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THE MDGs CHALLENGE: “How Realistic are International Goals?”
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic


INTRODUCTION
In the fast paced trend of the twenty first century, the common parlance is that everything thinkable is possible. While it is comforting and encouraging embracing such thoughts, it is also true to state that the mere pouting of such positivism is not enough; action and practical steps towards such goals is what confers results. At the United Nations Millennium summit in 2000, 189 Heads of governments promised to end poverty by the year 2015. They signed the Millennium Declaration promising to “free men, women and children from the dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty”, committing developed and developing countries alike to eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). What are these goals? How realistic are these international goals? The answers to these questions are crux of the subsequent discourse.

THE MDGs CHALLENGE
There is no doubt that the Millennium Development Goals were products of the best intentions when they were adopted in the year 2000. However, like all goals, it had a target and was expected to have been achieved in fifteen years (2015). The goals include:


GOAL 1 ERADICATE EXTREME POVERTY AND HUNGER

GOAL 2 ACHIEVE UNIVERSAL PRIMARY EDUCATION


GOAL 3 PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY AND EMPOWER WOMEN

GOAL 4 REDUCE CHILD MORTALITY

GOAL 5 IMPROVE MATERNAL HEALTH

GOAL 6 COMBAT HIV/AIDS, MALARIA AND OTHER DISEASES


GOAL 7 ENSURE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

GOAL 8 DEVELOP A GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR DEVELOPMENT


HOW REALISTIC ARE INTERNATIONAL GOALS?
“If dreams were horses, beggars would ride”. It is not so much for the fact that a beggar can’t ride a horse but because he/she presently lacks the means to buy or hire a horse. Our everyday dreams are achievable only to the extent of complementary work towards their realization. When any dream lacks that quality, it becomes synonymous to day-dreaming and can be termed unrealistic.
The world is barely seven years away from 2015. Eight years after the setting of the MDGs, so much remains undone in virtually all the goals.
In Goal 1, it is expected that come 2015, extreme poverty and hunger would have been eradicated. But today in 2008, statistics show that:
• 1.2 billion people live on less than $1 a day
• Every day, 800 million people go to bed hungry
• Every day, 28,000 children die from poverty-related causes

Goal 2 aims to achieve universal primary education, but current statistics show that:
• 115 million children are not in school—56 percent of them are girls and 94 percent of them live in developing countries
• 133 million young people cannot read or write
• Only 37 of 155 developing countries have achieved universal primary school completion

Goal 3 aims to promote gender equality empower women, but sadly today,
• Two-thirds of the world’s illiterate people are female
• The employment rate for women is 30% lower than the rate for men
• Women only held 15% of seats in national parliaments in 2003

The reduction of child mortality is the target of Goal 4; yet today,
• 48 countries had mortality rates greater than 1 in 10 childbirths, compared to 1 in 143 in developed countries
• Among the childhood vaccine-preventable diseases, measles is the leading cause of child mortality, with over half a million deaths in 2000
• 70% of deaths before age five are caused by disease, or a combination of disease and malnutrition, that would be preventable in developed countries
Goal 5 aims to improve maternal health, but unfortunately today,
• More than 500,000 women die from complications of pregnancy and childbirth every year
• 99 percent of maternal deaths from childbirth occur in the developing world
• Pregnancy is the leading cause of death for girls ages 15-19 in developing countries

Goal 6 aims to combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Other diseases, yet statistics shows that,
• 4.3 million people became newly infected with HIV in 2006; that’s 11,000 a day!
• Malaria causes more than one million deaths each year
• There were two million deaths from tuberculosis in 2002

Ensuring environmental sustainability is the aim of Goal 7, but presently,
• 2 million children die every year from infections spread by dirty water or the lack of toilets
• 1.2 billion people lack access to safe drinking water and 2.4 billion people lack access to proper sanitation facilities
• The collapse of fisheries around the world threatens to increase hunger and poverty among poor coastal communities throughout the developing world
Goal 8 aims to develop a partnership for development. This last goal is perhaps the most important because it involves a collaborative effort and partnership between developed and developing countries. Yet today,
• Europe’s cows receive $2 a day in subsidies, more than the income of half the world’s population
• Developed countries pledged to give 0.7% of their national income in aid. Only 5 countries are living up to the commitment; the USA is giving less than 0.2%
• It is estimated that were developed countries to break down trade barriers, this could help lift 300 million people out of poverty by 2015

In the face of the above grim statistics and revelations, one is apt to state that the international goals are not realistic. Yet, it is on this assumption that that the current state of affairs persist – inaction. What if it changes?



