What Exactly Does the Shift of Power in The Gambia Mean?

Gambia
Last month, the African nation of The Gambia swore in its first-ever democratically elected president, Adama Barrow. The incumbent president took power after a month-long constitutional crisis in which former president Yahya Jammeh rejected election results and refused to leave his seat.

Initially, Jammeh accepted the 2016 election results until Dec. 10, when he declared his rejection of Barrow and refusal to cede power in The Gambia. The announcement incited political uproar within The Gambia. The uproar was so intense that Barrow, fearing for his safety, fled to Senegal.

Barrow was eventually sworn in at the Gambian embassy in Dakar, Senegal, and returned to The Gambia with a number of West African troops. On the same day Barrow was sworn in, military forces from Senegal, Nigeria, and Ghana attempted to restore power in The Gambia through military intervention.

The power shift was celebrated in the Gambian capital of Banjul where the conflict had generated fear for the security of many citizens’ lives amongst the turmoil.

Jammeh, who ruled the nation for over 22 years, was exiled to Equatorial Guinea after he finally stepped down in late January.

This shift of power in The Gambia may symbolize the strengthening infrastructure of politics within the African continent. Other nations’ decisions to rally behind the election results and defend Barrow’s ascent to power in The Gambia is recognition of a standard for good governance.

While the events in The Gambia do not signify themselves a wholehearted embracement of democracy, they certainly set a precedent for alliance and administration across the continent.

With rulers like Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe or Pierre Nkurunziza in Burundi, both who have held power in their respective nations for over a decade, it is clear that there has been a continual problem with leaders who refuse to step down following the results of democratic elections.

There is still a long way to go as it seems the Economic Community of West African States enforces election results selectively. However, the shift of power in The Gambia signifies a positive development in the political dichotomy prevalent on the African continent.

– Jaime Viens

Photo: Flickr

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Ten Deadly Wars

10 Deadly Wars
There is sufficient evidence to suggest that war causes and exacerbates poverty. It results in damage to infrastructure, breaks up communities and leads to the injury and death of countless people. Here is a list of 10 deadly wars that did just that:

  1. Second Congo War — 5.4 million deaths. It began in 1998, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and it lasted until 2003. Eight other African nations were drawn into the fight, and the cause included local disputes over land and resources. It also claimed the life of DRC President Laurent-Desire Kabila in 2001.
  2. Iran-Iraq War — 1.5 million deaths. In September 1980, Iraq invaded Khuzestan and Iran under Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship. This deadly war lasted nearly eight years. It ended in July 1988, after U.N. Resolution 598 was accepted. However, this resolution was not reached before many casualties and billions of dollars in damages.
  3. Vietnam War — 3 million + deaths. This war began in 1954 but did not end until 1975. It involved North Vietnam and its southern allies, the Viet Cong, fighting against South Vietnam and the United States. North Vietnam wanted to unite the whole country under a communist regime, and in 1976 they succeeded when the country was officially united as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
  4. World War II — 56.4 million deaths. Known as the deadliest war in history, World War II began in 1939 with Germany’s invasion of Poland, under the leadership of Adolf Hitler. It was a conflict that involved nearly every part of the world, until its end six deadly years later in September 1945.
  5. Second Sino-Japanese War — nearly 22 million deaths. The largest Asian war in the twentieth century was fought between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. It began in 1937, and ended in 1945 when Japan surrendered, shortly after an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima by the United States.
  6. Chinese Civil War — 6 million deaths. This war started in 1927 when the Shanghai Massacre occurred, along with the collapse of the First United Front. In reality, the war ended in 1949 when the Chinese Communist Party was victorious in gaining control. However, because there was never a peace treaty signed, this war technically still continues today.
  7. Russian Civil War — 9.5 million deaths. A war that began in 1917 and ended in 1920, it consisted of the Red Army, fighting for the Bolsheviks, against the White Army, who were Anti-Bolshevik. The Bolsheviks was a communist political party, led by Vladimir Lenin.
  8. World War I — 35 million + deaths. A war centered in Europe, beginning in 1914 and ending in 1918. It was essentially Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire (the Central Powers), against Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy and Japan (the Allied Powers). The United States joined the Allied Powers after 1917. At the time, it was thought to be the war to end all wars.
  9. Dungan Revolt — 8 to 10 million deaths. This religious war, which began in 1862 and lasted until 1877, took place in China. It was between the Hui people, who were primarily Muslim, and the Han people, an ethnic group native to East Asia. Actions from the generals of the Qing Dynasty brought the war to an end, without any real resolution to the conflict that started it.
  10. Taiping Rebellion — 20 million deaths. The Taiping Rebellion was started in 1850 by Hong Xiuquan, a man claiming to be the younger brother of Jesus Christ who said he had been sent to reform China. The rebellion ended in 1864, when the central government in China finally defeated Hong Xiuquan and his followers.

