African Union

began researching about my country and Africa and watching documentaries. For the longest time that was all that I did. As if I was a theorist searching for credible resources and pieces of solid evidence that supported my theory. Then I discovered African music, specifically Nigerian music and if I were to be more specific I would say Naija music. I remember listen to Iyanya’s Kukere, I remember thinking “Wow this is some really good music I wonder what he is saying!? Obviously, he is speaking…

Marxist theory states that “capitalists enjoy profits due to surplus value” (Aviles). Rodney argues that this so called ‘surplus’ was African labor and raw materials: “colonies should exist for the metropoles by producing raw materials and buying manufactured goods, the underlying theory was to introduce an international division of labour” (177). This point was demonstrated through examples such as the slave trade, wage labour, technological advancement, and politico-military advances. These…

In his seven year research, Hofstede compared cultural dimensions in forty countries and divided this into four (or sometimes five) areas that summarized each culture. The dimensions included: Power Distance Index (PDI), Individualism (IDV) (opposite collectivism), the Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI), and Masculinity (MAS) (opposite femininity), and Long-term Orientation (LTO). Power distance refers to the extent that less powerful members accept and expect inequality. Individualism is the…

Studies show that if you are a poor female child enrolled in school, you are less likely to be receiving the critical education needed. Because Agbor wants to improve the quality of education in Africa, he claims, “To address Africa’s education crisis, African governments must implement policies that reduce poverty in rural areas such as improving infrastructure, health and sanitation conditions, and modernizing the agricultural sector” (Agbor). The education level has a large impact on the…

Lets look at one example countered by James Oporio-Ekwaro director of The African Forum, on Press TV interview, the journalist questioned ‘are you in any way concerned about this relationship with china (Africa) which seems so many annalists particularly from the west littlie bit worried about what china real intention are?’ he…

Moyo contends that Western aid has little benefit to African poverty because “in the 1970’s less that 10 percent of Africa’s population lived in dire poverty – today over 70 percent of sub-Saharan Africa lives on less than US 2$ a day” (Moyo). Through use of statistics, Moyo builds credibility to her claim…

Within the Regional and Comparative Studies major, I plan to study gendered violence in Sub-Saharan Africa – specifically how religious traditions create a culture in which violence against women thrives. In today’s deeply polarized world, it is more important than ever to understand the extremely divisive force that is religion, and how different religious beliefs serve to inform a society’s treatment of women. Several years ago, I read Jimmy Carter’s excellent book A Call to Action: Women,…

The political- thrillers Blood Diamond and The Constant Gardener tell two different stories, however both movies deal with the representation of Africa in a Hollywood style. The character development, editing and themes are used to further enhance this Hollywood portrayal. Ralph Fiennes plays the role of Justin Quayle in The Constant Gardener. Justin, a minor English diplomat, seems to be a meek, unpassionate, passive gentleman; however this image of him is changed as he becomes provoked into…

Introduction: Nigeria, a country located in West African region is touted as the most populous country in Africa with over 140 million people. It is a richly blessed country with a large oil and mineral deposits and over natural resources and was presently quoted to be the biggest economy in West Africa. Unfortunately, the Nigerian health sector, a foremost social service sector has never really fared well, principally due to its chronic underfunding. The WHO (2000) ranked the Nigerian Health…

Ugandan Development Emma Shamrock 9F Uganda is an African country with diverse landscapes. It is said to have great economic potential and has already grown economically. Uganda has survived political instability and economic turmoil and is now progressing into a stable country. Uganda is populated by dozens of ethnic groups and is also known as ‘the pearl of Africa”. Uganda has been tackling the Aids crisis and now has one of the fastest growing economies in Africa. Uganda’s Location Uganda is…