Satelitte Radio Addict
Posts: 869 
Location: Toronto, ON
Location: Toronto, ON
June 11th, 2007, 02:15 PM
Quoting tracy
Assuming for a minute we accept the premise (which of course I don't) that our government should be making these decisions on our behalf ... which countries would you have our government give our money too? What about the ones who have not made our list? Should we then be making the handling of these problems conditional on our donation?
I think that's definitely true in some countries, I just don't think it's true in all of them. Some African countries have seen progress in recent years. I would like to support that. I'd like our government to do it to. For all the crap our tax money pays for, I don't see why that wouldn't be something good.
House Member
Posts: 2,853 
Location: California
Location: California
June 11th, 2007, 02:22 PM
Sorry, I never really answered. I'm not an expert on Africa, but how about Senegal? Or Tanzania? Or Mali even? None of them are perfect, but from what I understand all of them have made some changes conditional on the aid they received.
Quoting IdRatherBeSkiing
We already do that. Aid money can and often is tied to conditions countries have to meet. Debt relief in particular was only supposed to be done in countries that made solid progress in democratizing their societies and tackling corruption. I don't expect us to donate money to pay for another Rolls Royce for the country's president when people are starving in the streets.
Assuming for a minute we accept the premise (which of course I don't) that our government should be making these decisions on our behalf ... which countries would you have our government give our money too? What about the ones who have not made our list? Should we then be making the handling of these problems conditional on our donation?
Sorry, I never really answered. I'm not an expert on Africa, but how about Senegal? Or Tanzania? Or Mali even? None of them are perfect, but from what I understand all of them have made some changes conditional on the aid they received.
Council Member
Posts: 1,473
Location: Great Satan
Location: Great Satan
June 11th, 2007, 02:28 PM
Quoting sanctus
Then you Sir, are a vicious nasty conservative who probably eats kittens for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
You're mingling a different slant to the thread. the issue here is should our PM be obligated to meet a rock star. The rest you wrote has nothing to do with the subject of this thread. Not once did I suggest I did not care about the poor in Africa or anywhere. But I do, within the context of this thread, believe it is not important if our PM meets with a rock singer.
War Minister
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June 11th, 2007, 02:55 PM
Half your income taxes paid over the last 8 years and then subtract from that what it would cost for your private health care, private education then look at the difference.
No one is driving up to Africa with a tanker full of change and dumping it on some beach. Funds have to be applied for, match criteria, meet on going requirements and show progress to be entitled for further funding.
The debt has been built up in the past by supporting without much investigation brutal and corrupt dictators and constant civil wars. And plenty of that was through the transfer of arms that have been rendered obsolete for our own military forces. And look at the ****e we have been using!
Money goes to dig wells for clean water. Build schools to teach kids how to farm, read and write, irrigate farmland. The basics so that a higher education can be taught outside the larger urban centres. All the stuff that we take for granted.
Like having your children educated benefits me in an indirect way, so to does helping break the cycle of desperate poverty in Africa. The more countries in the third world become developed and able to sustain themselves, the broader the base we have to spread the burden.
The more countries that fail, the fewer we have to trade resources with and end up having to do that work ourselves, building more resentment and eventually, more hostility towards our culture and people.
Quoting IdRatherBeSkiing
Do you mean like Welfare, Health Care, Disability, Education, Disaster relief, Search and Rescue and so on? All social programs are based upon charitable principles. Long after your kid has left public school, you will pay those taxes either through rent or property taxes. Even secondary education is subsidized and apprenticeship programs.
I have no problem with money donated to Africa through a registered Canadian charity being given a tax break. I think if an individual can afford to give to charity, one should. I have 2 issues:
1. The Government should not be involved in charitable givings with taxpayers money. If they want to force people to give, when I fill out my taxes show that some of my tax $ will be redirected to charity and allow me to choose. Since this would be money I would be paying the government anyway, its not a big deal.
2. The problems in Africa, in my opionion, cannot be solved with simple $$$$. $$$ is just a band-aid (no pun indended -- well maybe a little) solution.
1. The Government should not be involved in charitable givings with taxpayers money. If they want to force people to give, when I fill out my taxes show that some of my tax $ will be redirected to charity and allow me to choose. Since this would be money I would be paying the government anyway, its not a big deal.
2. The problems in Africa, in my opionion, cannot be solved with simple $$$$. $$$ is just a band-aid (no pun indended -- well maybe a little) solution.
