Efforts to Stop Gender-Based Violence!

                Violence comes in many different forms, sexual, physical, and emotional are the forms most often seen.  Zambia has been in recent news for having a significant amount of cases reported.  According to this article I read, “52 per cent of women aged between 15 and 49 reported that they had experienced either physical or sexual violence.”  I was shocked by this number; I would have never thought that half of the women population was a victim of abuse.  It makes many wonder why that many?  Is their cultural values that much different?

                While gender based violence has reached some of the highest numbers in Zambia history, women of the communities in Zambia felt it was time to start fighting back through awareness.  Violence is a punishable crime in Zambia, but only 22 per cent of the reported acts of violence are prosecuted!  Therefore, it is time that the women of this nation start to unite together and speak out. 

                This year the women of this country took part in a 16 day activism to stop all types of violence.  The women also celebrated International Day of Elimination of Violence.  All of these prevention ceremonies started in late November and are continuing through the first part of December.  The women of the nation are not the only ones speaking out about the violence; they have now have support from the United Nations and other government foundations.  Violence is not just a crime, but it also costs the governments much money through medical bills when these women enter emergency rooms with serious damaging effects of violence.

                This was one article that really shocked me with statistics, but at the same time I was really impressed to see the women of this nation taking action and doing something about it.  These women are role models and I am sure that with the cultural differences it is harder to speak out in this nation.  That is why what these women are doing currently could be life changing to other women.  There is no need for abuse, and the women of Zambia are helping to give victims a future. 

                I really hope their efforts to put a stop to these damaging statistics are a success.  I also hope that they encourage other nations in Africa to do the same sort activism.  I am sure Zambia is not the only country with that many cases of violence, and therefore, they need to spread their knowledge and help to other countries.  I am sure they could inspire many women in the United States to get help as well if they could just hear their stories and tell them where they could get help.

Here is a picture of a march during these 16 days

This is one of the campaign t-shirts worn during this time



Possible Solution to Hunger!

                It is not a secret that majority of the people in Africa are suffering from starvation and the continent as a whole needs some answers to this hunger issue.  In this article, the author points out that Calestous Juma, a Harvard professor, has a solution to this mind boggling problem.  Apparently, the solution involves better equipment for agriculture areas, better accessibility to farms, and the use of genetic modification in crop production.  The African officials have been concentrating on the issue, and are going to advance to help the starving nation be nourished. 

                With all the negative media published about Africa, this news is good news.  The solution seems simple, but all the details for modernizing farms can become complex very fast.  The United States and other countries have been using genetic modification in crop production for quite some time now, and now many farmers have yields per acre that are unheard of in history.  If the right tools and practices are provided to Africa maybe over time this hunger issue may begin to resolve itself.  I know it is a long stretch, but maybe with help from other nations this plan could be a success.

                The article points out that so much of this problem lie in the hands of leaders of Africa and other nations.  This appears to be very true.  It takes leaders to pass bills to build roads to farms, and it takes leaders to approve grants and bills to get farming equipment.  There are actually many farmers who live in Africa, but the right tools are not available to them to mass produce for the whole continent.  In fact, Juma believes things will stay the same until the president of Africa addresses the problem and looks into taking some action. 

Many people see the pictures plastered all over television of the starving children in Africa that need food or they will die.  I think if many nations stood together and provided Africa with tractors, plows, education on farming and the necessary seeds to produce a good crop that we could finally develop a productive plan to help.  Giving money to the country is wonderful in all, but I think what they really need is a plan of action with supplies.

 

This is a picture of some of the crops Juma suggested Africa to grow

This crop is millet, and it is believed that it would grow great in some areas of Africa.

This is a picture of sorghum.  It is actually a popular crop in some areas of the world and may just work in Africa too!

Yams are another crop that is actually grown in some areas of Africa now, but there is possibilities of mass production of this crop.



Homosexuality a Crime?

            Homosexual’s rights are an issue that many parts of the World are addressing currently.  It is an important issue when it comes to politics and society in general.  In relation to the rest of the World it seems as if America is becoming more and more accepting and accommodating to the gay public.  However, this is the complete opposite in Kenya according to this article.  The Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, made it very clear to the public of Kenya that the constitution in the country does not support the gay community.  According to the article he also, “warned that men or women found engaging in homosexual acts would be arrested.”  Wow!  Some seem to think that the United States is very unaccommodating to the gay community, but compared to Kenya the United States seems to be more accepting.

This is a picture of Raila Odinga

            It is hard to imagine people getting arrested for homosexual activity.  Honestly, I am sure there are a many other problems that the country faces; maybe attention should be focused elsewhere.  It seems like Kenya is moving backwards when every other country in the World is moving forward with this issue.  According to the article, homosexual activity has been illegal for a long time, but until now the gay community was more just left alone.  It is questioning why now the prime minister decided to actively punish homosexuals when the problem has gone unpunished for so long. 

            In America the citizens may forget how fortunate and lucky they really are to have rights.  Even though homosexual attitudes are also split in the United States, those that are homosexual are able to live as they please, and in some states it is legal to marry now.  In Kenya those who chose to arrange a homosexual wedding would be thrown in jail!  It seems very extreme that being gay is a punishable crime.

In America this is a very popular saying in the homosexual community...

          It must be difficult to be a “different” citizen in Kenya

and other countries similar to Kenya.  When a popular leader

like Raila Odinga openly bans and condones homosexuals, it

seems like he would almost brainwash other citizens in the

county that this way of life is a horrible crime.    

Terrorism Sweeps Kenya

Terrorism is sweeping the nation.  It almost seems inevitable that terrorism is in every country at some point.  More and more cases are reported and it seems that this violent world that we live in is not getting better at this point.  The idea of peaceful settlements has left the minds of many and now this cruel world of violence has entered.  We have seen in it in the United States recently and in Africa there have been an outrageous number of terrorist actions within the nation.  Countries within Africa are having conflicts with neighboring countries.

                In this article I read, the author pointed out that there has been some terrorist activity in Kenya.  In fact, a member of Kenya’s police force was killed in terrorist action.  However, they are still investigating the chances of it being an act of terrorism, but based on evidence they have collected now they have come to the conclusion that was the motive behind the police officer’s death.

                The article points out that an onlooker say men in a ditch at the time of the crime, and those suspects are believed to be the terrorist.  After research the investigators found that a grenade was the cause of death to the police officer; it was thrown into his moving vehicle.  Therefore, it is believed that the suspects threw the grenade from the ditch.  The murder took place in Estleigh, Kenya, and authorities believe that the murders were Somalia immigrants that have been fleeing frequently into Kenya for economic reasons.

                Terrorist action is something that is a serious ordeal that can be prevented.  It seems silly to wish World peace in today’s society, because looking around at the corrupt society it is hard to imagine a world without violence or terrorist activity.  Africa needs relief and some support within the continent so that terrorist actions can be reduced. 

The following is the location of the crime

Narobi, the stared city, was near the city of the murder