Free Essay

Angola Research Paper

In:

Submitted By drestherlynnblac
Words 1812
Pages 8
The Physical and Physiological Damage of A Rebuilding Angola
By
Linda E. Black
Mid – South Community College
November 19, 2009

A southwestern African country by the name of Angola, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, Namibia, and Democratic Republic of the Congo is a country that is known for its colossal oil production, which is roughly 85% of its GDP. Angola is almost twice the size of the state of Texas (USA). It is separated into 18 provinces, and its capital city is Luanda. Angola’s climate in the south is semiarid while the north has cool, dry weather for their winter and hot, rainy weather for their summer. Angola is no stranger to war and conflict. After enduring Portuguese rule since the mid 16th century until Angola received its independence in 1975, this country was catapulted in a civil war that ravaged the country. The war initiated almost immediately after its liberation from Portugal and ended in 2002. The disagreement was between the party behind helping Angola gain independence from Portugal, the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola, led by Jose Eduardo Dos Santos and another political party, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola, led by Jonas Savimbi (Wertimer 2004) . After a grand victory, there are many tribulations that Angola has to overcome in order to rebuild its country back to normalcy, such as overcoming educational, emotional, social and physical damage that has been done within her borders.
The Angolan Civil War caused great physical damage to its infrastructure. The great majority of Angola’s buildings were demolished including hospitals, churches and government facilities. Most buildings still contain artillery fire piercings and shrapnel holes. This serves as a constant reminder to many Angolans about the recent ending war and keeps afresh the horror that it embodied. Not only does the infrastructure reveal signs of a damaging war, but also the citizens. Many of them have lost limbs by landmines and the hostility of the war. This makes physically demanding task in Angola even the more demanding, if not impossible.
Children have been greatly affected by the nearly three decades of civil war. The psychological effects of the war have thwarted many young Angolan’s educational development. Many children were torn apart from their familial structure creating an overwhelming stress on their developing mental faculties. Their young minds are overpowered with the horrible images they have witnessed, such as their close friends dying, the considerably lengthy hikes to places of refuge, the environment that they have become acquainted with demolished by the hands of other Angolans and being forced into an unknown environment (Fish 2001). These children can easily become hostile and narrow-minded about people who try to get involved in their lives even if their objective is to offer help. They have been forcibly taught to familiarize themselves with whatever surroundings is being presented through the adults. For hundreds of thousands of displaced children, they have been abandoned by their country and many find relief in places where their lack of learning will cause the least resistance, chiefly the streets.
For these three decades of terror, there were no structured educational facilities. Children were left struggling, in such a hostile environment or in unfamiliar surroundings, without the ability to process everything through an education point of view. Whatever the grade level the children were in or whatever college level students were in at time of war, they were left at that exact level of learning (Malaquias 2007). Children that were eight years old were only able to read on third grade level when they turned twenty-three years old because of the 15 year gap of non-schooling due to war time.
Women were hit the hardest with the burdens of the war. They were held accountable for their families’ well-being while their husbands were out searching for work. These women often had the responsibility of looking after their husband and his parents, their parents, and other relatives on both sides of the family. They were looked to for provisions such as food and water as well as for the welfare and learning of their children. Many of them are faced with adaptations of their new environment. Also, some face the horror of taking on new tasks which were left by a husband who has not returned from the war due to displacement or death (Wertimer 2004). These mental stresses coupled with the physical demands of life in Angola take its toil on numerous women. Irregular menstruation, high blood pressure, life-threatening complications surrounding pregnancies and a lack of prenatal help are just a few catastrophes which arise within this war torn environment. These pressures help give rise to Angola being number one in the world in infant mortality rates. In the presence of such insurmountable stresses, many Angolan women have turned to prostitution which also affects their children, and deserted their conventional roles (Oyebade 2006).
