Brexit Reflection: Neoliberal Backlash?

By Sarah Benewith

Throughout the semester, my group has covered the unfolding situation in the European Union as a result of Brexit. Brexit, the referendum vote in which the United Kingdom voted to leave the EU, has taken the world by storm but its consequences are still widely unknown. In our first post, we explained the structure of the EU and the UK’s special relationship with it. Then, we explained the long term and short term causes of Brexit, which include Britain's independent tendencies, pro-Brexit propaganda, and a lack of trust in the EU. Subsequently, we set up our next two posts, dividing them into economic and sociopolitical consequences of Brexit. The second post, detailing the economic impact, began with an explanation of how the UK benefited from being apart of the European Union. Immediately after Brexit, the pound plummeted and foreign investors lost confidence in the UK’s economy. If the UK makes a full departure from the EU, it is likely that trade restrictions will be put in place, unemployment will rise, and the EU will lose productivity. Finally, the third post, in which we explained the sociopolitical effects of Brexit, focused mainly on immigration and the future of the United Kingdom. Since Brexit appeared to be a vote centered around immigration, laws on the immigration of Eastern Europeans and refugees will certainly tighten. For the time being, immigration is only increasing. In terms of the future of the United Kingdom, the Brexit vote has reignited tensions between the nations that make up the UK. It is entirely possible that Scotland will become independent and that Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will reunite in the coming years. More than anything, the Brexit vote reflects a xenophobic, neoliberal backlash to liberal organizations like the European Union. We hoped to illustrate that although none of these things may happen, Brexit is symbolic, which can already be seen with the recent US presidential election.

In order to research for our posts, we first determined what each post would be about and delegated the majority of the writing for those posts to two group members. Since Brexit is still a topic that is up in the air, it made sense to talk about broad impacts, splitting the research into economic and sociopolitical consequences. This is where it became handy that we were in a group, not just individual writers, because two of the members of the group are concentrating on International Economics as part of their International Studies major, while the rest of us are concentrating on Culture, Peace and Conflict, or Politics. Thus, assigning the writing became a matter of logic. Then, we researched our topics on every platform possible, including library databases, economic magazines, news broadcasts, and personal accounts. Not surprisingly, the content of the sources we found differed greatly depending on their publication date: before or after June 24, 2016, the date of the Brexit vote. While sources before this date were useful to explain background information and the context of Brexit, we had to limit ourselves to more recent articles, studies, and interviews in order to get a clear picture of what is next for the EU. Also unsurprisingly, most of the sources came from British publishers, like the BBC, the INDEPENDENT, and various UK government websites. This was useful for general information, for images, and for British perspectives on the events unfolding; however, we had to delve a lot deeper for sources that offered a perspective on how Brexit would affect the EU. One task that I was often given in my group was to find hyperlinks and to post the final draft. Although posting was often quite tedious, I found hyperlinking to be the most enjoyable part of the research. Hyperlinks gave us the opportunity to use less conventional sources, like a Brexit campaign movie found on YouTube, and they caused the blog to seem overall more like a genuine news blog.

In terms of doing research, I learned the importance of looking at the context of the source itself. Especially with current events, writers can spin the information to fit a certain image or agenda. Thus, it is necessary to consider the type of source, its country of origin, its date of publication, and its medium (articles that can be accessed by social media are often quite different from printed articles.) As for group work, I learned the importance of delegating tasks, as well as working together in person. We delegated tasks as soon as we started working on the project, which was very helpful. However, we then left each other to our own devices and did not really ensure that each of us was doing our part. Although ultimately we got everything done and on time, I think that working together, in the same room, at the same time would have created an atmosphere of motivation and collaboration. Despite this, I was glad to be working in a group, especially since we all have our own interests in International Studies, because it gave the blog posts several perspectives that I would not have been able to add on my own. Finally, in terms of Brexit, I learned a lot. Coincidentally, I was in London when the Brexit vote occurred and it really defined my time there. Thus, I already knew a lot about the vote, the causes, and the immediate impacts going into this project. However, this project gave me the chance to analyze what the vote means in detail, since I was still in disbelief that something like this could happen. My research, coupled with concepts I have learned in class about free trade and neoliberalism, has led me to certain conclusions. The Brexit vote, which may not actually mean anything without a Parliament vote, was the precursor to what may be a neoliberal movement. Brexit closely parallels the election of Donald Trump because it revealed a silent white majority who is xenophobic, racist, and distrustful of any state involvement in the economy. Whether or not free trade is a beneficial system is another topic altogether. What is clear is that we are teetering on the edge of two possible worlds: one cosmopolitan, diverse world, or one white-supremacist, isolated world. Working on this blog has shown me that many people are wholeheartedly against this neoliberal backlash, including people who live in London, refugees, and certainly the European Union. These voices are drowned out by the dominating forces of the US and the UK, which have been the dominating world powers for centuries. In other words, it is time for a change.

