...COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SOUTH AFICA AND NIGERIA Africa is the second largest continent with vast resources and inhabits more than 12 percent of the world’s population. Although we know that the continent has plenty of resources, Africa remains the world’s poorest and most undeveloped continent. [1]Poverty is widespread, there is a great threat of communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. Politically, I would say that the country is unstable as there were civil and liberation wars. The lack of development in africa is closely linked to the phenomenon of state weakness which underlines the need for improvement governance as prerequisite for development in Africa. And so corruption is widespread and human rights abuses are a norm among many governments in Africa. When we read about these two nations we see that, South Africa and Nigeria have a lot of influence on African Affairs. Nigeria and South Africa both are blessed their ethnicities and races, an asset to national and economic development. Nigeria and South Africa are both stratified societies. Both the countries were shaped by assumptions and definitions imposed by the British rulers. British imperial rule in both countries provided identities, languages and symbols for ethnic and racial groups. [2]In South Africa, for example, the colonists' policies deepened the differences between Zulus and Xhosas, Ndebele and Vendas, Tswana and Qwaqwa, etc. Also, those of mixed race were segregated from...
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...Liberia is the oldest independent country on the continent of Africa. It was founded first in 1822 by the American Colonization society for the sole purpose of resettling free slaves from North America to Africa. Before the declaration of independence, Liberia was a colony of the ACS and was governed by an agent appointed by the American Colonization Society and later left from a colony to a Commonwealth form of government where the governors were also appointed and assembly members were elected by the province. Liberia is situated on the west coast of Africa and is bounded on the west by the Republic of Sierra Leone, on the east by the Republic of Ivory Cost, on the north by the Republic of Guinea and on the South by the Atlantic Ocean. Liberia declared her independence on July 26, 1847. The form of government is republican with a unitary state. It has three branches of government namely, the Executive, Legislative and Judiciary. Liberia economy is made up of the formal and informal sectors. The informal sector consists of petty traders whose activities are not included in the GDP and the formal sector which include both the public and private sectors. With a current population of 3.4M, the government of Liberia is the largest employer in the formal sector. The Civil Service Agency is responsible for the placement, recruitment, hiring and management of all government employees. Due to the two decades of civil war the entire system broke down and the fundamental basis of placement...
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...Democratic Consolidation in Africa Prof Tom Lodge 16th of March 2015 Introduction In this review essay I will focus on arguments imposed by Staffan I. Lindberg, in his article Forms of States, Governance, and Regimes: Reconceptualizing the Prospects for Democratic Consolidation in Africa. For the purpose of this essay I have selected two African countries (Ghana and the Republic of South Africa) that belong to most developed ones, in terms of their ability to accomplish the process of democratization. If we try to apply Lindberg’s three structural layers system to the chosen states we have to follow the structure of his method. In this regard, firstly we need to identify processes which will inevitably lead to democratization. In such a state we should expect a gradual change in the state form, from capstonian to more penetrative form of state, as Lindberg suggests. To do so we need to identify in which ways and areas is state penetrating society. 1. Forms of States According to Lindberg, there are two most common approaches to the study of African transformation processes. First theory is based on structural determinants of democratization, the second is underlying the importance of actor- oriented analyses. Lindberg distinguishes three structural layers of the state, on the basis of which we can identify the democratization trends in African States. First layer is form of state, which is characterised by the way states penetrates into the society and various methods of...
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...leader for his role in fighting apartheid and being the first multi-racial president of South Africa. His presidency created a significant change in the perception and building of a multiracial society in South Africa and around the world. Nelson Mandela was also known to be a leader of a civil rights organization known as the African National Congress. The purpose of the African National Congress was to demolish racial segregation and discrimination. The two most significant social changes made by Nelson Mandela was his uniting of a fiercely divided country and his creation of a truly democratic society in South Africa. A great leader will always fight for what they believe in. Nelson Mandela's dream was building a society in which all South Africans could live in freedom and prosperity. He wanted a free, non-racial, and non-sexist society for all South Africans. In Mandela’s early years he was raised by the Thembu tribe located on South Africa’s southeastern coast. He wanted to escape the Thembu traditions of marrying a woman of his regent’s choice so he fled to Johannesburg. In Johannesburg, Mandela was able to find work at a Jewish law firm in 1942. His entry level position encouraged him to obtain a bachelor’s degree in law. Through this law firm, Mandela was introduced to many different ideas, communists, politicians, and the African National Congress. During this time, South Africa was ruled by a white government which believed in racial segregation and discrimination....