Adolescent males were also taken aback by the high demands of the war. These young men desperately need answers and resources on how to integrate back into their society. For the most part, they feel as if they do not belong to society and that they have positioned them in a lose-lose situation because of the collapse of their upbringing. These young men fought bravely for the government which was in order and now that those officials have been dethroned, life has gotten more difficult as they try to blend into the social order.
Although they are no longer connected to the previous government officials who wreaked havoc in their country, many of their families are unwilling to accept them because of those previous ties that devastated their families. Society sees them as being friends with their opposition. These adolescents must be extremely careful when trying to incorporate back into their environment. If they are to vent anything about the presence of new government authorities or are slow to accept the change, only allegations have to circulate about them contesting current leaders and their lives will be at stake (Malaquias 2007). For those who have returned from various places and did not seek refuge in Angola, they are also treated with disdain and with disrespect, particularly if they have a hint of any language other than Portuguese. They are given the most menial and underpaid jobs. They are stopped from reaching any type of substantial recognition in the sports arena, if allowed to participate.
Pre-Civil War, the population of Angola was this population’s confidence level, for the most part, was at its peak. They were being educated, in both pre-college and college, most of their businesses did not suffer from lack of loyalty, and they knew where family members and loved ones were located if at any time there was a need. Angolans, at this time, were able to live in the comfort of their loving homes and not have their minds on whether it is their time to pack and run for their lives (Chabal 2007).
An entire population ravaged by war and subsequently disregarded in peace generated a multitude of emotional and social crises in Angola. In 1975, Angola was granted total independence. The UNITA disputed the MPLA’s ascendancy, and civil war broke out immediately (Tvedten 1997). To have their victory of gaining independence interrupted by such a thing is a devastating act to be forced to endure. They were being knocked off their high horse, figuratively speaking.
During the time of Civil War, 1975-2002, there were 4 million people displaced and 1.5 million lives lost. The impact of such calamity is agonizing; the loss of lives coupled with displacement of individual’s amounts to 82.7 percent of Angola’s population! At some point, many mothers were separated from children, many wives were separated from husbands, several brothers separated from sisters, close friends forced apart, loads of deaths, and businesses bombed down to the ground causing many jobs to be depleted. People who stayed behind and fought for their country either triumphed or got triumphed over.
Rebuilding the emotional and social level of, what was, such a thriving population is not an easy charge, howbeit, it can be accomplished with much invested time and effort. It is going to take much psychological intervention to bring the population’s mind toward normalcy. There is a need for family and close friend locator services, rebuilding of businesses, and rebuilding of homes for families that are in need of that stability. Angola’s citizens must have a willing and a determined mind to restore all that was taken from them. Although Angola is a major world producer of oil and other mineral reserves, the people of Angola have considerable struggles in their everyday living. Even though Angola has a wealth of resources, it also home to one of the highest presence of landmines and those who have lost limbs due to landmines in the world. Some of the major issues Angola must face postwar are rebuilding its buildings, inventing special educational units for the children, demining such a prosperous land, rekindling their agricultural production for food, bringing back refugees of the war and those who were dislocated and treat them with professional medical help that is so desperately needed.
Since the end of the civil war, the government has disarmed much of its citizens. Also, the Angolan Red Cross had developed numerous tracing programs to help those who were displaced by the war reunite with their families. The Christian Children’s Fund has initiated to help Angolan youth overcome the mental burden of living in a war torn country (Oyebade 2006). As far as medical professionals are concerned, many citizens do not trust these government hired institutions and seek other means of help such as self-treatments and witchcraft. Much work has begun to help the citizens of Angola, but there is still much work to be done.