References

Beauchamp, Zack. (2016, Nov 9). Donald Trump’s victory is part of a global white backlash. Vox. Retrieved from http://www.vox.com/world/2016/11/9/13572174/president-elect-donald-trump-2016-victory-racism-xenophobia

Durkin, M. (2016, May). Brexit the Movie. United Kingdom: Wag TV. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTMxfAkxfQ0/

Greenberg, Steve. (2016, Jun 28). Brexit and Trump. The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists. Retrieved from http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/152074/

Oliveira, Ivo. (2016, Jun 30). Cartoons: The Brexit divorce. Politico. Retrieved from http://www.politico.eu/interactive/brexit-european-union-referendum-commission-david-cameron-leave-cartoons-draw-brexit-divorce/

Woodcock, Andrew. (2016, Nov 7). Theresa May refuses to back down on Brexit immigration controls. The INDEPENDENT. Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/theresa-may-refuses-back-down-brexit-immigration-controls-eu-referendum-a7401581.html

Effects of the Terror Attacks on France

Military Repercussions of Terror Attacks

As a result of the growing unrest and tension between the French people and the Muslim community both at home and abroad, several military actions have taken place in response to these terror attacks. These actions are prompted by both an immediate need to respond to these events in order to satisfy the populace and to fight the assailants alongside the international community in a long term battle to counter international terrorism. While actions and military operations are constantly happening among the French armed forces, it is after a major attack that we see an increased amount of more radical military protocol in response to the tragedy.

One of the most major outpourings of French military action in response to an attack can easily be seen after the events of Friday, November 13th, 2015 in which 129 people were massacred in 5 different locations around Paris. In retaliation, the French dropped 20 bombs on the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa, Syria the following Sunday. These airstrikes, carried out by 10 French fighter jets launched from Jordan and the Persian Gulf, effectively wiped out a key ISIS command center and a training facility during the raid. This was the largest airstrike carried out by France since the extension of their bombing campaign in Syria the previous September (Calderwood, 2016). In a show of support for the French people, the United States military scrawled “From Paris, with love” across several of their hellfire missiles bound for ISIS targets. Images of these missiles later went viral and fueled the “justified retaliation” mindset of people around the world.

These military operations are not solely confined outside the borders of Métropole. A series of internal raid took place following the November 13th attacks which uncovered caches of weapons held by ISIS supporters around the country in some of the nation’s largest cities; including Lyon, Grenoble, Toulouse, Calais and two other suburbs of Paris. The largest of these raids, in Lyon, turned up a rocket launcher and an enormous cache of weapons assumed to be used in future attacks (Blundy, 2016).

U.S. hellfire missiles bound for Syria bear the phrase “From Paris, With Love” in a show of support from the American military to the people of France. (http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/missile-from-paris-love-message-6839753)

Anti-Muslim Legislation

Outside of military operations, the French government has also imposed several pieces of domestic legislation that some see as specifically targeting the Muslim community. The most prominent of these legislative acts in the media was the ban of “Burkinis” on public beaches in many municipalities around France, particularly along the French Riviera. It was in late July that the the mayor of Cannes, David Lisnard, placed a ban on burkinis on public beaches, calling them “the uniform of extremist Islam”. In the following weeks, more than 30 other French municipalities placed bans on the bathing suit, supposedly under the idea that they were oppressive to Muslim women (Micallef, 2016).