Half your income taxes paid over the last 8 years and then subtract from that what it would cost for your private health care, private education then look at the difference.
No one is driving up to Africa with a tanker full of change and dumping it on some beach. Funds have to be applied for, match criteria, meet on going requirements and show progress to be entitled for further funding.
The debt has been built up in the past by supporting without much investigation brutal and corrupt dictators and constant civil wars. And plenty of that was through the transfer of arms that have been rendered obsolete for our own military forces. And look at the ****e we have been using!
Money goes to dig wells for clean water. Build schools to teach kids how to farm, read and write, irrigate farmland. The basics so that a higher education can be taught outside the larger urban centres. All the stuff that we take for granted.
Like having your children educated benefits me in an indirect way, so to does helping break the cycle of desperate poverty in Africa. The more countries in the third world become developed and able to sustain themselves, the broader the base we have to spread the burden.
The more countries that fail, the fewer we have to trade resources with and end up having to do that work ourselves, building more resentment and eventually, more hostility towards our culture and people.
Satelitte Radio Addict
Posts: 869
Location: Toronto, ON
Location: Toronto, ON
June 11th, 2007, 08:52 PM
Quoting Unforgiven
Oh, I have no problem with Canadian Taxpayer's money going to fund Canadian Social Programs (or charaties as you call them). Thats why we pay our taxes. If an individual chooses to donate money to Africa, he will get a tax break which I am also OK with. What I am not ok with is the Government deciding on everybody's behalf (including mine) to donate money to causes it decides it citizens should be supporting. That is not the government's role.
Do you mean like Welfare, Health Care, Disability, Education, Disaster relief, Search and Rescue and so on? All social programs are based upon charitable principles. Long after your kid has left public school, you will pay those taxes either through rent or property taxes. Even secondary education is subsidized and apprenticeship programs.
Half your income taxes paid over the last 8 years and then subtract from that what it would cost for your private health care, private education then look at the difference.
No one is driving up to Africa with a tanker full of change and dumping it on some beach. Funds have to be applied for, match criteria, meet on going requirements and show progress to be entitled for further funding.
The debt has been built up in the past by supporting without much investigation brutal and corrupt dictators and constant civil wars. And plenty of that was through the transfer of arms that have been rendered obsolete for our own military forces. And look at the ****e we have been using!
Money goes to dig wells for clean water. Build schools to teach kids how to farm, read and write, irrigate farmland. The basics so that a higher education can be taught outside the larger urban centres. All the stuff that we take for granted.
Like having your children educated benefits me in an indirect way, so to does helping break the cycle of desperate poverty in Africa. The more countries in the third world become developed and able to sustain themselves, the broader the base we have to spread the burden.
The more countries that fail, the fewer we have to trade resources with and end up having to do that work ourselves, building more resentment and eventually, more hostility towards our culture and people.
Half your income taxes paid over the last 8 years and then subtract from that what it would cost for your private health care, private education then look at the difference.
No one is driving up to Africa with a tanker full of change and dumping it on some beach. Funds have to be applied for, match criteria, meet on going requirements and show progress to be entitled for further funding.
The debt has been built up in the past by supporting without much investigation brutal and corrupt dictators and constant civil wars. And plenty of that was through the transfer of arms that have been rendered obsolete for our own military forces. And look at the ****e we have been using!
Money goes to dig wells for clean water. Build schools to teach kids how to farm, read and write, irrigate farmland. The basics so that a higher education can be taught outside the larger urban centres. All the stuff that we take for granted.
Like having your children educated benefits me in an indirect way, so to does helping break the cycle of desperate poverty in Africa. The more countries in the third world become developed and able to sustain themselves, the broader the base we have to spread the burden.
The more countries that fail, the fewer we have to trade resources with and end up having to do that work ourselves, building more resentment and eventually, more hostility towards our culture and people.
War Minister
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June 11th, 2007, 09:18 PM
Quoting IdRatherBeSkiing
Ok so you have no problem with the government funding social programs. Why?
Oh, I have no problem with Canadian Taxpayer's money going to fund Canadian Social Programs (or charaties as you call them). Thats why we pay our taxes. If an individual chooses to donate money to Africa, he will get a tax break which I am also OK with. What I am not ok with is the Government deciding on everybody's behalf (including mine) to donate money to causes it decides it citizens should be supporting. That is not the government's role.
