Abstract In this article, the writer claims that the United States' foreign policy towards SouthernAfrica has long been couched between the Cold War paradigm and hasty decisions of self-service. The writer discusses how while ostensibly the African prospect - replete with brewing racial concerns and potential economic value - was left to European guise, the United States had already witnessed a long history of being drawn into the continent. This paper looks at the U.S. policies regarding South Africa from the 1960s and through the Reagan regime.
From the Paper "Since the middle of the last century, the United States has parroted a secondary role in the international aspects of the African political process, stepping aside for Mother England and her European peers to address their former colonies while they pushed through their final stages of independence. While actual attainment of the freedoms for which they fought lay far on the horizon, the bloody warfare that burned the nebulous concept of 'liberty' into the African South was hot on the minds of political leaders far beyond the confines of local tensions. Real conversation about the developing 'African Problem' began in Washington during Eisenhower's second term (1957-1961), when the National Security Council developed a proposal for the division of labor in the developing world - notably, the United States would gain umbrella control for the Latin American region, while Europe would serve as the satellite leader for post-colonial Africa."
Abstract This paper details the impact of the British government's involvement in southernAfrica during the phase of new imperialism between
1880-1900, in which various European governments began to scramble for land in the region. This paper explores Britain's interests in southernAfrica, which were heightened with the discovery of prolific deposits of gold and diamonds. The writer discusses the lack of investment into the local economy which combined with a policy of black segregation and the enforced migration of labor, created a situation of devastating poverty among the black Africans. This paper paper also focuses on the segregation policies of the diamond mines which set a direct precedence for the establishment of the apartheid policy in the South African government.
From the Paper "An interesting feature of the diamond industry was the unmarketability of the gems. They were luxury items that held varying degrees of popularity in Europe at the time, and the responsibility for the successful sale of diamonds rested on the shoulders of London merchants. What resulted was an increased financial involvement between British businessmen at home and overseas, thus strengthening British private investments in the region. Politically, the British were unwilling to provide their annexed territories with ample governmental administration. Instead, they preferred to rely on the cooperation of the local white population."
Abstract This paper compares and contrasts the rituals and lifestyles of the Gwi, Kung and Hazda ,the oldest inhabitants of southernAfrica where they have rapidly adapted to the environment by learning to gather or hunt for food mainly because of others taking their land and water. It examines how their lifestyles are changing to adapt to modern society and how currently the Gwi are fighting for their land, the Hazda refuse to speak up for their rights and the Kung have adjusted by making the needed changes to live like a modern man.
From the Paper "The Hazda continue to live as hunters-gatherers while their traditional waterhole is being taken over by others. One researcher reported that they were told that the Hazda could make money by leading tours, but they state all that they want it to be able to remain on their land and gather food as they have always done. They do not want to change. The research member refused to pay for the visit with the Hazda because the pay did not go to the tribe members. They can only go to the water hole at certain times of the day. The Hazda people are not like the Gwi in that they will not fight for their land."
Abstract This paper examines the history of relations between the Native Americans and the settling colonialists in 1500 and onwards. It discusses why the settlers did not manage to enslave the Native Americans and how they ended up turning to Africa for their labor needs.
From the Paper "Perhaps the ultimate form of exploitation would be the advocation of slavery, at that time a universal practice. The custom of enslavement came from the necessity of disposing of prisoners-of-war, from the greed of traders, and from the demand for labour. Slaves, by character, were people apparently weaker than their masters either in the sense of being defeated opponents (i.e. prisoners of war), or people with no means to withstand capture and imprisonment from an oppressor. The oppressors often based their justifications for denoting a population suitable for being slaves by claiming higher moral and religious understanding, i.e. to be civilised. In America, the indigenous population certainly fitted the part to be this inferior class, with inferior technology and crucially, an 'inferior' religion. Yet the extensiveness of negro slavery in Southern America by the time of the civil war (over 4 million African-origin slaves existed) compared to the virtual non-existence of Indian slavery indicates that for whatever reason, the local southern Native American Indians were 'passed over' in the search for a suitable candidate to solve the labour shortage created by the rapidly expanding colonies. Therefore, can it be argued that the southern Native Americans were too powerful to be enslaved?"
Abstract This paper presents an overview of COMESA, discusses how it came into being and explains its objective as well as its benefits. The paper explains that a major benefit of COMESA is that it creates a large free, single market that attracts large and medium scale investors and that it will help bring the entire nation into the 21st century.
From the Paper "Therefore, this year will see the completion of efforts to create a free trade area that includes the elimination of tariffs in the trade involving 21 full-time members, and 2 additional members, pending their agreeing to the COMESA regulations. These two countries which may one day become members are South Africa and Botswana. The other 21 members, all Southern or Eastern African nations include Angola, Burundi, Comoros, Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe."
Abstract This paper discusses library funding for Web sites and technology in university libraries in particular. The high cost of building in-house web portals and the effect of the declining tax-base for libraries is also discussed.
Tags:library science, Web sites, technology, budgets
Abstract This paper explores the theoretical case of a special library, which exists to serve the research and information needs of a select group of scientific research based corporations. The author divides the paper into five sections: Background, problem, analysis, alternatives and recommendation. The paper is written from the perspective of a library manager who must convince the superiors at his or her institution that the library has extreme merit and is an overall benefit to the organization.