After this ban was put in place, there were immediately challenges of its legitimacy. On August 26, France’s highest court, the French Council of State, ruled that the ban should be overturned and burkinis should be allowed on beaches. While this was supposed to be enacted on a national level, many mayors vowed not to acknowledge the overturning of the ban.

While this ban was supposedly rooted in the idea that Muslim women should be able to wear whatever they want on the beach and that the burkini was suppressing their liberty, many Muslim women contend that that is a false belief. They believe that the burkini has allowed them access to aquatic activities for the first time while still being able to show modesty; a choice they claim is their own. Before the invention of the burkini, whose inventor Aheda Zanetti is in fact a Muslim woman, many women in the Islamic community were unable to swim in public spaces or fully enjoy the seaside experience (Zanetti, 2016). This is yet another example of cultural miscommunication between France and it’s Islamic community and has further deepened the divide between the two groups.

French Muslim Civilians

The intense anti-muslim sentiment in France has not excluded innocent Muslim French civilians throughout everyday life. France holds one of the largest populations of Muslims in Europe (Bulos, 2016, p.1). The Algerian War in 1950’s holds dark memories for past generations of Muslims in France as they were expected to easily convert to French culture (Power, 2015, p.1). This deemed difficult due to France’s emphasis on secularism and Islam’s guidelines regarding outright proclamation of faith. (Power, 2015, p.1). The effects of terrorist attacks in France are deeply harming the Muslim community as they are ostracised and estranged from society. On July 14th a man, Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, ran a large freight into a crowd of people watching the national Bastille Day firework show in Nice. This attack has further divided the country and changed the public’s opinion on Muslims. The majority of the prison population in France is Muslim (Drew, 2016, p.1)  The Muslim French community is not as radical as they are portrayed though. They believe in taking legal action against discrimination and not violence. It is difficult for an average Muslim civilian as they deal with the attacks on their country and as they are often blamed for the violence (Power, 2105, p.1). Marine Le Pen is the prominent leader of the right wing National Front has created her 2017 campaign focusing on anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim ideology (Drew, 2016, p.1) The terrorist attacks have done nothing but further promote her cause as she spreads hateful rhetoric. The innocent civilians are seen taking the fall for the violent crimes of the few radicalists (Power, 2015, p.1).

Immigration Tactics

Following the attack on Nice, France’s platform regarding anti-muslim/ anti-immigration has grown tremendously. The attack has served as evidence for political parties that express that Islam “poses a mortal danger to European societies” (Smale, Castle, 2016, p.1).  The answer to this issue is taming immigration. Geert Wilders, a right wing Dutch politician has expressed, “This is a war and it will not stop until we close our borders for Islam and de-Islamize our societies. No more terror. No more Islam!” In a survey from the Pew Research Center, it found that in 80% of European countries more than half of people believed that refugees from Muslim countries would increase their chances of terrorist attacks. It has been found that perpetrators of the Paris terrorist attacks crossed the Belgian-French border during a rise in immigration. This has affected the outlook on Europe’s very open borders and immigration policy. The leader of the National Front Marine Le Pen has made comments involving an anti-immigration platform (Smale, Castle, 2016, p.1).

Conclusion

Overall, the terrorist attacks in France have shown to affect many aspects of life. Muslim communities are suffering because of the bias created by these violent attacks. As terrorism continues the civilians are the ones living with the consequences. France fails to distinguish violence from its associated religion. This itself is spreading hate and discrimination.

