Browsing by Subject "Africa"

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The acculturation of adult African refugee language learners in Israel: an ethnographic study
(2012) Blake III, Charles Carlos; Lin, Jing; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
The number of refugees from Africa seeking asylum in Israel has recently skyrocketed, raising issues as to how to integrate them into Israeli society. Education is one of the mediums being used to encourage the cultural integration and inclusion of the refugees into Israeli society; very little is known, however, about how Africans are acculturating or whether language education is helping with this process. In particular, I use Berry's model of acculturation and Ogbu's cultural model as lenses through which the acculturation of refugees can be understood. In order to provide an answer to these questions, I conducted an ethnographic study examining the acculturation of adult African refugees participating in a language program in Tel Aviv. I utilized criterion-based sampling to select 8 student participants for this study. Data collection consisted of interviews with student-participants, interviews with teacher participants and document review. Data analysis entailed the coding and categorization of data elicited from data collection. Results suggest that participants exhibited the characteristics of immigrants employing a separation/segregation acculturation strategy according to Berry's model. Most participants also have the characteristics of what Ogbu calls involuntary migrants. Instead of facilitating host country cultural understanding or participation, higher language proficiency was associated with more negative perceptions of Israelis and Israeli society.
Africans and Asians Tend to View Globalization Favorably; Europeans and Americans are More Skeptical
(2006-11-07) Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA)
Seven in ten Africans view globalization favorably, making the world’s poorest continent the most positive on the benefits of greater integration, says Gallup International. In contrast, less than a third of Americans and Europeans believe globalization helps their country.
Americans on Addressing World Poverty: Americans Support U.S. and G-8 Countries Committing to Spend 0.7% GDP on World Poverty
(2005-06-30) Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA)
A major focus of the upcoming G-8 Summit of the major industrial powers will be several ideas for addressing world poverty, especially in Africa. A new PIPA-Knowledge Networks poll of 812 Americans finds that a majority of Americans are supportive of these ideas.
Americans on Africa: Poll Shows American Public Supports Stronger Engagement With Africa
(2003-01-29) Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA)
Despite the fact that America’s conflicts with Iraq, North Korea and al-Qaeda have dominated headlines, the American public believes that the US should increase its engagement with Africa in a variety of ways. An overwhelming 74% rejected the argument that “The US has no vital interests in Africa. Therefore the US should make Africa a lower priority when deciding where to distribute its aid,” while only 23% found it convincing. A 44% plurality said that the US is not concerned enough with Africa, while just 12% said that it was too concerned.
Autochthonous and Introduced Stores of Biomass Value: Measuring Resilience Outcomes of Enset and Eucalyptus as Green Assets in Three Representative Smallholder Farm Systems of Ethiopia
(2020) Morrow, Nathan; Hansen, Matthew C; Geography; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Fundamental shifts in the ability to observe our world with synoptic satellite remote sensing and the profusion of trend tracking longitudinal data sources not only better inform us of the mounting trouble our planet is in but also provide completely new perspectives on basic shared understandings, such as how many trees grow on Earth and where they take root. Observing the dispersed pattern of increasing tree cover across a multidecadal satellite mosaic, developed by Matt Hansen and colleagues at University of Maryland at College Park, sparked an interest in the ramifications of this unanticipated change, marked clearly upon the landscape in Ethiopia. The following chapters explore the relation of changing amounts of autochthonous treelike perrenial enset and introduced eucylyptus trees, commonly found on Ethiopian farms, to smallholder resilience, food security, and well-being. Spatially informed longitudinal models for three representative subnational data sets are used to investigate the central thesis of this dissertation—trees and treelike perennials on farms in rural Ethiopia indicate a fundamental store of value in living biomass, building a household’s assets over time through improved biomass management, for resilient small farm livelihoods that ensure food security and related well-being. Green assets acting as biomass stores indicate natural “value,” representing transformed and stored energy of the sun, that Blaikie and Brookfield (1987) considered inadequately captured as a no-cost contribution to the “use value” concept in development economics, economic geography production, and income-focused research, as well as in Marx’s (1887/2013) labor-focused value constructs that only briefly acknowledge workers are helped by the transformative “natural forces” at work on the land. Model results presented in Chapters 3, 4, and 5 reveal a lack of on-farm trees and treelike perennials often indicates biomass poverty and energy insecurity. Chronic biomass poverty, measured with spatially aware hierarchal models, is related to an inability to maintain a sufficient level of essential green assets, thereby contributing to poor resilience and well-being outcomes on small farms. On the other hand, medium and longer term asset accumulation supports improved well-being when livelihood strategies make use of farm forests, other on-farm trees, and treelike perennials.
