The Negative Legacy of Belgium Colonialism in Africa

Belgium is a small country in northwest Europe that joined Europes race for colonies in the late 19th century. Many European countries wanted to colonize distant parts of the world in order to exploit the resources and civilize the inhabitants of these less-developed countries. Belgium gained independence in 1830. Then, King Leopold II came to power in 1865 and believed that colonies would greatly enhance Belgiums wealth and prestige. Leopolds cruel, greedy activities in the current Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi continue to affect the welfare of these countries today. Exploration of and Claims to the Congo River Basin European adventurers experienced great difficulty in exploring and colonizing the Congo River Basin, due to the regions tropical climate, disease, and the resistance of the natives. In the 1870s, Leopold II created an organization called the International African Association. This sham was supposedly a scientific and philanthropic organization which would greatly improve the lives of native Africans by converting them to Christianity, ending the slave trade, and introducing European health and educational systems. King Leopold sent the explorer Henry Morton Stanley to the region. Stanley successfully made treaties with native tribes, set up military posts, and forced most Muslim slave traders out of the region. He acquired millions of square kilometers of central African land for Belgium. However, most of Belgiums government leaders and citizens did not want to spend the exorbitant amount of money that would be needed to maintain distant colonies. At the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885, other European countries did not want the Congo River region. King Leopold II insisted that he would maintain this region as a free-trade zone, and he was given personal control of the region, which was nearly eighty times larger than Belgium. He named the region the Congo Free State. The Congo Free State, 1885-1908 Leopold promised that he would develop his private property to improve the lives of the native Africans. He quickly disregarded all of his Berlin Conference guidelines and began to economically exploit the regions land and inhabitants. Due to industrialization, objects such as tires were now required in mass in Europe; thus, the African natives were forced to produce ivory and rubber. Leopolds army mutilated or killed any African who didnt produce enough of these coveted, profitable resources. The Europeans burned African villages, farmland, and rainforest, and kept women as hostages until rubber and mineral quotas were met. Due to this brutality and European diseases, the native population dwindled by approximately ten million people. Leopold II took the enormous profits and built lavish buildings in Belgium. Belgian Congo, 1908-1960 Leopold II tried mightily to conceal this abuse from the international public. However, many countries and individuals had learned of these atrocities by the early 20th century. Joseph Conrad set his popular novel Heart of Darkness in the Congo Free State and described European abuses. The Belgian government forced Leopold to surrender his personal country in 1908. The Belgian government renamed the region the Belgian Congo. The Belgian government and Catholic missions tried to aid the inhabitants by improving health and education and building an infrastructure, but the Belgians still exploited the regions gold, copper, and diamonds. Independence for the Democratic Republic of the Congo By the 1950s, many African countries embraced anti-colonialism, nationalism, equality, and opportunity under the Pan-Africanism movement. The Congolese, who by then had some rights such as owning property and voting in elections, began to demand independence. Belgium wanted to grant independence over a thirty-year span, but under pressure from the United Nations, and in order to avoid a long, deadly war, Belgium decided to grant independence to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on June 30, 1960. Since then, DRC has experienced corruption, inflation, and several regime changes. The mineral-rich province of Katanga was voluntarily separated from DRC from 1960-1963. DRC was known as Zaire from 1971-1997. Two civil wars in DRC have turned into the worlds deadliest conflict since World War II. Millions have died from war, famine, or disease. Millions are now refugees. Today, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the third largest country by area in Africa and has approximately 70 million citizens. Its capital is Kinshasa, formerly named Leopoldville. Ruanda-Urundi The current countries of Rwanda and Burundi were once colonized by the Germans, who named the region Ruanda-Urundi. After Germanys defeat in World War I, however, Ruanda-Urundi was made a protectorate of Belgium. Belgium also exploited the land and people of Ruanda-Urundi, the Belgian Congos neighbor to the east. Inhabitants were forced to pay taxes and grow cash crops such as coffee. They were given very little education. However, by the 1960s, Ruanda-Urundi also began to demand independence, and Belgium ended its colonial empire when Rwanda and Burundi were granted independence in 1962. Legacy of Colonialism in Rwanda-Burundi The most important legacy of colonialism in Rwanda and Burundi involved the Belgians obsession with racial, ethnic classification. The Belgians believed that the Tutsi ethnic group in Rwanda was racially superior to the Hutu ethnic group because the Tutsis had more European features. After many years of segregation, the tension erupted into the 1994 Rwandan genocide, in which 850,000 people died. Past and Future of Belgian Colonialism The economies, political systems, and social welfare in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi have been enormously affected by the greedy ambitions of King Leopold II of Belgium. All three countries have experienced exploitation, violence, and poverty, but their rich sources of minerals may one day bring permanent peaceful prosperity to the interior of Africa.