Works Cited

Blundy, Rachel. (2015, November 16). Rocket Launcher Seized and Five People Arrested After

Anti-terror Raid in Lyon. The Evening Standard. Retrieved from http://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/french-police-arrest-five-people-after-seizing-rocket-launcher-during-antiterror-raid-in-lyon-a3115136.html

 Bulos, N. (2016, July 16). Why France has a more fraught relationship with its Muslim communities than the U.S. Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com/world/europe/la-fg-france-threat-history-20160716-snap-story.html

Calderwood, Imogen. (2015, November 16). ‘From Paris, With Love’: Emotive Message of

Revenge Scrawled Across the U.S. Bombs Destined for Syria. Daily Mail. Retrieved

from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3320252/From-Paris-Love-Emotive-message-revenge-scrawled-U-S-Hellfire-missiles-destined-Syria.html

 Drew, K. (2015, July 15). In France, Anxiety Deepens After Attack | Best Countries ... Retrieved November 16, 2016, from http://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2016-07-15/in-france-anxiety-deepens-after-attack

How the Paris terror attacks affect daily life. (2015, November 24). Retrieved November 16, 2016, from http://www.thelocal.fr/20151124/how-paris-terror-attacks-impact-on-daily-life 

 Smale, A., & Castle, S. (2016, July 16). Attack in France Fuels Anti-Immigrant Parties on Europe's Rights. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/17/world/europe/attack-in-france-fuels-anti-immigrant-parties-on-europes-right.html?_r=0

Micallef, Joseph V. (2016, 12 September). Is France Right to Ban the Burkini? The Huffington

Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joseph-v-micallef/is-france-right-to-ban-th_b_11845732.html

Power, C. (2015, January 8). Why There's Tension Between France and Its Muslim Popualtion. Retrieved from http://time.com/3659241/paris-terror-attack-muslim-islam/

Zanetti, Aheda. (2016, 24 August). I Created the Burkini to Give Women Freedom, Not Take it

Away. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/aug/24/i-created-the-burkini-to-give-women-freedom-not-to-take-it-away

Syrian Refugee Crisis

Syria lies within the region known as the Fertile Crescent, where the land is typically moist and fertile amidst the arid climate of the Middle East. Between 2006 and 2009, the region experienced the worst drought in approximately 900 years. A study published in March 2015 postulates that man-made global warming caused “the drought was made three times more likely to occur, and that it was one of a number of factors that led to the outbreak of hostilities in 2011.” The severity of the drought led to massive crop failures and large-scale declines in the numbers of cattle. Of a population of 20 million people, approximately 1.5 million Syrians migrated from rural to urban areas. The strain put on these urban environments by the displaced, desperate, and destitute Syrians led to civil unrest and revolt against “a brutal regime that had long avoided such challenges.”

In March 2011, two years after the drought ended, pro-Democracy protests in Deera against corrupt President Bashar al-Assad erupted in violence when security forces fired on protesters during what became known as the “Arab Spring.” By July, there were hundreds of thousands of protesters across the country. As the state erupted into a civil war, violence escalated as rebel groups fought for control of various cities, finally reaching the capital of Damascus and then Aleppo in 2012. As the death toll rose from an approximated 90,000 in June of 2013 to 250,000 by August 2015, as established by the UN, refugees began to flee to neighboring Lebanon, Turkey, and Jordan. The conflict has progressed further than simple political disdain, the rise of the jihadist group ISIS has elevated the struggle and caused renewed refugee migration.

As the Civil War in Syria continues, the rebel group called ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria), known also as ISIL  (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant), continues to make use of the conflict happening in Syria, and take control over the country. Founded as a group that builds off of the beliefs and ideologies of al Qaeda, ISIS believes in a very extreme interpretation of Islamic and Sharia laws and beliefs. The goal of ISIS is to control specific areas to create a caliphate, essentially an Islamic State. With this goal in mind, ISIS has used many different tactics to gain support, along with spread fear throughout the world. The group has caught the attention of the public multiple times, using the platform of technology and social media to broadcast their actions all over the world. Many of the videos broadcasted have contained scenes of public execution, and various threats to other nations and groups. ISIS has also claimed responsibility for many large-scale acts of terror, including the attacks in Belgium and France in 2016.

