Vusi Mahlasela is an African singer and songwriter, who was a crucial artist in opposing the appartied. His songs of protest became anthems, moving the people of Africa to fight for their freedom. Mahlasela's songs are a blend of traditional African style with soul and blues, with powerful lyrics. This song, Thula Mama, is dedicated to his grandmother and all women.
Post 2: What Does Gapminder Say About Africa's past, present, and future???
Graph 1: Looking at the rise and fall of wealth in Botswana: click here for the actual graph
Analysis:
From the 1800s to around 1944, Botswana's life expectancy and income per person were all extremely low, even compared with other African nations. This was due to the colonialism and consequential exploitation of human and natural resources by Europeans in the 19th century. Then, at 1945, the life expectancy of the people in Botswana increased dramatically, from under 35 to over 45, increasing by roughly ten years, refelcting remarkable progress. This indicates that Africa was beginning to recover from colonialism, and that science and medical resources were becoming more available in Africa. However, the income per person didn't increase by a lot, and the country of Botswana was still poor. Still, the growth in Botswana did not stop. At 1965, Botswana received independence, and this is reflected through the graph. Though at 1965, Botswana was still a poor country, with low life expectancy, life expectancy and income per person rose to catch up with other African nations like Egypt. However, there was an extremely sudden drop in the life expectancy around the 1990s, negating all the progress made with life expectancy. Around 1998, the graph showed that the life expectancy fell by another 17 years. These falls are all an consequence of the HIV growing in tragic levels in Botswana. Over the past five years, treatment of infected persons has reduced AIDS-related deaths by over 50%. This has caused life expectancy to increase again. This still does not explain, however, why Africa was a victim of HIV, and why Botswana, as well as many African countries, are still in turmoil and remain poor in contrast with developed countries like the US, Taiwan, and Japan. The answer is that the seed planted by 19th century European colonialism in Africa, mainly with their careless drawing of boundaries and purposeful stirring of civil wars, are still plaguing Africa
today. So, in understanding this, we'll analyze the war and corruption in Africa, in order to connect it to events
that happened 200 years in the past.
War in Africa:that happened 200 years in the past.
Why is there so much war in Africa? Africans as a people may be poor, but Africa as a place is fantastically rich - in minerals, land, labour and sunshine. Africa is extremely rich in resources, and this has been the case because of African geography, but also because the Africans lived a lifestyle in which what the Europeans defined as valuable resources (such as gold) wasn't as valuable to them. The paradox of rich resources and poor people hints at another layer of explanation about why Africa is poor. The biggest reason behind poverty in Africa is that outsiders have been going to Africa for hundreds of years, to invade, occupy, convert, plunder, and trade. The reasons for poverty in Africa-corruption, war, disease to name a few-can all be traced to colonialism, mainly 19th century European colonialism. For one, European colonies set up trading patterns in Africa aimed at benefiting the colonizer, and not the colonized. If you go farther into the matter, there is also a psychological impact caused by colonialism. Colonialism is set around the idea to take, and not build, and this idea has become the mindset of many African citizens. This made it hard for Africans to recover by themselves, and break free of any dependence. Even today, it is difficult to come up with poverty reduction programs that are inclusive, because the people of Africa themselves don't know what they need. After years of being told what they were going to have, the Africans don't know how to properly develop their own resources and talents, and are still indirectly exploited and suffering from the rule and divide systems of colonialism.
Corruption in Africa:
One of the greatest barriers in ridding Africa of poverty is corruption. Corruption in the government still continually hinders African attempts of stabilizing the economy and giving the people proper living conditions and education. Many Africans believe that the gap between the rich and poor in Africa is still growing, mainly due to corruption. Many of the rich industrial political leaders want to just keep on being rich, and don't want to pay taxes. President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia once said "Maybe I should have sacked the whole government when I came to power.", adding that "Africa is not poor. It is poorly managed." The root of corruption comes from the instability in African nations caused by the rule and divide system in 19th century colonialism. Europeans, during the Scramble for Africa, divided Africa into borders that made many ethnicities clash against each other. Many Europeans further encouraged these fights to make their rule easier (for example, in present-day Rwanda, the nation is still in chaos because of the hatred generated between two peoples-the Hutu and the Tutsi).
Post 3: Economics in Africa
Eleni Gabre-Madhin on Ethiopian Economics:
So far, my economics related posts have all been more or less more related to Europe. However, I think that it is very important, possibly even more important, to apply these economic concepts we have learned to places in need of them, such as, in this case, Ethiopia.
Summary of this talk (taken from TED):
Economist Eleni Gabre-Madhin outlines her ambitious vision to found the first commodities market in Ethiopia. Her plan would create wealth, minimize risk for farmers and turn the world's largest recipient of food aid into a regional food basket.