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....F’;.CV0C=Universality of human rights has always been a extensively challenged and debated topic, especially in the recent decades. In recent decades, a widely contested debate over the universality of human rights has emerged. Rights are certainly not universally-applied today, with oppression, torture and various atrocities committed in many parts of the world. This paper will focus on the notion that both in the Third-World and the West, states have used human rights discussion as a political tool, which has weakened arguments for its universality. This perspective will be utilised to break down arguments made against universal human rights before presenting alternative conceptions of universal human rights and identifying developments which may ensure they can be universally applied and respected. It is important to first define the theoretical basis of ‘universal’ human rights. Universal conceptions argue human rights are inalienable, self-evident and applicable to all human beings (Donnelly, 2003, 10). These arguments are often linked to origins in Western philosophy and natural law, developed from philosophers such as John Locke (Langlois, 2009, 12). Many scholars maintain that human rights are ‘pre-political’, thus unchangeable and unaffected by cultural or political variation. Donnelly identifies the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the basis in establishing the “contemporary consensus on internationally recognised human rights” (2003, 22). Human rights...
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...The vocal tone of discontentment by the social forces indicate the State`s inability to perform the policies outlined on the Government`s diplomacy of Ubuntu. South Africa`s role in the COP17 indicates the State`s incoherence on their foreign policy. President Zuma`s Administration did not live to the expectations of the International community and of the locals. The conference expected South Africa to take the lead on the promotion of green technology and encourage renewable sources like wind as outlined on the website of (South African Government White Paper on Foreign Policy 2011). To great disappointment, scholar (Watson n.d.) observed that little support is given to these sources. In 2011, the public campaign of “One million Climate Jobs” demanded for the State to use electricity from wind and solar power (Austin-Evelyn 2011). However the negligence highlight the Foreign Policy`s failure to lure in investors on the climate change program and promote community empowerment. This presents the Government’s failure to meet the demands of civil society. The President Zuma`s Administration is blamed for giving a blind eye on the potentials of renewable sources. As most of the country`s coal powered stations are heading towards the end of their useful life (Bonellie 2015) And Del Weston acknowledges South Africa to have, “the Influence over the development agendas of other African Countries” (Watson n.d.). One notes that, South...
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...The actions and saying of an individual can have a significant impact on the values and attitudes of modern day society. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. were one of the most influential individuals of all time, who used non-violent methods of protest to convey their message to their respective populations, and eventually succeeded through perseverance. Gandhi and Luther King Jr. both travelled extensively throughout their countries, inspiring people towards change and freedom. Gandhi was born on 2nd of October, 1869 (Porbandar, India). He studied law and advocated for the civil rights of Indians in India and South Africa under colonial rule of the British. Gandhi was a lawyer for many years until he fought to free India...
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...PEACE BUILDING IN AFRICA Protocol refers to an international agreement that adds to an existing international instrument. Ratification refers to a formal action under international law that makes a state a party to particular treaty and indicates a state’s consent to be bound by the treaty The African union protocol is an African law made by Africans for Africans and it does among other things call for: * An end to all forms of violence against women in all its forms and in all situations * It promotes the use of corrective measures (Affirmative action) for women’s equal participation and representation. In elected and appointive offices * It clearly provides for the reproductive health rights of women and girls * It provides for remedies for any woman whose rights and freedoms are violated and denied * It also entitles her to seek and obtain redress through accessible government and non governmental agencies mechanisms and services Defending women’s human rights is often seen by state authorities, and even by communities, as a challenge to culture, tradition and a way of life. Through their work, many directly or indirectly challenge social stereotypes regarding the proper role and status of women. As a result, women activists not only face repression by governments, but also by their families and other community members. Ongoing armed conflicts on the continent place women at even further risk of violence. Courageous women civil society activists carry...