ISIS has contributed to the rebel effort in many ways, by providing support on rebel operations. This support comes easily, as ISIS is extremely well funded, and organized. However, as ISIS operates in Syria, it also has many enemies, including the Assad regime, and even other rebel groups with which it does not hold good relations with. Other nations have aligned and created a coalition against ISIS. Among those countries are the United Kingdom, France, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, along with pledged assistance in these operations by the United States. Between these countries, there have been many actions to combat the actions of ISIS, the biggest of which being coordinated airstrikes in Syria and Iraq, targeting members of ISIS. However, many innocent civilians have been killed in this process.

As ISIS continues to work towards their goal of a caliphate, many have been brutally murdered. With fear of being killed as a result of race or identity, civilians are forced to flee the country fearing their lives. Furthermore, between airstrikes, and civil war, citizens are in the middle of a large humanitarian crisis. Nations surrounding Syria continue to take in refugees fleeing the violence and conflict, but doing so has many implications. Sudden influxes of hundreds of thousands of people puts a heavy burden on nations trying to accommodate many people, as more and more are displaced every day.  
As refugees try to survive this catastrophic event that took place in their home, they seek asylum in neighboring countries and throughout the world. ISIS not only affects the middle east, they affect the whole world. Their extremist ideals and threats catch the attention of so many people throughout the world who are drawn to join them and do as they are instructed. Syria has suffered endlessly and in turn so have other countries who try to provide refuge to as many asylum seekers as possible.

Anonymous post to  Al Jazeera newsgroup, “Syria’s Civil War Explained,” May 24, 2016. Accessed November 13, 2016. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/05/syria-civil-war-explained-160505084119966.html.

Anonymous post to  British Broadcasting Corporation newsgroup, “Guide to the Syrian Rebels,” December 13, 2013. Accessed November 13, 2016. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-24403003.

Anonymous post to  Cable News Network newsgroup, “ISIS Fast Facts,” November 1, 2016. Accessed November 13, 2016. http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/08/world/isis-fast-facts/.

Fantz, Ashley.  Ashley Fantz to  Cable News Network newsgroup, “Who’s doing what in the coalition battle against ISIS,” October 9, 2014. Accessed November 13, 2016. http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/09/world/meast/isis-coalition-nations/.

Freedman, A. (2015, March 02). The Worst Drought in 900 Years Helped Spark Syria's Civil War. Retrieved November 12, 2016, from http://mashable.com/2016/03/02/syria-drought-900-years-civil-war/#dGZUx6mldiqG

Fountain, H. (2015). Researchers Link Syrian Conflict to a Drought Made Worse by Climate Change. Retrieved November 12, 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/03/science/earth/study-links-syria-conflict-to-drought-caused-by-climate-change.html

HC Blog. Is Climate Change Behind the Syrian Civil War? (2015, July 18). Retrieved November 12, 2016, from http://www.historicalclimatology.com/blog/is-climate-change-behind-the-syrian-civil-war

Holliday, Jospeh. “THE ASSAD REGIME: FROM COUNTERINSURGENCY TO CIVIL WAR.” Understanding War. Accessed November 13, 2016. http://www.understandingwar.org/report/assad-regime.

News, B. (2016, March 11). Syria: The story of the conflict. Retrieved November 12, 2016, from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-261.

Piven, Ben.  Ben Piven to  Al Jazeera America newsgroup, “Who, what and where is ISIL? Explaining the Islamic State,” September 18, 2014. Accessed November 13, 2016. http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/9/18/isil-threat-explained.html.

Timeline. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2016, from http://syrianrefugees.eu/timeline/

Elizabeth, Tyler, Hayley, Valeria 

Roadblocks to Assimilation for the 21 Chibok Girls

By Rachel Starling, Sophia Pagnone, Licette Renteria, Madison Mercer, and Leila Youssef 

