SonjaBe.com International Relations – Be Here | Be You | Be True

By Sonja Be Shame, guilt, fear, and sadness. While these are feelings that should be experienced by the criminals of rape and gender violence, they are sadly and commonly felt by the victim. Nothing, absolutely nothing, is more dehumanizing than the act of rape. Whether the victim is a man or a woman, a child or a teenager, the numerous effects of rape are damaging to not just the victim but society as a whole. In many cultures and societies, rape is stigmatized and survivors are left abandoned from their communities.  Because of the stigma that is attached to it, rape is significantly one of the most underreported violent crimes. If the UN reports that 1 in 3 women face violence at some point in their lifetime, it is unimaginable to know the actual numbers. Read More »

By Guest Writer Garikai Chengu.  Of late western media, social networks and US Congressional hearings are ablaze with talk about major U.S. military deployment into central Africa to eliminate one Joseph Kony. Mr. Kony is the leader of Uganda’s Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a rebel group that operates in an area the size of France across several African nations. The LRA is ostensibly fighting for religious freedom for Uganda’s underdeveloped north. Mr. Kony’s murderous gang have been responsible for incalculable massacres, rapes, tortures and civilian suffering since 1989. So why is there a sudden push by the Pentagon, western media and certain NGOs to send U.S. troops into central Africa? Read More »

So much has been said of the “white man’s burden:” namely, how the collapsing American Empire and bygone British Empire have shouldered the burden of civilising Africa and driving the global economy for centuries. The opposite is true. The fact of the matter is that not only was Western civilisation invented by black Africans in ancient Egypt, Africa has driven global economic growth for centuries. African natural resources, labour, land, slavery and skilled émigré – as any decent economic historian will tell you – have fueled the world’s economy for many, many decades. To this day, Africa is the world’s engine-room for growth. In short, driving global economic growth abroad, whilst benefiting little at home is the “black man’s burden.” Read More »