Teenage Alcohol Abuse - 2826 Words

Gateway Technical College Teenage Alcohol Abuse/Addiction 550-150-2W7A Psychopharmacology Instructor Dennis Markus, MSW, LCSW, C-SAC Tracy L. Murray (Rego) MSW, LCSW, CTS 11 November 2009 The dangers of teenage alcohol abuse are underestimated in our country due to the social acceptability of the drug alcohol. The social acceptability of alcohol itself is seen by the frequency it is categorized separately from other drugs and substances when we talk about use and abuse. Alcohol is a drug but our nation and the media do not want to call it one or treat it like one. Alcohol is a legal drug abused by many teenagers and this paper will address some of the issues today’s teenagers face when dealing with†¦show more content†¦Parents may think as long as their children are drinking beer instead of doing drug’s its okay. People in America do not want to wake up to the fact that alcohol is a drug and it does kill our youth. Youth need to be educated on the affects alcohol can have on their bodies, and parents and communities need to play a role in their education. Contrary to popular belief, youth do drink alone just like some adults do. They drin k to change their mood, alleviate boredom, and to handle stress. Many youth will drink anything as they don’t realize the difference in alcohol content between hard liquor, beer, or wine (Novello, 1997). Even if teenagers attempt to read the labels on alcoholic beverages, they may be confused due to obscure labeling. High school students drink 35% of all the wine coolers consumed in the United States and they believe beer has a higher alcohol content than wine coolers. According to the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), in the past year, 32.9 percent of the youths surveyed from age 12 to 17 had used alcohol. According to the 2005 NSDUH survey, 74.3 percent of high school students nationwide had already consumed one or more drinks in their lifetime. Many teenagers and children get their information about alcohol from friends and the media. With these sources they do not have sufficient information to advise them of the dangers of alcohol consumption (Pr ingle,Show MoreRelatedTeenage Alcohol Abuse1465 Words   |  6 PagesAlcohol Abuse in Teenagers Underage alcohol abuse is a growing problem in the lives of teenagers today. Almost 80% of high school students have tried alcohol (Dowshen). To effectively combat this growing epidemic, teens need to understand the effects of consuming alcohol, and adults need to recognize the problem and effectively prevent alcohol abuse. 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E-cigarettes areRead MoreTeenage Drug And Alcohol Abuse2166 Words   |  9 PagesTeenage drug and alcohol abuse can come from a number of different factors such as emotional disorders, stress, social events and other adolescent pressures. Adolescent is a period of time when teens have a lot of pressures to fit in, establish their own identities, it’s also a time of growth and development, and also the great desire to fit in which leads teens to give into peer pressure. Teens are going through an emotional change in themselves emotionally, physically and also hormonally duringRead MoreTeenage Alcohol Abuse Essay2212 Words   |  9 PagesTeenage alcohol abuse is one of the major problems that affect academic performance, cause health problems and is responsible for the death of teenage drivers and sometime their passengers. Many teens drink because they think it is cool and do not understand the dangers of drinking alcohol. In 2008 a survey on the students views on alcohol wa s conducted in the Atlanta Public School System of 4,241 students surveyed results showed 74% of sixth graders felt there was a health risk while 25% felt thereRead MoreInfluence of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Amoung Kenyan Teenage Education5708 Words   |  23 PagesSCHOOL OF COMPUTER SCIENCE RESEARCH PROPOSAL. Influence of drug and alcohol abuse among Kenyan teenage Education. BY BRIAN MUNGA (J15-3021-11) TAKEN BY: Catherine Mavyala DECLARATION I declare that Influence of drug and alcohol abuse among Kenyan teenage Education is my own work and that all the sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 07 August 2012 SignatureRead MoreTeenage Alcoholism1078 Words   |  5 Pages1. According to statistics on alcoholism and alcohol abuse statistics, even though alcohol has been used in a number of diverse ways. a. Throughout history these ways can be called useful, however, known thousands of years ago that abusive and excessive drinking led to negative outcomes and adverse alcohol side effects. b. The symptoms associated with this are mostly societal and personal problems. 2. Research studies have shown that teenage alcoholism is correlated to the age at which teensRead MoreEssay on Teenage Drinking In America920 Words   |  4 Pagesworld. A subject that needs special attention is the abuse of alcohol by teens. Statistics show that there is a problem currently between teens and alcohol. There are many causes of teenage drinking and effects that prove that drinking is an important issue that needs to be dealt with to preserve American teenagers. Teenage drinking will become worse of a problem if it continues unchecked on its current path to destruction. 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The Great Ancestry Of The Crown Of Camelot - 1166 Words

