Are there any current situations in the world that relate to the novel? What are they, and how do they relate? Does the novel shed any light on how current situations could be resolved or "fixed"?

Things Fall Apart deals with issues of cultural change, and the loss of cultural identity.  Currently in the Northern Territory many young aboriginal people also experience this struggle with their community culture against the white man’s culture.  The newly converted people of Igbo wrestle to understand a religion/culture whose values and practices are very different from their own, no longer confident in their cultural heritage.  Much like these people from Igbo, the ongoing loss of traditional culture of aboriginal people and a strong western influence is leaving many young aboriginals between cultures. 

One of the main complications in this is that Australians do not have an easily definable culture.  There is such a high diversity of people groups that the resultant culture is so generalised that it becomes unnoticed.  ‘The destruction of Indigenous Australian culture has resulted in ongoing grief, despair and confusion including the disruption of traditional gender roles (especially for men), cultural values and pride, disruption of kinship networks and support systems, and confusion of people forced to balance between two, often irreconcilable cultures.’- Culture and Closing the Gap ¹.  One report says that the ‘loss of cultural identity and cross-cultural confusion is prevalent among young Aboriginals,²’ and that ‘suicide occurs when young people find themselves in no-man's land’².  This response to loss of cultural identity as a major cause of increased suicide rate (of young Indigenous people in the north of Australia has been rising for the past 20 years and is now claimed to be the highest in the world²) is also seen in the novel as Okonkwo hangs himself after realising his tribes culture no longer has room for his personal one. 

The novel suggests that a solution to this is for there to be three cultures, the heritage culture, living culture and personal culture.  You should know your background and stay strong to it, but live with an open mind so that benefits from other cultures can be included into your personal culture that defines who you specifically are. 

¹ Culture and Closing the Gap - http://iaha.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/000214_cultureclosinggap.pdf

² Aboriginal elders lament loss of culture as Indigenous youth suicides rise - http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-04-15/aboriginal-elders-report-on-youth-suicide/5390836