Some related videos:
http://www.ethiotube.net/video/5175/PBS-Wide-Angle-The-Market-Maker-16
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/episodes/the-market-maker/introduction/5000/
Post 4: Drawing of an Afar girl
Well, I tried my best, but the color in this picture was lost because the lighting in which I took the picture was bad. Hopefully, I'll be able to access a scanner soon, and get a better picture.
Some Info on the Afar tribe:
The Afar people live primarily in Ethiopia and the areas of Eritrea, Djibouti, and Somaliacan in the Horn of Africa. Their land is mainly rocky and desert terrain. The Afar people also live in the Awash Valley and the forests located in northern Djibouti. There are approximately 3 million people that make up the Afar culture. The Afar people are usually found to be malnourished. Their diets consist mainly of bread and milk. There is no natural source of water for the Afar people. Water must be tanked in and as a result it is relatively expensive. Many of the Afar people have anemia and malaria, because of their inadequate diets. The Afar nomads have a very unique culture. Their daily life consists of tending to livestock including goats, camels, and a few cattle located in this region. The Afar people are very dependent on the livestock for the economy. Religion is also a part of the Afar way of life. The majority studies the Muslim religion. There is although a small percentage that practices Orthodoxy
Post 5: Neil Turok Makes His TED Prize Wish
Physician Neil Turok, who won the 2008 TED Prize, is a physician, and talks greatly about Africa's future. He talks about how many smart and creative young Africans are starved of opportunity, and by unlocking the Nation's creative potential, we can pull Africa out of poverty.
Post 6: Art in Africa: Sandile Zulu
Born in Ixopo, Kwazulu-Natal, Sandile Zulu came of age during a time when he routinely experienced the unequal access to land, education and resources that defined the apartheid era in South Africa. An awareness of these inequities and the tensions between exclusion and inclusion, history and the present, are reflected in his work. He bases his art on the philosophical outlook that explores the interconnectedness of all things--cells, bodies, plants and planets; art, science and philosophy. Zulu began his formal arts education in 1982 at the competitive Rorke's Drift Art and Craft Centre, which afforded talented black South Africans with access to art materials and training. It closed after his first year, at which time he was among a select few black students permitted entrance to the Technikon Natal in Durban. In 1993 he received his degree from the prestigious University of Witswatersrand in Johannesburg. It was at Witswatersrand that Zulu began his first experiments with fire. His first solo show, Fire!, took place only two years later at the Rembrandt van Rijn Gallery in Johannesburg. Nearly 16 years later, Zulu's explorations with fire have been exhibited across South Africa, Europe and in New York City. The National Museum of African Art is honored to bring Zulu to Washington D.C. for the first time and join his extraordinary vision with that of Henrique Oliveira of Brazil. His art has come to represent Africa, reflecting the history and culture of Africa in a creative and unique way.Here are some of his works:
Post 7: Various Things Related to the San/Bushmen
Here are two posters that i made. For a larger picture, just click on them!
This is a prezi I made; it can be boring, but it does have a lot of background information on the Bushmen that'll be great for people who are actually interested in the topic.
Post 8: Project Discussion
For my Eyes on Africa project, I decided to research on the Bushmen tribe, focusing on the issue of how colonialism is still present today. This project gives an overview of precolonial Bushmen, and then ties 19th century colonial issues like loss of land and culture to what is happening more recently. In doing this project, I gained a deeper understanding of the Bushmen perspective; the importance of their traditions and lifestyle, and what today's rapidly transforming world means to them. I also gained a better understanding of Africa as a whole, learning about some modern social, health, and political issues that are also tied to the 19th century. One of the things I learned that impacted me a lot was how the Botswana government has been denying many Bushmen tribes land rights and pushing them off into government-designated camps. Previously, I hadn't been aware of many "smaller" issues in Africa that didn't make it to CNN, but now, I'm beginning to see the many complex sides of Africa. After the actual presentations, I found many connections between my project and other projects. There was one project about African cuisine that talked about Bushmen traditions in relation to other African countries that helped me understand my own presentation better.
For my Eyes on Africa project, I decided to research on the Bushmen tribe, focusing on the issue of how colonialism is still present today. This project gives an overview of precolonial Bushmen, and then ties 19th century colonial issues like loss of land and culture to what is happening more recently. In doing this project, I gained a deeper understanding of the Bushmen perspective; the importance of their traditions and lifestyle, and what today's rapidly transforming world means to them. I also gained a better understanding of Africa as a whole, learning about some modern social, health, and political issues that are also tied to the 19th century. One of the things I learned that impacted me a lot was how the Botswana government has been denying many Bushmen tribes land rights and pushing them off into government-designated camps. Previously, I hadn't been aware of many "smaller" issues in Africa that didn't make it to CNN, but now, I'm beginning to see the many complex sides of Africa. After the actual presentations, I found many connections between my project and other projects. There was one project about African cuisine that talked about Bushmen traditions in relation to other African countries that helped me understand my own presentation better.
