News & Politics - Atrocities in Africa

**sum1** · 03-12-2005, 11:31 PM

About Belgian colonial atrocitieies in the Congo:Dark heart of Congo's former rulers returns to haunt them - Times Online

This was going on just a century ago. "Civilization" and "justice"? In severed human hands smoked on a fire? Atrocity and hypocrisy mixed. A chapter of history that must not be forgotten.

**sum1** · 03-12-2005, 11:40 PM

Meanwhile, there are modern atrocities in the Congo, which, like many such in Africa (such as the genocides in Rwanda and Sudan), tend to get all too little attention from the world. The below article relates the modern problem to the atrocities of a century ago.

The horror, the horror is back | Ben MacIntyre - Times Online

**sum1** · 03-13-2005, 06:49 PM

Really stands out how this thread is getting totally ignored. Kinda fits with the way the world doesn't seem to care about what happens in Africa.

Lexis · 03-14-2005, 01:19 AM

People care about Africa but I'm not sure what I could add to the debate other than the obvious statement about the awfulness of what happenned. I think the focus now has to be on improving the current situation in Africa - there are pressing problems that need to be sorted.

Interestingly, the Commission for Africa just released its support and one those involved, Bob Geldof, basically told Tony Blair (who was in the audience) to tell Bush that it would cost him "****** all" to try and ease the situation.

I'm considering protesting in Scotland during the G8 meeting later this year - something has to be done and the world seems to be turning away. Thank God for Gordon Brown who is making real, positive plans.

mh67511 · 03-14-2005, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lexis

People care about Africa but I'm not sure what I could add to the debate other than the obvious statement about the awfulness of what happenned. I think the focus now has to be on improving the current situation in Africa - there are pressing problems that need to be sorted.

It's interesting you say that because every day there are at least a few threads that are generally along the lines of "Something Horrible Happened to Someone," and then there are a bunch of "oh that's horrible" replies. It's starting to get really old because real issues that can actually be discussed get pushed further and further down. But that's off topic.

Anyways it's really terrible what is going on in Africa. The church denom. I am part of recently released a video about one of our missionaries who was martyred over in Congo (Zaire) back in the 60's when the way broke out; I believe it was a civil war. Really sad story, but they've started this Congo partnertship in memory of him and it's to collect money for medial supplies and school equipment and other things. My mom told me that women in the church still roll bandages too. I had no idea they still did that.

Paul Carlson Partnership

Also, what is Zaire? I always remember Congo being called Zaire, or is that a different country?

Lexis · 03-14-2005, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mh67511

It's interesting you say that because every day there are at least a few threads that are generally along the lines of "Something Horrible Happened to Someone," and then there are a bunch of "oh that's horrible" replies. It's starting to get really old because real issues that can actually be discussed get pushed further and further down. But that's off topic.

I agree - which is why I don't personally post on them. I am however reluctant to dictate what is and isn't news. As a result, it is left up to the discretion of individual posters. If they believe it sparks something, then they have every right too discuss it.

**sum1** · 03-14-2005, 02:16 PM

Some Africa-relevant topics come to mind:

UN troops raping and abusing in Congo.

The Sudan genocide and how little has been done or said about it.

Hotel Rwanda -a movie pushes people to remember a genocide the world sat by and and allowed to happen. I'm glad the movie got attention in the Oscars, even if only nominations.

AIDS -it's so widespread in Africa it beggars belief.

- annuscka - · 03-15-2005, 10:39 AM

Quote:

UN troops raping and abusing in Congo.

Refreshen my memory on this - or is it recent and I've been living under a rock?

I remember that when I read up on the Congo for a geo class I had in December, I was shocked about the current political situation - it seems as if there is another genoicide in the making, but not by the UN, by conflicts between The Congo and Rwanda/Uganda that time - or, actually, I believe it was the later two who really had the conflict, and the Congo somehow ended up in the middle...? Extremely confusing all of it - and depressing. They juist ended a civil war, and now they might be at war with the neighbours instead!
There are UN troops in the region, correct? I assume those are the ones misbehaving?

When you think about the situation in all development countries, but especially all of Africa - it really strikes at least me how little it actually is that needs to be done. Clean water, the multi-national coorporations out of there and instead of using the farmers to grow tobacco and coffee for the western world, they'd grow food for themselves. That'd already fix a hell of a lot!
But I suppose it's the simple things that are the most hopeless to make happen... seems like the west never wants to admit failiure as with the colonies and how we have treated Africa since.

Quote:

Also, what is Zaire? I always remember Congo being called Zaire, or is that a different country?

Nope, it's the same - they have changed names about 3 times the past ten-fifteen years I think, so it's fine to be confused!

It was Zaire until rather recently, at some point also Congo-Kinshasa (to part it from Congo-Brazzaville, a smaller country close to it) - and now I think it's DRC, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

mh67511 · 03-15-2005, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by - annuscka -

Nope, it's the same - they have changed names about 3 times the past ten-fifteen years I think, so it's fine to be confused!

It was Zaire until rather recently, at some point also Congo-Kinshasa (to part it from Congo-Brazzaville, a smaller country close to it) - and now I think it's DRC, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Thanks for clearing that up.