Satelitte Radio Addict
Posts: 869
Location: Toronto, ON
Location: Toronto, ON
June 11th, 2007, 09:38 PM
Quoting Unforgiven
To be blunt, I have direct benifit from the program or I may someday. Its like fixing the roads. I may not need to drive on that road today, but I may need it tommorow. Thats the reason we pay taxes in the first place.
Ok so you have no problem with the government funding social programs. Why?
War Minister
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June 11th, 2007, 10:15 PM
Now can you see a problem with this hypothetical scenario? Let's say there is a soccer game on and your son is playing in it. Something happens and he is injured in the throat. He can't breath at all and will die in a few minutes unless he gets an emergency trachiotomy. Now it just so happens that a surgeon is in attendence with his own son playing in the same game. The surgeon has done literaly thousands of these procedures and could perfom one right there on the field to save your son's life.
What should he do?
Quoting IdRatherBeSkiing
And you understand that Some people travel through Ontario and though they use the roads they don't pay taxes for them other than gas if they purchase some here? So that you are paying for them to use that road, even though you get no direct benefit from that use. You still need to keep up that roads so that you can drive on them.
To be blunt, I have direct benifit from the program or I may someday. Its like fixing the roads. I may not need to drive on that road today, but I may need it tommorow. Thats the reason we pay taxes in the first place.
Now can you see a problem with this hypothetical scenario? Let's say there is a soccer game on and your son is playing in it. Something happens and he is injured in the throat. He can't breath at all and will die in a few minutes unless he gets an emergency trachiotomy. Now it just so happens that a surgeon is in attendence with his own son playing in the same game. The surgeon has done literaly thousands of these procedures and could perfom one right there on the field to save your son's life.
What should he do?
Time Out
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June 11th, 2007, 10:33 PM
Quoting Unforgiven
what he should do and what he does depends on his lawyer....if he botches the job or the parents decide he should not have cut into the kids throat ..he could be sued for like everything....
And you understand that Some people travel through Ontario and though they use the roads they don't pay taxes for them other than gas if they purchase some here? So that you are paying for them to use that road, even though you get no direct benefit from that use. You still need to keep up that roads so that you can drive on them.
Now can you see a problem with this hypothetical scenario? Let's say there is a soccer game on and your son is playing in it. Something happens and he is injured in the throat. He can't breath at all and will die in a few minutes unless he gets an emergency trachiotomy. Now it just so happens that a surgeon is in attendence with his own son playing in the same game. The surgeon has done literaly thousands of these procedures and could perfom one right there on the field to save your son's life.
What should he do?
Now can you see a problem with this hypothetical scenario? Let's say there is a soccer game on and your son is playing in it. Something happens and he is injured in the throat. He can't breath at all and will die in a few minutes unless he gets an emergency trachiotomy. Now it just so happens that a surgeon is in attendence with his own son playing in the same game. The surgeon has done literaly thousands of these procedures and could perfom one right there on the field to save your son's life.
What should he do?
House Member
Posts: 3,383
June 12th, 2007, 08:58 AM
Look, Biggest moral reason NOT to donate to Africa:
Its their country. We donate to domestic social programs because we run them. We have complete control over the money.
Africa is a set of nations wishing to stand on its own two feet. They are sovereign. That means they don't need us. If they do, apply to be a province.
This isn't to say be heartless, if they have a disaster, or some unexpected hardship then lets ship them food, supplies, whatever they need in the immediate future.
But Africa will always be poor until it stands on its own or cedes sovereignty and lets another nation rebuild it. Ceding sovereignty is not going to happen so it cannot follow the success of Japan or Germany in going from bombed out hellhole to first world nation.
This means it has to struggle on its own, and there is no reason it cannot. African nations have massive amounts of farmland, massive natural resources and the population needed to work them. They instead end up using aid money to fuel warzones.
Now, before you start rambling about "the humanity of it" and how "they need the money" think carefully.
We have dumped hundreds of billions into Africa to have no net effect on levels of suffering. It did nothing. What if we had taken those billions of dollars and put them into AIDS research? Or hell, maybe just helped out the poverty in less celebrity endorsed regions like Central Asia?
How much suffering did we allow to continue by instead throwing money into a pit because Rock Stars like their face on TV?
Look, Biggest moral reason NOT to donate to Africa:
Its their country. We donate to domestic social programs because we run them. We have complete control over the money.