Balancing Belligerents or Feeding the Beast: Transforming Conflict Traps
(2016) Hayden, Nancy Kay; Orr, Robert; Steinbruner, John; Public Policy; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Since the end of the Cold War, recurring civil conflicts have been the dominant form of violent armed conflict in the world, accounting for 70% of conflicts active between 2000-2013. Duration and intensity of episodes within recurring conflicts in Africa exhibit four behaviors characteristic of archetypal dynamic system structures. The overarching questions asked in this study are whether these patterns are robustly correlated with fundamental concepts of resiliency in dynamic systems that scale from micro-to macro levels; are they consistent with theoretical risk factors and causal mechanisms; and what are the policy implications. Econometric analysis and dynamic systems modeling of 36 conflicts in Africa between 1989 -2014 are combined with process tracing in a case study of Somalia to evaluate correlations between state characteristics, peace operations and foreign aid on the likelihood of observed conflict patterns, test hypothesized causal mechanisms across scales, and develop policy recommendations for increasing human security while decreasing resiliency of belligerents. Findings are that observed conflict patterns scale from micro to macro levels; are strongly correlated with state characteristics that proxy a mix of cooperative (e.g., gender equality) and coercive (e.g., security forces) conflict-balancing mechanisms; and are weakly correlated with UN and regional peace operations and humanitarian aid. Interactions between peace operations and aid interventions that effect conflict persistence at micro levels are not seen in macro level analysis, due to interdependent, micro-level feedback mechanisms, sequencing, and lagged effects. This study finds that the dynamic system structures associated with observed conflict patterns contain tipping points between balancing mechanisms at the interface of micro-macro level interactions that are determined as much by factors related to how intervention policies are designed and implemented, as what they are. Policy implications are that reducing risk of conflict persistence requires that peace operations and aid interventions (1) simultaneously increase transparency, promote inclusivity (with emphasis on gender equality), and empower local civilian involvement in accountability measures at the local levels; (2) build bridges to horizontally and vertically integrate across levels; and (3) pave pathways towards conflict transformation mechanisms and justice that scale from the individual, to community, regional, and national levels.
Characterizing Small-Town Development Using Very High Resolution Imagery within Remote Rural Settings of Mozambique
(MDPI, 2021-08-26) Chen, Dong; Loboda, Tatiana V.; Silva, Julie A.; Tonellato, Maria R.
While remotely sensed images of various resolutions have been widely used in identifying changes in urban and peri-urban environments, only very high resolution (VHR) imagery is capable of providing the information needed for understanding the changes taking place in remote rural environments, due to the small footprints and low density of man-made structures in these settings. However, limited by data availability, mapping man-made structures and conducting subsequent change detections in remote areas are typically challenging and thus require a certain level of flexibility in algorithm design that takes into account the specific environmental and image conditions. In this study, we mapped all buildings and corrals for two remote villages in Mozambique based on two single-date VHR images that were taken in 2004 and 2012, respectively. Our algorithm takes advantage of the presence of shadows and, through a fusion of both spectra- and object-based analysis techniques, is able to differentiate buildings with metal and thatch roofs with high accuracy (overall accuracy of 86% and 94% for 2004 and 2012, respectively). The comparison of the mapping results between 2004 and 2012 reveals multiple lines of evidence suggesting that both villages, while differing in many aspects, have experienced substantial increases in the economic status. As a case study, our project demonstrates the capability of a coupling of VHR imagery with locally adjusted classification algorithms to infer the economic development of small, remote rural settlements.
