Dr. Erwin van der Meer (original) (raw)

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Papers by Dr. Erwin van der Meer

A brief overview of some of the main skills every teacher needs in order to counsel students effe... more A brief overview of some of the main skills every teacher needs in order to counsel students effectively

The Australasian review of African studies, 2013

Child witchcraft accusations have been on the rise in various parts of Africa, resulting in untol... more Child witchcraft accusations have been on the rise in various parts of Africa, resulting in untold suffering inflicted upon thousands of children including being subjected to painful and harmful exorcism rituals, abandonment, violence and murder. While child witchcraft accusations appear to be relatively new in Malawi, research undertaken in Southern Malawi reveals how deeply-rooted witchcraft beliefs are and how this translates into violations of children's rights. It appears that traditional cultural beliefs and contemporary Pentecostal evangelical influences in Nigerian religious movies are important contributing factors. Besides children, the physically impaired, the mentally disabled, and the elderly are also regularly subjected to witchcraft accusations. To attribute all these social evils to cultural factors would be a far too superficial approach, as they also represent the projection of frustration in society. Beneath the surface, an important role is played by socioeco...

Australasian Review of African Studies, 2013

Child witchcraft accusations in Southern Malawi Child witchcraft accusations have been on the ... more Child witchcraft accusations in Southern Malawi

Child witchcraft accusations have been on the rise in various parts of Africa resulting in untold suffering inflicted upon thousands of children including being subjected to painful and harmful exorcism rituals, abandonment, violence and murder. While child witchcraft accusations appear to be relatively new in Malawi, research undertaken in Southern Malawi reveals how deeply rooted witchcraft beliefs are and how this translates into violation of children’s rights. It appears that traditional cultural beliefs and contemporary Pentecostal evangelical influence in Nigerian religious movies, are important contributing factors. Besides children , the physically impaired, the mentally disabled, and the elderly are also regularly subjected to witchcraft accusations. To attribute all these social evils to cultural factors would be a far too superficial approach as they represent the projection of frustration in society. Beneath the surface socio-economic factors play an important role, such as rampant poverty due to low commodity prices on the world market, trade barriers, unequal distribution of wealth, corruption, and the enormous impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic which is straining the capacity of the extended family to cope with the high numbers of orphans. The vulnerable in society become the scapegoats upon whom all frustration is projected. The archaic witchcraft act does not protect the most vulnerable in society and is also often misapplied to secure convictions. Intervention may include legislative reforms, awareness creation, human rights education and regulating religious practitioners. Further research is necessary as well to gain a better insight into this growing phenomenon in Malawi and other parts of Africa.

A critical Christian perspective

A brief overview of some of the main skills every teacher needs in order to counsel students eff... more A brief overview of some of the main skills every teacher needs in order to counsel students effectively

A brief overview of some of the main skills every teacher needs in order to counsel students effe... more A brief overview of some of the main skills every teacher needs in order to counsel students effectively

The Australasian review of African studies, 2013

Child witchcraft accusations have been on the rise in various parts of Africa, resulting in untol... more Child witchcraft accusations have been on the rise in various parts of Africa, resulting in untold suffering inflicted upon thousands of children including being subjected to painful and harmful exorcism rituals, abandonment, violence and murder. While child witchcraft accusations appear to be relatively new in Malawi, research undertaken in Southern Malawi reveals how deeply-rooted witchcraft beliefs are and how this translates into violations of children's rights. It appears that traditional cultural beliefs and contemporary Pentecostal evangelical influences in Nigerian religious movies are important contributing factors. Besides children, the physically impaired, the mentally disabled, and the elderly are also regularly subjected to witchcraft accusations. To attribute all these social evils to cultural factors would be a far too superficial approach, as they also represent the projection of frustration in society. Beneath the surface, an important role is played by socioeco...

Australasian Review of African Studies, 2013

Child witchcraft accusations in Southern Malawi Child witchcraft accusations have been on the ... more Child witchcraft accusations in Southern Malawi

Child witchcraft accusations have been on the rise in various parts of Africa resulting in untold suffering inflicted upon thousands of children including being subjected to painful and harmful exorcism rituals, abandonment, violence and murder. While child witchcraft accusations appear to be relatively new in Malawi, research undertaken in Southern Malawi reveals how deeply rooted witchcraft beliefs are and how this translates into violation of children’s rights. It appears that traditional cultural beliefs and contemporary Pentecostal evangelical influence in Nigerian religious movies, are important contributing factors. Besides children , the physically impaired, the mentally disabled, and the elderly are also regularly subjected to witchcraft accusations. To attribute all these social evils to cultural factors would be a far too superficial approach as they represent the projection of frustration in society. Beneath the surface socio-economic factors play an important role, such as rampant poverty due to low commodity prices on the world market, trade barriers, unequal distribution of wealth, corruption, and the enormous impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic which is straining the capacity of the extended family to cope with the high numbers of orphans. The vulnerable in society become the scapegoats upon whom all frustration is projected. The archaic witchcraft act does not protect the most vulnerable in society and is also often misapplied to secure convictions. Intervention may include legislative reforms, awareness creation, human rights education and regulating religious practitioners. Further research is necessary as well to gain a better insight into this growing phenomenon in Malawi and other parts of Africa.

A critical Christian perspective

A brief overview of some of the main skills every teacher needs in order to counsel students eff... more A brief overview of some of the main skills every teacher needs in order to counsel students effectively

A conservative evangelical's call to oppose abuse of LGBT people in Kenya and to advocate a more ... more A conservative evangelical's call to oppose abuse of LGBT people in Kenya and to advocate a more charitable approach