Youth_Reading Memo

The widespread violence among the young population is one of the main challenge that African States have to face within their borders. From some readings, emerged that the most common kind of violence in Africa is, according to some scholars, characterized largely by bodily violence of small arms and direct physical confrontation. I found the readings for this lesson interesting, especially the article in which the author, Hoffman, talks about violence in the so-called Mano River War’s context. He used this term to report the violence in Liberia and Sierra Leone between 1989 and 2003, as examples of the inextricable connection between the young population and violence. Hoffman also pointed out some parallels between the military activities and their links to the world economy, for example the smuggling of diamonds in West Africa or other illicit activities. A link between fighters and the world economy is something that is also showed by the perception of those young fighters of seeing themselves as workers. Therefore, for better understand the dynamics of the violence in the African continent; I think we should take into account in our discussion the suggestion of the author, and so seeing the violence as a literal work. (Hoffman, Cultural Anthropology, 2011)

It is quite interesting that the use of violence is linked to the identity. Indeed, it can be used to put ourselves in a relationship with the others and the social borders, but in a wrong perception that lies upon the idea of a confrontation with someone different from us, that can easily become the enemy, assuming all the characteristics of an “enemy”. The same is true for the violence in Africa within opposite rebels group for example. Regarding Goffman’s article, my question is the following: is it possible seeing as he said, «the violence young men in the region’s militia movements performed as a mode of post-Fordism»?

Some other questions came up to my mind while I was reading the other texts. Firstly, where and what is the origin of the violence? Are just poverty, unemployment, economic difficulties, political oppression, absence of civil liberties the main reasons behind the widespread violence in Africa, or there is something else that affects this dynamics? These are for sure reasons to have in mind, as long as are all interrelate phenomenon, as we can easily envisaged from the generation’s struggles for economic, social, and political emancipation. It is here interesting what said another author, Honwana, about this last point. Precisely, he affirmed that the African youth are living in the “waithood”, meaning that they are in the between among the childhood and the adult-age, so they are waiting for adulthood but actually, they are not able to do step forwards because they cannot afford certain livelihoods, or because they are excluded from socioeconomic institutions and political processes. The recent economic growth could bring some benefits, but as noticed by the author, without equity in wages and human rights among the populations, it will be hard for people, especially the young ones to live as they want, as well as their the right to live a good life in the respect of the others. A real transformation requires no hurry and time in order to achieve some goals; otherwise, violence will remain one of the main issue at stake without solving the problems.

Another data to bear in mind is that nowadays, young Africans are generally better educated and more connected with the rest of the world than previous generation so the role of internet is something to consider as instrument which can easily influence the mass of people who join an internet connection and create linkages among them. Therefore, they are also conscious of their condition, and know their limits and the State’s one, indeed they have often a limitative trust or faith in State’s initiatives, because they do not receive less or nothing from it. Thus, what is missing is also a trustee link between the youngest people and the State institutions, that can help in reconstructing the social basis for a real step forward of the whole society in harmony. Is the role of politics under revision? Can politics actually be helpful in restore peace?