lending to African countries, and use the loans they provide as advantage to prescribe policies and dictate major…...
mlaBibliography
Addison, T. "Africa's recovery from conflict: making peace work for the poor." UNU World Institute for Development Economics Research. New York: UNU Press, 2003.
Africa action. The World Bank and IMF in Africa. 2006. 29 April 2007. http://www.africaaction.org/resources/issues/wbimf.php
Bennett, L.A. International organizations: principles and issues. Prentice Hall, New Jersey, 1988.
Berstein, S., and Milza, P. Histoire de l'Europe. Paris: Hatier, 1994.
Africa
There are many ambiguities in the concept of being estern. Many individual use this description without fully understanding what it means or how the term developed. Generally when people are using the term 'the est" or estern, they are simply referring to a lifestyle that includes a certain standard of living that includes a certain material well-being. Yet this broad and all-encompassing term is used without any clear meaning or substance in normal discourse. The term is not innocent, and it is used to further ideological perspectives that are biased towards a certain culture and set of values.
The colonial period in South Africa is interesting to study because it exemplifies some of the social contexts in which culture crashes can framed and the discourse that is used in the literature. The local natives in South Africa were viewed in a very negative manner and the discourse makes many claims of…...
mlaWorks Cited
Coetzee, J. Idleness in South Africa. Binghamton: Yale University Press, 1988. Digital.
Hall, S. "The West and the Rest: Discourse and Power." n.d.
Social tensions, like wars and strikes, should be solved amicably. The parties have to understand that only in times of peace and tranquility the African society can prosper. Education must also be encouraged, in order to improve the literacy indicator, to enable the social and cultural development of the average citizens.
The reintegration of women in the society - offering equal changes with men, in terms of employment, voting rights, decision rights - is also an important aspect. Women should be involved more both in society, but also in corporations, where they could put in practice their entrepreneurial skills.
The assurance of food and health protection, so as to limit the negative consequences of diseases and epidemics, is essential.
Conclusions:
The huge growth potential of African countries can be explored by adopting the above mentioned governmental resolutions, directly targeted to the African society.
ibliography
1) Abjibolosoo, K. -S. S. (1995). The Human Factor in Developing Africa.…...
mlaBibliography
1) Abjibolosoo, K. B-S. S. (1995). The Human Factor in Developing Africa. Westport, CU: Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
2) James, U.V. (1999). Sustainable Development in Africa: Prospects for the 21ST
Century. Bethesda: International Scholars Publications.
3) Lall. S., Stewart. F., & Wangwe. S. (1992). Alternative Development Strategies in SubSaharian Africa. New York: St. Martin's Press
World Trade issues are an important issue to the plight of Africa as well. Providing a more level playing field for Africa to get into the game will set the wheels in motion for improvement and allow Africa to begin reaping some of the benefits of the world trade agreements. That money can be funneled back into the development of the continent thereby reducing the need for outside funding.
Debt cancellation and a significant rise in official development aid, though helpful, cannot simply put right Africa's deep-seated problems. The commission report emphasizes that ultimate prosperity depends on robust private investment-led growth. Sir Mark Moody-Stuart, chairman of Anglo-American, said at the G8 Business Summit in London: "There will only be sustainable development in Africa if the increase in government aid flows is complemented by a resurgence of enterprise (Small, 2005)." Echoing similar views, Arun Sarin, chief executive of Vodafone Group, remarked: "The…...
mlaReferences
Abrahamsen, Rita (2005) Blair's Africa: the politics of securitization and fear.
Alternatives: Global, Local, Political
Anderson, Bruce (2005) Political grandstanding and yet more wasted aid will not lift Africa out of poverty.(Features) The Independent (London, England)
Moss, Todd (2004)A Marshall Plan is not what Africa needs The politics of aid
Africa - Politics
Africa and democracy haven't always been two words that go together well, because following the colonization of much of Africa, democracies were established but they struggled (and sometimes failed) to become stable -- and many continue to struggle today. This paper reviews the democratic movements in Africa, some of which failed, and some have succeeded. This paper also projects the success or failure of future democracies in Africa.
hat are the primary characteristics for the existence of a democracy?