Africa is a set of nations wishing to stand on its own two feet. They are sovereign. That means they don't need us. If they do, apply to be a province.
This isn't to say be heartless, if they have a disaster, or some unexpected hardship then lets ship them food, supplies, whatever they need in the immediate future.
But Africa will always be poor until it stands on its own or cedes sovereignty and lets another nation rebuild it. Ceding sovereignty is not going to happen so it cannot follow the success of Japan or Germany in going from bombed out hellhole to first world nation.
This means it has to struggle on its own, and there is no reason it cannot. African nations have massive amounts of farmland, massive natural resources and the population needed to work them. They instead end up using aid money to fuel warzones.
Now, before you start rambling about "the humanity of it" and how "they need the money" think carefully.
We have dumped hundreds of billions into Africa to have no net effect on levels of suffering. It did nothing. What if we had taken those billions of dollars and put them into AIDS research? Or hell, maybe just helped out the poverty in less celebrity endorsed regions like Central Asia?
How much suffering did we allow to continue by instead throwing money into a pit because Rock Stars like their face on TV?
War Minister
Posts: 3,061
Videos: 4
Location: The Moonsine Cafe
Videos: 4
Location: The Moonsine Cafe
June 12th, 2007, 09:14 AM
Quoting Zzarchov
Out of curiosity, what part of Canada do you live in?
Look, Biggest moral reason NOT to donate to Africa:
Its their country. We donate to domestic social programs because we run them. We have complete control over the money.
Africa is a nation wishing to stand on its own two feet. They are sovereign. That means they don't need us. If they do, apply to be a province.
This isn't to say be heartless, if they have a disaster, or some unexpected hardship then lets ship them food, supplies, whatever they need in the immediate future.
But Africa will always be poor until it stands on its own or cedes sovereignty and lets another nation rebuild it. Ceding sovereignty is not going to happen so it cannot follow the success of Japan or Germany in going from bombed out hellhole to first world nation.
This means it has to struggle on its own, and there is no reason it cannot. African nations have massive amounts of farmland, massive natural resources and the population needed to work them. They instead end up using aid money to fuel warzones.
Now, before you start rambling about "the humanity of it" and how "they need the money" think carefully.
We have dumped hundreds of billions into Africa to have no net effect on levels of suffering. It did nothing. What if we had taken those billions of dollars and put them into AIDS research? Or hell, maybe just helped out the poverty in less celebrity endorsed regions like Central Asia?
How much suffering did we allow to continue by instead throwing money into a pit because Rock Stars like their face on TV?
Its their country. We donate to domestic social programs because we run them. We have complete control over the money.
Africa is a nation wishing to stand on its own two feet. They are sovereign. That means they don't need us. If they do, apply to be a province.
This isn't to say be heartless, if they have a disaster, or some unexpected hardship then lets ship them food, supplies, whatever they need in the immediate future.
But Africa will always be poor until it stands on its own or cedes sovereignty and lets another nation rebuild it. Ceding sovereignty is not going to happen so it cannot follow the success of Japan or Germany in going from bombed out hellhole to first world nation.
This means it has to struggle on its own, and there is no reason it cannot. African nations have massive amounts of farmland, massive natural resources and the population needed to work them. They instead end up using aid money to fuel warzones.
Now, before you start rambling about "the humanity of it" and how "they need the money" think carefully.
We have dumped hundreds of billions into Africa to have no net effect on levels of suffering. It did nothing. What if we had taken those billions of dollars and put them into AIDS research? Or hell, maybe just helped out the poverty in less celebrity endorsed regions like Central Asia?
How much suffering did we allow to continue by instead throwing money into a pit because Rock Stars like their face on TV?
House Member
Posts: 3,383
June 12th, 2007, 11:07 AM
Quoting gc
Probably alot better, given the massive amount of that money spent on guns and weapons. I'd be willing to say it would be better off had we given them nothing. They spent the money on guns, blew up their industries left over from colonialism (it wasn't much but it was something) then got stuck with massive interest payments on money they needed to borrow, to buy guns since their neighbour started shooting at them (with guns bought with money we gave them)
How do you know this? How do you know what Africa would be like if we hadn't given money?
