Class Biz
Dead Aid Response Guidelines
Discussing "Birdsong" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Revisiting the Crisis in the Congo: Conflict Minerals
1. "Conflict Minerals 101" video
2. "Apple plans to cease using conflict minerals"
Food for thought:
Listen to this Planet Money podcast on a non-traditional form of charity
Dead Aid Response Guidelines
Discussing "Birdsong" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- How does Adichie characterize the narrator, her lover and Chikwado?
- What is your impression of the narrator? How does she defy cultural norms? Does Adichie challenge the notion of individual's having a single story?
- What elements of the story challenge/conform to the single story of Africa?
- What universal themes appear in this story?
- What cultural differences do you notice?
- On page 6: What does the narrator mean by "helplessly powerful"?
- What are signs of status in Nigerian culture?
- What statement is Adichie making about morality and corruption? Who is corrupt? Who bears the brunt of the blame for corruption in Nigerian society? Any connection world politics/economics here? (Read aloud page 6, middle column and the last few paragraphs of the story)
Revisiting the Crisis in the Congo: Conflict Minerals
1. "Conflict Minerals 101" video
2. "Apple plans to cease using conflict minerals"
Food for thought:
Listen to this Planet Money podcast on a non-traditional form of charity
- What is the premise of GiveDirectly and the results of their donations?
- How does GiveDirectly challenge traditional forms of charity?
- How does GiveDirectly challenge the notion of a single story of Africa?
- Would you donate to GiveDirectly or would you rather be able to choose exactly how your money is spent/used?