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...dysfunctional needs to be examined, given the extent to which they have lagged behind other former European colonies in many aspects. In the first section, I will consider the problems with African states from the level of the state. That is, the nature of the states' inceptions and the underlying flaws may explain some of the issues that have been associated with African states today. Next I examine the development of, or lack of, civil society and the institutions which took place across the continent in the colonial era. In particular, I consider the lack of education and judicial authority and how this affected the formation of the structures which exist in the post-colonial era. Lastly, the economic legacy of colonialism is analysed, and whether the failure of African states to prosper can be explained by colonial practices. State Formation Ever since the boundaries of Africa were drawn up in 1884/5, very little has changed in terms of the continent's territorial divisions. Much has been made of the fact that the post-colonial states which constitute Africa were the products of colonial demarcations, and whose territories are not congruent to existing political and ethnic organizations. Ethnic conflict within states is an unfortunate feature of several African states, and one which undoubtedly retards development of any kind. There has been debate surrounding the nature of African ethnicities and whether they were synthetic constructs created by colonial powers(Berman 1998)...
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...UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN DEPARTMENT OF HISTORICAL STUDIES Destruction of Cape San (Bushman) Society The hunter-gatherer communities of the Cape Colony were almost entirely destroyed as a result of pervasive settler violence under both Dutch and British colonial rule. Some scholars argue that the land dispossession, enforced labour incorporation, periodic massacre, and suppression of their culture inflicted on the San constitute genocide. While developments through the 18th century have been reasonably thoroughly documented, our knowledge of the 19th century is patchy because little research has been done on this period. RESEARCH TOPIC: MONIQUE CLASSEN CLSMON002 The ‘Christianization’ process of the London Missionary Society in 19th century South Africa: A case study of Bethelsdorp and Thornberg Contents PLAGIARISM DECLARATION 2 ABSTRACT 3 INTRODUCTION 4 THE LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY 7 Driving Ideologies Behind An Archetype of Civility and Modernity 9 THE ‘CHRISTIANIZATION’ STATIONS 11 The Institute of Bethelsdorp for the Khoekhoe 11 Thornberg Mission Station for the Heathen San 17 THE GROUNDWORK 21 CONCLUSION 26 BIBLIOGRAPHY 28 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 1. Village of Bethelsdorp (from John Philip: Researchers in South Africa, London 1828) 2. Church and Mission House at Bethelsdorp (from a watercolor by John Campbell, 1819.) By courtesy of Africana Museum, Johannesburg 3. Map: Nineteenth-Century Mission Stations to Bushmen...
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...Evaluating the role of ethnic identity in explaining the occurrence of contemporary civil conflicts in sub-Saharan Africa. High hopes for many newly independent states of Africa became diminished as the 1990s saw over a quarter of the continent's states facing armed insurgencies within their borders (Young, 2002: 534). Commentators often point to pathological, deep-seated hatreds in an African tribal mosaic as the bases of such conflict. The fact is, however, that the continent is awash with political grudges, ethnically-framed and otherwise, but civil wars rarely break out. Thus this essay seeks to take a more nuanced approach to understand the analytical challenge posed by such disorder. Starting out by countering the centrality of ethnic identity, it firstly seeks to demonstrate that ethnic identities do not exist primordially, but that they are constructed on weak foundations. Secondly it endeavours to show that where cleavages do exist along lines of cultural difference, simple heterogeneity is insufficient to account for the outbreak of conflict. Next, it moves to underline the fact that more important in explaining civil conflict is whether such conflict is feasible. This is understood both in terms of the perceived capacity of the state and in terms of the viability of insurgency for would-be rebels. A final conclusion will then be expounded that ethnicity is not a central factor, but that it is simply one of a number of strategies under which conflict may be framed...