As we discussed in our last post, three weeks ago 21 Chibok girls were released from Boko Haram. The details of the negotiations leading to the release of the girls still remain to be fully disclosed. What we do know is that the Nigerian government and Boko Haram relied on the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Swiss government for help in mediation during the talks. Local sources say that the girls were released in exchange for the bailout of several Boko Haram fighters held in custody by Nigerian forces (Bradley, 2016). The Nigerian government has said that negotiations are to continue surrounding the release of the remaining girls. However, it is estimated that roughly a third of the girls are unwilling to leave the group for various reasons. Some of the girls have adopted the radical values held by Boko Haram, and others, who have been married, are unwilling to leave their husbands and return to their villages. Other girls are ashamed to return, out of fear of rejection or stigma surrounding the sexual abuse many of the girls faced in captivity (“Third of Chibok Girls Unwilling”, 2016). Meanwhile, the girls who have been released are currently encountering many challenges with their reintegration into society.

https://www.africanexponent.com/post/8050-the-release-of-21-chibok-girls-a-belated-international-day-of-the-girl-child-present

Although it’s a relief that the 21 girls have been released from this militant groups’ control, they still face obstacles as former captives of Boko Haram and are perceived by some as shameful, supporters of the group. Some Nigerians believe that the kidnapped persons have been radicalized into advocates of Boko Haram. Unfortunately, this is not an entirely unfounded concern, and some of the Chibok girls have become radicalized. Some fear that once these girls are reintegrated back into society, they will use their newfound freedom to recruit new members and endorse their extremist ideology (Guilbert, Nwaubani, 2016). The recent use of female suicide bombers by Boko Haram has intensified these concerns (Nwaubani, 2016). Gender biases that are embedded in Nigerian cultural and social norms have also facilitated this marginalization of former captives. Victims of sexual violence and rape are recognized as disgraces to their families and sexually plagued (Okafor-Vanni, 2013). Children born out of rape are thought to be shamed by “bad blood” of Boko Haram members (Guilbert, Nwaubani, 2016). Both those raped and born out of rape, face serious rejection from the communities they once belonged to.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/10/nigeria-boko-haram-releases-21-chibok-girls-161013102746662.html

The stigma tied to these former abductees has negative consequences for the girls’ mental health, self-esteem, and wellbeing. Psychological counselors for captives have stated that Nigeria’s mental-health programs were insufficient. (Guilbert, Nwaubani, 2016). Part of the reason for the lack of these services, is Nigeria’s cultural understanding of sexual violence and abduction. These issues are not deemed significant as they aren’t in many countries, failing to give victims the recovery they need (Okafor-Vanni, 2013). These girls are facing mental health issues including anxiety, depression, PTSD, and problems with self confidence. After release, prior captives are concerned about how their families and peers will perceive them and fear being ostracized (Guilbert, Nwaubani, 2016). The lack of psychological services, alongside cultural beliefs within Nigeria, are making the assimilation of these girls back into their communities extremely difficult.

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/212714-video-osinbajo-meets-released-chibok-girls.html

Analysis

Nigerian culture plays a large role in the treatment and perception of the Chibok schoolgirls who were victims of enslavement by Boko Haram. Nigeria, alongside other countries, has specific norms which dictate what is acceptable behavior for men and women in its society (Boundless, 2016). Nigeria is a patriarchal country in which men dominate virtually every field (Curry, 2016). This causes Nigerian women to greatly depend on their community members for support, survival, and their overall wellbeing (Amnesty International International Human Rights Organization, 2016). This dependency on community may be a cause of the girls’ obstacles while attempting to reintegrate back into society. The structure of Nigerian society makes these girls reliant on societal support, yet the cultural norms make their societies understand them as sexually plagued. This combination generates the girls’ difficulties of assimilating back into their normal lives, as well as makes the ostracism from their communities especially hard.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/03/chibok-girls-escaped-boko-haram-new-fear-return-school

Although, gender bias and inequality are not confined to Nigeria alone, as these issues are globally prominent in almost every nation. Patriarchy and discrimination against women do not exist solely in Nigerian communities, and instead exist on an international level, making these issues some of the most significant to solve. Gender biases with sexual issues is specifically prevalent throughout the world, and many cultures often “victim-blame” or understand rape victims as sexually afflicted (Kamrany, Robinson, 2016). From ostracism in Nigeria, honor killings throughout areas of the Middle East and Africa, and even “slut-shaming” in the United States and elsewhere depicts the universality of these issues. The international extent of these problems makes the Chibok girls’ obstacles even more relevant on a global scale. They represent what so many women and girls suffer throughout the world, cultural and international standards of the female. The global community should recognize what so many women face every day.