According to the World Development Report 2011: Conflict, Security and Development, “interstate and civil wars have declined since peaking in the early 1990s.” However, one in four people in this world still, “live in fragile and conflict-affected states or in countries with very high levels of criminal violence.” The 10 deadly wars listed here are an important part of history, but modern violence does not always come in the form of a typical war. Its consequences, though, are very much the same. It is essential for world leaders to recognize this change so they may effectively deal with the problem.

– Kristin Westad

Photo: Flickr

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Voluntary National Reports on the Sustainable Development Goals

United Nations and Global Poverty Reduction

In July 2016, the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) was convened at the U.N. headquarters in New York.  The purpose of this summit was to discuss voluntary national reviews (VNRs) conducted by 22 different countries. These reviews detailed the process states made in implementing the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.  Most importantly highlighting challenges, successes and recommendations for the future.

The U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs published an overview of the VNRs on Jan. 24, to reopen the conversation on effective implementation of the SDGs.

Five challenges to the implementation of the SDGs:

  1. Raising awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals amongst city planners, private contractors, and policy specialists.
  2. Coordination between government agencies to monitor, evaluate and report on SDG benchmarks and overall progress, to increase public awareness and personal investment in progress.
  3. Inefficient data processing, collection and registry systems impeded abilities to correctly inform policymakers and stakeholders.
  4. Lack of access to technology, trade and financing was a major inhibitor to implementing the SDGs.
  5. Increasing effectiveness of international assistance. Find out why 70% of World Bank projects fail, increase local investment in development projects to ensure that they are used and maintained.

Five successes that came out of the VNR reports:

  1. Many countries, like Egypt, Philippines, Sierra Leone and Uganda, were able to update their existing development plans so that they were in line with the SDGs.
  2. Countries were able to focus on specific goals that were in their urgent national interest. Venezuela focused on increasing access to education, while France, Germany and Switzerland focused on securing housing for all.
  3. By creating their own reports, all stakeholders became more invested in the successes and failures of the development process.
  4. The VNRs gave countries the opportunity to raise awareness for the SDGs across multiple sectors, bringing together communities and allowing more diverse input and engagement.
  5. Above all, the first round of reviews helped to set a foundation for SDG funding.  Egypt, Madagascar, Mexico, Norway and many others were able to expand on public-private partnerships, as well as reform the tax code to create a business-friendly environment to boost local economies.

The HLPF is getting ready for its 2017 session from July 11 to 21, which will focus on “eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world.” Forty countries have committed to present VNRs this year. The goal of the conference is to share successes as well as failures to collectively learn, spread solutions and save others from avoidable mistakes.

– Josh Ward
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

New Insurgency in Myanmar: Examining What Is an Insurgency

Insurgency in Myanmar: Examining
There has been an uptick in an insurgent group activity in Myanmar the past few months. A new insurgency group within the Rohingya community named Harakah al-Yaqin has been carrying out attacks in the Rakhine state. This is a small yet important economic area within Myanmar that has a large Muslim population located within a country that is mainly Buddhist.