A democracy is far more than just the establishment of government institutions and the setting up of a constitution. It is more than just a set of values, rules, laws, and the election of the people who are sworn to uphold those values, rules, and laws. According to the U.S. Department of State, a democracy is a government in which "…power and civic responsibility are exercised by all adult citizens" (State).…...
mlaWorks Cited
African Development Bank. "Democratic Elections in Africa -- Opportunities and Risks."
Retrieved July 3, 2014, from 2013.http://www.afdb.org .
Dibie, Robert A. The Politics and Policies of Sub-Saharan Africa. Lanham, MD. University
Press of America, 2001.
They note that the reign of Idi Amin in Uganda was not simply bad, but an example of "three decades of civil strife" where military abuses were inflicted by the nation's rulers upon the populace (312)
However, there is no question that the technological imbalance between Africa and Europe in terms of military power affected the development of the region's history, although the European possession of arms should not be seen as an example of estern moral superiority or civilization. During the 19th century, as well as the demand for ivory and slaves, one of the most significant forces that changed old ways of life in Africa was the demand for firearms by the central inhabitants of the interior against other African warring tribes.(95). For better or for worse, colonialism changed the region forever.
The book is as much a history of changing European perceptions of Africa and the European relationship…...
mlaWorks Cited
Oliver, Roland & Anthony Atmore. Africa Since 1800. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 2005.
Africa and the Anthropologist Literature Review
AFRCA AND THE ANTHROPOLOGST: LTERATURE REVEW
The work of Lefkowitz (2012) and the work of Bernal (1996) oppose one another on the history of Greece as it relates to the history of Egypt with each of these authors making valid points for their argument however, Lefkowitz stubbornly refuses to consider that anything good or worthy could have arisen out of Africa while the evidence is clearly to the contrary.
Afrocentric interpretations of the history of Africa are related in the work of Lefkowitz in the reply to Bernal. Bernal believes that the interpretation of this history by Lefkowitz is sloppy at best. This study examines Africentrism and each of these author's views.
Background
The work of rele (2002) entitled "Negritude: Literature and deology" published by Oxford University Press in the Journal on African Philosophy reports that Pan-Africanism has been described as being "essentially a movement of emotions and ideas"…...
mlaIrele, Abiola, F. (2002 ) Negritude: Literature and Ideology in: Philosophy From Africa. eds PH Coetzee and APJ Roux. Oxford University Press.
Appiah, KA. (1997) Europe Upside Down: Fallacies of the new Afrocentrism: Fanon, Frantz. 1963. On National Culture
Lefkowitz, M. (1996) The Afrocentric Interpretation of Western History: Lefkowitz Replies to Bernal. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. No. 12 Summer 1996.
Companies in sub-Saharan Africa cannot simply afford to reuse provision of AIDS drugs to its workforce. As a socially responsible organization Heineken has taken the issue seriously and issues are being considered at corporate level within its subsidiaries as well as in headquarters. They are aware of the complexities of issues at hand. The management has not only identified the issues but they are looking for ways for the remedies and thus plying their role in social responsiveness. They have already introduced their AIDS program in Rwanda and Burundi and are looking for a roll out in the rest of the countries where they have their operations. Due to their active role the company along with other active companies is being hailed by the media and their active programs and policies have also made other companies like Coca Cola a target of criticism. However the approach cannot still be…...
1. A diet or lifestyle related disease is one that is brought about specifically because of the type of diet the person has or the lifestyle he or she chooses to live. 2. Obesity causes many health issues. The most common are sleep apnea, type II diabetes, and heart disease. 3. Obesity is linked to both diet and lifestyle. Someone who overeats and also does not exercise can become obese over time. 4. In society, obesity causes higher health care costs, "fat shaming," and discomfort for many people because of a lack of ability to accommodate larger-sized people (think airplane and bus seats,....
In August Wilson’s Fences, the author explores several themes as they relate to the central themes of race, fatherhood, and manhood in the United States. One of the themes that he tackles is the concept of fate, though the approach is less about life being preordained as it is an examination of how history, social circumstances, and upbringing can combine to make some events appear preordained or fated rather than the intervention of some type of divine or supernatural fate. This contextual analysis of manhood in a political situation that seems designed to challenge it was explored by
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