This thesis utilizes a comparative perspective in analyzing the perceived differences between how people with albinism (PWA) are treated in Benin, Cameroon, The Democratic Republic of the Congo ...Show moreThis thesis utilizes a comparative perspective in analyzing the perceived differences between how people with albinism (PWA) are treated in Benin, Cameroon, The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe, by examining the variables of ethno-religious composition and socio-economic conditions in the countries. This research has shown that although the differences might be small, they are of crucial importance in how a PWA is perceived in these countries and how these notions have changed over time; from PWA being revered in pre-colonial Yorubaland and the old Kongo Kingdom, to today’s experiences of stigma and discrimination in name-calling, mutilations, and killings. Similarly, a stark contrast also exists amongst some of the countries – from PWA in Benin being revered, to PWA fearing for their lives in Tanzania due to a higher demand for PWA body parts to be used in witchcraft. Tanzania is also the African country that has garnered the most international attention for its treatment of PWA, and although the government and the state attempt to limit the extreme discrimination, it continues to persist. Nevertheless, it is important to keep in mind that the problems of stigma and discrimination as experienced by PWA are not limited to Tanzania, but exist all over the African continent.Show less
The African Union (AU), whose main objective is to coordinate and intensify cooperation for development of the African region, presents itself as an energetic and ambitious driving force for change...Show moreThe African Union (AU), whose main objective is to coordinate and intensify cooperation for development of the African region, presents itself as an energetic and ambitious driving force for change in the continent’s human rights landscape. In June 2014, the AU adopted the Protocol on Amendments to the Protocol on the Statue of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights, often referred to as the Malabo Protocol. The Malabo Protocol extends the jurisdiction of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights (ACJHR) and empowers it to try serious crimes of international concern such as genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Although the ACJHR is not yet an operational court, it has the potential to bring positive contributions to a continent tormented by persistent conflicts and a culture of impunity. AU member states now stand before various paths in the realization of human rights and they have been involved in an ongoing discussion on Universal Jurisdiction and its life-form, the International Criminal Court (ICC). A thorough consideration of all the grounds for the AU’s decision to give the African Court jurisdiction over international crimes will then show that the process has been motivated by other reasons than late anti-ICC sentiment alone. This study will not only examine the ICC versus Africa debate, it will also go beyond it. In this way, an African perspective will be offered that explains a larger focus on regional processes of African human rights law not only as a result of growing anti-ICC sentiment. Instead, it will be argued that there has been a legal and historical necessity for the development of an African perspective to international human rights law that is not necessarily meant to duplicate or impede on the work of the ICC.Show less
While such a large part of the world is moving towards more acceptance of homosexuality, this seems to not be the case in Uganda or in many other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Which poses the...Show moreWhile such a large part of the world is moving towards more acceptance of homosexuality, this seems to not be the case in Uganda or in many other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Which poses the question “If attitudes towards homosexuality are shifting towards more positivity in the West, why is the opposite happening in Uganda?”.Show less
With the echoes of the 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21) still ringing, it is clear the climate change is not just a reality but a series of formalised and not yet formalised threats to life as...Show moreWith the echoes of the 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21) still ringing, it is clear the climate change is not just a reality but a series of formalised and not yet formalised threats to life as we know it. Climate change is multi-faceted and complex, a challenge that can only be tackled with multi-levelled cooperation that involves actors from the international to the local levels and leverages new technologies and methodologies to create innovative and sensible adaptation and resilience models. A quote attributed to Albert Einstein sums up the current state of affairs, “Problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them”. Big Data can be that new ‘out of the box’ thinking and mythologies that drive and bring about solutions to the most challenging problems that future generations face.In Peace Review, Erin McCandless introduces the Journal of Peacebuilding and Development where she is Chief Editor. She states that the journal’s mission amounts to understanding the “intersections of conflict, development and peace” (McCandless 505). In order to do so, she argues that, there is a need to “firmly question dominant paradigms and conceptual and methodological framings, linking debates to real cases on the ground, and encouraging alternative visions and choices for action” (McCandless 505). The contention here is that Big Data is that critical vantage point that McCandless much seeks after. Big Data can provide the facts through numbers and correlations than can provide the counter-arguments to much acclaimed traditional patterns of thought by providing the raw data collected on the ground.Show less
