egypt

Combatting FGM

“The United Nations Development Programme started to advocate against the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) back in 2003 when it was taboo even to speak about it. In 2008, the practice was banned. The government of Egypt has institutionalized the adoption of FGM abandonment; while prevalence rates remain high (namely among older women), the response of younger girls and mothers of new generations to FGM abandonment campaigns is much higher.”

Source: www.youtube.com

This is always a difficult topic for me to talk about in my college classes since it is such a sensitive topic. However, because it touches on so many taboo topics, that is the very reason that that practice of FGM has continued in many African and Middle Eastern countries. See the map embedded in this article to know which countries have the highest prevalency rates. Some are concerned that through relocation diffusion, international migrants can bring this practice to areas such as Europe. Western efforts to eradicate FGM are usually ineffective and sometimes backfire (the author in the linked articles feels that the term mutilation, while accurate, is counterproductive).

Tags: culture, gender, media.

February 20, 2017 0

Welcome to the land that no country wants

Bir Tawil is the last truly unclaimed land on earth: a tiny sliver of Africa ruled by no state, inhabited by no permanent residents and governed by no laws.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Both Sudan and Egypt claim the rightful border between their countries should include the Hala’ib Triangle on their side of the border. This leaves Bir Tawil unclaimed and it pops up in the news when those hoping to create a micronation claim it. This bizarre case exemplifies some important principles of political geography with a tangible example to test the limits of political sovereignty and what it take to be called a country. If discussing the elements necessary to create a state, this article would help fuel a discussion, especially when some people are eager to create their own micronation.

Tags: political, states, unit 4 political.

March 22, 2016 0

Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan sign deal to end Nile dispute

Three African leaders sign an initial deal to end a long-running dispute over the sharing of Nile waters and the building of Africa’s biggest hydroelectric dam.

Source: www.bbc.com

85% of the Nile’s water comes from the Blue Nile that originates in the Ethiopian highlands–it is the Blue Nile that Ethiopia has been working on damming since 2011. The Grand Ethiopia Renaissance Dam (GERD) will be located near the border with Sudan (see in Google Maps). Prior to this trilateral agreement, Egypt and Sudan received the majority of the Nile’s waters because of outdated colonial-era treaties that ignored upstream riparian states. This explains why in the past, Egypt was so adamantly opposed to Ethiopia’s plan fearing that their water supply with be threatened. Today though, the Egyptian President said, “We have chosen cooperation, and to trust one another for the sake of development.”

Tags: Ethiopia, Africa, supranationalism, political, development, environment, water, energy, borders.

March 24, 2015 0

Egypt to ‘escalate’ Ethiopian dam dispute

See on Scoop.it – Geography Education

While construction of Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam continues apace, downstream neighbour Egypt is crying foul. Egypt’s main concern is water security, as the country faces a future of increasing scarcity. Nearly all of Egypt’s water comes from the Nile, and its population of 83 million is growing at nearly two percent annually.”

Seth Dixon‘s insight:

85% of the Nile’s water comes from the Blue Nile that originates in the Ethiopian highlands–it is the Blue Nile that Ethiopia has been working on damming since 2011. The Grand Ethiopia Renaissance Dam (GERD) will be located ocated near the border with Sudan (see in Google Maps). As stated in this BBC article (with a nice 1-minute video clip), Egypt and Sudan currently get the majority of the Nile’s waters because of outdated colonial-era treaties that ignored upstream riparian states. This explains why Egypt is adamantly opposed to Ethiopia’s plan and is actively lobbying the international community to stop construction on the dam, fearing their water supply with be threatened. Oil might be the most economically valuable liquid resource in North Africa, but water is the most critical for human habitation.

Tags: Ethiopia, Africa, development. environment, water, energy, borders, political.

See on www.aljazeera.com

April 22, 2014 2