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.

Child Mortality

According to the World Health Organization and UNICEF, child mortality in Africa has fallen by 50% since 1990. This decline can be largely attributed to improved medical access, better training for midwives, and global progress.

25 years ago, nearly 13 million children died by the age of five, with the greatest risk within the first few days of life. Today, that number is projected at just 6 million. While this number is extremely high compared to the Western World, it's an improvement we hope to see continue.

Around the world, child mortality rates fluctuate. This is largely due to monetary inequality. Poor countries tend to see higher rates of child mortality. However, even the United States, spending more per capita on maternal and child health than any other developed nation, has a rate much higher than Iceland, Finland, and Norway.

Moreover, the types of death seen in Africa are that of malnutrition, dehydration, and intestinal sickness. Where a person in a Westernized world can easily combat a bout of diarrhea, the effects are far more severe in underdeveloped nations.




Sources:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-34194704
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44114000/gif/_44114068_child_mortality_416_3.gif
https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1860/Africa%20Key%20Facts%20and%20Figures.pdf

The Sub-Saharan Studies Were Flawed: Circumcision Does Not Prevent HIV/AIDS

If you are an adult male born in the United States, chances are that you are circumcised. This was most likely not your choice, but a choice your parents made for you. If you have thus far found both statements to be factual, you may not like what follows: male circumcision is unnecessary, harmful for both the individual and future partners, and does not reduce the incidence of HIV/AIDS.

While circumcision has been declining since the 1970's, every few years a new study surfaces purporting benefits to male circumcision. This has caused a resurgence of the circumcision debate. Most recently, studies out of three African countries claim a reduced incidence of HIV/AIDS by up to 60%. On the surface, this number looks great. However, these studies were methodologically flawed from the very beginning.

To be included in these studies, the participants had to be intact (not circumcised) and HIV free. They also had to agree to "avoid sexual contact during the 6 weeks following the medicalized circumcision". The experimental group was then given the following instructions:
"When you are circumcised you will be asked to have no sexual contact in the 6 weeks after surgery. To have sexual contact before you skin of your penis is completely healed, could lead to infection if your partner is infected with a sexually transmitted disease" and later went on to read, "If you desire to have sexual contact in the 6 weeks after surgery, despite our recommendation, it is absolutely essential that you use a condom."

Not only was the experimental group told to abstain from sexual contact for 6 weeks, but they also received sexual education including how to properly use a condom. This all happened while the control group was left unprotected (not instructed how to use condoms) and received absolutely no sexual education.

Further, if we simply compare the rate of circumcision in the United States related to the prevalence of HIV/AIDS, we see that we have one of the HIGHEST incidences. Nations that do not customarily circumcise have much lower rates, factored for difference of size of population.

To conclude, circumcision is not only unethical, especially when it's being touted as a miracle fix for a very vulnerable population, but it is also unnecessary according to most prestigious medical organizations world wide, and does NOT reduce the incidence of HIV/AIDS.



Sources:
"Male Circumcision Risk and HIV Infection in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine. 20 Oct. 2000.

"Flawed African Circumcision Trials Cannot Be Used to Inform U.S. Circumcision Debate"
Intact America. 2009. Web.

Rizvi, Ali. "Male Circumcision and the HIV/AIDS Myth" The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com. 3 Sept. 2009. Web.

"United States Circumcision Incidence" U.S. Circumcision Statistics. Cirp.org. 14 Jan. 2012. Web.

Haven't You Realized?

"Haven't you realized, we're all gonna die?", the lady sings.

Called "Burning Desire To Be Touched", Mwangi Hutter premiered this work of art commissioned by Smithsonian National Museum of African Art on July 18th. In the video, a body cloaked in black cloth tenderly holds a feminine figure covered with white cloth. According to the Smithsonian, Hutter's piece of work was featured in an exhibition called The Divine Comedy, which "examines our profound desire for harmonious relationships".

Within the first few minutes, the feminine figure's white clothing is increasingly blacked by the hands of the cloaked black figure. Does this mean that she is becoming consumed by the darkness? Or could it be that the two figures are becoming harmonious in their tight embrace? On the side of the two figures sit two televisions. On the screen, a woman with hands over her face. Minutes later, the hands slowing fall down her face leaving a white handprint.

While I can't say that I understand this piece of art, I found it very beautiful and slightly frightening. "Haven't you realized, we're all gonna die?" sang over and over. And maybe it's not meant to be understood, but rather interpreted within in the context of "harmonious relationships". Maybe it means something to different to every viewer. After all, art is subjective.


Source:
"Burning Desire To Be Touched." Smithsonian Institute: National Museum of African Art.
15 August, 2015. Web. <http://africa.si.edu/2015/08/burning-desire-to-be-touched/>