Executive Director of Elephants Neighbors Centre here in Kenya Jim Justus Nyamu joins Michelle Ngele on Morning Express. Jim is a recipient of the Ecowarrior 2016 award. (KTN News Kenya, 2017)
Africa
The Digital Divide
The Digital Divide is; information rich people who have easy access to computers and all the benefits that it provides while others are cut off from computers because of poverty, living in underdeveloped countries or rural areas without Internet access. In “Intermediaries: Bridges Across the Digital Divide”, written by Maung K. Sein and Bjorn Furuholt, both authors attempt to meet the digital divide by introducing Intermediaries. An Intermediary is an instructor who teaches underprivileged people how to read, write, and use computer technology. Sein and Furuholt list three vignettes of Intermediaries; Sengerema Telecentre (STC) in Mwanza region, Tanzania, Sea Boys Internet Café in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Kantor Pelayanan Terpadu (KPT, One-Stop Services) an e-government in the District of Sragen in Indonesia.
Reinforcing the U.S.-Africa Partnership
Precious Gems
Raw, uncut Tanzanite stones found only in Mererani, Tanzania..
There is a child labour documentary I recommend called “Gem Slaves“, filmed in Mererani, Tanzania, that depicts young boys ages 8 to 14 who mine for Tanzanite in hopes of earning money so they may provide for their families who are living in the grips of poverty. Bearing witness to this, I could not help but connect the dots that I have witnessed throughout Africa between blood ivory, blood diamonds, and blood gems. Because of the high demand for these natural resources, there will always be a constant supply of child labourers. Continue reading
Moral and Environmental Values
The African Forest Elephant is predicted to become extinct by 2025 due to the illegal ivory trade.
The Elephant Neighbors Center in Nairobi, Kenya is an NGO that specializes in the education, conservation, and preservation, of African Forest Elephants, Black Rhinos, and Lions. The social control mechanisms applied are Moral and Environmental Values within Socialization. An example of Moral Values would be; a plethora of extremists and activists believe that Kenyan Wildlife officials should have authority to kill poachers and leave their remains behind in the bush. From a moral stand point, killing anything is never the right answer. Instead of killing poachers, we must educate them and their communities about what is really happening to these species together with establishing ground based education and conservation programs. By not poaching these endangered animals, communities can sustain safari like eco-parks that attract eco-tourism and further bring funds into a region that was once on the brink of famine. Continue reading
Ivory Free Ohio-IFOH 