The old scholar practically beamed as he unrolled the next scroll. Let it be known, the great ancestry of the crown of Camelot. Geoffrey began to read off lineage that most nobles in Camelot knew by heart, until he came to the one that Merlin both anticipated and feared. The warlock was trembling, as he awaited the signal from the dais. His hand gripped the dragon bone hilt of Carnwenhau, drawing deep on the strength within himself. He silently asked that his grandfather, who once wore the dagger, to be with him. †¦His Majesty, High King of Briton, Aurelius Ambrosius in the Great Marriage Rite with a druid priestess begat a son, Balinor Emrys of the Dragon Lord line, Earl of Snowdonia†¦ Merlin heard his mother s gasp resound across the near silent room. He grinned, wondering what she was going to think of the next part. This has been corroborated by His Royal Majesty, King Lot of Lothian and the High Druid Iseldir. Lord Balinor, joined to Hunith of Ealdor, in turn begat one son. Merlin took a deep breath and stepped partially out of the shadows, standing near the entrance to the Great Hall. The Great Marriage Rite to validify Balinor s heritage was a bit of a stretch. Although recognized as a joining among the druidic population and others who still revered the Old Religion, it was not something that would be upheld as a true Royal Line in the eyes of the Roman church, if his legitimacy was ever challenged...but it was acceptable enough for the role of regent,

Intimacy or Integrity Philosophy and Cultural

Question: Discuss about the Intimacy or Integrity for Philosophy and Cultural. Answer: Introduction: In the recent years, there are a number of debates regarding globalization and its impact on the human lives. Two leading viewpoints have emerged regarding globalization, in the first view, it is presumed that the globalization has occurred and the world has become flat (Tom Friedman) whereas, in the second viewpoint, it is stated that the present world is dominated by corporations (Naomi Klien) (Friedman, 2016). The fundamental behind both the theories is that the globalization has occurred all the people are connected with each other. Conversely, it can be posited from the statistical data that although globalization has occurred, it is to a very limited extent. At present, only few people are connected with each other across borders, which shows that globalization has occurred only to a smaller extent. The world is not a vast marketplace, but it comprises of small, interconnected, discrete entities that are connected to each other at varying extent (Ghemawat, 2012). Therefore, the regional differences are still there and they matter in the development of strategies and policies (Ferguson Mansbach, 2012). However, media, writers and globalization theorists have heavily publicized the globalization that has occurred in the world. It is suggested that the national borders does not matter anymore, and the world has become on single giant place to live in. Actually, it is not true as the national boundaries and regional and cultural difference still exists and impact on the lives of people. Now, when people shift from one place to another, they still experience cultural shock (Irwin, 2007). Such skepticism regarding globalization and its adverse impact on the economy has been speculated from earlier times. For example, a quote came from David Livingstone in the 1850s regarding how railroads, telegraph and steam ships have connected the world. In personal experience, the employees are often worried that their jobs will be stolen by their global competent and counterparts. Many managers and senior position holders are often concerned that with globalization, the companies are able to hire competent, more experienced and skilled employees for the key positions. They also fear that globalization will intensify the competition between the local companies. However, looking at the statistics, it can be observed that globalization has occurred limitedly. For example, only six to seven percent phone calls made are international calls, only three percent people migrate to other countries, and only ten percent of the total investment is foreign direct investment. Therefore, most of these talks are globaloney and wasting peoples time. In addition to it, it is also adverse to the society because if the people presume that globalization has occurred, they will abandon