Challenge of Third World Development - Assignment Example

nee CHALLENGE OF THIRD WORLD DEVELOPMENT A Third World Country Report of Rwanda Samantha Perry Sociology 300 A term paper presented to the General Studies Department Strayer University Online in partial fulfillment for the completion of Sociology 300 General Studies Department (Sociology) November 2005 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction………………………………………………………………………………3 Dependency Theory versus Modernization Theory……………………………………...4 Religion and Politics……………………………………………………………………..4 Political Dynamics……………………………………………………………………….4 Ethnic-Cultural Divisions………………………………………………………………..6 Women and Development……………………………………………………………….7 Agrarian Reform and the Politics of Rural Change……………………………….……..8 Revolutionary Change/Soldiers and Politics……………………………………….……8 The Political Economy…………………………………………………………….…….9 Social Ills, Social Problems, and Health Related Issues………………………….….…10 Trade and Globalization……………………………………………………………..….12 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………….…...13 References…………………………………………………………………………..…...14 INTRODUCTION Understanding the sociology of a country is more than reciting facts and figures. As such, I have done extensive research on the Republic of Rwanda and will detail the various components that encompass and define the sociology of the country. As a preamble to that, some general information concerning Rwanda is provided to lay the foundation for an in depth analysis into its sociological profile. The Republic of Rwanda is located in central Africa. Landlocked, it lies south of Uganda, west of Tanzania, north of Burundi and east of the Republic of the Congo and occupies 26,338 square kilometers of land. (Rwanda, CIA, 1) With a population of approximately 8,440,820, Rwanda is the most densely populated country on the African continent. (Rwanda, CIA, 1) 60% of the population of Rwanda is below the poverty level with the majority of the residents living in rural areas.(Rwanda, CIA, 1) Agriculture is the main occupation with most of the population etching out barely enough to provide for their own families.. There is little industrial development within the country. According to the CIA website, the GDP is $10.43 billion with a per capita GDP of $1,300. (Rwanda, CIA, 1) Rwanda, although a poor country, has a relatively high literacy rate. 70.4% of the population over the age of 15 can read and write. (Rwanda, CIA, 1) The infant mortality rate is 91.23 deaths/1,000 live births (Rwanda, CIA, 1), which calculates to just under 10%, a relatively high rate. On an average, in Rwanda, males live to the age of 45.92 years and females to 48.03 years. (Rwanda, CIA, 1) With a general understanding of all these factors it appears evident that much must be done to improve the day to day lives of the Rwandan people. DEPENDENCY THEORY VERSUS MODERNIZATION THEORY An examination of Rwanda reveals that the country’s lack of development is due, not the result of forces outside itself, but rather is due to internal problems and political conflict. The oppressive government, although purported to be democratic, has stifled the country’s potential for growth. The decade long internal strife; the genocide of almost one fifth of the population; the destruction of the infrastructure and the continuing political and social climate within the country are factors responsible for Rwanda’s current inability to improve the Rwandan people’s social, economical and political way of life. RELIGION AND POLITICS The majority of Rwandan people, 56.5% are Roman Catholic. The remaining religions found throughout the country are as follow: Protestant 26%, Adventist 11.1%, Muslim 4.6%, indigenous beliefs 0.1%, none 1.7% (Rwanda, CIA,1) Although Rwanda has a varied mix of religions and an overwhelming majority of Roman Catholics, Religion does not play an important factor in the dynamics of the country’s conflicts. There is a separation of church and state. The major, critical area of concern lies not with religious difference, but with ethnic differences. POLITICAL DYNAMICS Rwanda gained its independence from Belgium in the early 1962. Since that time the constitution has been rewritten five times. The current government is described as a democracy with multiparty affiliations. Although classified as a democracy. Rwanda has been embroiled in internal conflict for over a decade. “The Rwandese government is a principle party of the DRC [Democratic Republic of the Congo] conflict which led to deaths of approximately 3.3 million Rwandese people between August 1998 and August 2002. The Rwandese government gave two principle reasons for their 1996 and 1998 invasions of the DRC: to close down the refugee camps that served as a base for armed incursions into Rwanda and to protect the Congolese Tutsi living in the DRC.” (Rwanda, Enduring Legacy, 1) Between January and December of 1994 the government of