WHAT CAN BE DONE?
There is no gain saying the fact that when the MDGs were adopted, strategies towards its implementation and actualization were also adopted. Hence, the first step towards the realization and actualization of the MDGs is right action geared towards the contents of the implementation guidelines. Like most policies, the MDGs is plagued by inaction and lack of implementation and until something urgent is done, 2015 will come and go leaving the MDGs in the trash can of history and white elephant projects.

There is so much that can be done towards achieving the MDGs. Addressing the expectations of Goal 1 is perhaps of utmost importance and could positively impact on the other goals. This is because nearly all the other problems the MDGs seek to assuage are hinged on poverty. It is poverty that creates both infantile and maternal mortality; HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases would be effectively managed if adequate finance exist and access to clean water and universal primary education would be within reach if poverty is tackled. The above task is not for any single individual or nation. The developing and developed countries need come together in order to effect a change. Government funding for education and the provision of employment opportunities for youths needs to be worked on to dispel the issue off poverty.

The achievement of Goal 2 would be feasible should governments increase their support for primary education and ensure equitable distribution to all parts of the country irrespective of tribe or religion. In fact, free primary school education should be implemented and not just adopted in principle as a working document.

Developing countries must institute policies that would engender attitudinal change towards women. Leaders everywhere need to start implementing and enforcing laws that protect women’s right and the populace made to understand the importance of gender equality in combating poverty and achieving Goal 3

There is urgent need for an increased public spending in the health sector so that immunization and provision of health facilities are accessible to reduce child mortality. There is need for increased access to family planning and sexual and reproductive health education for the realization of Goal 4. In fact, adoption of the UNICEF Child Survival and Development Revolution as embodied in the acronym GOBIFFFEEETH (growth monitoring and promotion, oral dehydration therapy, breast feeding and immunization, female education, family planning, food supplementation, environmental protection and adequate sanitation, essential drugs programme, treatment of common diseases and health education) needs to be thoroughly implemented.

In order to improve maternal health, government funding for reproductive health care services must be improved upon. Family planning, improved maternal care and relaxation of restrictive laws on abortion need to be adopted and implemented.

The task of combating HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases is enormous but not impossible. In the area of HIV/AIDS, the principle of universal access needs to be adopted. This entails that everyone that needs AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support will have it. Eradicating malaria does not rest on palliatives like insecticide treated bed nets but adoption of high standards of environmental sanitation that eliminated malaria from Europe and Saudi Arabia

To achieve the environmental sustainability of Goal 7, environmental education needs to be integrated in the curricular of students and government funding for safe drinking water ought to be improved upon.

Global partnership for development is very essential. Here, developing countries relies so much on the good will of the developed countries. There is need for more donations to developing countries by donor countries and relaxation of stringent terms accompanying such donations. The developed countries should open their market to developing countries and not foist their products on the developing countries. More so, there is need to overhaul present trade policies that discriminate and hurt the chances of the economy of developing countries

CONCLUSION
The foregoing has been an attempt to concisely but succinctly define the MDGs and how realistic present international efforts towards it realization are. Current trend and facts support the proposition that the strategic action for its implementation in the developing countries have failed. The developed countries that ought to know better are not playing the wise big brother; rather, they place huge burdens on the shoulders of the fledgling younger nations, thus, negating and nullifying whatever little efforts the latter have made. The MDGs are not unrealistic because they cannot be achieved but because current inaction has made the realization of its goal and target a possibility; and until the current status quo is reversed, nothing can be achieved and the MDGs would remain an utopia.




REFERENCES
www.takingitglobal.org

www.milleniumcampaign.org

www.youthlink.org


August 21, 2009 | 3:06 AM Comments  0 comments

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NIGERIOCRITY
Related to country: Nigeria

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic



To state that ‘Nigeriocrity’ is a synonymous term for the mediocre attitude of a large percentage of Nigerians is a half-truth. Ab initio it was a survival instinct that was supposed to be discarded when that for which it was forged disappeared; but today it has persisted and has become a fashionable way of life.

According to Oxford Advanced Learners dictionary of current English, mediocrity means ‘quality of not being not very good nor very bad; second rate’. What makes a great mass of people accept unconditionally a second place position when they could have clinched the first position? A whole lot of reasons ranging from fear, lack of ambition, listlessness, and racism could be posited, but none succinctly explains Nigeriocrity

Something else explains the complacency with which ‘Nigerians’ accept derogatory conditions when they could aspire for more. What explains rickety commuter buses; half baked graduates; working for months on end without salaries; hospitals without suitably qualified health personnel; education in structures that in minutes may crash on its inhabitants; pot hole decorated roads; enthusiasm to pay more for less; endurance of shylock landlords with uncompleted buildings and exorbitant rents; the wanton display of wealth by elite politicians and military personnel when their subjects languish with smiles under the burden of poverty?

One cannot help but wonder why very few Nigerians commit suicide. For a country that ranks as one of the most corrupt and poorest countries in the world; albeit having many among the richest men in the world, it surprises every keen observer why the great impoverished masses wait. History shows that Nigerian independence was one of the easiest with little blood shed. Unlike in most African countries viz. Algeria, South Africa and Tunisia et al where independence became a reality with a blood bathed struggle for emancipation; Nigeria had hers on a platter of gold.

The problem started then and may forever be with us because we manage today to manage tomorrow, then to our graves leaving nothing save mediocrity. When colonization ended in Nigeria in 1960, Neo colonialism started .it was garbed democracy and championed by the military for over thirty years after which another phase began with the politicians. Yet in all these change nothing changed. All because Nigerians love life so much.

We’ve managed so much that we can’t visualize or appreciate the normal, having internalized the idea of playing second fiddle .We don’t how the real ought to be; hence we settle for less. Nigeriocrity is life at all cost –at low ebb. But what is life? A life salvaged at a cost greater than what life offers is no life. Nigeriocrity as a way of life has failed having stagnated Nigerians over the years. Like all palliatives it ought to have been discarded over the years for a total cure. It is better to suffer once and open for ourselves a whole new better world than to garnish our whole lives with misery on a miserly quest for survival. A survival for which we are eternally enslaved ¬–that is Nigeriocrity


June 9, 2008 | 5:38 PM Comments  0 comments

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“LEARNING TO LIVE TOGETHER: PROMOTING TOLERANCE AND DIVERSITY IN GLOBALIZED SOCIETIES.”

Preamble
“Oh, Obi don’t tell me you are going to swallow that big thing”? “You better believe it; that’s just a tip of the African food treat I promised you guys; more so I didn’t complain when you hosted us”. “But, mine wasn’t as scary as these; what you are doing is akin to suicide which I believe neither I nor Nayasaki would attempt with you”. “John, I don’t think it is that serious, is it not a part of the knowledge we desire? In fact, wait until I introduce you guys to my native food; maybe then, you’ll prefer Obi’s offer”.

Exposition
Whatever we don’t understand towers high above us. It not only elicits distrust but earns our innate prejudice because it precludes and unsettles our conception of the way things ought to be. In fact, people don’t only hate what they don’t understand, they also suspect it and more likely to be prejudicial in their view of such things.

It could be easy to identify racism or sectarianism as the cause of exclusion, discrimination and lack of social integration of foreigners and immigrants within the general society; yet it is also true to state that there exist internal dissention and discrimination within homogenous races.

Racism reflects an acceptance of the deepest forms and degrees of divisiveness and carries the implication that differences among groups are so great that they cannot be transcended. It also elicits hatred and distrust and precludes any attempt to understand the racialized.

Just like racism, ethnocentrism is another factor that militates against tolerance of foreigners, immigrant or other sects perceived as being different. The belief that one’s culture or group is superior contributes to the feeling of dissention and rancor between people from different culture traits.

Although civilization has done so much to efface the popularity of racism, yet people’s private belief and practices remain racist. People of assumed lower status are often made a scape goat, discriminated against or worse still abused by those with superiority complex. Presently, it is deemed a mark of sophistication to be garbed liberal, but our basic individual or cultural practices would always be a clog in the wheel of a useful interaction between people. Unless this trend is backed up with an equitable interaction between people of different culture or sect to foster understanding, we may still be a long way from learning to live together.

The way forward.
The foregoing has been a concise evaluation of the factors militating against people of diverse origin living together in peace. At this point, the pertinent question is what is the way forward?
According to Audrey Smedley,”the mind cannot be changed by laws but beliefs about human difference can and do change as do all cultural elements.” The conflict between people of different culture and beliefs can be excised through understanding. It is only through a mindful and convincing understanding of the fact that every culture is unique and should be judged by their own standard can the perceived feelings of superiority and distrust people bear towards foreigners be effaced. Understanding is a product of interaction. When people interact, they tend to learn more of the other person and are apt to be more tolerant and unbiased.

Hence, for young people to contribute to creation of dynamic and harmonious multicultural societies there is need for the organization of a forum of interaction for people from diverse cultures. The essence of such forum cannot be overemphasized. Apart from the knowledge such a global gathering would generate, it would engender the much needed tolerance and acceptance of people different from us and thus aid in achieving world peace. It is my ardent belief and conviction that in spite of the diversity in global sentiments, people would learn to live together if they have a better understanding of others.






December 2, 2006 | 11:34 AM Comments  0 comments

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EUTHANASIA


EUTHANASIA.
PREAMBLE: “Chris, please give me a break am your father. Just do me this last favor by telling the good doctor to get it over with. I know it’s no use .I ’ve been like this four years now” Chris replied, “but father, you know God those a lot of unforeseen things in our lives. Be patient things will improve” out side the corridor, Chris sternly warned the doctor not to yield to his fathers plea or he would sue him to court if he complies. But in a weeks time, the father mysteriously died; and the doctor acquitted of all charges.

EXPOSITION: euthanasia ranks as one of the controversial issue in contemporary society. It evokes a lot of feelings and means different things to different people in different places. Its connotation varies from meaning almost nothing to the poor market woman to being a matter of utmost importance to the church leaders and legislators; and to doctors and patients at home with the reality itself.

According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, euthanasia also called ‘mercy killing’, is the act or practice of painlessly putting to death persons suffering from painful and incurable disease or incapacitating physical disorder. Because there is no specific provision for it in most legal systems it is accounted either suicide (if performed by the patient himself) or murder (if performed by another).A physician may however lawfully decide not to prolong life when there is extreme suffering and he may administer drugs to relieve pain, even though he knows that this may shorten the patients life.

It would be pertinent at this point to concisely dwell on the forms of euthanasia before an insight into its diverse connotations to the interested parties. The forms of euthanasia generally recognized are voluntary euthanasia, non-voluntary euthanasia and involuntary euthanasia. In the words of Dworkin R, ‘VOLUNTARY EUTHANASIA is mercy killing with the consent of the terminally ill person.’ Here the terminally ill person makes the decision because death seems a better alternative than the life he or she has come to despise. In NON VOLUNTARY EUTHANASIA, the subject is incapable of choosing between life and death. Hence the decision is made for him or her as in the case of terribly disabled newborn infants. INVOLUNATRYU EUTHANASIA according to Ogbu Alexander, is carried out on a person who is capable of consenting to his own death but does not do so, either because he is not asked or because he is asked an d chooses to go on living. Simply, it is done to a person without his consent. It is important to note that whether ACTIVE (whereby a direct action is taken) or passive (whereby treatment is withheld) it is still involuntary.

The opinion that euthanasia is permissible goes back to Socrates, Plato and the Stoics. However this is totally rejected in the traditional Christian belief because it goes against the fifth of Ten Commandments. Hence, it is contrary to the church’s teaching on the sanctity of life. In the words of John Paul װ, he Roman Catholic pontiff,’ euthanasia is a grave violation of the law of God. Since it is the deliberate and morally unacceptable killing of a human person, depending on the circumstances this practice involves malice proper to suicide or murder '‘e goes further to state that such killing is incompatible with respect for human dignity and reverence for life.