Executive Member
Posts: 9,534
June 12th, 2007, 11:08 AM
Africa is a continent containing many countries. Most, but not all of those countries rely on foreign aid of some kind. Some African countries that used to be prosperous are now economic and social hell-holes. Zimbabwe and Kenya are prime examples. In 1980 we were shown pictures of starving children in Somalia and we were told horror stories about the number of people who were dying every minute. I have no doubt about the horrors those people were living through. My problem is that things don't seem to be getting any better. After almost thirty years, there doesn't appear to be any end in sight. There are ugly little wars all over Africa and tribal rivalries are still blocking any real progress. All the money that has been poured into Africa, and all the loans that have been forgiven are showing very few positive results. Maybe it's time to think about regime change in a lot of these countries.......we could start with Zimbabwe.
Africa is a continent containing many countries. Most, but not all of those countries rely on foreign aid of some kind. Some African countries that used to be prosperous are now economic and social hell-holes. Zimbabwe and Kenya are prime examples. In 1980 we were shown pictures of starving children in Somalia and we were told horror stories about the number of people who were dying every minute. I have no doubt about the horrors those people were living through. My problem is that things don't seem to be getting any better. After almost thirty years, there doesn't appear to be any end in sight. There are ugly little wars all over Africa and tribal rivalries are still blocking any real progress. All the money that has been poured into Africa, and all the loans that have been forgiven are showing very few positive results. Maybe it's time to think about regime change in a lot of these countries.......we could start with Zimbabwe.
House Member
Posts: 2,853
Location: California
Location: California
June 12th, 2007, 11:21 AM
I think this is the main point. I wonder how much of it is true and how much of it is the fact that the media doesn't want to show any positive news. All most of us know about Africa today is what we see on tv or in the newspaper. It tends to give a very slanted view.
It's the same reason my parents were TERRIFIED when I moved to the LA area. All they see on tv is guns, shooting, rape, murder, kidnapping, gangs, etc. While I realize we have problems with crime down here, my neighbourhood is pretty nice and pretty safe. My parents were honestly surprised when they came down here that I could walk alone after dark without being mugged. I wonder if it's similar in Africa. I have friends who do missionary work and they don't paint the same picture. There are bright patches too. Some countries have used aid money to get children into school, some have used it for health care, birth control, aids meds, aids education programs, business loans, etc. I don't see why we have to lump them in with places like the Sudan or the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Quoting #juan
. My problem is that things don't seem to be getting any better. After almost thirty years, there doesn't appear to be any end in sight. There are ugly little wars all over Africa and tribal rivalries are still blocking any real progress. All the money that has been poured into Africa, and all the loans that have been forgiven are showing very few positive results.
I think this is the main point. I wonder how much of it is true and how much of it is the fact that the media doesn't want to show any positive news. All most of us know about Africa today is what we see on tv or in the newspaper. It tends to give a very slanted view.
It's the same reason my parents were TERRIFIED when I moved to the LA area. All they see on tv is guns, shooting, rape, murder, kidnapping, gangs, etc. While I realize we have problems with crime down here, my neighbourhood is pretty nice and pretty safe. My parents were honestly surprised when they came down here that I could walk alone after dark without being mugged. I wonder if it's similar in Africa. I have friends who do missionary work and they don't paint the same picture. There are bright patches too. Some countries have used aid money to get children into school, some have used it for health care, birth control, aids meds, aids education programs, business loans, etc. I don't see why we have to lump them in with places like the Sudan or the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Executive Member
Posts: 9,534
June 12th, 2007, 11:45 AM
Tracy here are a few but not all of the current conflicts in Africa. Of course AIDS is one if the biggest problems:
Conflicts in Africa—Introduction
There have been over 9.5 million refugees and hundreds and thousands of people have been slaughtered in Africa from a number of conflicts and civil wars. If this scale of destruction and fighting was in Europe, then people would be calling it World War III with the entire world rushing to report, provide aid, mediate and otherwise try to diffuse the situation. This article explores why Africa has been largely ignored and what some of the root causes of the problems are. Last updated Sunday, February 27, 2005.
Read article: Conflicts in Africa—Introduction
A Comparison With Kosovo
The international media, NATO leaders and others were very vocal about the plight of the ethnic Albanians in Kosovo and insisted on a new humanitarian based model of military intervention. Because the western mainstream media had so much rhetoric about this new humanitarian nature of NATO, it is worth making some comparisons here to see if and how that has been applied to Africa. Last updated Monday, August 20, 2001.