Post 9: Perspectives of the Boer War: Zulu, Boer, and British
Post 10: Hotel Rwanda Movie Discussion
Post 11: Rwanda: Analyzing Perspective and Cause&Effect
UN Perspective: The UN viewed the situation in Rwanda as significant and unfortunate, and also took measures to help stabilize the situation. However, they had a more distant perspective of the situation, with a more politically-minded view where the Rwandan Genocide wasn't of immediate importance (in other words, "seeing the big picture"). Some people in the UN might have also viewed themselves as superior, and the act of helping the Rwandans as a show of their kindness and superiority. There were also those that genuinely wanted to help the Rwandans, but many of these figures, generally related to religious organizations or journalism, could affect decisions on a significant level. As an organization of their scale, the UN would face a lot of oppositions and complications with taking any conclusive action towards issues not directly damaging to global powerhouses like the US, UK, and Japan. In this way, I felt that the UN made the fight too drawn out, and that the Rwandan Genocide could have been a lot less horrible if the UN had taken conclusive action.
Hutu Perspective(extremist): The perspectives of the Hutus and Tutsis were, ironically, very similar to each other. The Hutus mainly viewed the Tutsis with a resentment that had built up from during the colonial period. To them, the Tutsis were arrogant and cruel, and had been unjustly given superior treatment, thus making them intruders in Rwanda. There might also have been Hutus who fought in the Genocide because of resentment of people with higher social status, and there might also have been people who fought for personal benefit such as prestige or money. Most of all, though, this resentment and hate had actually been drawn out and elevated to a point that the Hutus were viewing the Tutsis with contempt and hate that had no proper justification (something like mob mentality). These extremist Hutus saw Tutsis as people destined to be evil, and defined them by their title as Tutsis, rather than seeing past that title to their actual, human side (the same could be said for the Tutsi perspective towards Hutus, seen when children were slaughtered in the Rwandan Genocide to kill off the next generation of "cockroaches.")
Tutsi Perspective(extremist): The Tutsi perspective was very similar to the Hutu perspective. The Tutsis viewed the Hutus as dirty people and evil people who massacred masses of innocent Tutsis. They viewed the Hutus as people who would corrupt and dirty society, much like pests or bacteria.
Perspective of normal Rwandan citizens: Many citizens, Hutus and Tutsis alike, actually had no barrier between the Hutu and Tutsi. To them, that title was more of a government issue rather than a philosophy to live by. Many Hutus and Tutsis befriended and even married each other. In fact, during the Rwandan Genocide, both Hutus and Tutsis became victims or the Genocide; the killing had become a mindless act of violence. These citizens also saw the UN as a form of hope, their only chance of escaping the violence of the Genocide. To them, the UN might have seemed like an all-powerful organization that would be sure to stabilize the situation of their country. In the movie Hotel Rwanda, when they discovered that the UN would be leaving Rwanda, many citizens couldn't comprehend why.
Hutu Perspective(extremist): The perspectives of the Hutus and Tutsis were, ironically, very similar to each other. The Hutus mainly viewed the Tutsis with a resentment that had built up from during the colonial period. To them, the Tutsis were arrogant and cruel, and had been unjustly given superior treatment, thus making them intruders in Rwanda. There might also have been Hutus who fought in the Genocide because of resentment of people with higher social status, and there might also have been people who fought for personal benefit such as prestige or money. Most of all, though, this resentment and hate had actually been drawn out and elevated to a point that the Hutus were viewing the Tutsis with contempt and hate that had no proper justification (something like mob mentality). These extremist Hutus saw Tutsis as people destined to be evil, and defined them by their title as Tutsis, rather than seeing past that title to their actual, human side (the same could be said for the Tutsi perspective towards Hutus, seen when children were slaughtered in the Rwandan Genocide to kill off the next generation of "cockroaches.")
Tutsi Perspective(extremist): The Tutsi perspective was very similar to the Hutu perspective. The Tutsis viewed the Hutus as dirty people and evil people who massacred masses of innocent Tutsis. They viewed the Hutus as people who would corrupt and dirty society, much like pests or bacteria.
Perspective of normal Rwandan citizens: Many citizens, Hutus and Tutsis alike, actually had no barrier between the Hutu and Tutsi. To them, that title was more of a government issue rather than a philosophy to live by. Many Hutus and Tutsis befriended and even married each other. In fact, during the Rwandan Genocide, both Hutus and Tutsis became victims or the Genocide; the killing had become a mindless act of violence. These citizens also saw the UN as a form of hope, their only chance of escaping the violence of the Genocide. To them, the UN might have seemed like an all-powerful organization that would be sure to stabilize the situation of their country. In the movie Hotel Rwanda, when they discovered that the UN would be leaving Rwanda, many citizens couldn't comprehend why.
Your portfolio is simply amazing. Good job and great effort!
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