According to a Stratfor report, the Rohingya have long been a marginalized group in Myanmar society. They are not granted full citizenship and are accused of not being Myanmar at all, but rather recent Bengali immigrants.

The group demands are more ethnic-based rather than being steeped in political Islam. They are asking for government recognition as citizens and equal rights, but with no mention of Sharia law which differentiates them from other Islamist insurgencies. The scope of what is an insurgency depends on what the goal of that group ends up being.

With insurgencies varying from movement to movement, it is important to determine what is an insurgency. A recent paper by Aaron Young & David Gray seeking to define the term looks at likely causes and examines possible solutions. They believe that an insurgency is bound to political constraints. They define what is an insurgency by the challenging of these political aspects:

  1. The integrity of borders and composition of the nation-state
  2. The political system
  3. The authorities in power
  4. The policies that determine who gets what in societies

They believe that terrorism is only an option utilized by insurgencies if they fail on achieving their political goals. Over the years, though, the inclusion of guerilla warfare and terrorist tactics have served the purpose of demoralizing their opposition which can sometimes equate to an accelerated victory of their political goals.

Gray reports that “through proper management of social services and welfare programs, the needs of insurgent masses can be met. Only by the willingness of cooperation by the state and insurgent forces can a unified agreement be reached, considering that is a goal of the organization.”

Economic factors are important to squash an insurgency according to Mr. Gray. His research has led him to believe that by including indigenous and minority groups into economic development instead of complete control by the ruling party can be key to defeating the underlying current of an insurgency. And that the only way an insurgency can continue is if economic conditions remain the same or worsen. He states “by increasing regional utilization and production of viable resources, unemployment reductions, giving the masses both a sense of control of their own destinies and increases in the distribution of wealth has the effect of reducing strife and discontent.”

The Myanmar government reportedly has very little interest in including the Rohingya population into future economic growth. There are politically motivated fears that any softening towards the Muslim population may lead to a change in power facilitated by an angry Buddhist majority electorate. Young & Gray would argue the exact opposite approach to ending the unrest currently occurring in Myanmar.

– Brian Faust

Photo: Flickr

Politics in Gambia: Difficult Transition of Power Post Election

Politics in Gambia: Difficult Transition of Power Post Election
On December 1, President Yahya Jammeh lost his reelection campaign. Jammeh has been the figurehead for politics in the Gambia for 22 years. Since the election, Jammeh has gone from accepting the results to now challenging the results in the Gambian courts. So far the court has not been able to hear his appeal due to a number of absent judges on the deciding committee.

His challenger, Adama Barrow, is a former real estate agent that has never held political office. He plans to put a stop to government persecution and wants to focus on rebuilding the Gambian economy. He plans on investing in many industries that are needed but will focus largely on growth in Gambia’s technology sector.

Since Jammeh has assumed power through a 1994 coup, politics in the Gambia have been a dangerous business. Many Gambians are hopeful for the first time in 22 years. A number of exiled Gambians are reporting their optimism for the future and their intention to move back home. Many were exiled journalists who fled the country to avoid further torture and harassment by the Gambian government.

One such exiled man, Musa Saidykhan, was tortured with electroshocks, bayonets and chains for three weeks. He was accused of publishing a false story and having an affiliation with a failed coup years prior. He was never charged with any crime.

Sait Matty Jaw has a similar story. He was conducting a Gallup survey on human rights when he was suddenly arrested by government agents who imprisoned and charged him. He was eventually acquitted but the government appealed the decision to the court. Jaw felt he was no longer safe in his country and fled to Europe.

According to Al Jazeera there are no concrete numbers on Gambians living in exile. But one group, the Doha Centre for Media Freedom, concluded that at least 110 journalists have been exiled since Jammeh took power.