Rwanda executed an attempt at ethnic cleansing. Hundreds of thousands of citizens fled to neighboring countries. Almost one fifth of the population was murdered. Political terrorism was rampant and unchecked. No one was safe. Now, ten years later the climate is still oppressive. Criticism of the government is not tolerated. Although purportedly a multiparty system, opposing party members are threatened, intimidate and/or murdered. Although public ally decried the genocide and further retribution continues. “The government continued to suppress the political opposition and those critical of government policies or government officials. Members of the banned Democratic Republican Movement (Mouvement démocratique républicain, MDR) continued to be arrested and detained.” (Report 2005, 1) “The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), created in November 1994, was established for the prosecution of persons responsible for genocide and other serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in the territory of Rwanda.” (Report 2005, 1) These trials held in Arusha, Tanzania are continuing to date. Similar tribunals were to be set up in Rwanda following the genocide. To date not one war criminal in Rwanda has been tried or convicted. “Sixty thousand refugees remained outside Rwanda; most were unsure if they wanted to return and lived in fear of being forcibly returned.” (Report 2005, 1) ETHNIC-CULTURAL DIVISIONS Rwanda is made up of two major ethnic groups: Hutu 84% and Tutsi 15%. (Rwanda, CIA, 1) Ethnic turmoil began in Rwanda as early as 1959 when the Hutus overthrew the ruling Tutsi King. This single act led to the murder of thousands of Tutsi people. The legacy continued with their children. “The children of these exiles later formed a rebel group, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), and began a civil war in 1990. The war, along with several political and economic upheavals, exacerbated ethnic tensions, culminating in April 1994 in the genocide of roughly 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus. The Tutsi rebels defeated the Hutu regime and ended the killing in July 1994, but approximately 2 million Hutu refugees - many fearing Tutsi retribution - fled to neighboring Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, and the former Zaire.” (Rwanda, CIA, 1) Although genocide has now been outwardly condemned by the ruling party of Rwanda, on a lesser scale it still continues with retribution killings still tolerated and frequently overlooked. Aid and relief put in place to assist victims of this tragedy is still in most cases being withheld from the Tutsi minority. Additionally, required restitution has not occurred and land and property lost are gone forever. Hundreds of thousands of Rwandan’s fled the country in an attempt to save their lives. Many are fearful yet to return. “Rwanda witnessed in 1994 a devastating human tragedy, with over 500,000 Rwandese massacred following the death of the Presidents of Burundi and Rwanda and some high-ranking officials in a plane crash on 6 April 1994. In an attempt to escape the continuing bloodbath of ethnic violence and possible reprisals, hundreds of thousands of Rwandese fled their homes and many more were forced to cross national frontiers. (Report 2005, 1) WOMEN AND DEVELOPMENT “The after-effects of the violence have often impacted women with particular severity. Following the genocide and war, women constituted a majority of the population and were left with new burdens of generating income, caring for the injured, sick and disabled and taking in orphans. Women were left to cope with these difficult circumstances while grappling with their own illnesses, injuries, grief and trauma.” (Rwanda, Marked for Death, 1) Lacking much social support system, health care, skilled laboring training and lack of industrial base after the genocide has greatly impacted the improvement of life in Rwanda. However, progress is being made. I was surprised to see that Rwanda is making strides at equalizing somewhat the balance on power between the genders. Although statistically males have a higher literacy rate than do females, with a rate of 76.3 % to 64.7%, (Rwanda, CIA, 1) respectively; that is changing. Although cultural barriers still exist, the opportunities of women are improving. “In recent years, the status of women in Rwanda and the importance of women’s rights have been significantly elevated. Rwanda now boasts the highest percentage of woman parliamentarians in the world (48.8%), and legislation on land rights, marriage, child rape and violence against women has been amended to contribute to the protection of women’s rights. Nevertheless, customary law, which often overrides written law, remains biased against women with regard to inheritance and land ownership, thus often placing the woman in a position of dependency. Many customary practices reinforce the patriarchal system in