Considerations for AI-EO for agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa
(Institute of Physics, 2023-03-24) Nakalembe, Catherine; Kerner, Hannah
Adapting to and mitigating climate change while addressing food insecurity are top priorities in SubSaharan Africa that require technologies to improve rural livelihoods with minimal environmental costs [1]. Artificial intelligence (AI) offers great promise for climate-smart solutions that improve food security outcomes. While precision agriculture is often the foremost use case for AI in agriculture (e.g. automation of farm equipment or nutrient application), precision agriculture is out of reach for most African farmers due to the required capital and infrastructure. AI solutions using satellite Earth observations (EOs), which we call AI-EO, are more accessible in the near term. EO enables agricultural analyses and insights at global scales, and many datasets are freely available, making EO-based solutions affordable [2]. AI-EO-derived products such as crop type maps and yield estimates are necessary to forecast food production surpluses or deficits, inform trade, and aid decisions. These products can support policies that accelerate the design and adoption of climate-smart agriculture and impact farmer livelihoods by increasing access to actionable early warning, risk financing or insurance [3], farm inputs, markets, and costreducing interventions [2, 4]. Despite their promise, AI-EO solutions for agriculture in Africa are still limited. Most techniques are not generalizable across heterogeneous landscapes. In this paper, we describe the principal sub-fields of research in AI-EO for agriculture in Africa and discuss examples and limitations of existing work. We also propose ten considerations for future work to help increase the impact of AI-EO research in Africa.
Corruption, Reform, and Revolution in Africa's Third Wave of Protest
(2019) Lewis, Jacob Scott; McCauley, John F; Government and Politics; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
What explains diverging calls for reform and revolution in Africa over the past ten years? African countries have made substantial strides toward actual democratic devel-opment, including a concerted effort to address corruption. As African democracies have strengthened, calls by citizens for anti-corruption reform have grown, highlighting the progress that is being made. Yet, in recent years, some anti-corruption movements have called instead for revolution - completely replacing the state or seceding altogether. What explains these calls for revolution? I argue that we need to understand how differ-ent types of corruption shape contentious goals. When corruption generates material benefits, citizens lose trust in politicians but do not lose trust in the system. In response, they call for reform, seeking to improve the system. When corruption generates system-ic benefits (distorting the system altogether), citizens lose trust in the institutions and instead call for revolution. I test this using individual-level data from survey experi-ments as well as large-n surveys, and group-level data using statistical analysis of pro-test events as well as case studies. I find strong support that types of corruption matter greatly in shaping contentious politics in Africa.
The Distribution of Care: A Modular Facility for the Treatment of Disease-Stricken Communities in Africa
(2020) Winters, Kelsey; Gabrielli, Julie; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Africa experiences a disproportionate amount of the global disease burden, and existing health care centers struggle to meet everyday patient needs. During a disease epidemic, this inability to accommodate communities is exacerbated by a lack of resources to diagnose and treat infectious disease as well as a physical separation from the location of outbreaks. This thesis investigates how patients of disease outbreaks in Africa can be better accommodated through the exploration of a modular health facility capable of treating communities no matter when and where an outbreak occurs. Outbreaks unexpectedly affect vulnerable populations, and immediate action is crucial to contain the disease. The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is utilized as a case study in this thesis, considering its relevance as an ongoing epidemic. Due to the abrupt and destructive nature of disease, a modular and flexible health facility is needed to handle any outbreak in any location.
ELECTORAL LOSS AND CONTENTION
(2019) Patch, Allison Kathryn; Birnir, Johanna K; Government and Politics; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
This dissertation is an exploration of the consequences of elections for those kept out of power. I draw from both the winner-loser gap literature, which explores attitude differences between winners and losers following elections focusing on individual voters as they process electoral results, and the electoral contention literature, which examines the causes and consequences of protests, riots, and violence connected to electoral contests focusing on the elites. My dissertation works to bring these two literatures by examining the factors that create opportunities for attitude and behavioral change for those who are unable to access power in the aftermath of elections. The first two papers use surveys to focus on individuals—their personal identities and their attitudes towards democracy and political contention or violence. The third paper examines the motivations of individual leaders in making public accusations of fraud and the consequences these accusations have on the voters’ perception of the legitimacy of elections and the likelihood of electoral contention. Through the ideas explored in these papers, this dissertation provides further context for differences in attitudes between winners and losers towards democracy and contention, while also cautioning some of the more dire predictions of the consequences of the gap in perceptions and attitudes between winners and losers. Additionally, by examining the ramifications of fraud accusations in the wake of election loss, we can see a better picture of the kinds of motivations that can successfully mobilize those out of power to contention.
