Anthropology essays

Anthropology essays The organization I have worked for this semester is Lutheran Family Services, in particular, refugee services. This organization relocates refugees, the ones I worked with are from Sudan, Africa. A 20 year civil war has been raging in Sudan leaving families displaced and relocated. The war is between the Northern Sudanese (mostly Arab Muslims-also in control of the government) and the Southern Sudanese (mostly indigenous people of Nuer and Dinka 'tribes'). The Southern Sudanese do not recognize the government except when forced to. White missionaries come to Southern Sudan to aid these people while converting them to Christianity (and furthering their God's/or religion's own agenda). Bior (a boy I work with) told me, "we like the white people in Sudan, they come to help us build things." The Southern Sudanese have been cosntantly attacked and often fled to neighboring Kenya. Even in Kenya refugee camps the Southern Sudanese have been attacked by their Arab enemies. The Northern Sudanese are largely Arab Muslims who control the government. The government is seen as artificial to the indigenous population. The government attempts to collect taxes and impose laws on those in Southern Sudan. Resistance is shown to these hegemonic (concede to our government) practices. In Sudan we see religion polarizing groups (Muslims following Muslim law against non-Muslim Southern Sudanese, also, Christian missionaries aiding and converting Southern Sudanese). The laws of the government are in accordance and set up to further Islamic law. This law is pushed on non-Islamic peoples. The Christian missionaries meanwhile attempt to get the local tribes to act according to Christian principles (i.e. forgoing traditional animal sacrifices). Religion is a force of change dictating the government (those with the weapons and power seize control of it) and enacted by the same government...