African Issues Powerpoint

Ms. Spoerl

Modern Obstacles

AIDS in Africa

Child Soldiers

Conflict Diamonds (Blood Diamonds)

Genocide

AIDS in Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa is more heavily affected by HIV and AIDS than any other region of the world. An estimated 22.5 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2007 and approximately 1.7 million additional people were infected with HIV during that year.

Areas of Highest Concentration

Southern AfricaSouth AfricaBotswanaZimbabweZambiaNamibia

http://www.aidsinafrica.net/map.php

Why is it so bad?

Education

Poverty / Contraception

Health Care

Infrastructure (Roads, Electricity, etc.)

Cost of Anti-Retroviral Drugs / Treatments

100% Fatal

Possible Solutions ??? Or not???

Foreign Aid to Countries

Education Centers

Improved Infrastructure

Child Soldiers

Child Soldiers

The military use of children takes three distinct forms: children can take direct part in hostilities (child soldiers), or they can be used in support roles such as porters, spies, messengers, and look outs; or they can be used for political advantage either as human shields or in propaganda.

Child Soldiers

Child Soldiers are often subjected to extensive drug and psychological abuse. This “brainwashing” ultimately reduces them to intellectual slaves to their commanders. They do not feel like they have the freedom to leave.

Child Soldiers

Most children that are used in armed conflict are often scarred for life, emotionally and physically. Often they develop difficulty dealing with others and have little understanding of proper social interactions.

Conflict Diamonds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOIUn0We12A

The History

Armed conflicts are expensive. In order to finance revolutions, civil wars and sometimes local greed the use of slave labor has been used to accessed the rich natural resources of many African nations.

Conflict Diamonds

Western Africa

Liberia

Cote D’Ivoire

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Republic of the Congo

Conflict Diamonds

Forced labor is often used in mining.

Conflict Diamonds and Child Soldiers There is a distinct tie between Conflict Diamonds

and Child Soldiers. As the diamonds provide for the economic resources needed by revolution and civil war the children provide the human capital required.

The brighter side.

The continent of Africa is a rich and beautiful place. Make sure that you remember that although it has a number of issues and problems it is also the home to many wonderful things.