References
Chabal, P., & Vidal N. (Eds.). (2007) Angola: The Weight of History. (pp.88-119) New York: NY: Columbia University Press
Fish, Bruce & Fish, Becky. (2001) Angola, 1800 to the Present: Slavery, Exploitation and Revolt (pp. 44-63) New York: NY: Chelsea House Publishers
Malaquias, A., ( 2007) Rebels and Robber: Violence in Post-Colonial Angola (pp. 97-109) Uppsala, Sweden: The Nordic Africa Institute
Oyebade, A. (2006) Culture and Customs of Angola (Culture and Customs of Africa Series) (pp. 69-89 & 112-133) Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood Publishing Group, Incorporated
Tvedten, I., & Bowman, L. (Ed.) (1997) Angola: Struggle for Peace and Reconstruction (pp. 21-52) Boulder, CO: Westview Press
Wertimer, S. U. , 2004-03-19 "The Post-Cold War Diplomacy in Angola: The Emergence of New Foci of Power" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Studies Association, Le Centre Sheraton Hotel, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Online Retrieved on 11-17-2009 from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p72235_index.html

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Angola Research Paper

...Angola is still continuing to rebuild after the 27-year Civil War that ended in 2002. They gained independence from the Portuguese in 1975. Peace seemed not too far in 1992 when they held national elections, which is how power had been controlled in the country since they had gained their independence. But that soon failed when the fighting continued again in 1993. Over One Million lives were lost and over Four million people were reported missing. Angola is located in Southern Africa and border the South Atlantic Ocean. The Country lies between the Country of Namibia and the Democratic republic of Congo. The Coordinates of Angola are 12.30 Degrees South and 18.30 Degrees East. They area of the country is about 1,246,700 km which is roughly 774,663 Miles. The area is only covered by land because there are no large waterways on the country. Angola is only slightly less than half the size of Texas. Angola has a Semi-Arid climate in the South. The North has a cool and dry season, which lasts May to October. The North also has a hot and rainy season that lasts November to April. Angola’s Terrain is a narrow coastal plain that gradually rises into plateaus. There are many Ethnic groups in Angola. There is Ovimbundu, which is 37 percent, Kimbundu, which is 25 percent, Bakongo, which has 13 percent, Europeans which...

Words: 421 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Angola Research Paper

...Angola is found in Southern Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean in the west, Namibia in the south, and Zambia in the east. It’s located at 11 degrees South and 17 degrees East. Angola has a total of 481,351 square miles. PLACE: In the northern part of Angola, the climate is damp and wet. The climate on the eastern side of Angola is moderate tropical weather. The part most centrally located has a dry, desert climate. Some of the most popular type of jobs to have there are management, production, and transportation. The lowest elevation of Angola is 0m. The highest point is Morro de Moco at 2,620 m. MOVEMENT: Two of Angola’s main exports are petroleum and diamonds. Together, these two resources make up about 80 percent of the total exports....

Words: 298 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Angola Museum Research Paper

...Orleans (Angola Museum, n.d.). In that same year, the first Louisiana State Penitentiary was built. The penitentiary was built on the corner of sixth and Laurel Streets in Baton Rouge using a plan similar to a prison in Wethersfield, Connecticut (Angola Museum, n.d.). In 1844, the penitentiary and the inmates were leased to the private firm of McHatton Pratt (Angola Museum, n.d.). During the Civil War union Troops occupied the penitentiary. Then in1869 the lease was given to a Confederate Major by the name of Samuel James. The James Family was in charge of the Louisiana Corrections for the next 31 years (Angola Museum, n.d.). In 1880, Major James bought an eight thousand...

Words: 1489 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Angola Trade Study

...1 The Impact of China-Africa Trade Relations: The Case of Angola By Dr Ron Sandrey Associate Trade Law Centre of Southern Africa Prepared for the African Economic Research Consortium Nairobi, Kenya November 2009 2 Acknowledgements The author would like to thank Hannah Edinger, Research Fellow, China Africa Network, Centre for Business and Academic Research, Gordon Institute of Business Science, University of Pretoria; and Senior Manager & Head of Research at Frontier Advisory, for comments on a previous draft, and for research and editorial assistance. The author would also like to express gratitude to the African Economic Research Consortium for commissioning the research paper. 3 Table of Contents 1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………. 4 1.1 Problem Statement…………………………………………………………………... 4 1.2 Objectives of Report……………………………………………………………….… 5 1.3 Overview of Report……………………………………………………………….….. 7 2. Background………………………………………………………………….… 9 2.1 Angola & China Country Snapshots and the background trading relationship………………………………………………………………………….… 9 2.1.1 2.1.2 2.1.3 2.1.4 2.1.5 2.1.6 2.1.7 2.2.1 2.2.2 2.2.3 Angola – A Country Snapshot………………………………………………………….…. China – A Country Snapshot……………………………………………………………… Angola’s trade profile………………………………………………………………………. Angola’s trade profile with China…………………………………………………………. Angola’s other trade partners……………………………………………………………… Who are the gainers and losers from Angola’s increasing merchandise trade flows...

