Features of World Policies - Coursework Example

World policies The world that is already full of history, inventions and ideas both crazy and sometimes even unrealistic, failure is just an opportunity to begin working on a more complex original idea but with more intelligence. All this dictates how the people in the world are both selfish and at the same time generous. Mighty and powerful countries continue to feed on less powerful and poor countries even after the end of colonization in the name of providing aid. United States has and is still the most powerful country in the world that has risen on various occasions to help both the United Nations and poor countries in providing aid and also military aid. It is seen as a mean of providing stability across the world, but always with a motive to achieve more from the involvement. Most third world countries have been associated with high level of poverty, overdependence on the west industrialized countries, infant mortality rates being high, civil, political and clan wars together with poor utilization of their natural resources. Kenya Kenya is a country considered to be the heartland of eastern Africa; compared to sizes to Texas State in United States it is slightly smaller. Despite Kenya enjoying one of the best climates, having a fastest growing economy in the world and the ever-growing telecommunication and banking sectors largely due to their iconic mobile money transfer, M-pesa, the citizen, are still faced with hardship in the country. The most and recent issues that have caused hardship to most Kenyans includes terrorism, poverty, infrastructure, unemployment, disease and sanitation, political violence and representation among others. Terrorism has largely been due to the geopolitical involvement by the Kenyan government on the Somalia soils. The involvement that has been led by Kenya defense force has increased the risk of attacks by the Al-shabab, an Islamist terrorist group based in Somalia. Despite the progress made by Kenya army to protect the country, Al-Shabab has led numerous attacks in the capital Nairobi, Mombasa and northern part of country, most recent being an attack on college and the Westgate mall. Terrorism has brought fear, loss of loved ones and tension among the people prompting others to quit from police and military in fear of the life. This has made life even harder since over dependence on the employed is high in the country. In the northern part of the country businesses and government institution have been paralyzed on various occasion with some civil servants protesting to be posted in those areas (Rotberg 32). The amount of aid money from overseas and funds for development has been the key to the growth of the economy that has led to increased number of middle class. Despite all that effort poverty is still on the rise, according the UNICEF, about 46% of the entire population lives below poverty line ($ 1.46 per day in urban and $ 0.68 per day in rural areas). Poverty in Kenya has largely been fueled by the lack of employment, corruption, disease epidemics such as HIV, Cancer among others, government failure and the changes in weather and climate patterns. Although most poor people in the country live in rural areas, but the few in urban set ups are even worse due to the living condition (slum) they are subjected to survive in.  Increase in population has resulted to considerably high pressure on the existing resources and infrastructure (Rogo 22). On most occasions, the Nairobi residents have been frustrated by the time they have been stuck in jams. Essential elements such as the provision of electricity, roads and port, airline and telecommunication infrastructures have experienced great improvements since the launch of Vision 2030 and millennium development goal. An increased population also has played a part in the country’s unemployment problem that has led to most youth into crime and drug abuse while women participate in illegal businesses such as prostitution. Since 1970’s the rate of HIV/AIDs have increased significantly that has led to children being left orphans and women being widows. In a country, where men are bread winners, losing a man just amounts to increased poverty and suffering to the left family members. With most hospitals poorly equipped, experiencing high patient to doctor ratio, people lack awareness and access to affordable drugs. Cancer is currently the killer disease in Kenya with breast, cervical and prostrate cancers being the most common (Rogo 37). Cultural myths have proved to be critical obstacles in cancer awareness among people since most people believe that the cause of cancer is a curse from elders and ancestors. Currently, about 82,000 new cases of cancer are reported each year and with few cancer clinics already full, only a few patients are admitted among the desperate patients on long queues. Diseases and poor sanitation still are issues the government is yet to tackle on. Diseases such as malaria, cholera and typhoid are still a bigger challenge in western and coastal parts of the country and sanitation in most towns and city are mostly below the essential living environment for human. Post December 2007 election violence led to about five thousand deaths and more than three hundred thousand people displaced. This resulted to the internally displaced persons living in camps that had poor sanitation and unsecure and most people losing the property. Different political massacres and human right abuse have been reported in different part of the country that mostly targeted a certain tribe (Materu 18). The Wagalla and Garissa massacres were reported to have been initiated by politicians, about a thousand people lost lives and others were subjected to rape, torture, physical injuries and displacement. The Galana, Pokot, Samburu and Mount Elgon clashes have been politically instigated that led to clans and tribes turning against each other. Politics has always caused tension in the country due to the tribal political alliances that are formed to enable a leader from certain tribe to be the country’s’ leader (Materu 29). Unemployment in United States and Kenya Unemployment in United States has been a problem since the economic structure begun. In the United States it is considered as the number of people who are actively looking for a job, currently unemployment rates are at a percentage of 5.5 the lowest in almost seven years. In a cosmopolitan country like United States unemployment rates varied among different groups of people, U.S Bureau of Labor statistics reported the following; men (5.1 %), women(4.9 %), (17.5 % )teenagers, (4.7% ) white, black (10.1%), Asians (3.2 %) and Hispanics (6.8 %). Causes of unemployment Unemployment has been constant throughout the history and despite the changing economy and technology; the unemployment principles remain to be the same. Unemployment is caused by three main elements that include new technology, population increase and the economic conditions. High population growth rates in both countries have led to rapid and exceptional growth in the labor market. In Kenya, such high populations are not compatible with the arable land available, resulting in high migrations to urban areas that lead to aggravated unemployment in the urban areas (Wambugu 17). As a cosmopolitan country, United States receives many people from different nation adding to its growing population of the citizens