The Pursuit of Happiness and Conflict in Africa: Discontent and Rebellion in an Unhappy Continent
Journal Title: Journal of Education, Society and Behavioural Science - Year 2017, Vol 22, Issue 4
Abstract
Violent conflicts continue to be a feature of much Africa’s political landscape. Not only are Africa‟s conflicts increasing, but they are also interpreted and theorized in varied ways, with irreducible discrepancies. In the dominant literature, ethnicity, religion, resources, territory, poor governance, and the struggle for power, among others, have been identified as the major causes of violent conflict in the continent. This paper, abroad brush that raises more questions than answers, argues that, under lying these apparent causes of violent conflict is the undying desire for happiness. It shows that, poor governance and economic stagnation hinder stable lives, undermine happiness, and can lead to armed conflict, which in turn hinders development programs and exacerbates the problem. It concludes by paraphrasing Clausewitz‟s dictum that, war in Africa is a pursuit of happiness by other means and, therefore, to prevent it, scientifically based and well formulated policies policy should promote popular happiness.
Authors and Affiliations
Mark Chingono
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP321012
- DOI 10.9734/JESBS/2017/35712
- Views 102
- Downloads 0
Survey of Laboratory Activities in Senior Secondary School Physics in Nigeria
The importance of laboratory activities in the teaching and learning of physics in secondary schools cannot be overemphasized. It is on the basis of this that the author surveyed the level of laboratory activities in Phy...
Availability of Health Care Centres and Its Waste Management in Akure, South-Western Nigeria
The proper management of medical waste is very important due to its infectious and hazardous nature which can cause undesirable effects on humans and the environment. Based on the above this study determined the spatial...
Variance and Time Series Analysis of Democracy Index
This article deals with the variance and time series analysis of democracy index data, obtained from the yearly report prepared by Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). The EIU calculated democracy index since 2006 for 167...
Provision of Student Support Services and Its Impact on Quality University Education
This paper investigated the level of provision of student support services in Nigerian universities to ascertain the level of compliance with the National Universities Commission benchmark and its impact on quality unive...
To What Extent Can the Professional Characteristics of NCATE Standards be Embedded in the Islamic Teacher Preparation Program?
This study aims to investigate whether there are alignments in the characteristics and indicators of the NCATE and Islamic Education Teachers’ program. It also examines the consensus of experts in the field of Islamic Ed...