Felicia+R.+-+ALD+-+SP11

__BENIN__

__President__- Thomas Boni Yayi He was born in 1952, to a Muslim family in the north. He was the former head of the Togo-based West African Development Bank. Thomas Boni Yayi won the election in 2006 with over 74% of the votes in his favor.

__Benin__ The population of Benin is 9.2 million and their capital is Porto-Novo. Benin has a high rate of exporting, they export large amounts of cotton and palm oil. Even though Benin exports a large amount of goods they are still one of the poorest countries in the world. Benin is located on a coast formally known as the "Slave Coast" because it was where captives were shipped across the Atlantic to become slaves.

__References__ Benin is very close with their neighbooring country Nigeria. Benin relies on them for constant trade, because Benin is a poor country. nigeria helps them out with trade. Ghana also supports Benin because they agree with the kind of government they use, the two party system.

__Safety and Rule of Law__ There were reports of the local police using excessive force. This violence supposedly resulted in many injuries and deaths. Benin has been having major problems with violence against women. For example, women were victims of societal discrimination and female genital mutilation is commonly practiced in Benin. Also, there are many cases of trafficking, child labor, and child abuse. The government is now requiring documentation for any minors traveling as a part of Benin's fight against trafficking. However, the government of Benin did not commit any politically motivated killings. The Constitution of Benin clearly states that they will not tolerate any practices such as, torture or any outrageous forms of punishment. Even though, the government has not always honored this law, they have tried their best to do so. For example, an incident back in 2007, when two people were shot by presidential guards for not following orders, the guards were later arrested.

__Participation and Human Rights__ The citizens of Benin elect the president. He is elected for a term of 4 years, they can serve only two terms. Benin has what is called a "two party system", there are two main parties and it is very hard for anyone to gain support under a lesser party. The people of Benin have the rights to freedom of assembly. In order to assemble some kind of protest or event, you must obtain a permit. They are also granted to the freedom of association, freedom of religion, and freedom of movement, internally displaced persons, stateless persons, and protection of refugees. Any person that wants to form some type of religious group must register with the Ministry of the Interior.

__Sustainable Economic Opportunity__ Citizens of Benin do have access to the internet. There have not been any reports of the government watching what is said over e-mail of over chat rooms. Internet access is currently available mostly in internet cafe's. However, a lot of the citizens cannot afford the cost. Also, do to a lack of Infrastructure is not currently available in a lot of rural areas.

__Human Development__ In order to receive an education in Benin you had to pay for it. However, the government recently abolished that rule and decided that schooling would be free. Many health services in Benin are working to help people with Tuberculosis and HIV. There goal is to not only improve the quality of their life, but also to decrease the death rate. Since HIV patients and Tuberculosis patients have a high risk of being infected with both, they want to be able to give them free rapid tests and couselling. It has been shown that diagnosing HIV and Tuberculosis early is very helpful in the treatment process, therefore many medical buildings are being supplied with 3 year supplies of rapid tests. __WORKS CITED__

" BBC NEWS | Africa | Africans crazy for democracy." //BBC News - Home//. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2011. [].

1980s, the late, and under Benin's Marxist. "Education in Benin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." //Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia//. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2011. .

"2009 Human Rights Report: Benin." //U.S. Department of State//. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2011. [].

"BBC News - Benin country profile." //BBC News - Home//. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2011. [].

"Supporting an integrated approach to HIV and tuberculosis care | Africa EU." //Welcome to Africa & Europe in Partnership | Africa EU//. N.p., 23 Feb. 2011. Web. 24 Feb. 2011. [].