Rwanda. The level of education of women, and hence their access to information and means of empowerment, has generally been much lower than that of men, though this imbalance is changing.” (Rwanda, Marked for Death, 1) AGRARIAN REFORM AND THE POLITICS OF RURAL CHANGE The majority of the populous of Rwanda, unlike many other African countries, reside in rural areas of the country. Farming is the main form of survival for the majority of the citizen. Although tea and coffee are produced on a limited scale for export, the almost complete destruction of the country’s infrastructure during the ten years of continuous war have almost halted any such export. The farming methods used are very rudimentary. Little exists as far as modern farming methods and equipment. Ecological concerns are not being addressed by the government which, if left unchecked, will lead to further poverty within the country. Entire forest areas are being harvested for home use and soil erosion is prevalent. Soil is becoming exhausted because of lack of knowledge and practice of crop rotation. Grazing of domestic animals is burdening an already fragile ecological situation. As the majority of the population depends on agriculture for mere survival, the Rwandan government must make a consorted effort to put conservation methods in place, provide education on farming methods and provide stability to this fragile economy. REVOLUTIONARY CHANGE/SOLDIERS AND POLITICS The genocide that occurred between the Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups, although cultural in nature, was spawned by political motivations. For almost 50 years this ethnic conflict has been apparent. “For 100 days, between April and July 1994, as many as one million Rwandese - approximately 15 percent of the population were killed by their fellow Rwandese…….Rwandese labeled "Tutsi" were the principal victims of the government-orchestrated mass killings that occurred within the context of the October 1990 to July 1994 armed conflict between Rwandese government forces and the then armed political group known as the Rwandese Patriotic Front (RPF). In addition to the ongoing genocide, both parties to the armed conflict committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. After the RPF captured power in July 1994, its armed wing, the Rwandese Patriotic Army (RPA), that constituted the bulk of Rwanda’s new army continued to commit extrajudicial executions and other human rights violations against unarmed civilians.” (Rwanda, Enduring Legacy, 1) The military force and use of such for oppression is still occurring in Rwanda today. Much pressure and scrutiny for the world community will be needed to assure the safety of all Rwandan people. THE POLITICAL ECONOMY “Few nations have been faced with the situation confronting the new Rwandese government in 1994 following the genocide and armed conflict. The magnitude and gravity of human rights abuses, the level of civilian participation in them, the massive dislocation of Rwandese and the nearly complete destruction of the country’s infrastructure are virtually unparalleled in human history.” (Rwanda, Enduring Legacy, 1) Rwanda continues to face stark poverty. The government has begun to make some strides to improve the way of life by creating jobs in urban areas, but much more is needed. The country’s infrastructure needs to be rebuilt from the ground up. Education and training programs although being discussed within the government framework need to be brought into being. There is much disparity and money needs to be invested into building a healthy economy. There is continued outcry from relief agencies because so much money is still being spent on the military while social programs, building an industrial base, and a skilled labor force is being ignored. Currently Rwanda’s GDP growth rate is .9% (Rwanda, CIA, 1) much needs to be done with 60% of the population below the poverty level and an inflation rate of 7%. (Rwanda, CIA, 1) SOCIAL ILLS, SOCIAL PROBLEMS, AND HEALTH RELATED ISSUES As detailed earlier the Infant Mortality Rate in Rwanda is 91.23 deaths per 1,000 live births. This equates to just fewer than 10%, a very high rate. Infant mortality rates are an important over all indicator of a country’s general health and availability of adequate medical care. The majority of the Rwandan people do not have access to even the most basic forms of health care, and in the areas where care is available it is often to expensive for most citizens to afford. With a Birth Rate of 40.6/1,000, an average of 5.49 children born per woman, and a Death Rate of 16.32/1,000 (Rwanda, CIA, 1) it is easy to see that this already over taxed country is ill equipped to deal with the rising population. Estimates of year 2003 put the HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate at 5.1%. (Rwanda, CIA, 1). However, with the current instability in the country and lack of available health care many