You mentioned food and it reminded me of a comment someone made it my sociology class about how "we feed the world." It kind of made me mad because while it may seem like a great thing, if you constantly give people food, they're never going to learn how to grow it and be able to sell it themselves. All the money that is made from the production and sale of that food stays in the country that made it. I think we should provide food aid to the most needy, but we should also teach people sustainable agriculture techniques so that they can not only grow food to feed their family, but to sell so that they can begin to better their lives. That way the money from the sale of the items will stay in their country.

Eddy · 03-16-2005, 04:56 PM

Re:UN troops raping people in Congo. I think there was a 20/20 special on that about a month or so ago. They have sex with these prostitutes and get them pregnant and leave. They called this exploitation. . UN tried to come up with new rules to stop it, but 20/20 got footage of UN troops getting with the young women.

JW77 · 03-16-2005, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eddy

Re:UN troops raping people in Congo. I think there was a 20/20 special on that about a month or so ago. They have sex with these prostitutes and get them pregnant and leave. They called this exploitation. . UN tried to come up with new rules to stop it, but 20/20 got footage of UN troops getting with the young women.

I saw something similar to that about a week ago...I think it was a CNN special report. But anyway, some of the women were saying that they've gone to the UN for help because they're single mothers, but they went on to say that the UN isn't doing much for them.

I guess this is one of those things the UN is ashamed of. Kind of like the "non-genocide" in Darfur.

Anyway, like you said, the UN has tried to enforce the rules a bit better, but it doesn't seem to be stopping those sexual activities. On the special that I watched they showed some recent footage of the UN troops still going out and sleeping with these women. And one of the bad things about it is that some of the women have aids and say that they don't tell the UN troops about it. One woman was saying that the UN troops don't care about the women, so she doesn't care about the troops.

Some good news (good because any press that deals with problems in places like Africa is good) regarding Africa and other developing nations...

Quote:

Bono Introduces Edun
Bono and Ali Hewson launch ethical clothing line Edun.

By Krista Desens

NEW YORK, NY Wednesday Mar.16.2005 /netmusiccountdown.com/ -- For many years, U2's Bono and his wife Ali Hewson have been outspoken social activists, and now the couple is continuing their humanitarian work with a new "ethical" and environmentally friendly clothing line called Edun. The line is the brainchild of Ali and is meant to offer style without economic exploitation and create employment in Africa and other developing areas of the world, where most of the clothes are made.

The Hewsons, along with Edun clothing designer Gregory Rogan, introduced the new line at New York's Saks Fifth Avenue last weekend. At the launch, Bono explained that the idea for Edun, which is 'nude' spelled backwards, "came out of wanting to treat people in the developing world in a non-patronizing way, through business. It's a trade rather than aid model that we're interested in."

Bono added, "Look, the world doesn't need another fashion brand; we understand that. But we don't think that this is just another one. It's different. At the very heart of it we have the idea of four respects: respect for what your clothes are made of, respect for who is making them, respect for where they are made and respect for the people who are going to put them on."

Edun clothing will be available soon at Saks Fifth Avenue Stores nationwide, and the line ranges from $45 to $300. Edun will also make U2's concert t-shirts for the Vertigo Tour, as well as some (if not all) of the band's clothes.

I think I read somewhere that the early production will mainly be in African nations...but he does talk about other developing nations, so I'm guessing that it will grow into other areas.

mh67511 · 03-17-2005, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JW77

And one of the bad things about it is that some of the women have aids and say that they don't tell the UN troops about it. One woman was saying that the UN troops don't care about the women, so she doesn't care about the troops.

I don't think it's a bad thing. It's merely the consequence of their actions. If they want to rape someone, they take the risk of getting diseases.

That makes me sick to hear that about the UN. After all the corruption we've been hearing about, the UN isn't sounding too good to me lately. I don't want my tax dollars funding a group that takes advantage of these women and runs corrupt food programs. Give it to the Red Cross instead, a group that does REAL good.

I won't be wearing any Edun clothes. $45 - $300? As much as it would be nice to support something like that, it's too expensive. I make freaking $5.50 an hour so I can't afford to spend $50 bucks on a shirt.

Lexis · 03-17-2005, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mh67511

That makes me sick to hear that about the UN. After all the corruption we've been hearing about, the UN isn't sounding too good to me lately. I don't want my tax dollars funding a group that takes advantage of these women and runs corrupt food programs. Give it to the Red Cross instead, a group that does REAL good.

Maybe I'm wrong but aren't UN troops just troops from member nations? I always thought they were under the control of their own governments but maybe I'm wrong.