working harder for the globalization. Globalization is desired as there might be potential of further benefits from globalization. With globalization, people can aim for global welfare and contribution to society. In my viewpoint, if the data regarding the globalization is shared with the people, the fear regarding the globalization will reduce. However, if the people realize that globalization has not yet occurred, they might get worried regarding the future and the unpredictabl e outcomes of the globalization (Ghemawat, 2012). In the present times, globalization and liberalization has resulted in moving people from one place to another and connect with other persons of different cultural and language background (Dickinson, (2016). Living or communicating with people of different backgrounds is quite complex as people born and raised in different cultures have difficulty in understanding the viewpoint and the thoughts of other people. It can be understood from the example of Japanese and American business meetings, wherein the Japanese often have difficulty in understanding the viewpoint of the foreigners. Other than that, they also did not have a word for objectivity and; therefore, cannot communicate with the foreigners properly (Youtube, 2013). Several times, in my workplace I have encountered instances of cultural differences such as Americans are too loud which is considered as impolite in other countries. I have also observed that the people look a shock at the way Muslim women dress wearing a hijab a nd covering their head (Kasulis, 2002). However, it is their culture and they prefer to wear it without any pressure from the family members. The eating habits of some people also shock people of other cultures (Minkov, 2011). A major instance of the cultural fight was when in my family a child was expressing his opinion loudly to his parents. It was unacceptable to an Asian family who has come to visit us. They started explaining the kid that it is not proper to speak like that to his parents. The parents of the child as well as the child started saying that everyone is free to express his opinion and follow his will. I resolved this situation by making the Asian family acknowledges that although, the kid was speaking loudly, and he was just putting his viewpoint (Cohen, 2015). The place wherein a person has been brought up also influences his moral values and perception regarding right and wrong things. For example, in a survey conducted by Trompenaars Hampden-Turner, an intellectual management firm, it was asked from the people of different countries whether they would lie for their friends. The majority of survey respondents from Switzerland and the United States of America said that they will never lie for their friends whereas the survey respondents from Venezuela and Russia stated that they will definitely lie for their friends to help them. After viewing the scores, different people gave different responses, such as people from America said that the survey shows that Russians and Venezuelans are most corrupt people, they can always lie and you cannot trust them as they have friends everywhere. In contrast to it, the people from Korea stated that Americans can never be trusted as they do not help even their own friends. Both the viewpoints are logical and it shows the cultural differences between both the countries. Fons Trompenaars is of the viewpoint that in order to create harmonious cultural diversity, it is important to connect viewpoint of different people (Youtube, 2013). In my viewpoint, in order to build cultural diversity, it is important integrate different cultural viewpoints. It means that the people should be able to understand the differences of their culture to another culture. References Cohen, M. (2015). Critical Thinking Skills for Dummies. London: John Wiley Sons. Dickinson, E. (2016). Globalization and Migration: A World in Motion. London: Rowman Littlefield. Ferguson, Y.H., Mansbach, R.W. (2012). Globalization: The Return of Borders to a Borderless World? Routledge. Friedman, T.L. (2016). The World Is Flat, 3.0. A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century. New York Times. Retrieved on 20 December 20, 2016 from https://www.thomaslfriedman.com/the-world-is-flat-3-0/ Ghemawat, P. (2012). Actually the world isnt flat. Retrieved on 20 December 20, 2016 from https://www.ted.com/talks/pankaj_ghemawat_actually_the_world_isn_t_flat#t-195862 Irwin, R. (2007). Culture shock: negotiating feelings in the field. Anthropology Matters, 9(1). Kasulis, T.P. (2002). Intimacy or Integrity: Philosophy and Cultural Difference. University of Hawaii Press. Minkov, M. (2011). Cultural Differences in a Globalizing World. Emerald Group Publishing. Youtube. (2013). Riding the waves of culture: Fons Trompenaars at TEDxAmsterdam. Tedxtalk. Retrieved on 20 December 20, 2016 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmyfjKjcbm0