Violence and social consequences of the conflicts in Liberia and Sierra Leone

The civil war in Liberia began in 1989, when the country was attacked by the rebels of the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) led by Charles Taylor. In Sierra Leone the civil war was initiated in 1991 by Revolutionary United Front (RUF) led by Foday Sankoh. The article describes the specifics of the conflicts in Liberia and Sierra Leone. It discusses social and economic context of the wars as well as causes of their longevity. In addition, it presents the international community actions for ending the prolonged civil war in Sierra Leone and the importance of the policy “weapon for diamonds”. The article uses a historical-analytical method of research.

Współcześnie temat pandemii wirusa SARS-CoV-2 zdominował światową prasę. Jednak problem wirusa w Afryce, jeszcze w lutym 2020 r. był w zasadzie pomijany w prasie zachodniej. Natomiast w tym samym czasie można było dostrzec coraz rosnące zainteresowanie prasy afrykańskiej tym problemem. Działo się tak, ponieważ w Afryce stosunkowo późno, w porównaniu z innymi kontynentami, zaczęto odnotowywać pierwsze zakażenia. Ze względu na szybkie rozprzestrzenianie się wirusa w świecie, 11 marca 2020 r. Światowa Organizacja Zdrowia ogłosiła stan pandemii. W początkowej fazie w Afryce, między innymi ze względu na małą ilość prowadzonych testów, nie odnotowywano takiej skali zakażeń jak w innych częściach świata, co nie oznacza, że sytuacja na kontynencie była lepsza. Celem artykułu będzie analiza sytuacji i problemów związanych z rozprzestrzenianiem się pandemii w Afryce. Na przykładzie wybranych państw autorka oceni ich przygotowanie i stosunek do walki z pandemią.

French colonial policy in West Africa

This article is an attempt to analyze French colonialism in West Africa. The author focuses on the characteristics of the colonial thought of Paris, and outlines the most important concepts (tools) necessary for the study of this issue. She also marks the influence of history on the current territorial division of the French Republic and spheres of influence in West Africa. The history of the former French colonies, both after gaining independence and at current time, is also presented, and the features of the contemporary politics of the former metropolis are outlined.

Messages directed to potential volunteers via Polish-language websites. An example of voluntary work in African countries

Internet communication is widely used by Polish NGOs in communicating with the public. It is also used by foundations and associations that organize volunteering in Africa. The purpose of this article is to characterize the communications concerning participation in volunteering in the African area, which have been posted on the Polish-language Internet by the aforementioned NGOs. This article presents theoretical issues relating to the Internet as a tool of communication in NGOs, the image of the Other in Polish society (in relation to Africa and the inhabitants of the continent) and volunteering in Polish NGOs. It presents the results of the author’s own qualitative research conducted using an analytical technique, the content analysis method. Messages posted on the websites of NGOs focus on the person of the volunteer experiencing exotic adventures and gathering attractive experiences, at the expense of presenting the beneficiaries of the volunteer’s activities. The described communications present reality in a way that perpetuates stereotypes, while conveying information about the professional, ethical and intelligent nature of the activities of foundations and associations.

Sociopolitical divisions in Africa in light of the concepts of Seymour M. Lipset and Stein Rokkan

The main subject of research carried out by the author is socio-political cleavages in Africa. The aim of the article is to show the socio-political divisions that exist in Africa. The category of a socio-political cleavage is considered to be the one which properly reflects the diversification that comes into being between the social and political sphere. The most important cleavages functioning in African countries are ethnic cleavege and religious cleavage. This is due to the complex ethnic structure existing in African countries.