AN ESSAY ON THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF INDUSTRIAL POLICY IN ETHIOPIA
(2018) Tolina, Eyob Tekalign; Crocker, David A; Destler, Mac M; Public Policy; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
In this dissertation, I present a political economy analysis of the post-1991 industrial policy (IP) in Ethiopia. In Chapter one, I set the context for the study and present the research methodology. In the second chapter, I present a comprehensive overview of the literature. After introducing key concepts and reviewing old and new debates on IP, I justify why a political economy framework is a promising way to analyze industrial policy. In Chapter three, I present the historical and current political and economic profile of Ethiopia. I emphasize Khan’s (2005) notion of a “political settlement” as a way of understanding the political economy of a nation in relation to its industrial policy outcomes. I also employ as a main analytic lens Whitfield et al.’s (2015) framework for the politics of industrial policy in Africa. This lens offers three conditions – mutual interest, pockets of efficiency and learning for productivity – as necessary for successful implementation of industrial policy. The Whitefield framework argues that the emergence of these three conditions is shaped by the type of clientelist (donor/client) political organizations that exist in a nation. As such, the model places strong emphasis on material incentives and constraints. In Chapters four and five, I test the relevance of this model to explain and evaluate Ethiopia’s IP. The analysis therein is divided into three politically significant time periods. The focus is to investigate the relations between the dominant clientelist political organization in each time period and the existence or absence of the three Whitfield conditions. The study shows that the Whitfield model neither adequately explains IP results nor guides Ethiopia toward better results. In a bid to establish a more credible and complete version of political economy, the study builds on and supplements the Whitfield model by defending an additional condition necessary for IP success, namely, the political and moral power of concerned citizens. Such an alternative approach I develop in Chapter six, which highlights the importance of such notions as fairness and equity, citizen rights, participatory institutions and civil society in the theory and practice of moral economy.
Exploring the Impact of Neighborhood on State-Building in sub-Saharan Africa
(2013) Garcia, David; Reed, William L; Government and Politics; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Why is state-building more advanced in some sub-Saharan African countries than in others? And, over time, what accounts for the steady gains, steady declines, or gains followed by declines (or vice-versa) observed in the state-building trajectories of Africa's states? This dissertation endeavors to shed light on these questions by assessing the impact of one suspected cause of state-building variation: the way power is distributed among states and their neighbors. Specifically, this dissertation assesses whether the relative distribution of power provides incentives or disincentives to regimes in charge of states to pursue policies that are conducive or detrimental to state-building. Employing OLS, two hypotheses are tested: one which predicts that regimes in charge of relatively weak states promote policies conducive to state-building, and another which predicts that regimes in charge of relatively weak states opt for a strategy of personal rule that runs counter to the imperatives of state-building. Findings are mixed and often contingent upon how state-building is measured; when state-building is assessed in terms of how proficiently the state regulates social and economic life, provides infrastructure services to its population, and promotes human development, support is found for the latter hypothesis. Yet when state-building is measured in terms of how well the state monopolizes the legitimate use of force or forges convergence between nations and the state, no statistically significant relationship in either direction is found. Thus, while there is at least some evidence that the regional distribution of power impacts the state-building process, it does not appear to do so quite as robustly as expected.
Fire Regions as Environmental Niches: A New Paradigm to Define Potential Fire Regimes in Africa and Australia
(Wiley, 2022-07-07) Zubkova, M.; Boschetti, L.; Abatzoglou, J. T.; Giglio, L.
Despite the widespread use of the “fire regime” concept for describing spatial and temporal patterns and ecosystem impacts of fire, this concept lacks an unambiguous, quantitative definition. By adopting from the ecological literature the concept of climate niche, that is, the environmental conditions that allow a specie to exist, we propose a new framework where variables that promote fuel accumulation and desiccation were used to define the environmental space at the continental level, later divided into regions (“fire regions”) with distinct fire potential. Our proposed approach emphasizes climate controls on fire patterns, distinct from the controls that humans exert on observed fire activity. By applying this framework, we identified nine fire regions in Africa and eight in Australia, distinguishing differences in fire patterns between continents as a result of changes in environmental gradient. Not only did we find that fire size and intensity varied significantly between continents, but biomes at a continental level were also found to be heterogeneous in terms of fire frequency, size, and intensity. For example, within African tropical savannas, the total annual rainfall and tree cover change drastically North and South of the equator, resulting in fire regions with significantly different fire characteristics. Meanwhile, in Australia, a strong gradient of annual temperature and precipitation seasonality was observed within tropical savannas and xeric shrublands, which was recognized by dividing those biomes into five regions with statistically different fire activity. Additionally, human presence led to some heterogeneity of fire patterns within delineated fire regions that also varied across biomes.