Jammeh’s resistance to relinquishing power is not being welcomed by his west African neighbors. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has stated they have troops on standby prepared for military action if Jammeh does not leave power by January 19 when Adama Barrow is set to take office.

Maggie Dwyer of the Centre of African Studies at the University of Edinburgh believes that the election challenge “buys Jammeh more time and places pressure on ECOWAS to broker a deal.”

On December 20, in a television announcement, Jammeh said “unless the Court decides the case, there will be no inauguration on the 19 January. And let me see what ECOWAS and those big powers behind them can do.”

Gambians within the country and abroad will be looking forward to the decision by the court and the response by ECOWAS and the West. Dwyer states “Nearly all prominent organizations in the Gambia and the UN, AU, ECOWAS, US and more are unlikely to back down on their calls for Jammeh to concede defeat.” Many people will be looking forward to the closing of the Jammeh chapter in Gambia’s history and will be expecting President-elect Barrow to move politics in the Gambia forward in the right direction.

– Brian Faust

Photo: Flickr

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Four Clues to Understanding Poverty in Bahrain

4 Clues to Understanding Poverty in Bahrain
A great deal of poverty in Bahrain stems from a systematic discrimination of Shias by the Sunni leaders. Bahrainis were one of the first to begin protesting in the Arab Spring of 2011 but were also one of the first to be shut down. The discrimination of the Shias still exists today in Bahrain. To better understand Bahrain, here are four facts that you need to know:

    1. Bahrain is run by a monarchy that has been in power since their occupation of the island during the 1700s. The monarchy works within itself, through a private council that resolves familial disputes and financial issues. Today, Bahrain is a constitutional monarchy with an elected legislature.
    2. The monarchy consists of Sunnis, but the majority of the population of Bahrain is Shia. This encourages systematic discrimination throughout Bahrain, which sparked multiple protests by Shia Bahrainis in 2011. Shias claimed that privileges and opportunities were given out more freely to the Sunnis within Bahrain. Mainly these protestors argued for a new constitution and an equal society in terms of job opportunities for Shia Bahrainis, but the protests were shut down quickly. The monarchy called the protesters traitors and used troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to end the protests.
    3. There is a large wealth disparity between Shias and Sunnis throughout Bahrain. The capital city of Manama is full of beautiful buildings and skyscrapers, but the villages surrounding the city show the disparity. However, figures do not suggest that Bahrain has any citizens living in extreme poverty (under one U.S. dollar a day) according to the United Nations Development Programme. But, 12.2% of the population lives under five U.S. dollars a day, therefore poverty in Bahrain still exists.
    4. Most of the unemployed Bahrainis are between the ages of 15 and 24. Unemployed females within that age group have an unemployment rate of 16.8 % in 2014, and unemployed males are at 8.5%, according to the International Labour Organization. There is a clear disparity between females and males who are able to acquire jobs, as well as the disparity between the Shias and Sunnis that is still prevalent today.

Poor Shias living in Bahrain without any connections to wealthier Shias or Sunnis will most likely stay in that caste. Bahrain is very committed to its traditions including its monarchy. While extreme poverty in Bahrain is not the country’s biggest issue, the disparity that is rampant leads more into poverty every day.

– Meagan Foy

Photo: Flickr

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Politics and Poverty in The Gambia

Poverty in the Gambia
The Islamic Republic of Gambia is a small West African nation of fewer than two million people and surrounded on almost all sides by Senegal. With an economy built on a small patch of tourism, peanuts, and money sent home from abroad, poverty in the Gambia has had a period of stability for the past two decades.

The authoritarian government of outgoing president Yahya Jammeh has been in power since 1994. As recently as 2006, President Jammeh’s campaign claimed that government aid and continued development would only go to its supporters, while those who supported others should expect nothing.

Hope for Reducing Poverty in The Gambia

Today, more than a third of The Gambia’s population lives below the U.N. poverty line of $1.25 per day. The nation’s poor are mostly in rural areas, and 60 percent of The Gambia relies on agriculture to make a living. Irregular rainfall, economic instability and fluctuating food pricing all contribute to the plight of the Gambian proletariat.

