Category: Anna Herman

By: Anna Herman

Over the course of the semester, we have learned how the Muslim population is increasing in Western Europe, and it shows no signs of stopping. In the text, Islam, Europe’s Second Religion Peter Mandaville address that as the second and third generation of Muslims become a part of the community, there will be a diverse range of responses in a sociocultural, economical, and political sense. This group of Europe’s youth has largely grown up in Europe and is comfortable at home. However, the author addresses the struggles that are unique to Muslim youth in Europe.

One of the struggles is the space for Islam to shift and change. This process involves bringing Islam into a great part of the culture that they are inhabiting, and there are a large number of people who wish and are preventing that from happening. This results in youths rejecting the Islam faith to avoid discrimination or bullying. No kid wants to be seen as an outsider, and the nationalist views that are partaking a large part of public discourse stimulate the culture as “the other”. This has led to and will continue to lead to bullying as the kids mature.

By judging a book by its cover or its religious identity, it diminishes the person as a whole. On the other hand, Muslim teenagers can turn to violence, because they wish to end this epidemic and do not know how to handle it. Another struggle is the language barrier. When Muslim youth speak English as their first language, they need to be exposed to Islam through the media and the culture they live in.

Shireen Hunter discusses the patterns of Muslim-European interaction, which allows the reader to understand the similarities and differences between assimilation, communitarianism, and new modes of integration. Assimilationists believe that Muslims should take their primary identity of their country they are a citizen in. They believe that religion is a private matter and should not be made public. Assimilation tendencies are more found in immigrants who arrived in the late 1980’s and 1990’s and the second and third generation Muslims, who have such a desire to fit in among their peers. Communitarians want Muslims to have cohesive communities so they can lean on one another in their society.

However, the most important movement among youth is integration without complete assimilation. The policies in numerous European countries is a combination of assimilation and communitarian tendencies. Hunter additionally addresses that in the future eventually it will be more integration without assimilation shaping the Muslim-European relations.

In Kenan Malik’s article, he discusses the diversity myth. The diversity myth is the belief that the multiculturalism has transformed societies and consequently made them more diverse than they have ever been. When in fact, historically there was diversity and the countries were not as homogenous as they seemed.

The text explains how both multiculturalism and assimilation are attempting to address the same problem, which is fracturing of society. Multiculturalism is defined as both a “society that is particularly diverse”, and “the policies necessary to manage a society.” This is promoting diversity, while assimilation calls an individual to desert their religious traditions and become one with the society they reside in. Malik points out that the debate should not be between multiculturalism and assimilation but between two forms of the former and two forms of the latter. He proposes that the ideal policy would connect with multiculturalism’s want for actual diversity and assimilation treating everyone as normal citizens.

In order to overcome multiculturalism Malik suggests that it is a necessity that Europe rediscovers a progressive sense of universal values. Moreover, immigration and integration should not be in the state’s hands but by the relationships that people form with one another and institutions established that are representative of who they are as a person, not just Muslim or German but both.

In Decoding Europe’s Homegrown Terror, Thomas Sajan explains how Muslim youths today are marginalized and widely associated with ISIS attacks. He explains how the young insiders are overall seen as a threat to the European continent. As we all know, the Manchester attacks affected many lives who were affected in the tragedy. It also greatly impacted how Europeans view refugees and unfortunately associate them with terrorist groups. The recurring suicide bombings are turning more and more Europeans to the thought that Muslims cannot be a part of their society. I agree with a lot of what Sajan is discussing, because of how Americans view Muslims after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Muslims became largely discriminated and feared in our culture. Therefore, a similar attack in Europe would generate the same feelings. This does not mean it’s right, in fact I think it is extremely prejudice. Yet, it is a part of our culture and Europe’s, as well.

It is extremely disheartening that the events that have occurred around the globe are shaping not only the stereotypes that individuals view races or religions as, but how they are becoming instituted structurally. As we watched in class, country’s leaders are implementing laws that decrease diversity due to their fear of the religion or where they come from. It is automatically putting these individuals in a box, and that is the most limiting factor you can do to someone.

Additional Sources

Hunter, Shireen T. Islam, Europe’s Second Religion: the New Social, Cultural, and Political Landscape. Praeger, 2002.

By: Anna Herman

Day in and day out we are exposed to the conflict between the Islamic world and the West. Whether it be through media stations or walking on campus, this political and cultural conflict has become a commonplace. This has become increasingly popular that when these cultures interact, it has become heavily based on images that are formed of Middle Eastern Muslims that the West has constructed and vice versa.