From the Paper "Our special library exists to serve the research and information needs of a select group of scientific research based corporations. Our materials include contracts, correspondence, accounts, public relations materials, and advertisements, but primarily consist of business and scientific publications. One corporation, T. Corp, provides our sole source of funding and designates other parties who may also have access to the library's resources. Recent acquisitions and management changes inside T. Corp have led to a decline in use of the library, as well as lack of communication concerning the research and information needs of the employees and other users."
Abstract This paper reviews Green's discussion on how the personalization of the library experience can be accomplished between librarian and reader. The paper continues by saying that Green contended that each individual from every walk of life was capable of using the library system. As individuals sought knowledge through literature it was, according to Green, the librarian's responsibility to ensure that the information that was needed was easily retrieved. The paper further reports that this process was accomplished in an atmosphere of courteous service to every library patron.
Abstract The public library has together with the public museum and art gallery performed a critical role in modern democracy as a palace of enlightenment that theoretically provides all citizens with the information necessary to develop informed opinions and play the politically necessary role as an educated voter on the important issues of the day. In this context, this paper attempts to shed some light on the social and economic preconditions that determine the viability of any electronic library. The paper first defines the social function of a library and then extrapolates whether that form is capable of being replicated in electronic form.
Abstract This paper analyzes both sides of the issue on the use of non-MLS library personnel to staff the reference desks of college libraries. It discusses the growing complexity of skills and new technology needed to manage the reference. The author explores the difficulty of recruiting professional librarians for the reference desk.
From the Paper "Examination of professional position announcements in the field of library science shows that many libraries are looking for people with educational requirements in lieu of the traditional ..."
Abstract This paper discusses the history of library education in the United States. The paper examines the five periods in the development of library education and looks at the contention that active learning rather than lectures are more effective in educating librarians.
From the Paper "Michael Lorenzen asserted that from the very beginning of academic library instruction in the United States, it was noted that lecturing was not necessarily the most effective way of educating students about the library. Many key actors in developing library education argued in favor of active learning rather than lectures as the primary and best approach to providing future librarians with an in-depth understanding of the profession and its demands. Building upon concepts advanced by Jean Jacques Rousseau and John..."
Abstract This paper examines how a middle school library can support, motivate and initiate service learning opportunities with the students and staff. The paper outlines the service learning activities and the need to create social learning activities.
The following dissertation looks at the causes of the U.S. Civil War. It finds that there is not one single answer to the question as to why the southern states seceded from the union.
Abstract This paper focuses on the issues that ran concurrently with slavery, although the issue of slavery dominated the middle part of the 19th century in America in its causes of secession and the U.S. Civil War. The writer looks at the legislation that affected the southern states, like the: Nullification Crisis that affected South Carolina in 1832, the Declaration of Causes by the seceding states and the widespread division that affected America in the late 1850?s, the 1850 Compromise and the Kansas-Nebraska Bill that caused great turmoil between the northern and southern states. This paper also looks at why the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, caused such consternation that the southern states finally felt compelled to secede.
From the Paper "The election of Abraham Lincoln as president and the Republican Party coming to power was almost a sure thing before the splits in the Democratic Party. The splits just made it an almost certainty, and again it was over the issue of slavery, only this time instead of fighting against each other it was in fighting. This meant that secession was a sure thing, which would have pleased so many of the vocal southern firebrands. It is hard to see how some of the southern states thought that they could survive without being in the Union, as one state is far bigger and prosperous when it is in a group rather than as an individual. But the southern states had had to put up with so much provocation and pressure from the northern states and often an anti slavery president government that this was the final straw for them. Why should they have kept putting up with all this hassle and troubles during the mid 19th century over slavery, which was a way of life for them. Some southerners knew that slavery would eventually die out in the future, put when they are pushed so hard and so much about the issue of slavery, their attitudes are going to harden and they would eventually dig their heels in."
Abstract This paper discusses how AIDS is the most virulent disease even known to affect humanity, and Africa has been particularly hard hit. This paper examines this pandemic in terms of its incidence and its epidemiological profile. The paper focuses on Africa and more specifically on sub-Saharan Africa. In addition this paper pays special attention to the interesting case of South Africa and the crucial subject of mother to child transmission.
Abstract This paper examines the "Uhuru Africa" album by Randy Weston. Inspired by jazz legend Duke Ellington, Weston spent most of his career combining the rich music of the African continent with the African-American tradition of jazz. The author dissects Weston's "Africa" album -- which he calls a tribute to Ellington -- from its thematic and metaphoric perspectives, such as nature, animals, liberation, the past and the future. The author concludes by praising "Uhuru Africa" as Weston's jazz paean to Afro-American heritage and to Africa.
From the Paper "This style inspired Randy Weston, whose use of both hands separately on the keyboard parallels a drummer's control of separate rhythms with each hand. Randy Weston spent most of his career combining the rich music of the African continent with the African American tradition of jazz, mixing the rhythms and melodies of both continents. Uhuru Africa is a tribute to Ellington, most particularly in the second movement, African Lady, a metaphor for Africa and the drum, which Ellington identified with a woman."