Low productivity persists in the staple area of rice farming, where inefficient technologies and practices lead to less yield during harvests and contribute to worsening soil fertility. Few rural institutions are able to provide basic social services and credit.

In a surprise turn of events, President Jammeh lost this year’s election to a candidate who ran on issues of economic revival, ending human rights violations, and establishing a more earnest democracy. With the end of Jammeh’s presidency comes a potential for The Gambia to begin receiving increased funding from the U.N. and E.U. Ban Ki-moon and Federica Mogherini have stated, on behalf of the U.N. and E.U. respectively, that their institutions are prepared to support The Gambia.

The President-elect, Adama Barrow, is already promising to strengthen relations with Europe and other potential partners in development. Many relationships had been strained by the Jammeh administration, and after 22 years, The Gambia may be in a position to put its most vulnerable at the forefront of its government.

– Aaron Walsh

Photo: Flickr

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Monarchs, Communist States and other Non-Democratic Countries

Monarchs, Communist States and other Non-Democratic Countries
Out of 196 countries in the world, 113 are officially recognized as democratic states. That leaves over 80 non-democratic countries. Here is a look at the top ten.

  1. People’s Republic of China – China has been a communist state since 1949 and is run by the Communist Party of China. With the largest population in the world (1.385 billion), beginning in 1980, China began to strictly enforce a 1- child limit. By 2007, the law began to gradually relax and currently there is a 2-child limit in this largest of all non-democratic countries.
  2. North Korea – This East Asian peninsula is officially named the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and is a communist state run by a dictator. In 2015, North Korea created its own time zone. The country now runs on Pyongyang Time.
  3. Cuba – The largest island in the Caribbean is a totalitarian communist state and officially became so after Fidel Castro rose to power in 1959. Education in Cuba is 100% subsidized by the government. Even students studying at the doctoral level are able to do so tuition free.
  4. Laos – Officially the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, this southeast Asian country is a one-party socialist state with a free market economy. Recently they’ve attracted substantial foreign investments due to a plentiful supply of mineral resources.
  5. Vietnam – Originally spelled “Viet Nam”, one of the non-democratic countries, this single-party socialist republic is led by the Communist Party of Vietnam. Owning about 20% of the world’s coffee market makes Vietnam the second largest producer of coffee in the world.
  6. Brunei – Since 1962, Brunei has been governed by an absolute monarchy. The Sultan is the Prime Minister, Defense Minister, Finance Minister and the Head of Religion. Brunei is an oil-rich country that is a little smaller than the state of Delaware and has the 10th highest per capita GDP in the world.
  7. Bahrain – This archipelago totals 765 square kilometers and is governed by a constitutional monarchy. The Bahrain World Trade Centre was recognized with a Leading European Architects Forum Award for incorporating wind turbines into its 240-meter high design.
  8. Monaco – Officially named the Principality of Monaco, this Hereditary Constitutional Monarchy measures only 2 square kilometers. It’s the second smallest country in the world! Monaco gained its independence from the Republic of Genoa on January 8, 1297.
  9. Jordan – This constitutional hereditary monarchy is officially named, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The country is widely known as a “geographic prize” due to its central location and diverse climate.
  10. Kuwait – After gaining independence from the U.K. in 1961, Kuwait formed a semi-democratic hybrid system of government. Today, it is run by a combination of appointed and elected officials including the Chief of State and the Crowned Prince.

– Ashley Henyan

Photo: Flickr

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Surviving the Mau Mau Rebellion

Surviving the Mau Mau Rebellion
Fifty-six years following the Mau Mau rebellion uprising, Kenyans have relentlessly worked to piece their society back together.

In 1895, the British government declared Kenya as its colony. Thus began the processes of disenfranchisement where European settlers were prioritized over the indigenous communities.