Words: 27003 - Pages: 109

Premium Essay

Wasted

...detentions, poor conditions and beatings of detainees by guards at Lindela Repatriation Centre, assaults by police officers involved in the arrest of suspected illegal immigrants, and arbitrary and verbally abusive conduct towards asylum-seekers by Department of Home Affairs officials (Amnesty International, 2001). Xenophobia is defined by the Merriam Webster Dictionary as ‘fear or hatred of strangers or foreigners or of what is strange or foreign’ (Mish, 1997). The literal meaning of the word suggests that xenophobic people would dislike all foreigners equally, as it is their ‘foreignness’ that makes them objectionable. However, the patterns that emerge of the targets involved in incidents that are attributed to xenophobia, as well as empirical research investigating xenophobia, suggest that this is not the case. Particular groups of foreigners are targeted, and the ethnic origins of...

Words: 5407 - Pages: 22

Free Essay

Chinese Presence in Africa

...Introduction Nowadays, we live in a world that is converging in a fast-paced as a result of globalization with its active forces—leading to the tremendous rise in global capitalist economy. The demand for energy continue to sky-rocket in this modern world whilst major players in the world today; such as the United States, countries in the European Union and Japan are at alert in the sense that, China, one of the world fastest growing economy has been considered as a new competitor in the competition of securing a long term energy supplies around the globe. As China’s economy is rapidly growing and in other to acquire the needed resources to support its rapid growth, the government have taken a great step in focusing in other part of the world to secure oil which they deemed necessary coupled with other raw materials across the world. The rising economy of China was stated to have grown in an extraordinarily large number of nine (9) per cent per annum in the last twenty five (25) years whereas its consumption of energy has been said to have doubled to the extent that it outstripped the production of domestic energy. (Africa-practice report, 2007, p.2) Significantly, to catch up with the demand of its market, the economic powerhouse has channelled its attention to Africa. A continent widely known for its social and political unrest, though Chinese active involvement in Africa is a necessary mission in other for them to secure new export market for their manufactured goods, there...

Words: 4285 - Pages: 18

Free Essay

Business Communication

...COMMUNICATIONS IN BUSINESS 100 Name: Anonymous 2 Student Number: 12345678 Email: anonym2@mail.au Company: Chevron Corporation Title: Corporate Social Responsibility: An Analysis of Chevron Other Details: Semester 1 2014, Bentley Campus (Word Count: 1568) Introduction Multinational Energy Companies, like Chevron Corporation, have a broad and significant social, economic and environmental impact on the globe and as such are in a position to influence the lives of many people. Chevron is involved in many different facets of the energy business, including exploration, refining, production and transportation. The company employs approximately 60 000 people in the oil and natural gas industry, with interest in 180 countries (Chevron Corporation SWAT, 2009). With the rise in global communication associated with the information age, companies like Chevron have to establish symbiotic relationships, focused on sustainable development, with society in order to satisfy increasingly environmentally conscious stakeholders. In this context a symbiotic relationship refers to one that is cooperative and mutually beneficial (Langella et al. 2012, 51). At the foundation of such a relationship is respect for health...

Words: 2231 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

International Business, Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development

...internationalization strategy to better suit with today’s globalization challenges. CSR is now considered something to be taken into account in MNEs in order to compete better in market. CSR activities are gradually become important as they influence the core business of the firm and determine firm’s ability to grow, earn profit and sustain in the tough environment. Some firms are actually work hard with CSR in order to get the competitive advantages in managing international operation or earning a ‘pass’ to operate business in countries with different cultures and values or different institutional setting. Since these matters are being seen so importantly in globalization, thus, the aim of this paper is to determine how much do people actually concern on CSR and sustainable development in reality. The research on CSR and sustainable development has been carried out and it finds out that the availability of the relevant data and information for these two topics is limited. There are...