I also think its important to stress that sex crimes by troops is not a specific UN issue - I read this shocking paper a few weeks ago about how South Korea has become a hot bed of people trafficking and forced prostitution thanks in no small part to the US army bases there. The problem is, there are rules forbidding the soldiers from getting involved in these activities but they are not adequatly enforced.

http://www.equalitynow.org/english/a...n_2301_en.html

Quote:

In March 2002, Fox Television broadcast an undercover investigative report documenting the participation of U.S. military forces stationed in South Korea in the commercial sex industry. In the report, American Courtesy Patrol officers stationed in bars near the Camp Casey base in Tongduch'on willingly share detailed information with journalist Tom Merriman on the mechanics of the commercial sex industry in the bars and the trafficking of women to South Korea to supply the demand for prostitution by U.S. military forces. "They get off the plane and the Korean nationals that work at the airport take their visa and their passport away, put them in a line on the side, and they go to auction. All these clubowners buy these girls at auctions," says one Courtesy Patrol officer. He further explains that the trafficked women will not get their passports or visas back until they earn enough money to pay for the expense incurred by the clubowner. The Courtesy Patrol officer agrees when questioned by the reporter that his responsibilities include keeping all the bars safe. "That's our job," he says and then advises the undercover reporter how to "barter" for the services of a prostitute. Women in the camptown bars from Russia and the Philippines confirm on camera that they have been trafficked to South Korea, that their passports have been taken, and that they are not free to go home.

According to the U.S. State Department, as many as four million women and children a year are lured by traffickers, often linked to organized crime, to destinations all over the world with promises of higher paying jobs, as nannies, waitresses or dancers, than they could get at home. After arriving in a foreign country, the women are forced into prostitution, often treated brutally and kept in inhuman living quarters. The story of "Lana" was featured in the American publication Military Times, which in August 2002 published an exposé of the link between the demand of U.S. servicemen for prostitution and the trafficking of women into the commercial sex industry. Back home in the Kyrgyz Republic, Lana worked in a shoe factory for $20 a month. One day she saw a newspaper advertisement looking for women to dance and chat in nightclubs serving U.S. servicemen in South Korea. The ad promised $2,000 for the first six months, an enormous increase over her dismal wages. Lana responded to the advertisement. When she arrived in South Korea, heavily in debt to her new employers for her travel and upkeep, she was forced by her employer, who took away her passport, to engage in prostitution for American servicemen. Living with nine other women from the bar in a three-room apartment with a video camera mounted over the front door to monitor her movements, she was only permitted 30 minutes of freedom each day.

I found this article as MSNBC.com that I thought was quite interesting.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6856751/site/newsweek/ . Its written by a guy who works for them but it sums up pretty neatly a lot of the good things the UN does.

Quote:

The most devastating natural disaster in living memory, the Indian Ocean tsunami, has given us part of the answer. The U.N. rushed to the rescue and is spearheading the largest humanitarian operation the region has ever seen. International aid workers, soldiers and survivors are working side by side to deliver food and medical supplies provided both by traditional Western donor countries and less wealthy Asian ones. Less than a month after the horror, and amid the turmoil of a massive cleanup, children in Sri Lanka are heading back to school. The worst of the feared second wave of deaths—those from hunger and disease—has not happened.

But is that all the U.N. is good for—coordinating humanitarian relief? Some think that's where the world body's real strength lies: pulling together the resources, and expertise, of all countries to tackle those challenges that are an affront to humanity. Many U.N. agencies have established a global reputation for excellence in delivering aid—notably UNICEF (helping children), UNHCR (protecting and assisting refugees), the World Food Program and the World Health Organization, which have all been in the forefront of international crises and disasters for nearly six decades.

mh67511 · 03-17-2005, 11:43 AM

I just get so frustarated when I read things like that about the thugs who lure women and children into that and the people who solicit them. It makes me so angry and it disgusts me. It digusts me that there is a market for that and it disgusts me that people who take advantage of them. I do believe the UN does good, but I really like the Red Cross a lot and hate to hear of corruption. What exactly is the goal of the UN. I honestly don't have much idea as to what exactly they DO. Maybe they should just become an aid organization solely since they seem to do a good job at it, at least in relation to the tsunami disaster.

Lexis · 03-17-2005, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mh67511

I do believe the UN does good, but I really like the Red Cross a lot and hate to hear of corruption. What exactly is the goal of the UN. I honestly don't have much idea as to what exactly they DO. Maybe they should just become an aid organization solely since they seem to do a good job at it, at least in relation to the tsunami disaster.

From the UN website:

Quote:

The United Nations was established on 24 October 1945 by 51 countries committed to preserving peace through international cooperation and collective security. Today, nearly every nation in the world belongs to the UN: membership totals 191 countries*.

When States become Members of the United Nations, they agree to accept the obligations of the UN Charter, an international treaty that sets out basic principles of international relations. According to the Charter, the UN has four purposes: to maintain international peace and security; to develop friendly relations among nations; to cooperate in solving international problems and in promoting respect for human rights; and to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations.

The United Nations is not a world government and it does not make laws. It does, however, provide the means to help resolve international conflicts and formulate policies on matters affecting all of us. At the UN, all the Member States — large and small, rich and poor, with differing political views and social systems — have a voice and a vote in this process.

There are lots of problems with the UN but I think without it, the world would be a poorer place. I think it is the first step to a unified world - unfortunatly, nobody seems very willing to take the next steps. You've only gotta look at the rise of these far right parties in my country who want us out of Europe and to basically go it alone on everything.


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