ABSTRACT
Global demand for materials is growing at an unsustainable rate as population growth results in the consumption of more natural resources. Economic globalization has enlivened societies to work at retaining their unique cultural, religious, and ethnic identities as markets increasingly bring uniformity and sameness everywhere. While many of the conflicts are characterized as religious and ethnic in nature, it is the politicization of the masses through the emotionally charged fault lines of religion and ethnicity that creates the veil hiding the underlying motivation of those who drive the masses. The impact of the multinational oil operations in the Niger Delta area is central to community protests and conflicts, with the companies often favoring one local community over another, provoking rivalries. Sub-Sahara Africa has suffered greater decline because of trade practices and policies, and the constant conflicts that have arisen over its vast reserves of mineral deposits.