Because former captives of Boko Haram face marginalization and rejection by family and community members, there is speculation over the best course of action for reintegration. A leader of Nigeria’s Chibok community has called for them to continue their education in the United States. Some of the 57 Chibok girls who managed to escape a few hours after the Islamist militants stormed their school were taken to the United States “Maybe it will help them forget what they have been through in the past," Patience Bulus said (BBC, 2016). But these girls were subjected to constant media attention and appearances for a period of two years, which was disruptive to their school attendance and performance and emotionally turbulent. Some see this as a tool for making money as the girls were often encouraged to embellish their stories. The United States’ original effort to help locate and rescue the girls produced scant results, American and Nigerian officials said, in part because of distrust. “Tensions in the U.S.-Nigeria relationship are probably at their highest level in the past decade,” Johnnie Carson, the State Department’s former top diplomat for Africa (BBC, 2016). The international community may have a pivotal role as the girls try to assimilate back into their normal lives. A full recovery could be challenging and in order for the girls to be adequately rehabilitated, they would need the solidarity of the Nigerian people. Support is encouraged by the UN as “not only a moral obligation, but a fulfillment of women and children’s legal rights under international law.”(United Nations, 2016) Time will gauge the success of assimilation, and the support of the international community critical in its success.

References

AFP/Getty Images. (Photographer). (2015, February 3). Some of the chibok schoolgirls who escaped boko haram. ten months on, some girls are now back in education. not all could shake off the fear the militants would return for them [digital image]. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/03/chibok-girls-escaped-boko-haram-new-fear-return-school

The African Exponent. (Photographer). (2016, November 13). The release of 21 chibok girls: a belated international day of the girl child present [digital image]. Retrieved from https://www.africanexponent.com/post/8050-the-release-of-21-chibok-girls-a-belated-international-day-of-the-girl-child-present

Aljazeera. (2016a) .Third of chibok girls 'unwilling to leave boko haram'. Al Jazeera Media Network. Retrieved from http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/10/chibok-girls-unwilling-leave-boko-haram-161019094349495.html

Al Jazeera. (Photographer). (2016, October 13b). More than 200 nigerian girls were kidnapped from a school in chibok by boko haram [digital image]. Retrieved from http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/10/nigeria-boko-haram-releases-21-chibok-girls-161013102746662.html

Amnesty International International Human Rights Organization. (2016) . Consequences of sexual violence for women and communities in darfur. CLG Portal. Retrieved from https://clg.portalxm.com/library/keytext.cfm?keytext_id=136

Boundless. (2016) . Human sexuality and culture. Boundless Psychology. Retrieved from https://www.boundless.com/psychology/textbooks/boundless-psychology-textbook/gender-and-sexuality-15/sexuality-415/human-sexuality-and-culture-299-12834/

Bradley, S. (2016) . Swiss facilitate release of 21 chibok girls. Swissinfo.ch. Retrieved from http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/boko-haram-abductions_swiss-facilitate-release-of-21-chibok-girls-/42515338

Curry, T. (2016) . Nigeria. Advameg, Inc. Retrieved from http://www.everyculture.com/Ma-Ni/Nigeria.html#ixzz4PIyzVH78

Guilbert, K & Nwaubani, A.T. (2016) . Chibok girls freed by nigeria's boko haram risk rejection home: exports. Reuters. Retrieved from http://www.reuters.com/article/us-nigeria-bokoharam-schoolgirls-idUSKCN12I27Z

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Lere, Mohammed. (Photographer). (2016, October 13). Vice president yemi osinbajo has met with the 21 chibok school girls released by boko haram thursday [digital image]. Retrieved from http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/212714-video-osinbajo-meets-released-chibok-girls.html

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