Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Murder rates on the African continent.

I am quite the frequenter of forums. What does this have to do with the murder rates on the African continent? Well, there are many out there who have made really stupid claims. Among those claims includes such as suggesting that Africans are somehow more inherently violent than anyone else on earth. Well, one look at HUMAN history tells me otherwise. People have killed since when Cain and Abel were around.

Yes, I know there have been wars in Africa. Yes, I know there are places in Africa where the murder rates are through the roof, and I like list them for you:

Lesotho 36.7 murders per 100,000
South Africa 36.5 murders per 100,000

Those are to name a few. There are places with higher murder rates than that.
Honduras(in North America) 60.9 murders per 100,000
Guatemala(in North America) 45.2 murders per 100,000
Jamaica(in the Caribbean) 59.5 murders per 100,000
Colombia(in South America) 38.8 murders per 100,000
Venezuela(in South America) 52 murders per 100,000
Trinidad and Tobago(in the Caribbean) 39.7 murders per 100,000

On this note, there are some nations in Africa with low murder rates:

Kenya  3.6 murders per 100,000
Ghana  1.7 murders per 100,000
Cameroon  2.3 murders per 100,000
Ethiopia   6.4 murders per 100,000

http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/indicators/61006.html
I still say there is some hope left for Africa. Africa is not a lost cause in my eyes. It just has alot of work to do. Anyone who would suggest that Africans are somehow more inherently violent than anyone else is obvious racist, and has very little sense of history.

Monday, February 7, 2011

The vote is finally in. Southern Sudan should be its own nation by July 9, 2011.

After weeks of voting on independence, the vote is finally in. Southern Sudan's residents voted in favor of independence 99%. It has been confirmed that it is around 98%. Still, it looks like Southern Sudan will become a nation soon enough. According to the news, Omar al-Bashir has accepted Southern Sudan's vote. "Today we received these results and we accept and welcome these results because they represent the will of the southern people" were al-Bashir's exact words. Well, we will have to see. Bashir is saying these words, but we will have to see. Anything could happen soon. There has been violence so far. People have been killed in clashes during the voting process. The voting has concluded and it appears that Southern Sudan will no longer be part of the Khartoum government anymore.

Considering the history of genocide and humanitarian violations in Sudan, maybe this is a solution for peace. There are many who have campaigned for unity. It would have been helpful to have unity, provided that the genocide ends. This however, seems to be the most helpful solution. The north is seen as an oppressor to the southern region of Sudan. Given the history, I would say this is the truth.There has been civil war going on since the 1950's and slave traders raiding the south region in the 19th century.

So far, there are economic uncertainties. This is one of the things that is concerning me. Southern Sudan is dependent on oil for its economy. This is also one of the reasons I am surprised about the southern region possibly seceding. Right now, oil is a huge commodity and I would doubt that any nation would grant independence to a region with vast oil reserves. A region with alot of petroleum, I believe, is a region that no nation would want to let be its own nation. Why? A nation with oil wants to hold on to the oil. The state of Texas would be a good example. I do not believe for a moment that the government in Washington DC would want the state of Texas to branch off and form its own nation. Texas literally sits atop alot of oil, and for that reason, I suspect many people would want to keep Texas. Of course, oil is a finite resource.Oil in Southern Sudan is eventually going to run out. There is a need to find another source of income. This is where I see the potential for so much more. The alternative energy industry could be big in Southern Sudan. This is a sunny region. This would make a good place for the solar energy industry. I would suggest that for better economic viability, Southern Sudan should invest in solar energy. This is part of why I feel that there should be more technical skills built up in Africa, and to do it on a massive scale. Do it for everyone. If you have the technical skills, you can do things. With more technical skills being built up, there is the potential to build more factories to make the solar PV cells. This will provide alot of jobs for people. I see alot of potential here. There just needs to be some long term investment, for Southern Sudan, and for the continent of Africa as a whole.  There isn't as much potential for wind power, as the average wind speeds in Southern Sudan aren't as high as in the northern part. Still, at least on a small scale, I would suggest giving it a try.

As far as Southern Sudan independence, it leaves alot to think about.