this goes hand in hand with unemployment but at a slower rate. Unemployment in both countries has been caused by new technologies since the conventional tasks have been more automated and convenient for the employers resulting to some posts becoming obsolete. That is the use of the method of production that is capital intensive instead of labor intensive methods. Global Economic recessions in the 2008 caused a lot of business to fold and reduce the capacity of most economies. Companies could not get enough amount of money to support its operations that led to a reduction of employees or shut down. In Kenya, tourism and agricultural sectors have employed most people, but the sectors are mostly seasonal that brings about under employment and the disguised unemployment (Wambugu 72). Consequences and hardships Unemployment results in a number of factors both social and economical. On the economic factors, loss of income to the unemployed is experienced by the low purchasing power, falling into debts and decline living standards. The unemployed end up experiencing some hardships like difficulty in mortgage repayments in the United States while in Kenya, difficulties in payment of rent, health insurance and social security funds. There is a fiscal cost involved with unemployment since the government losses some money inform of taxes from the unemployed, it also spend money on the unemployed. Hardship involved in this situation is that the government will have to spend funds that could be helpful in a different sector to the unemployed (Wambugu 86). On social factor, unemployment may cause a person to interact in drug and alcohol abuse and in some case one can practice illegal business such as drugs, prostitution, and crime. Also one can develop stress in the process that can result in depression and mental illness. Solutions Both governments will have to regulate the population of their countries by use of population control mechanisms. On the global economic recessions it is an international matter that should be addressed on a global scale through better international cooperation during heads of state meeting and the World Bank. The use of new technology to cut out the labor intensives technique for capital intensive ways can be solved by providing incentives to companies and the affected sectors so as to encourage the labor intensive methods. In the case of seasonal labor demands, agricultural sectors should encourage the use of modernized agricultural techniques that ensure continues production and to the tourism sector, tourist should given travel incentives and the government should do a lot of advertisement to promote the sector both locally and internationally. A lesson to Kenya from U.S.A In 2010 Kenya voted in a constitution that is almost identical to that of United States but one thing among the many that was not included is the use of Electoral College in elections (Lansford 56). The introduction of Electoral College in the Kenyan election could play a critical part in the process of having a united Kenya. Kenya has forty seven counties in which based on United States Electoral College; Kenya should have 47 electors plus tribe electors that would make up college. Each county and tribe should vote in its elector and the Electoral College will vote for the president. This system when implemented in Kenya will benefit the country since the elected person will always have the support of almost all county and tribes in Kenya and will ensure the political stability across the country that has lacked since independence. The music and film industry in the United States is currently the best in the whole world (Cooke 45). Since the Kenyan government has already provided the digital platform for both media and telecommunication that is needed in the industry. It should come up with Kenya films and music network that will enable Kenyans to play their music and films so as artists and anyone with talent can show case to the people. Also an investment in the education system that will aim at improving the media, music and theatre arts is required. The introduction of media and films industry will help the country to eradicate poverty through employment opportunities and also it will help improve the economy of the country. One aspect that shouldn’t be copied is the Mobutu sese seko style in which he encouraged his citizen to authenticate only music from Zaire. This could only limit the Kenyan industry to local appeal rather than the global appeal that is necessary. Conclusion There are a lot of similarities between the two countries, not only does they share an almost identical constitution but also the president of United States has an ancestral originality of Kenya. It is realistically correct to claim that most American will be interested in visiting Kenya. A country characterized with tourism safaris that include wildebeest migration, the colorful flamingos and the diverse cultural heritages. But nothing that has a good side that lack any bad side, Kenyan citizens are experiencing a number of hardships that come with issues such as unemployment, diseases, insecurity, political violence among others. With Unemployment issues are usually associated with a number of problems such as crime and poverty; United States and Kenya share a common enemy, although it is a bigger problem in Kenya than United States. The two countries citizens have to suffer the consequences and hardship associated with unemployment but Kenya can adopt certain programs that are already in the United States to help reduce unemployment and hardship. Systems such as the electoral colleges and the music and film industry of United States can play a bigger part in a country like Kenya when adopted conveniently and used effectively. Works Cited Cooke, Mervyn. The Hollywood Film Music Reader. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2010. Print. Ensor, Marisa O. African Childhoods: Education, Development, Peacebuilding, and the Youngest Continent. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012. Print. Lansford, Tom. The Presidential Election Process. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. Print. Long-term Unemployment: Causes, Consequences, and Solutions : Hearing Before the Joint Economic Committee, Congress of the United States, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, Second Session, April 29, 2010. Washington: U.S. G.P.O, 2010. Print. Materu, Sosteness F. The Post-Election Violence in Kenya: Domestic and International Legal Responses. N.p., 2015. Print. Muriithi, Beatrice W. Commercialization of Smallholder Horticultural Farming in Kenya: Poverty, Gender, and Institutional Arrangements. Frankfurt: Peter Lang GmbH, Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften, 2014. Print. Mutongi, Kenda. Worries of the Heart: Widows, Family, and Community in Kenya. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 2007. Print. Rogo, Khama O. Human Papillomavirus and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection in Relation to Cervical Cancer: Studies and Observations of Basic Clinical and Epidemiological Aspects of Cancer of the Cervix with Special Reference to Kenya, Africa. Umeå, 1990. Print. Rotberg, Robert I. Battling Terrorism in the Horn of Africa. Cambridge: World Peace Foundation, 2005. Print. Wambugu, Anthony, Boaz O. Munga, and Eldah Onsomu. Unemployment in Kenya: A Situational Analysis. N.p., 2010. Print. Read More