Genetic Variation at the N-acetyltransferase (NAT) Genes in Global Human Populations
(2008-07-29) Mortensen, Holly M.; Tishkoff, Sarah A.; Biology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Currently, studies of the possible role of natural selection in shaping the observed variation at drug metabolizing enzyme (DME) loci remain limited. Functional variability at the N-acetyltransferase (NAT) genes is associated with adverse drug reactions and cancer susceptibility in humans. Previous studies of small sets of ethnic groups have indicated that the NAT genes have high levels of amino acid variation that differ in frequency across ethnic groups. I hypothesize that this functional variation may be adaptive in different environments and is maintained due to natural selection. Presumably, change in dietary patterns has been a strong selective pressure throughout the course of human evolution. The most extreme example of a shift in the dietary patterns of modern humans is most certainly the transition from a primarily hunter-gatherer subsistence to an agriculturalist lifestyle, within the past 10,000 years. Metabolism of grain and/or dairy products likely introduced new and foreign toxins to the human body. Although we can only speculate about the selective forces acting on the NAT genes in the past, it is possible that the observed pattern of phenotypic variation is associated with exposure to environmental, specifically dietary, toxins. The purpose of this study is: 1) to characterize nucleotide variation at the NAT drug-metabolizing genes (NAT1, NAT2) and the pseudo-gene (NATP1) in global human populations, including many previously under-represented African populations and 2) to understand the role that natural selection has played in shaping variation at NAT1 and NAT2 in human populations living in different environmental settings. I have resequenced ~3000 bp for each of the NAT1, NAT2 and NATP1 gene regions, in 182 African individuals and 155 individuals from a representative global panel (HGDP-CEPH), and have identified Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) at each locus (NAT1 (48), NATP1 (55) and NAT2 (46)). I have inferred haplotype phase and characterized patterns of haplotype diversity for each NAT locus. I have characterized nucleotide diversity and linkage disequilibrium for this ethnically diverse population dataset, as well as performed several tests of selective neutrality. This work will contribute to our understanding of how variation at the NAT loci may have been adaptive for dealing with changes in diet and exposure to toxins during human evolution.
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS: TWENTIETH CENTURY BLACK AMERICAN TRAVEL NARRATIVES ABOUT AFRICA
(2015) Albeny, Kenyatta; Peterson, Carla; Comparative Literature; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
This dissertation argues that black American travel narratives about Africa reflect the authors' perception of their identity at particular moments in history. It suggests that these perceptions are informed by historical, political, economic, and social circumstances. Specifically, it demonstrates how associations with Africa--real and imagined--have evolved over time due to black Americans' shifting social and political status in the United States. Black American travel narratives about Africa written during the second half of the twentieth century are the focus of this study. This period is marked by drastic political and social changes taking place both in Africa and the United States including decolonization, independence, and the aftermath of apartheid and the Cold War in Africa as well as the Civil Rights movement, desegregation, and integration in the United States. Although Africa and the politics therein are the narratives' purported theme, I argue that their primary focus is black American identity. My dissertation demonstrates how black American travel writers have used their narratives about Africa to define black American identity and to clarify the relationship between black Americans and Africa. At the heart of this dissertation is an interest in these relationships and a concern about the "baggage" that black Americans bring to perceptions of their identity and relationship with Africa, particularly their historical experiences as Americans, their knowledge and understanding of Africa and its history and how that "baggage" colors their perceptions of their relationship to the continent and its people. This "baggage" includes many factors including class, gender, personal history, as well as notions of race and nationalism. Texts in this study include Richard Wright's Black Power (1954), Era Bell Thompson's Africa, Land of My Fathers (1954), Maya Angelou's The Heart of a Woman (1981) and All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes (1986), Marita Golden's Migrations of the Heart (1983), Eddy L. Harris's Native Stranger (1992), Keith Richburg's Out of America: A Black Man Confronts Africa (1997) and Lynne Duke's Mandela, Mobutu, and Me (2003).