According to Shopenhauer, ‘If the criminal law forbids suicide, that is not the argument valid in the church and besides the prohibition is ridiculous for what penalty can frighten a person who is not afraid of death itself.’ The stance of some of society’s legal system against euthanasia is purely based on practical absence of safeguards, as it would give free reins to psychopaths to rationalize wanton destruction of human life. A typical example is the Nazi T4 euthanasia program of 1939-1945 that was established with a mandate to kill anyone deemed to have a ‘life unworthy of living’. Hence, the past defeat of Euthanasia society’s bill in the house of Lord’s in both 1935 and 1950.

The ability of modern medical practice to prolong life via sophisticated technological means is evident in the modern society. The physician is at cross roads because passively doing nothing to prolong life or withdrawing life support measures has resulted in criminal charges being brought against physicians; but also legal actions have been instituted against physicians by relatives of the terminally ill patients to remove sophisticated life support apparatus.

According to Robert Harney, “Law as conceived in the declaration of independence is not a social device to advance of virtue, it is a protective device to insure the freedom and the opportunities that men needed for their happiness and their developments. Freedom is not the right to be virtuous; it is the right to do as one pleases.”

CRITIQUE: The foregoing has been an evaluation of euthanasia, its diverse meanings according to individual differences and beliefs. We have on one end the church that strongly abhors euthanasia and the pro-choice group that endorses euthanasia. This is more or less a contest between tradition and liberal dissents. In the words of Chinonso Ndukwe. “Euthanasia is scientifically approvable but religiously abominable.”. Which also more or less about reason and morality. The basis of its condemnation by the church hinges on morality while science upholds individual freedom in its defense.

In the final analysis, it solely depends on our choice. What is morally right or wrong is dependent on time because what is frowned upon today tends to be extolled tomorrow and vice versa; nothing is really eternally morally or reasonably right but oscillates with the ‘age’ and majority.



November 27, 2004 | 9:23 AM Comments  0 comments

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TERRORISM IN THE 21ST CENTRUTY ITS CONSEQUENCIES AND REMEDIES.