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...young adults who have been underexposed by circumstance. Giving back to the community through smart business can stimulate positive change regardless of economic, political, religious and social context. At Ikatu International, we believe in endless possibilities and the power of “Yes I Can”. Country Selection Matrix: A Tool to Prioritize Geographic Focus Revised Report August 2010 Ikatu International The original report was authored by Meghan Corroon and Elizabeth Stewart from Causemopolis in January, 2009. INTRODUCTION The Country Matrix analysis is a reference document that was used to support Ikatu International’s (Ikatu) decision-making process in selecting a pilot country for its first youth employment program in Sub-Saharan Africa. It draws on a diverse selection of academic, governmental, and nongovernmental publications and sources to create a Matrix Tool, which calculates a composite index that assesses and compares a variety of economic, social and...
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...Scale of the Trade: Between 1492 and the end of the trade in 1867 Europeans transported a minimum of 10 million people in some 27,000 slaving expeditions – or some 170 slave ships per year. 50% mortality rate (rough estimate) About 95% of the captives were sent to the brutal tropical sugar growing regions of Brazil and the Caribbean. 40% Brazil 5-6% North America Before the trade picked up (1700) 2.2 million Africans had already been shipped to the Americas. The trade climaxed in the 1780s, when 80,000 Africans were shipped a year. 5/4 of all those shipped came in the 18th and 19th centuries. Three major areas in Africa supplied the bulk of the people transported to the US: Upper Guinea (Senegambia to Sierra Leone), Lower Guinea (the Gold Coast to the Bight of Benin), and Kongo-Angola (West Central Africa) About ¼ of those imported to North America came from the Kongo- Angola regions and another ¼ from the Bight of Biafra, and approximately 1/6 came from the Senegambian region. Three Stages of the Trade...
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...social movements have played a crucial role in defining South Africa in terms of social and political status, and they have been the source of many of our current laws and norms that we conform to today. Throughout history there has been debate on whether the terms ‘old’ and ‘new’ social movements are practical when discussing them within a South African context. In this essay, the various characteristics of both ‘old’ and ‘new’ social movements will be discussed in detail so as to understand what each entails, and examples will be given of each. From this, the usefulness of the distinction between ‘old’ and ‘new’ social movements in the post-1994 South African context will be explored so as to come to a conclusion regarding their use in South African history. Reference will be made to the studies of Kate Nash, Richard Ballard et al., Thokazani Nzimakwe and Tsepho Madlingozi ‘Old’ social movements tend to emphasise labour movements and parties that focus movement was seen as directing its attention towards the corporatist state. “ (Nash, 2010: 88) In simpler words, ‘old’ social movements are oriented towards the state, and are therefore emphasise structural hierarchy. ‘Old’ social movements are also seen as having an instrumental role, meaning that their members take part for specific reasons, such as to make money. There are many examples of movements which fall into the category of ‘old’ social movements in South Africa, and these include Congress of South African Trade Unions...
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... the present day media is also filled with news of violence. What exactly is violence? Violence can be described as an act of intentional harm to some individual or group. Violence can be physical, mental or sometimes even emotional. It disturbs peace and harmony in the society and slows down the overall development. Securing ownership over land and resources, power hungry leadership, extremism, racism, sociocultural differences, ethnic and caste conflicts are causes of violence. For example, the violence between the Indians and the Pakistanis over the land of Kashmir is motivated by the desire of securing land and resources. The conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians is driven by religious differences and extremism. There are constant fights between different tribes in many parts of Africa. These African tribal conflicts are usually motivated by ethnic and caste differences. Centuries prolonged conflicts between the "blacks" and the "whites" were the results of racism. There are still residues of similar conflicts in different corners of the world. Adopting peaceful methods of protestation for making your voice heard have positive impacts on obtaining lasting peace. For example, in South Africa, the white minority apartheid government ruled over the ethnic black majority. They used cruel violent methods to oppress ethnic blacks. However, the African National Congress chaired by...
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