Paper Summary:

The paper describes how children accused of witchcraft are being tortured and exiled in Nigeria. The paper explores witches in African culture and offers an understanding of African religion and society. The paper then addresses the issue of cultural freedom and rights and shows how the witch-hunts taking place today have nothing to do with traditional, indigenous cultural practices; they are simply the exploitation of the poor and uneducated by a few who wish to make a profit. The paper examines what is being done and discusses the Stepping Stones Nigeria organization and the passage of the Child Right Bill. The paper notes, however, the difficulty in enforcing the law and contends that education on a local level is the best way to discourage the practice.

Outline:
The Witch Children of Nigeria
Witches in African Culture
Understanding African Religion and Society
The Imam and Fundamentalist Preacher
Why Children?
Religious Freedom or Human Rights?
What is Currently Being Done?
The Child's Rights Act
An International Role
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Their stories are horrific and their lives are unimaginable. Deep in the heart of Africa is a population of the poorest people in the world. Not far from the gas fields in the heart of Nigeria, social tension and poverty have driven people to extremes leading to the intentional torture and death of hundreds of small children. The most shocking factor is this scenario is that all of this is being done in the name of Christianity (McVeigh, 2007).
"The stories of the children who are the victims of these atrocities are shocking. The story typically begins when an unexplainable tragedy happens in the village. Perhaps there was a bad storm, a crop failure, or a sudden illness or death. From our seat in western society, it is difficult to understand what happens next. It is easy to take our level of knowledge and sophistication for granted. However, one must consider that school remains only for the privileged few in Nigeria."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Abu-Sahlieh, S. (1994) To Mutilate in the Name of Jehovah or Allah: Legitimization of Male and Female Circumcision. (Translation by Frederick M. Hodges, D. Phil. (Oxon))Medicine and Law, vol. 13, no. 7-8 ( July 1994): pp. 575-622.
• "African Studies of Witchcraft - Early Anthropological Contributions, Politics Of Witchcraft: Local and Global, Philosophical Approaches To the Study of Witchcraft". (2009) Retrieved 12 January 2009 from http://science.jrank.org/pages/8158/Witchcraft-African- Studies.html
• Channel4 (2008). Saving Africa's Witch Children. Dispatches: Society Page. Retrieved 12 January 2009 from http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/dispatches/saving+africas+witch+children/27800 62
• Channel4 (2008). Saving Africa's Witch Children. Broadcast 12 November 2009 09:00 EST. Retrieved 12 January 2009 from http://www.channel4.com/services/videoplayer/popup.jsp?name=dispatches_witch_childr en
• Ejizu, C. (n.d.). African Traditional Religions and the Promotion of Community-Living in Africa. Retrieved 12 January 2009 from http://www.afrikaworld.net/afrel/community.htm

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