Culture, Ritual and Religion, International Development in the Research Paper

Culture, Ritual and Religion, International Development in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone - Research Paper Example In Africa, countries have experienced recurrent and various forms of armed conflicts and violence due to power struggles and control over natural resources. Sierra Leone and Democratic Republic of Congo have bore the brunt of violence and armed conflicts in past decades, a fact that has led to development mishaps and stagnation. This paper examines the role of ritual, culture and religion in the shaping up of the social, economic and political stability of Sierra Leone and Democratic Republic of Congo. It further explores the role of violence and conflicts in the development process. Sierra Leone is located on the west Coast of Africa on the Atlantic Ocean and it is bordered to the North with Guinea, Liberia on the Southeast and Atlantic Ocean on the Southwest (Harris, 1992). Different ceremonies were held in Sierra Leone as part of the culture and religion of the people. One of the ceremonies that were more conspicuous was the movement in rings or circles during ceremonies to honor ancestors (Harris, 1992). The movement of people in circles during ceremonies defined the art and religion of most communities in Sierra Leone. It is reported that the culture and tradition was seen as heathen by the missionaries and as such, they searched for strategies of eliminating and eradicating the practice. The missionaries did not succeed in eradicating the practice due to the strong influence that culture had among communities in Sierra Leone. ... e purposes included story telling, singing of songs, drumming and dancing, pouring of libations, cleansing ceremonies, proper burials, respect for the dead and forgiveness (Kaarsholm, 2006). The traditional cultural practices and rituals have played significant roles in the development process of Sierra Leone. Modern development strategies have incorporated traditional cultural practices in various health and human welfare initiatives such as fight against HIV/AIDS, ending of harmful traditional practices such female genital mutilation, understanding of human rights and other initiatives that are associated with human welfare and development in Sierra Leone (Burnell, 2008). The uptake and use of various traditional cultural practices and rituals in modern human development initiatives in Sierra Leone has been premised on the notion that the use of culturally appropriate interventions that are drawn from the experience and knowledge of communities has the potential of increasing the l ong-term self-reliance of communities, families and children (Francis, 2006). In addition, the use of traditional practices and rituals encourages community members to take active roles in identification of development problems that affect them and formulation of strategies and solutions to mitigate such problems. The role of culture and traditions of Sierra Leone communities was relevant and instrumental in the truth and reconciliation process that paved way for political stability and tranquility. Most of the healing activities and initiatives were based on the culture and traditions of the people of Sierra Leone. The Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission of Sierra Leone relied on the assistance and help from traditional and religious leaders in resolving conflicts and promotion of

Ethics in Law Enforcement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Ethics in Law Enforcement - Essay Example Corruption is a term that springs easily to mind when one thinks of how law enforcement is usually applied. Popular culture is full of references to corrupt policemen and lawyers, especially in terms of how the police are often represented in movies and television shows, and also in terms of the numerous articles on police abuse that may be found in newspapers and other periodical. Especially after the events of September 11, 2001, and the racist attacks on Muslims and other Asian minorities in America came into the news, there has been a lot of negative publicity for the way in which minorities are apparently abused by many law-enforcement agencies. All these examples represent myths about law enforcement that are often belied by statistics. However, there is also some basis in reality for such opinions. In addition, corruption undermines respect for the rule of law and for the democratic process that are the very core of our system of government. Controlling this evil successfully is a constant challenge for any government. Yet any government that does not devote itself to this effort is in danger of sowing the seeds of its own destruction. (p. xi) The authors suggest, therefore, that instead of identifying the law enforcement system with corruption, there is the need to recognize that even the law is trying to fight corruption within itself. Corrupt practices are not an inherent or integral part of the law enforcement system. Rather, it is something that has crept into the system and must be weeded out. The corruption of law enforcement agencies is illustrated by the two interviews that were conducted as part of this study. The first will be discussed in the context of corruption. This instance is related to an interview with a twenty-seven-year-old white American woman who was a victim of hazing during her freshman year at a university in the U.S. Cindy (not her real name) recollects that she and her friends were wary of the senior students, because the college had a history of a couple of violent episodes of hazing. Apparently, the school authorities had done nothing about it. Cindy describes the night when she and her friends were abused by a large group of older students. They were forced to drink alcohol, and some of the senior students even urinated into their glasses and forced their victims to drink from them. They were also made to perform demanding exercises such as push-ups for almost three hours, and compelled to run around the campus a number of times. They were also verbally abused, many of the insults being gender- or race-based. Shortly after the incident, Cindy and a friend went to the neighborhood police precinct to lodge a complaint about what had been done to them. "I couldn't believe it," Cindy says. "None of the cops were ready to listen to us. Two who did pumped us for the 'juicy' details and then burst out laughing." Cindy's experience reveals that public faith in law enforcement authorities has diminished based on their reputation for treating victims badly. Although this was an isolated incident, there have been many reported instances of police cover-ups in similar cases, even in instances where students were killed or seriously injured as a result of hazing. Another instance in which law enforcement a