In Islam and the West: Narratives of Conflict and Conflict Transformation Nathan C. Funk and Abdul Aziz Said use a narrative analysis approach in order to discuss the story of intercultural confrontation and intercultural compatibility. The different stories of the cultures dramatically change from opposition towards one another to overarching themes when we step away from this conflict. Therefore, the authors refer to these overarching themes as constituting a single “story” of intercultural confrontation. The authors explain how the civilizations tend to cast one another in adversial roles. Westerners and Muslims have viewed the other civilization as unassimilable.

If we take a step back, think about viewing another civilization as “the other”. Personally, when I analyze it in this manner, it automatically makes the civilization foreign and not worth my time or consideration. By doing so, it unconsciously tells us that the civilization is inferior and all of the factors that construct it are unimportant. This is exactly what leads to the dehumanizing stereotypes and naive perceptions. Consequently, this guides our thinking to negative factors of a civilization overpowering the positive ones.

This is extremely present in the way Westerners view Muslims today. Often, the wide belief is that Islam is a violent religion, when the Qur’an teaches peace. We chose to ignore the facts and focus on the negativity due to the perception we have towards them as less than us. This entire situation worsened after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in which many Americans lost their lives. Ever since then, it created more division and animosity from the West towards Muslims.

On the other hand, the story of intercultural compatibility offers the view of Western and Middle Eastern Muslims consciously alike and can coexitst. The “second story” of intercultural compatibility is one that many academicians and diplomats value the difference between Western and Islamic civilizations. They also do not prompt Muslims and Westerners to unavoidable conflict. The similarity that both the West and Islam have is the common human heritage of “civilization”. Therefore, rather than demeaning one civilization as the “other”, one can take into consideration the many values they share as framework for understanding. The authors cite some of these values as respect for learning, desire for peace, esteem for toleration, and partisanship on behalf of human dignity.

The narrators of the story of intercultural compatibility place significant importance on that both Islam and the West have drawn heavily upon the Greek cultural heritage. Classic Islamic civilization was constructed from Arab, Biblicist, and Hellenic cultures. Additionally, it has incorporated Persian, Central Asian, and Indian workings within its cultural synthesis. This has created an even wider understanding and formed a link between the East and West, as Europeans were beneficiaries of what this had to offer. On the other hand, the Muslims benefited from trade with Europe.

Besides the shared appreciation for intellectual collaboration, the second story also advises against separating the communities in simple labels such as “Islamic” and “Westerners”. This groups both categories as homogenous rather than diverse. When in reality, both civilizations have a great amount of distinction in them. By labeling them as large, uniform groups, it ignores the conflicts or differing opinions between the groups that make up “the West’ or “Muslims”.

In David Frum’s article “How Much Immigration is Too Much?” he puts into perspective just how much immigration has increased and will continue to. He explains that by 2027, the foreign-born proportion of the United States population is estimated to match its all-time peak in 1890 of 14.8 percent.

Frum illuminates the benefits that this massive new wave of immigration haws brought to the United States, but he also touches on the social and political costs of it. Both Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump have made comments about immigration hurting democracy. Donald Trump’s presidential campaign was heavily focused on anti-immigration. The extreme lengths that Trump is going to now has further increased the divide on the issue.

The very high levels of immigration have corresponded with widening class divisions, questioning of political and economic elites, and the rise of extremist politics. Overall, Frum makes the point that immigrants are often fleeing for better lives for a multitude of reasons. Therefore, how will the United States balance it and what kind of policies will it enforce? It is not a black or white question but one that has a significant amount of grey areas.

I strongly agree with Frum’s argument that there needs to be a balance. The United States is arguably one of the most powerful countries and has a significant amount of resources available to help immigrants, but it does not have unlimited assets. If policies are put in place that are either completely anti-immigration or open-borders, it will greatly hurt not only our country but individuals’ lives. We need to create a realistic balance or “right level of immigration” in order for democracy to continue to thrive and help out immigrants who are in need of a new home.

Additional Sources

Funk, Nathan. Said, Abdul. Islam and the West: Narratives of Conflict and Conflict Transformation.International Journal of Peace Studies, Volume 9, Number 1, Spring/Summer 2004.

Frum, David. How Much Immigration is Too Much? The Atlantic. April 2019. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/04/david-frum-how-much-immigration-is-too-much/583252/

    

By: Anna Herman

What is the easiest way to communicate with someone who does not live close? What probably came to your mind was to pick up your phone and make a call. But, what if that was not an option? Up until recently, that was a reality in Africa. In Emerging Africa: How 17 Countries Are Leading the Way, Steven Radelet discusses how the lack of means to communicate hindered Africa’s progress. However, the recent technological advancements have been a game changer. It is amazing how these innovations fuel entrepreneurship and subsequently financial security for families.

