Months after the highly disputed presidential elections in Zimbabwe,
President Robert Mugabe (Zanu-PF party) and Morgan Tsvangirai (MDC party) reached
a power-sharing agreement on September 11th. Tsvangirai will become
prime minister and the MDC party will likely have more senior ministers in the new
government than Zanu-PF. However, Mugabe will continue to serve as head of the
cabinet and will retain some of his executive power, causing skepticism among
many.
According to reports, the general feeling in Zimbabwe is one
of hope. Although Tsvangirai conceded some power, the necessity of reaching an
agreement to end the political crisis is for many a much more important step. "I am excited, and I have seen hundreds of other people
openly show their own excitement too, since news of the deal started filtering
in," said a university lecturer in Harare. There is a sense that Tsvangirai’s
presence in the government will create some checks and balances, even if Mugabe
still has a voice.
Angola Parliamentary Elections: Off to a Good Start
Democracy
Friday, 12 September 2008
Posted September 12, 2008
AFJN stands in solidarity with the people of Angola as they
participate in the first parliamentary election in 16 years. The election is a
huge stride toward sustainable peace, democracy, and development that Angolans desire.
After three years of preparation , almost no
stone has been left unturned. Eight million people were registered with
anti-fraud systems of cards with pictures, holograms and fingerprints,
observers from regional and international groups were present, helicopters and
boats were deployed to reach the unreachable, and information and advertisements
urging people to vote have been well circulated. As in numerous African elections
there were logistical shortcomings, but Angola’s was encouraging considering
it is a nation recovering from conflict.
When President Bush said he was attending the opening
ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games despite China’s misdeeds in the international
arena, he said it is because the Olympics are about sports, not politics.
Did anyone buy that? We like to think that the Olympics are
a time for the world to come together despite political differences, but there
is a reason China
is striving to dominate the gold medal count. It has nothing to do with the Chinese
athletes themselves but rather serves as proof that China is eligible to be a strong
world power. At the time of writing, the United
States and China are tied for 79 total medals
in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. China
and the United States
are vying for superpower status on the gymnastics floor, in the boxing ring,
and on the field hockey turf.
But what about everyone else? Sure, it is impressive
that Michael Phelps topped the medal record with 8 gold medals in swimming, but
what about the two gold medals won by Ethiopian runners? Phelps has all of the
best trainers and best technologies available to him, as well as a full-time
training schedule that allows him to focus only on winning Olympic gold. Is it
not far more impressive that Kenya
has received 8 medals , that Zimbabwe
has received 4, Ethiopia 3, Cameroon 1, South
Africa 1, Morocco
1, and Togo
1?
Liberia Will Rise Again! Observations From a Recent Visit
Democracy
Monday, 18 August 2008
By Sr. Elizabeth Kolmer, an AFJN
Board Member and Sister of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ
Posted August
18, 2008
What’s
happening in Liberia? Is the war over ? Is it safe to travel there? These are the
most common questions I’ve been asked regarding the situation in the West
African country of Liberia.
My three weeks on the ground in post-conflict Liberia in June gave me a glimpse
of the present position of the country as it tries to restore and rebuild
itself after a 14-year civil war.
Certainly it would take much longer than 3 weeks to comprehend all that
is going on in this restoration process.
The City
What strikes
one most in the capital city of Monrovia
is the sheer number of people everywhere.
The recently completed census indicates that there are 3.48 million
people in the country, with 1.14 million of them living in the confines of Monrovia. It is estimated
that the infrastructure of the city is capable of sustaining a population of at
most 350,000, so the strain on any kind of services is very obvious. There are
people everywhere, many of them children. Due to conflict, disease, and poor
nutrition, the median age of the population hovers around 15 or 16.
Unemployment
is high. Some say 80 percent of the population does not work in the formal
sector. The small market-stands provide
a meager and uncertain source of income for many. The World Bank estimates that
over three-quarters of Liberia's
population live below the poverty line of 1 USD per day. Many others, among them young men returning
from the war, have no employment and often resort to thievery, especially in
the crowded market areas and on state and private properties.
In 2007, a
short term poverty reduction plan was put in place with a primary aim of
creating jobs. This year, President
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf presented a more extensive proposal to the IMF and World
Bank. Also in place is a newly unveiled
plan to relocate willing and qualified Liberians into rural areas by offering
them jobs, benefits and good salaries. The Rural Incentives Pilot Program will
focus initially on health, educational, and agricultural areas. Although we do
not yet know the potential impact of these programs, it is clear that President
Sirleaf is making an effort to address the extreme poverty in her country.
Still, there
are many challenges for President Sirleaf.
The electrical and sewer infrastructure of the country must be rebuilt
completely. Many people use generators for power at least for several hours
after dark, and use wells which fill the private water towers they have
erected.
