African Parenting: Doing it the Right Way

Parenting in African countries undoubtedly come with many difficulties. However, in spite of these difficulties, their children not only survive, but often thrive. On a given morning, hordes of children walk miles to school, he older children often tending to the youngins'. Compare that to what is often considered a civilized society. Children been carted by bus and soccer moms. Unlike American children, African children are taught responsibility, perseverance, and resilience. Children just 10 or 12 years old are in charge or working the fields, difficult housework, and caring for siblings. It is my opinion that the "laissez-faire attitude", as an blog from the New York times states, is the right way to parent. America, you're doing it wrong.

Source:
http://latitude.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/23/african-hands-off-parenting-breeds-resilience-in-kids/

Boko Haram: the New ISIS

Boko Haram, an islamic terrorist group that prohibits any sort of Western assimilation for Muslims, is prominent in Nigeria. Forbidding the wearing of t-shirts, participating in politics, or a secular education, Boko Haram has proved deadly in the region. Often bombing schools and communities, the group is responsible for hundreds, if not thousands, of deaths.

Boko Haram, much like ISIS, relies on recruiting within schools. They control many non-Western education centers within Nigeria. Children are more easily persuaded, which strengthens Boko Haram numbers.

Sources:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13809501

Why Climate Change has more of an Effect in Africa than the Western World

In an articled titled "Why the Paris Climate Summit Matters to Africa", author Peter Guest discusses the ways in which climate change has affected Africa. According to Peter, climate change has been particularly grievous to African countries because they lack the economic power to act on the severe weather effects. While much of the Western world seems keep away from the effects of climate change, whole countries in Africa continue to dry up. Small communities and families are those first impacted. They are unable to grow crops, to keep livestock, or have water to drink and bathe in.

Sources:
http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/09/africa/africa-climate-change-cop21/index.html

Muslims fleeing Central African Republic

Much like the discrimination of Muslims plaguing America, Africa has it's own share. In the Central African Republic, thousands of Muslims are being forced to flee their homeland in search of safe refuge according to an article titled "Violence Against Muslims in Central African Republic Forces Thousands to Flee." Author Fredrick Nzwili discusses a pro-Christian group called anti-balaka that has tortured, mutilated, and murdered refugees as they attempt to flee. Compare this to what is currently happening in American culture and we see stark similarities. Hopefully the African governments can stop these atrocities before war breaks out.

Sources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/11/violence-muslims-central-african-republic_n_4768519.html

Rape-aXe: A Necessary Tool to Fight Sexual Violence in Africa?

Rape-aXe, an anti-rape device created by Dr. Sonnet Ehlers, is a vaginal insertion much like a female condom, but has barbed spikes intended to penetrate the unwelcome penis during rape. Is such a device really necessary to prevent rape, or has the world gone mad? According to Victoria Kajja, who works for the Center for Disease Control and Prevent in Uganda, the device may cause more harm than good. Kajja believes the device "represent enslavement that no woman should be subjected to." While I would generally agree with Kajja's assertion, I also believe it would lessen the frequency of rape. Possibly at the cost of shaming women, but if the end result is to not be raped, it seems to me the device would do just that.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/06/20/south.africa.female.condom/

UN Idle as Atrocities Strike South Sudan

In an article in The Guardian titled "UN Accused of Shocking Lack of Action Over Murder and Rape in South Sudan", the United Nations is being accused of non-action in large accounts of murder and rape in South Sudan. One woman quoted in the article states, "If I came to the clinic every time I was raped, I would be here everyday." Apparently, violence, and particularly sexual violence, is rampant in South Sudan. Further in the article, it states that forced cannibalism is common practice. It seems to me that the United Nations is falling short on their promises to fight against atrocities such as these.

Women waiting in line for water at a UN refugee camp. These lines often leave women vulnerable to sexual violence because there is a village near by where men drink alcohol.



Sources:
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/dec/15/un-accused-of-shocking-lack-of-action-over-murder-rape-south-sudan
https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/07/21/interview-destruction-and-rape-south-sudan

The World Wide Web in Africa

In an article from the African Economic Outlook, a collaboration between the African Development Bank, the OECD Development Centre and the United Nations Development Programme, Africa's telecommunications infrastructure has seen rapid growth in recent years. According to the article, titled "Technology Infrastructure and Services in Africa", while telecommunications has risen, information technology, primarily internet, has the lowest rate in the world. In my opinion, while telecommunications is key to economic development, the ability to access the world wide web is even more so necessary. The knowledge and education available could very well draw Africa out of its economic hardships.