The meaning of “Cheetah” that Radelet refers to Africa’s next generation of leaders that are “quietly and quickly to move into Africa’s government bureaucracies, civil society organizations, and business” and will be guiding the future of the countries that are a part of the continent. This group does not appear a certain way, as the individuals are not defined by gender, education, or location. They can be labeled as individuals who want to see change and they are calling for transparency, good governance, respect for human rights, and accountability.

The “Big Man” or “hippo generation” is a term that refers to the old, slow moving generation that complains about colonialism and imperialism. Radelet explains that these undesirable characteristics were extremely prominent in the first group of postcolonial presidents and prime ministers that rose to power from leadership positions and were only capable of fighting the colonial government rather than legislating. Ultimately, they were incapable of making a change in democracy.

Radelet’s positive view in Chapter 6 on the African information and communications (ICT) explosion is not completely valid and sustainable. This is because he contributes ICT as being a miracle in disseminating information on diseases that have been notorious in Africa, such as HIV/AIDS. Does the African ICT effectively reach and educate people? Probably more than before, but he noticeably dismisses that HIV/AIDS has been around for decades. Therefore, individuals living in areas heavily impacted for such a long period of time probably have some knowledge of the diseases. Even getting reminders about appointments is helpful, but I do not think the African ICT is the difference between life and death that Radelet’s context suggest that it is.

Similarly, in the way that Radelet discusses the medical advances offered by African ICT, I do not believe that the African ICT is the key piece of strengthening democracy. Earlier in class, we read about how the rising democracy is the framework of Africa’s advancements. But, attributing African ICT as such a prominent factor to the assembly of their government is simply unrealistic. SMS text messages are incapable of changing the structure of a government, especially if might not always have reliable information. Overall, I have no doubt that the African ICT explosion has helped the population with progressing, but it is certainly not the end all, be all for the obstacles the countries have overcome.

Banarjee and Duflo’s chapter in Poor Economics explains that it is extremely possible to get trapped in poverty. The book refers to “poverty traps” or countries that face extreme poverty due to their environment that often has undesirable conditions and diseases. Furthermore, the text explains how they struggle geographically, as they are often landlocked.

My assigned country, Angola, is bordering the South Atlantic Ocean and sits between Namibia and Democratic Republic of Congo. It is a coastline country, and it has two seasons: a rainfall and drought season, according to The World Factbook. The heavy rainfall has cause periodic flooding on the plateau. Almost half of the land is forest and cannot be used for agricultural. Furthermore, the country had been involved in a Civil War from 1975-2002 that has significantly slowed down its potential for progress.

Since the Civil War the country has utilized its oil production for economic growth and lowered child mortality. According to Trading Economics, the country is the seventh highest GDP at PPP among African countries. Moreover, according to UNICEF reported in their recent data collection that the child mortality rate is now at a low of 8.1 percent.

Although the country is making progress since the Civil War, SDG #1 is the least achieved of the goals for Angola. It is ranked 147 out of 186 on the poverty scale, despite the petroleum resources. The poverty is primarily in rural areas. The United Nations Development Program reported that 59 percent of the working population lives in poverty and the adult mortality rate hovers at a whopping 24 percent.

All Africa sheds light on the fact that human capital is a problem in Angola, but the country is aware of the problem and working to fix it. In the article, it discusses how the country has invested significant amounts in an effort to increase human capital. This is expected to increase productivity in companies and allow for innovation. By doing so, it will allow the economy to further expand and hopefully contribute to better economic distribution.

Although Angola obviously has plenty to work on with the SDGs, it has overcome hurdles since gaining its independence from Portugal in 1975. Additionally, it can now can effectively use its resources to attain their goals. The World Folio explains that at the time of it struggling for its independence, 85 percent of the population was illiterate and the economic sector was nonexistent. This perspective displays the headway Angola has made, but again, the country needs to see more progression in the near future.

Additional Sources

“Chapter 1 and 2.” Poor Economics: Rethinking Poverty and the Ways to End It, by Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo, Random House India, 2013, pp. 1–40.

Radelet, Steven. Emerging Africa- How 17 Countries are Leading the Way. Foreword. Chapter 6. Chapter 7.

