WEEK THREE
CONFLICT
Conflict can be defined as a misunderstanding or disagreement between two or more people.
Conflict arises as people interact in their families, workplace, offices, social clubs, communities and countries. Conflict occurs sometimes due to lack of cooperation.
As a nation Nigeria has witnessed a lot of conflict. For instance the civil war between 1967 and 1970 seriously threatened the existence of Nigeria as a nation. Other past conflicts in Nigeria were informed of students riot, inter-tribal wars (Ife-Modakeke war), religious riots particularly in the north (Kano, Kaduna, Plateau, Bauchi etc). Workers strikes and protests, electoral protest leading to burning of valuable properties and destruction of live.
Causes of conflicts
- Selfishness
- Lack of cooperation
- Bad leadership
- Lack of religious tolerance
- Lack of religious tolerance
- Communication gap
- Indolence and inefficiency
- Criminal activities
Effects of conflict in the society
- Breakdown of law and order
- Loss of lives and property
- Insecurity
- Debars progress in the society
- Brings disunity
Conflict resolution
Conflicts can be resolved in the following ways
- Dialogue
- Through the Law court
- Through the police
- Government intervention
- Through family or village head
- Through wars
Examples of conflict in Nigeria
- Nigeria civil war 1967 – 1970
- Hausa/Kataf conflict in Kaduna state
- OS crisis in Plateau state
- Ife/modakeke intra-ethnic conflict in Osun stare
- Okirika/Eleme inter-community conflict in River state
- Aguleri/Umuleri inter-ethnic conflict in Anambra state
WEEK FOUR
HARMFUL TRADITIONAL PRACTICES
Harmful traditional practices are traditional and psychological distresses and damages on individual. The distresses include fear, emotional, pain, stigma, death etc.
TYPES OF HARMFUL TRADITIONAL PRACTICES
- Female circumcision
- Slavery
- Child marriage
- Widowhood
- Reference for male child
- Violence against women
- Female Circumcision: it can also be known as female genital mutilation. It involves the painful removal of sensitive female genital organs. It is mostly performed on infant. This is being practiced in many communities in Nigeria to prevent the girl from being promiscuous
- Slavery: This is a slate of being subjected to all forms of hardship, suffering and violence without any right to resist or fight back in any form.
- Child marriage: This is a practice in which female children are given out in marriage at their teenage years. This is mostly practices by the Hausa.
- Widowhood: Maltreatment of widows is prevalent I many communities in Nigeria. Some cultures force the widow to drink water used in bathing the dead on while some widows cannot have their bath until their husbands are buried.
In some other societies women cannot go out of the house until certain while some widows are compelled to wear black dresses for certain days or a year after the death of their husbands.
- Preference for Male Chile: In many Nigerian cultures, there is a strong preference for a male child. A woman with a female child in the family is not recognized and respected. She would receive all forms of insult, embarrassment, scolding and maltreatment from the husband and his family until she has a male child.
- Violence against Women: This is common in some societies where men beat their wives with cane, horse wipes, slap and use rod. The reason could be for coming back home late, not cooking on time or not taking care of the children.
CONSEQUENCES OF HARMFUL TRADITIONAL PRACTISE
- It can lead to death
- Sexual disorder
- Spread of HIV AIDS
- Emotional pains
- Retard development
- Infringement of human right
- IT CAN LEAD TO DEATH: Some of the traditional practice come along with pains which may eventually lead to death.
- SEXUAL DISORDER: female genital mutilation may cause serious relationship disorder when the girls or lady is married.
- Spread of HIV/AIDS: If female genital mutilation is carried out with infected surgical knife such person automatically becomes on HIV/AIDS patients
- Emotional Pains: Women who are forced to undergo certain rituals like drinking water used I bathing the dead husband, sleeping with the dead husband in the same room, suffer from pains emotionally.
- Retard Development: child marriage usually denies a girl the opportunity of developing physically, emotionally and psychologically.
- Infringement of Women Right: Most of the harmful traditional practices affect women more than men. These constitute infringement intrude on their health and reproductive right.
PREVENTIVE MEASURES
- Public enlightment
- Legislation
- School curriculum
- Non-governmental organization
- The media