The Second Scramble for Africa

In an article titled The Second Scramble for Africa by lawyer Jason McCue, McCue notes the damaging effects of international corporations scrambling for various resources throughout Africa, inciting political turmoil, injustice, and financial struggle in their wake. McCue mentions that with the meeting of international leaders in New York for the UN General Assembly this week, these leaders should not only focus on mainstream topics such as wars and the migration crisis, but also on the devastating effects of what he coins “the Second Scramble for Africa.”

Citing various destructive consequences of the First Scramble for Africa, in which colonists carved Africa into territories to reap the benefits of the abundant natural resources of the continent, McCue aims to spur the international leaders into action by drawing parallels of the modern issue to history. He notes that these international corporations, either inadvertently or intentionally, cause political coups for profit, strip the land of its natural resources, and reap the benefits of Africa, leaving Africans in the dust and struggling to survive. McCue argues that, “African resources must generate wealth for Africans,” and, to do so, the once divided continent must band together under the African Union to prevent the First Scramble for Africa from occurring once again.

Source:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jason-mccue/the-second-scramble-for-africa_b_8216990.html

Ayuvile "Avo" Namase: Surfing in South Africa

     Surfing. When someone (typically in the Western world) hears this word, images of the golden California coast immediately take form.  Not for a moment would people think of South Africa and even then, would they have thought of a black surfer. That is what makes Ayuvile "Avo" Namase’s achievements all the more commendable. In South Africa, surfing is typically thought of as a “White” sport, especially due to the effects of apartheid, in which segregatory laws were put in place to ban non-whites from public places such as parks, public transportation, and beaches. Even after apartheid was lifted, many blacks are still wary of the water, which could be due to the culture and financial struggles.

     At the age of 21, Namase has become a promising up-and-coming black surfer in a field overwhelmingly dominated by blacks. He notes the reactions of those who see him enter the water with his board as disbelief, seeing that most blacks in the area shy away from the water. In addition to the obvious challenges presented to him based solely on his race, Namase lost his brother in 2011 to a shark attack and took him months to recover. After finally getting back in the water, Namase notes the significance surfing has had on him to heal and as a form of therapy, deciding to volunteer with Surfers not Street Children to help disadvantaged children cope with trauma. Despite having faced insurmountable odds, Namase proves to be a promising force in the surfing world.

Source:

http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/22/africa/south-africa-black-surfers-ayuvile-ndamase/index.html

Africa and the Migrant Crisis

     Over the past several weeks, the world has had its eyes fixated on the current migrant crisis affecting Europe and the Middle East, with refugees attempting to enter Europe by any means possible. Much of the global media, however, has focused its attention on the refugees escaping the civil war in Syria in the Middle East. However, what the media hasn't placed much emphasis on is the sizable amount of African refugees as well. The difference, however, is while the Syrian refugees are attempting to escape from a country riddled with war, most of the African refugees are seeking economic opportunities in Europe, leaving countries that do not have active conflicts.
     With the exception of northern Nigeria, where Boko Haram, a terrorist group, has been waging a bloody war, refugees from other countries such as Gambia, Senegal, and Eritrea cite economic problems as their reasons for leaving. Unfortunately for the refugees, they will likely be denied from being able to find a home in Europe as they do not have proper evidence citing persecution as a reason for leaving their countries and will therefore be considered illegal immigrants. According to Tony O. Elumelu, chairman of Heirs Holdings and founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, focusing on providing more business and economic opportunities for Africans in Africa will ultimately be the solution to the problem rather than placing the burden upon European countries, who are having financial issues of their own, calling this plan "Africapitalism."

Source(s):
http://www.voanews.com/content/crackdown-fuels-africa-migration-crisis/2960123.html
http://time.com/4033366/progress-in-africa-will-help-ease-the-global-migrant-crisis/
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/09/03/migrant-crisis-affecting-africa-too

African Geography and Environment: What We Think We Know

     When we think of Africa, most of us automatically assume images that were exposed to us within a Western context. You know, plain deserts and grasslands filled with wild fauna such as lions, zebras, and giraffes. To be perfectly honest, I'm pretty sure most of our knowledge of Africa comes from The Lion King or Madagascar. And if not that, then it's through other forms of Western media. We have this notion that Africa is sparsely populated by savages and primitives surrounded by wildlife in a continent (although too many people still subconsciously consider Africa as a country) filled only with deserts and the occasional grassland. However, that is far from the truth.

     In reality, and what the Western media fails to showcase, is that Africa contains a diverse variety of habitats similar to the North American continent. Remember: Africa is a CONTINENT not a country. And within that continent are over 50 countries. And within those countries are cities as big and as crowded as any major U.S. city. The city of Lagos in Nigeria is the seventh most populous city in the world, yet a majority of us didn't even know that because it didn't fit into what we were taught Africa was supposed to be like.

     The ignorance is so strong that some people forget that Egypt is indeed a part of Africa. Just because we learned about Ancient Egyptian civilization and we are exposed to modern Egypt in the media, does not mean that it is part of Africa. Yes, it doesn't fit into the mold of what we were taught Africa was like, but then again, most of Africa doesn't. While parts of Africa are covered by deserts and have wild animals roaming around, it also has climates that are similar to other "civilized" areas of the world, such as Italy, Greece, and even California. So rather than running around with our stereotypes of Africa the country, I think it would be to our benefit to learn more about this interesting continent that is more than meets the eye.