Words: 1000 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Trilateral Development Cooperation

...assessment of trilateral development cooperation. Introduction In a time span of the last 10 years, the scene has changed rapidly in international development studies. A number of new actors have appeared on the scene and are changing the attitudes towards and the setting of development, in particularly in Africa. To argue that changes on this scene is a novelty would be obscene, with possible references to the plethora of different development paths followed by individual states, the widely differing politics of international development and in particular the big shifts in the international paradigms surrounding aid and governance. The reasons for the current change on the international scene are many. First, and most relevant to this paper, there is the entry of “new” states on the scene. These are states that most often have risen to a middle-income level (e.g. China, Brazil, South Africa), and now are looking to either widen their altruistic reach, look out for geopolitical interest, gain political influence or to secure access to future growth markets and scarce resources – or maybe all of the above. It is worth to note, that they have all been present for a long time, but just recently have attained the interior economic welfare to increase their aid support (Rampa et al., 2012; Dreher et al., 2011; Wouters et al., 2012). Another very big driver of change is the entry of private financing into the field of development. Private companies, famous philanthropists and celebrities...

Words: 5950 - Pages: 24

Premium Essay

Relationshiop Between China and Africa

...Relationship Between China And Africa Assignment Submitted For the International Management Module at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Business School Prepared By Ayankoya Kayode A Foli, Edem Mpongoshe, Lukhanyiso Hurrisunker, Sanisha Maqina, Chumani Introduction This assignment examines the strategic relationship between China and Africa. The first section provides statistics that reveal the extent of trade between China and Africa since 2000. The specific statistics center around the amount of natural resources exported to China and compares that to the amount of imports from China. After gaining insight into the extent of business between the two, one can begin to understand why Africa is so important to China. This importance is discussed in more detail against the backdrop of the historical background of these two regions. The following section explains the strategy that China has adapted to trade with Africa and introduces the concept of the “Chinese Model”. This model highlights the driving forces behind China’s strategic decisions and introduces some controversial arguments around some of the methods that China has adopted. An important part of this discussion is the comparison of China’s strategy with that of the West (i.e. regions like the United States of America (USA/US) and the European Union (EU). Some interesting statistics reveal that Africa is attracting significant amounts of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and...

Words: 5597 - Pages: 23

Free Essay

Cardiovascular Studies

...The motivation behind this article was to distinguish the financial levels inside of the  study bunch at UAN in Luanda, Angola. Inside of the financial levels, the specialists decided the  event of customizable cardiovascular dangers and the connections among the diverse social  levels. The study was done at the University of Agostinho Neto with 615 open area laborers,  ages going from 20 to 71 years of age. The course of events for the study was done from  February 2009 to December 2010. A portion of the information that was gathered was close to  home, anthropometric (estimations of the body), biochemical, hemodynamic (blood testing),  financial, and physical movement. I trust that the sort of crowd in which the exploration was led  is for the overall public. Since the study bunch had a various number of financial levels going  from lower to high society and equivalent measure of men to ladies, the study is for separating  what hazard components are more present in various levels. This study facilitates learning of  ladies' wellbeing and cardiovascular sickness since it shows how the infection influences the  lower class more since they are less instructed and not mindful of the impacts of the illness.  Remarkable components about this exploration were the way this was the principal study to be  done in Angola and the populace beneath neediness in Angola is 33.6%. I think the examination  itself had extremely solid information however since it was just done inside of the grounds of  ...

Words: 3241 - Pages: 13

Free Essay

Country Classification

...Policy and Analysis Division (DPAD) of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat (UN/DESA). It is based on information obtained from the Statistics Division and the Population Division of UN/DESA, as well as from the five United Nations regional commissions, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and national and private sources. Estimates for the most recent years were made by DPAD in consultation with the regional commissions, UNCTAD, UNWTO and participants in Project LINK, an international collaborative research group for econometric modelling coordinated jointly by DPAD and the University of Toronto. Forecasts for 2014 and 2015 are primarily based on the World Economic Forecasting Model of DPAD, with support from Project LINK. Data presented in WESP may differ from those published by other organizations for a series of reasons, including differences in timing, sample composition and aggregation methods. Historical data may differ from those in previous editions of WESP because of updating and changes in the availability of data for individual countries. Country classifications For analytical purposes, WESP classifies all countries of the world into one of three broad categories: developed economies, economies in transition and developing economies...