Read article: A Comparison With Kosovo
The Democratic Republic of Congo
The conflict in the DRC (formerly known as Zaire) has involved seven nations. There have been a number of complex reasons, including conflicts over basic resources such as water, access and control over rich minerals and other resources and various political agendas. This has been fueled and supported by various national and international corporations and other regimes which have an interest in the outcome of the conflict. Last updated Friday, October 31, 2003.
Read article: The Democratic Republic of Congo
Nigeria and Oil
The Niger Delta in Nigeria has been the attention of environmentalists, human rights activists and fair trade advocates around the world. The trial and hanging of environmentalist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other members of the Ogoni ethnic minority made world-wide attention. So too did the non-violent protests of the Ogoni people. The activities of large oil corporations such as Mobil, Chevron, Shell, Elf, Agip etc have raised many concerns and criticisms. Oil, which could potentially have allowed Nigeria to be one of the wealthiest countries in Africa has instead led it to become one of the poorest. Last updated Saturday, July 03, 2004.
Read article: Nigeria and Oil
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone has seen serious and grotesque human rights violations since 1991 when the civil war erupted. According to Human Rights Watch, over 50,000 people have been killed to date, with over one million people having been displaced. There have been numerous factors contributing to problems such as the the diamond connection, the gross abuses committed by both rebel and government forces, and the problems of the current peace treaty. Last updated Monday, July 23, 2001.
Read article: Sierra Leone
Conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea
30 years of war and conflict as Eritrea attempted to gain independence, finally resulted in an April 1993 internationally monitored referendum, where 98.5% of the registered voters voted. 99.8% of the votes were for independence, although the borders were not defined clearly. While the two nations seemed to get on fairly well, relations deteriorated into war a couple of years after Eritrea introduced its own currency in 1997. War again resulted over what seemed to be a minor border dispute in May 1998. Last updated Wednesday, December 20, 2000.
Read article: Conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea
Rwanda
It seems that the cause of the Rwanda genocide has typically been explained in simplified terms, such as ancient tribal hatreds, omitting many of the deeper and also modern causes, such as international economic policies, power politics and corruption of the elite, etc. which are also common contributing causes of problems elsewhere in the world today. Find out more about some of the deeper causes of genocide in Rwanda. Last updated Wednesday, October 25, 2006.
Read article: Rwanda
AIDS in Africa
One conflict in Africa that has taken a long time to get appropriate media attention, with regards to its severity, is that of the conflict of ordinary African people with HIV and AIDS. It is said to be killing more people than the current conflicts. Last updated Sunday, December 03, 2006.
Tracy here are a few but not all of the current conflicts in Africa. Of course AIDS is one if the biggest problems:
Conflicts in Africa—Introduction
There have been over 9.5 million refugees and hundreds and thousands of people have been slaughtered in Africa from a number of conflicts and civil wars. If this scale of destruction and fighting was in Europe, then people would be calling it World War III with the entire world rushing to report, provide aid, mediate and otherwise try to diffuse the situation. This article explores why Africa has been largely ignored and what some of the root causes of the problems are. Last updated Sunday, February 27, 2005.
Read article: Conflicts in Africa—Introduction
A Comparison With Kosovo
The international media, NATO leaders and others were very vocal about the plight of the ethnic Albanians in Kosovo and insisted on a new humanitarian based model of military intervention. Because the western mainstream media had so much rhetoric about this new humanitarian nature of NATO, it is worth making some comparisons here to see if and how that has been applied to Africa. Last updated Monday, August 20, 2001.
Read article: A Comparison With Kosovo
The Democratic Republic of Congo
The conflict in the DRC (formerly known as Zaire) has involved seven nations. There have been a number of complex reasons, including conflicts over basic resources such as water, access and control over rich minerals and other resources and various political agendas. This has been fueled and supported by various national and international corporations and other regimes which have an interest in the outcome of the conflict. Last updated Friday, October 31, 2003.
Read article: The Democratic Republic of Congo
Nigeria and Oil
The Niger Delta in Nigeria has been the attention of environmentalists, human rights activists and fair trade advocates around the world. The trial and hanging of environmentalist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other members of the Ogoni ethnic minority made world-wide attention. So too did the non-violent protests of the Ogoni people. The activities of large oil corporations such as Mobil, Chevron, Shell, Elf, Agip etc have raised many concerns and criticisms. Oil, which could potentially have allowed Nigeria to be one of the wealthiest countries in Africa has instead led it to become one of the poorest. Last updated Saturday, July 03, 2004.