There can be no better time to address the issue of terrorism than now. The term terrorism is now a household word on the lips of even street kids. If there is any word widely used recently it is terrorism. This is because of its latest exploit which is still fresh are the minds of all, that the mere memory of it makes the heart shudder and cry for its erasure.
Terrorism is the use of unlawful illegal and violent means by a small group of people usually motivated by an ideology which is either political, racial, religions or anarchistic. The basic aim of terrorism is to induce fear and discomfort in the minds of the perceived enemies often as a way of forcing that enemy to yield ground or grant concession to the terrorist group. Its main element is the use of the weapon of fear to instill fear in the minds of the specified target usually a government or an authority such that the authority will advance the aims and objectives of the terrorist group.
The use of terrorism is a phenomenon of the modern age . by modern age, I mean towards the end of the 19th century into the 20th century and now the 21st century. Terrorism was one of the activities that led to the first world war, terrorism featured in the old Russian empire. Pangs of terrorism took place during the second world war but in more modern times, terrorism has taken a new look and dimension that the list of terrorist attacks and the feats achieved, worries any sane mind. In the past, the target of terrorist attacks were military installation and diplomatic missions or their likes but recently they have expanded their list to so-called soft targets, such as mass transport systems sporting events busy urban location hotels and tourist sites. Before I go on I would like to list a few recent terrorist attacks and their effects, on April 19,1995 in Oklahoma City Unified States, a truck bomb exploded at a federal building killing 168 people with more than 500 injured. On January 31 1996 in Colombo Srilanka, ethnic terrorists rammed a truck laden with explosive into a bank killing 90 people with more than 1,400 injured . On August 7th 1998. U.S embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed killing 250 people with over 5,500 injured. On 9th and 13th September 1999 in Moscow. Russia, two huge explosions ripped through two apartment buildings killing 212 people with over 300 injured. Lastly, the most recent and perhaps most fatal till date, on the 14th of September 2001, two hijacked planes crashed into the world trade centre and the Pentagon building. The casualties of the latest attack can only be estimated; little wonder that survivors are still being sought a month after the attack.
Having discussed terrorism in general and its gruesome effects, the most likely questions that would come to mind are “what is the cause of terrorism? Why terrorism? Why would people consent to suicide bombs attacks?. Ordinarily, terrorism is a form of protest or attack on a structure that one detest. According to Louis J Freech of the U.S Federal Bureau of investigation “terrorism… is fueled by Hatred” “Those who harbor such hatred live in a world that is colored by bigotry shaded by conspiracy, and framed by ignorance” Oppression is another cause of terrorism. Stephen Bownan in his book “when the eagle screams” Opines “To be sure, there are leaders of groups and countries whose irrational goals are the annihilation of other cultures. But it is also clear that in great deal of terrorism is born of despair” The editor of Urban book of terrorism states “In many cases… the primary motivation for a terrorist is a genuine frustration with seemingly intractable political social and economic forces”. Terrorism is a symptom of a problem, not the actual cause” remarks Michael Shimoff in his paper. “The policy of terrorism”. He continues: “ our long-term goal should be to eliminate the underlying social and political causes of terrorism---paralleling our actions against terrorism, we must have equally vigorous efforts to enhance freedom, dignity justice and humanitarian values. Only when those vigorous efforts are effective, will we able to dismantle our counter- terrorism and anti-terrorism operations”.
The causes of terrorism are many; apart from state- sponsored terrorism common in the past, the new trend is that of cause-sponsored terrorism. These ‘causes’ are varied according to individual or group state of mind or dissatisfaction. The state of mind of the terrorist is one in which the terrorist is given to do anything, he does not analyze the world the way we see the world. He is ready to pay the supreme price for what he believes in. according to Dr. Obi Cyril “They are people who have given up on the system, they are protesting the system. They--- think there is nothing that they can gain from the existing system so even if they die trying to destroy the system they have nothing to benefit from they would have done something in trying to mate it better. It is that feeling that they have died to achieve a particular cause that drives the mind of the terrorist to commit suicide ?”.
What are the tools of the 21st century terrorist? The tools of the terrorist are ordinarily all weapons of mass destruction. However, the recent trend in development has created a more sophisticated terrorist, making people Coin words such as “cyberterrorism” “bioterrorism” and “ecoterrorism”. The 21st century terrorist belongs to a global network. Our global village has thrown up new scenarios in that new computer and communication technology have made terrorism something more of a leisure game. According to frank J. Cllifor director of the information warfare task force of the centre for strategic and international studies (CSIS)” in essence we ‘ve created a global village without a police department” Robert kupperman, senior adviser to (CSIS) stated that if terrorists choose to use high-tech methods ”no government agency currently exist to cope with the repercussions of their attack. Not long ago, a hacker from Sweden invaded a computer system in Florida and put an emergency -service system out of commission for an hour, impeding the responses of police, fire and ambulance services. Such is the level of sophisticated tools brandished be terrorist.