By: Anna Herman

When is the last time you heard about good news in Africa? Many Africans have the perspective that good news in Africa is often vacant from headlines. There is a substantially large imbalance, as good news is often presented as an “afterthought” according to Radelet’s article. The factors that are classified as good news display the economic growth rates of 2% per capita since 1996, deepening democracy away from dictatorships, trade and developing doubling, stronger leadership, and decreasing poverty in seventeen African countries. These countries are calling for the dismissal of conflict, stagnation, and dictatorships that are apart of their history. Some of the countries that Radelet mentions as recent successes include the economic growth of Ghana causing the income of an average citizen by more than 40 percent, Mozambique’s GDP growing 7.5 percent for the past 15 years, and Cape Verde increasing the average income by 66 percent since 1993. These increasing economic numbers are merely the beginning of good news in the countries. Mali’s poverty has fallen by about one third and infant mortality rates have dropped in a majority of the emerging countries that are breaking away from history. Blatantly opposing the typical pessimistic headlines that cover newspapers, these dynamic countries are creating more accountable and democratic governments, better incomes, new investment opportunities, decreasing poverty, and improving healthcare. These countries did not easily change their course of history. They did so by opposing the government in political protests that forced government officials to guarantee civil liberties. These hardships led to the election of Nelson Mandela as president in 1994, sparking the spread of democracy. From there Africa has seen numerous leaders surfacing, and they are helping expose the country to ideas on an international platform.

The Millennium Villages Project or MVP is a leading international nonprofit organization that is committed to eradicating poverty, hunger, and preventable disease by achieving the Millennium Development Goals. In Sachs article, he explains that most urgent task of these goals is eradicating poverty. This is due to fact that poverty is the matter between life and death for 1 billion people. Ross Levine and William Easterly explain that Africa has been implementing policies for political and financial stability, and that neighboring countries acting together has resulted in great success over the past 30 years. The Millennium Villages Project is searching for more success in Africa by offering an “innovative integrated approach to rural development” in villages.

Sauri, Kenya is the first and largest site of MVP. The organization chose this village due to the land farming being extremely insufficient to support a family and the prevalence of Malaria year-round. The goal for the village was to increase the income of 80 percent of the population from $1/day and decrease malnutrition, especially in children. Since MVP has started operating in Sauri, over 21,000 children in school are provided a daily meal and the average maize field has increased from 1.9 to 5.0 tons per hectare increasing income. Further successes include income diversification, nearly all pregnant women being tested for HIV, and household’s access to water supplies doubling. In an Alicia P.Q. Wittmeyer’s article, she explains how the critics have commented that MVP is in fact conquering too much and needs to take small steps in order to see continued success. However, MVP has publicly opposed this concept and stated that there is no room for baby steps when dealing with such crises. Kenya’s GDP is $79.2 billion, GNP is $161.5 billion, and it’s HDI is .590.

Another village that MVP helps out is Tiby, Mali due to it being one of the poorest areas in Mali. Their dry season is between 9 and 11 months, and the scarce rainfall prohibits dependable access to food. Furthermore, it has had a breakdown of farming systems that have led to the dwindling of agricultural productivity. Similar to Sauri, Malaria is an epidemic that has led to high childhood mortality rate. The goals for this village was to create not only a sustainable farming system but water, as well. MVP also wanted to increase access to education and provide better healthcare. There has been numerous victories to help achieve the goals. Millet yields doubled from micro-doze fertilizer technology and drip irrigation has been introduced to more than 1,300 farmers. There is also vegetable gardens that have benefitted nearly 2,800 women and water pipes have been installed. Tiby has built over 100 classrooms and health clinics in the area. Despite these successes, the Millennium Promise Organization explains how critics claim that unemployment is still high and there is a lack of formal training for farmers in the highly populated area. In order for these farmers to escape poverty, they need proper training from MVP. Mali’s GDP is $15.29 billion, GNP was $15 billion, and HMI was .442.

In my opinion, I think MVP has an innovative approach that countries suffering from poverty have not seen before. By customizing their goals based on the village’s needs, it allows the people that live there to get the resources they may missing to thrive. Even though it is conquering large problems, I believe that they are taking the correct steps. Their urgency is transforming and saving lives daily. Although this plan to eradicate poverty is helping, I think that extreme poverty is impossible to eliminate with just this project. It is necessary to have more organizations and people supporting MVP in order to successfully eliminate poverty.

Sources

Sachs, Jeffrey. “The Age of Sustainable Development.” Chapter 14. Print.

Radelet, Steven. Emerging Africa- How Countries are Leading the Way. Foreword. Chapter 1. Chapter 3.