Read article: Nigeria and Oil
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone has seen serious and grotesque human rights violations since 1991 when the civil war erupted. According to Human Rights Watch, over 50,000 people have been killed to date, with over one million people having been displaced. There have been numerous factors contributing to problems such as the the diamond connection, the gross abuses committed by both rebel and government forces, and the problems of the current peace treaty. Last updated Monday, July 23, 2001.
Read article: Sierra Leone
Conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea
30 years of war and conflict as Eritrea attempted to gain independence, finally resulted in an April 1993 internationally monitored referendum, where 98.5% of the registered voters voted. 99.8% of the votes were for independence, although the borders were not defined clearly. While the two nations seemed to get on fairly well, relations deteriorated into war a couple of years after Eritrea introduced its own currency in 1997. War again resulted over what seemed to be a minor border dispute in May 1998. Last updated Wednesday, December 20, 2000.
Read article: Conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea
Rwanda
It seems that the cause of the Rwanda genocide has typically been explained in simplified terms, such as ancient tribal hatreds, omitting many of the deeper and also modern causes, such as international economic policies, power politics and corruption of the elite, etc. which are also common contributing causes of problems elsewhere in the world today. Find out more about some of the deeper causes of genocide in Rwanda. Last updated Wednesday, October 25, 2006.
Read article: Rwanda
AIDS in Africa
One conflict in Africa that has taken a long time to get appropriate media attention, with regards to its severity, is that of the conflict of ordinary African people with HIV and AIDS. It is said to be killing more people than the current conflicts. Last updated Sunday, December 03, 2006.
Executive Member
Posts: 9,534
June 12th, 2007, 01:42 PM
Poverty vs. conflict: understanding Africa's wars
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) stands out from other developing regions by the sheer number of conflicts and the massive impact on lives and livelihoods. In SSA, as the distinction between criminal and political violence becomes ever more blurred, has armed conflict become the major determinant of poverty? If so, what can be done?
A report from the Institute of Development Studies argues that war and poverty are in a dynamic and mutually reinforcing relationship. The conventional portrayal of conflict as a deviation from 'normal' life fails to comprehend situations where conflict splutters, re-ignites and is rarely settled by 'peace' agreements. Policy interventions will not promote sustainable peace unless built on subtler analysis of war economies and failing states.
No less than 28 SSA states have been at war since 1980. Increasingly, conflicts are regionally connected. It is a moot point whether in the Great Lakes, East and Central Africa there is a series of interlocking 'national' conflicts or a single zone of conflict in which national armies and non-state armed groups cross frontiers at will.
Poverty vs. conflict: understanding Africa's wars
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) stands out from other developing regions by the sheer number of conflicts and the massive impact on lives and livelihoods. In SSA, as the distinction between criminal and political violence becomes ever more blurred, has armed conflict become the major determinant of poverty? If so, what can be done?A report from the Institute of Development Studies argues that war and poverty are in a dynamic and mutually reinforcing relationship. The conventional portrayal of conflict as a deviation from 'normal' life fails to comprehend situations where conflict splutters, re-ignites and is rarely settled by 'peace' agreements. Policy interventions will not promote sustainable peace unless built on subtler analysis of war economies and failing states.
No less than 28 SSA states have been at war since 1980. Increasingly, conflicts are regionally connected. It is a moot point whether in the Great Lakes, East and Central Africa there is a series of interlocking 'national' conflicts or a single zone of conflict in which national armies and non-state armed groups cross frontiers at will.
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Location: California
June 12th, 2007, 03:05 PM
I've read all about the conflicts, just like you have. My point is why treat Tanzania or Mauritius like you would treat the Sudan or Somalia? That doesn't make sense. Some countries are pure hell holes no doubt. Others have started making progress.
Even some of those countries are no longer at war right now. Sierra Leone's conflict is basically over and they have a LOT of war injured. Rwanda is basically at peace as well and has made remarkable progress since the genocide. I think it's more important to help those countries now than ever.
I've read all about the conflicts, just like you have. My point is why treat Tanzania or Mauritius like you would treat the Sudan or Somalia? That doesn't make sense. Some countries are pure hell holes no doubt. Others have started making progress.
Even some of those countries are no longer at war right now. Sierra Leone's conflict is basically over and they have a LOT of war injured. Rwanda is basically at peace as well and has made remarkable progress since the genocide. I think it's more important to help those countries now than ever.