estimate that rate to much greater. “UNAIDS estimated adult prevalence at 8.9% in 2002, or 495,000 people living with HIV/AIDS, including 65,000 babies and children. Rwandese government figures describe a national prevalence of between 11 and 13%. All parties do agree that prevalence is rising and that it is far higher in the capital, Kigali-with the most commonly cited figure being 17%” (Rwanda, Marked for Death, 1) Regardless of the exact figure HIV/AIDS continues to be a serious problem that needs addressed. The AIDS crisis is further exacerbated by the violent history of the recent past. During the Genocide, “According to a UN report, at least 250,000 women were raped during the genocide, a large number of who were subsequently executed. Of the survivors, 70% are estimated to have been infected with HIV.” (Rwanda, Marked for Death, 1) Dealing with the trauma of war, the annihilation of family members, loss of what little material possessions they may have had, and often left as the sole support for family, these women still lack the basic social support structures necessary for mere survival. As alluded to above many survivors of the Genocide were subjected to unimaginable brutality, physically and psychologically. They were raped, beaten, tortured, forced in sexual servitude and many were killed. “In April 1994, Rwanda suffered one hundred days of violence, targeted at the Tutsi and moderate Hutu population. Ten years later, the consequences of the violence have not been dealt with adequately, neither by the international community nor by the Rwandan government. Survivors of violence still cry out for medical care; survivors and families of victims clamour for justice that is slow in coming……. Survivors of rape and their families face human rights violations that themselves lead to further and overlapping violations as a result of which they and their families often face stigma, which can in turn lead to loss of employment, difficulty in asserting property rights, and a loss of civil and political rights.” (Rwanda, Marked for Death, 1) Spousal Abuse although figures are not available appears to be very prevalent. Recurring abuse is reported as being the norm. Because of the statistically lower literacy rate of females and the lack of skills necessary for independence too often women suffer through the abuse as they see no way to free them from it. Increasing the opportunity of education and training will enable females to have more control over their lives. However, that is not the complete answer – until cultural mores change physical and sexual abuse will continue unchecked. AIDS as discussed earlier is a primary health risk, but other factors pose severe health risks as well. Malaria, Hepatitis A, and Typhoid Fever also pose serious risk to the population in general. Potable water and unsanitary waste water disposal continue to create health problems. Also ecologically there are no controls in place to curtail the widespread disforestation caused by citizens removing trees for firewood. Further problems are assured if the poaching of wildlife isn’t contained. Coupled with the social problems discussed, these ecological disasters if not reversed will only hinder progress. TRADE AND GLOBALIZATION Exports from Rwanda are nearly non-existent. Possessing few natural resources and having destroyed its infrastructure during years of internal conflict, exportation will not occur until the infrastructure is restored. There is minimal industrial development at present. Most of the populous is unskilled and capital is lacking to invest in an industrial base. Until the political stability of the country is established, outside invest will be slow. The Rwandan government must invest in its own future or risk slipping further into economic ruin. CONCLUSION Rwanda has, by far, been a victim of one of the most horrendous periods of modern times. This war has torn a country and deserves a strong political base where the rights of all individuals are foremost in importance. If this can be obtained, we, as a world, need to offer what we can to help the Rwandan people rebuild their lives and offer a better tomorrow to their children. Although suffering years of pain and suffering it is apparent that the Rwanda people are strong and have an unquenchable spirit. They will prevail. REFERENCES Report 2005: Rwanda. 2005. Amnesty International. 6 Nov. 2005 < http://web.amnesty.org/report2005/rwa-summary-eng>. Rwanda . 1 Nov. 2005. United States Central Intelligence Agency. 8 Nov. 2005 . Rwanda: The Enduring Legacy of Genocide and War. 6 Apr. 2004. Amnesty International. 6 Nov. 2005 < http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/ engafr470082004>. Rwanda: “Marked for Death”, Rape Survivors Living with HIV/AIDS in Rwanda. 6 Apr. 2004. Amnesty International. 6 Nov. 2005 . The Social Situation. 10 Nov. 2005. United Nations Economic Commission for Africa 10 Nov. 2005. . Read More