Words: 2356 - Pages: 10

Free Essay

Economice

...ER E N U OP A E CON OMY E o o cP p r 4 5 J n 2 1 c n mi a es 1 | u e 0 0 T e h n ig atr i Itrain l rd h C a g P t n n nen t a Ta e n e o a dC ptl lw o te uf o p rt n n a i Fo s fh G lC o eai a o C u c C u t e i C mp r o w t o n i o nr sn o ai n i l i s h O h r iE p r n C u t e te O l x ot g o nr s i i Mag P ees ra etr E R P A C MMISO U OEN O S IN Economic Papers are written by the Staff of the Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs, or by experts working in association with them. The Papers are intended to increase awareness of the technical work being done by staff and to seek comments and suggestions for further analysis. The views expressed are the author’s alone and do not necessarily correspond to those of the European Commission. Comments and enquiries should be addressed to: European Commission Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs Publications B-1049 Brussels Belgium E-mail: Ecfin-Info@ec.europa.eu This paper exists in English only and can be downloaded from the website ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/publications A great deal of additional information is available on the Internet. It can be accessed through the Europa server (ec.europa.eu) KC-AI-10-415-EN-N ISSN 1725-3187 ISBN 978-92-79-14901-6 doi 10.2765/42450 © European Union, 2010 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. The Changing Pattern in International Trade and Capital Flows of the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries in Comparison...

Words: 7747 - Pages: 31

Premium Essay

International Organizations-Un

...* * * * * * * * INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS AS AN EXAMPLE; UNITED NATIONS Its goal and efforts * * * * * What are the international Organisations? International organisations ‘represent the apex of a pyramid of multilateral diplomacy. At the base of this pyramid are the issues suitable for negotiation. Above this is the process of negotiation in which states agree norms or rules, and only in certain cases does this process of negotiation create the appropriate organisation or institutions’ (Imber, 1992). One can classify these organisations into various categories concerning of their functions. Such as: a) International financial institutions b) Commodity cartels c) World trade d) Sustainable economic development e) Food security f) Human rights g) The environment h) Regional organisations i) Health j) Emergency/disaster relief k) Security These organisations can be listed as Inter-governmental and non-governmental organisation too. * Theory and International Organizations One tries to establish a theory which aims to explain international organisations. His theory bases on ‘a principal-agent (P-A) model of international organization in which groups of member governments sometimes empower their IO agents with real decision-making authority. …7 Member governments (making up the principal) hire an IO (agent) to perform some functions that will...

Words: 3371 - Pages: 14

Free Essay

The Impact of Chinese Investments in Africa

...Why is China investing in Africa? Evidence from the firm level By Wenjie Chen, David Dollar, and Heiwai Tang1 August 2015 Abstract China’s increased trade with and investment in Africa has boosted the continent’s growth rate but has also generated considerable controversy. In this paper we investigate China’s outward direct investment (ODI) in Africa using macro and micro data. The aggregate data on China’s ODI in African countries reveal that China’s share of the stock of foreign investment is small, though growing rapidly. China’s attraction to resource-rich countries is no different from Western investment. China’s ODI is uncorrelated with a measure of property rights and rule of law, whereas Western investment favors the better governance environments. As a result, Chinese investment in strong and weak governance environments is about the same, but its share of foreign investment is higher in the weak governance states. The micro data that we use is MOFCOM’s database on all Chinese firms investing in Africa between 1998 and 2012. We use key words in project descriptions to code the investments into 25 sectors. This database captures the small and medium private firms investing in Africa. Contrary to common perceptions, there are few projects in natural resource sectors. Most projects are in services, with a significant number in manufacturing as well. In our country-sector-level regressions based on firms’ transaction-level data, we find that Chinese ODI is profit-driven...

Words: 7801 - Pages: 32