Another potent tool in the hands of modern day terrorist are chemicals and germs in a subway in Tokyo in 1995, a cult released sarin nerve gas killing twelve people and injuring more than 5,000. The relative ease with which biological weapons could be prepared makes the task of the terrorist easy to achieve. The recent use of Anthrax against Americens points to this fact Anthrax is such an effective bidogical weapon because it is easy to culture and highly resistant. It would take several days before the victims would experience the first symptom a flulike malaise and fatigue. A cough and mild chest discomfort follows. Then comes severe respiratory distress shock and , within hour denth. What the terrorist can achieve with the use of nuclear weapons or radioactive materials is better left to the imagination because of it monstrous effects however, no terrorist group have used the twin weapon of destruction. Perhaps another salient but silent tool of the terrorist is the mass media. “ Publicity has been at once a primary goal and a weapon of those who use terrorist against innocent people to advance political causes or to simply cause chaos “says Terry Anderson a journalist who was held in captivity for nearly sever years by terrorist in Lebanon. “The very reporting of a political kidnapping an as assassination or a deadly bombing is a first victory for the terrorist. Without the world’s attention those acts of viciousness are pointless.”
What are the consequences of terrorism? The tragic loss of human life is the most obvious result of terrorism. But there are broader implications. Terrorism can destroy or delay the peace process in trouble spots on the planet. It provokes, prolongs, or entrenches conflicts, and it accelerates the cycle of violence. Terrorism can also have an impact on national economies. Governments have been forced to spend enormous amounts of time and resources to combat it. For example, in the United States alone antiterrorism spending was budgeted at more than ten billion dollars for the year 2000. Whether we notice it or not, terrorism us all. It influences the way we travel and the choices we make when we travel. It forces countries around the world to spend huge amounts of tax money to protect public figures, vital installations and citizens.
What are the remedies for terrorism? We now know what terror ism is all about, the causes of terrorism and the tools of the terrorist. Hence, to find remedies for terrorism is, the best attitude to adopt would be that of eliminating the causes that gear the terrorist on and ensuring that his basic tools are far from his reach. The causes of terrorism are one and the same whether of cause sponsored terrorism or state sponsored; which in later years seems to have phased out due to the strategies adopted; in the first post - cold war world. typical examples are of lraq and Libia.
Perhaps the most important issue to tackle would be to understand the terrorist himself there is need to deal with the socio-psychological roots, or socio psychological origins of such individuals that seek to destroy society. Some of this socio psychological trauma emanate from individual experiences within the family. Some times they emanate from backgrounds of squalor, racism, deprivation and marginalisation such social form of exclusion and lack of justice throw up some individuals who psychologically can no longer function in the system and once they opt out of the system, they decide to destroy the system. There is no gain saying that terrorist are people with impaired mind who analyses the world in a way different the way normal people do. If not why would Timothy Mcveigh the culprit of the Oklahoma bombing. Express his hatred for the American Federal Government and love for individual freedom by infringing on the right of other people by sending them prematurely to the world beyond?
Maybe if there were limited gaps in the world; gaps between prosperity and poverty, gaps between justice and injustice; gaps between the powerful and the weak; gaps between the developed and underdeveloped, the terrorist would not have seen himself fit to reconcile these gaps. What the terrorist does is to borrow from what they consider to be the advanced to destroy what is the advanced ,because as for as they are convinced that which is advanced does not take care of their people and they are no longer patient, they do not see the need for dialogue or to operate within organized institutions.
There is a need to curb wide coverage granted terrorism by the mass media because that would most certainly reduce the ego of the terrorist which is easily hart when ignored. Mores, it is hightime governments the world over start taking terrorist serious. The envogue policy of governments not taking terrorist serious seems to worsen situations. A million mass destruction civil support terms would not eliminate terrorism. They would be too late, save to pick bones and extract dead bodies from debris. In fact, there is need to adopt the attitude of an uncle towards a mischief kid (the terrorist) perhaps, if an agency can be established were terrorist could present their grievances prior to attack. Such an agency should be independent of the government and answerable to the people because in the final analysis, it is the unsuspecting commoner who gets killed.
Institutions of global governance like United Nations, world bank and international monetary fund (I.M.F) should make more result oriented efforts towards poverty alleviation. They should try to abridge the digital and equity gap in the world today.
All this solutions proffered will be useless if the mental poison administered by manipulators the world over is not eliminated. In the final analysis the terrorist is an individual and it is he/she who takes the decisions to act in the way he/she does. But there is a need to free them from the mental poison administered by their overlords. The part played by inferiority and superiority complexes is to too big to ignore. If not, why must one individual at one end do the suicide bombing while are the other end is an individual who ordered the act alive and healthy? What is the belief about one having achieved a cost after one’s death?.How do they know they are appreciated or that their efforts did help? There is need to protect our method of reasoning from manipulative individuals.
It is America today, perhaps, tomorrow it will be Nigeria. Or more aptly it is already Nigeria; Jos, Tiv, et al. Terrorism may not be eliminated totally, but as least we can reduce its attractiveness by painting it as black as devil, thus, discouraging would be terrorist.



July 1, 2004 | 1:57 PM Comments  0 comments

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