The Impact of Globalization on Education Reform: A Case Study of Uganda
(2008-05-14) Wood, Jane C. Millar; Lin, Jing; Klees, Steven J.; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Abstract This case study examines the impact of globalization on education policies, structure and practice in Uganda during a 20-year period from 1987-2007. Post-primary education is the principal focus of this research as it is critical to preparing young people to participate in Uganda's socio-economic and political development process and thus position the country for participation in the global economy. However, given post- primary's pivotal position between primary and tertiary education, it has to be viewed in the context of the longer educational continuum. Thus, the "before" and "after" levels of education are also addressed. The dissertation explores an array of issues related to globalization and education. These include stakeholders' perceptions and understandings of globalization, the modalities of "transmitting" reform ideas and policies around the world, and specific educational reforms in Uganda at the sector and sub-sector levels. It also explores the impact of these educational reforms (a) on beneficiaries in terms of access, equity, relevance, and quality and (b) on Uganda in terms of positioning the country to respond to the opportunities and challenges of globalization. The study concluded that globalization has had an impact on education reform in Uganda in several ways. The reforms themselves have yielded some positive benefits for the beneficiaries but much remains to be done to ensure the expansion of access and equity as well as improvements in the relevance and quality of education. Uganda's experience in implementing these reforms has some lessons for other countries considering similar changes in education policy and practice.
New Poll Finds Africans Favorable Toward Globalization, But Think Rich Countries Are Not Treating Them Fairly
(2004-06-16) Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA)
Washington DC: Africans have a very favorable view of globalization, including foreign companies coming into their countries, and have a positive view of the influence of the United States. At the same time they feel they are not being treated fairly by rich countries in trade negotiations. Strong majorities endorse democracy, while feeling frustrated about the level of corruption in their countries. AIDS is clearly rated as their most serious problem. These are some of the findings of a new poll of 7,556 Africans in eight African countries– the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and to a more limited extent, Egypt. The poll was conducted December 2003 through January 2004 by the international polling firm GlobeScan (formerly Environics International) and analyzed in conjunction with the Program on International Policy Attitudes of the University of Maryland. The study was sponsored by the World Bank and the Royal African Society.
Nigerian War - American Politics
(2005-05-23) Cole, Steven R; Gordon, David M; History; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
The Nigerian Civil War or the War of Biafran Secession began on May 27, 1967 and ended on January 12, 1970. The war cost an estimated 500,000 to one million lives, and had a particularly devastating effect on the civilians living in the Eastern Nigeria (Biafra). From its colonial beginnings, Nigeria seemed destined for regional conflict. After independence, two military led coups in 1966 highlighted the regional problems inherent in the Nigerian Federal governmental system. Less than a year after the second coup, the eastern region seceded from Nigeria and plunged the nation into a civil war for nearly three years. The United States, a reluctant participant in the war, deferred all responsibility in the resolution of the war to the British or the Organization of African Unity (OAU) until photographs of starving Nigerian children became a political liability for the U.S. government.
Oral History Interview - Vivian Ojo: Namibia
(2014-05) Saldana, Stephanie; Ojo, Vivian
The interview I conducted was of Vivian Ojo. Vivian is a senior at Georgetown University. She is from Windhoek, Namibia which is the capital of the country. Vivian came to the U.S. to attend college making her immigration story unique in that she is an example of someone who can possibly transition into the complete immigrant experience. I see Vivian’s story as one of the new, modern immigrant that we see evolving in the United States. Themes that ran throughout our interview were development, transnationalism, religion, and education. Vivian’s opportunities and why she has ended up in the United States is based largely on her parent’s education which has influenced her desire to pursue higher education. Education has also provided Vivian with much of the mobility and agency needed to achieve a lot of the things she has in terms of migration. Development is reflective of Vivian’s desire to help her home country. Similarly, where I met Vivian plays a role in explaining her passion for development. I met Vivian this semester as a fellow intern of the ONE Campaign, a non-profit founded by Bono in 2004 that advocates to alleviate poverty and hunger in Africa. This mission of ONE is reflective of Vivian and what she hopes to accomplish through her career one day. Vivian’s ability to travel and experience new cultures are representative of transnationalism another theme in the interview. Vivian is a global citizen and has made choices in her education and life in general to assure she maintains as much of a global view as possible. Religion is another aspect of Vivian’s life that she embraces in the United States as well as her home country. Throughout the interview she credits God for providing her with the opportunities she’s had. Therefore, religion plays a role in her everyday life in shaping her values as well as a practice she’s maintained through her immigrant experience.