“Sauri, Kenya.” Millennium Villages, millenniumvillages.org/the-villages/sauri-kenya/.

“Tiby, Mali.” Millennium Villages, millenniumvillages.org/the-villages/tiby-mali/.

Blog Post 1: What creates and diminishes poverty?

What if poverty was not purely about money? In both of Jane Novogratz’s TED talks, she takes time to discuss poverty in more than the economic terms that individuals might define it as. Novogratz mentions that although poverty can be defined as the 4 billion people on earth that are making less than $4 a day, she takes it to the next level by incorporating the different layers of this state of being. Ultimately, she defines poverty as a condition of lack of choice and freedom. She discusses how over her years of working with individuals in developing countries that poverty does not look a certain way. Factory workers, farmers, and drivers are among these people that pay 30 to 40 times more than what their middle-class counterparts do. Moreover, her main message is that these people, which come from different backgrounds, are willing to and in fact do prosper when the chance is given to them. Another Ted Talk on this issue is 3 Reasons Why We Can Win the Fight Against Poverty by Andrew Youn. Youn challenges the idea of poverty as one that is too big to solve and continues to deconstruct the stereotypical images of poverty. He does this by explaining that these individuals do not lack hospitality, rather their potential or opportunity due to lack of food, health, and other necessities to have the chance to thrive.

I strongly agree with this message that poverty is due to lack of opportunity. I believe this, because in America there is endless realms of opportunity compared to Africa. Constantly we hear stories of individuals building successful business models. However, in Africa a citizen cannot just build a business model simply because they have so many challenges to distribute it. Furthermore, I have done service work and found that people living in poverty are driven. In most of my conversations, I have found that their history has not allowed them to have the opportunities that I or my peers have been exposed to.

How can the SDGs help nations throughout the world? According to Jeffrey D. Sachs in “The Age of Sustainable Development,” “The goal for SDGs is having extreme poverty eliminated, social trust encouraged through policies that strengthen community, and the environment is protected from human-induced degradation.” All of these components have different parts that construct them. For example, in order for social trust to be encouraged their needs to be good governance and hurting other species on the planet from human actions. In short, the vision of the SDGs is economic improvement for the 7.2 billion people on Earth by guiding the future source of economic and social development on this planet.

Neoliberalism threatens the goals of the SDGs. John McCarthur in “Own the Goals” discusses World Bank and IMF encouraging countries to cut government spending on public programs. This resulted in increase of poverty and death in Africa and other developing countries. This ultimately fueled the creation of the eight MDGs, which launched in March 2002.

McArthur also refers to players on the bench, as individuals who worked  indirectly with the MDGs but refused to publicly support them. The players on the bench include President George W. Bush, State Department officials, and the United States as a country. With the United States as one of the most powerful countries, McCarthur criticizes that by not directly engaging with the MDGs when they first came out, it damaged not only the country’s image but could have fostered international goodwill. Even though a lot of the other countries in the world were engaging in the MDGs, one cannot help but wonder if even more countries would have taken part if the United States directly supported it since the beginning. Additionally, the United States missed a chance on having a foot in the door later on international topics. Now that the United States support the goals, what can the countries participating in implying the goals do directly to help out?

Now that the United States support the goals, what can the countries participating in implying the goals do directly to help out? More aid money is the UN Millenium Project and British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s recommendation along with reduced corruption and better governance, according to “How to Help Poor Countries” article. Aid programs have greatly improved the health of people with rather “simpler” illnesses such as diarrhea to offering contraception to women. The suggestions made by the authors are homegrown institutional competence like the Marshall Plan and the government effectively using the assistance given.  I strongly agree that to give developing countries more aid money in exchange for better governance. This provides an incentive for the government to manage the country better. It holds them accountable, while still providing opportunities for the citizens to move forward. This opportunity gives them healthcare, clean water, housing, but most importantly a chance for us to live united.

Sources:

https://www.google.com/search?q=africa+poverty&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi-sfjNvpTgAhUQOq0KHRz5DFMQ_AUIDigB&biw=1090&bih=703#imgrc=PTT0kr5bsHrGhM:

Sachs, Jeffrey D. “Introduction to Sustainable Development.”

McCarthur, John W. “Own the Goals.” Foreign Affairs. 2002-2006.

Birdsall, Nancy. Rodrik, Dani. Subramanian, Arvind. “How To Help Poor Countries.” 2005.

http://www.ted.com/playlists/67/the_quest_to_end_poverty.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/jacqueline_novogratz_invests_in_ending_poverty.html