British colonial policy consisted of marginalizing native Kenyans through land expropriation, political isolation and human rights abuses.

After 60 years of peacefully pressing for more equitable political and economic rights, the indigenous people sought alternative means. Consequently, the Kikuyu-led Mau Mau rebellion gained traction.

In the early 1950s, over a million people strong, the Mau Mau rebellion engaged in an armed counter-insurgency to reclaim their land.

Following eight years of acute conflict and over 25,000 Kikuyu deaths, the Mau Mau rebellion was curbed by colonial forces. Nevertheless, the movement served as a vital step in the retrenchment of colonial forces in 1963.

 

Fast forward 56 years and the aspirations of the Kikuyu people have finally come to fruition.

Currently, Kenya’s economy is projected to produce at 6% in 2017, which is a substantial increase following its 2009 output of 1.71%.

Politically, Kenya has shifted from a single-party regime to a representative democracy. Constitutional reformation continues to take place and has “strengthened accountability and public service delivery at local levels.”

As a result of the Millennium Development Goals, Kenya has also worked to reduce gender bias. Women now receive “free maternal health care at all public health facilities.”

Kenyan literature has played a prominent role since the success of the Mau Mau rebellion. Noteworthy examples are the tales of social protest during colonial times by Ngugi wa Thiong’o – Weep Not, Child (1964) and Petals of Blood (1977).

Despite the holistic improvement, Kenya will continue to contend with adversity. The World Bank report on Kenya notes that “addressing challenges of poverty, inequality, governance, low investment and low firm productivity to achieve rapid, a sustained growth rates that will transform lives of ordinary citizens, will be a major goal for Kenya”.

The progress made since the Mau Mau rebellion demonstrates the potential for Kenya to be a continental success story. However, it will not happen unless Kenya continues to receive financial, technological and moral support from the international community.

– Adam George

Photo: Flickr

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House Speaker Paul Ryan’s Agenda for a Confident America

Paul Ryan
Paul Ryan unveils plans for the GOP election-year agenda in regards to poverty, tax reform, national security, health care, regulation cuts and constitutional policy. The agenda also seeks to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act but looks to maintain several popular provisions it provides.

The 2017 Republican agenda titled “A Better Way” is the brainchild of the Task Force on Poverty, Opportunity and Upward Mobility. Unveiled at the House of the Help City Of Hope in June, House Republicans argue that the initiative provides more effective grounds to lift Americans out of poverty and places them on a “ladder of opportunity.”

In a speech at the Library of Congress last December, Ryan enunciated the vitality of implementation of mandates as Republican’s “number-one goal for the next year” and aims to establish a “complete alternative to the Left’s agenda.” A Better Way’s agenda sets lofty goals to alleviate poverty within the U.S., emphasizing reforms to the current state of the welfare system and asserts that fiscal investments will neither rise nor decrease.

Ryan’s affinity to develop big policy ideas has also been showcased by his authoring of the 2008 agenda “Roadmap for America’s Future” and his substantial role in the 2013 GOP initiative “Path to Prosperity.” The unanimous vote to nominate Paul Ryan for a second term as speaker of the House, along with a Republican president-elect, House and Senate, increase the likelihood that goals outlined by A Better Way’s Agenda will be executed.

The agenda also strives to alleviate poverty in the U.S. by focusing on programs for families. These goals are aimed at especially assisting those families led by single mothers, by reforming nutrition programs, developing financial aid and Pell Grant policies, increasing services to at-risk youth and increasing development in early childhood by bridging the gap between educators and parents.

A startling 20 percent of Americans receive public welfare, while three-fourths of these individuals are recipients of support for no more than two years.

With the new year approaching, it is important to start off with structured planning to improve overall efforts to alleviate poverty in the U.S. It is hopeful that these efforts will create the strong foundation necessary to achieve the above standards.

– Amber Bailey

Photo: Flickr