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Adhiambo
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Africa, wake up!!! [development and economics]
October 2, 2006 - 07:04 AM
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hi
not sure where exactly this should go bu I have a little message for my fellow Africans, Wake up.
This is how I see it, we are too dominated, dependant and vulnrable to international relations.
despite being rich in terms of natural resources, we are still the poorest continent in the world.we listen and do too much of what we are told by the 'west.
In Kenya, they determine the price of our coffee and tea; we give them the raw material, it's processed abroad, given a new name and sold to us at a really high price. same thing for the cocoa producing countries in west africa, your cocoa is one of the best, used to make chocolates in the west and sold to you at crazy prices. recently titanium was discovered and guess what, a canadian company is going to mine it, take it to their country for processing. yet another example, a plant in Tanzania was used by a company to manufacture drugs that are fetching alot of money . my point is that we are loosing our wealth.
'Why don't we come up with laws and policies that protect our wealth and control how it is used.
can you imagin a situation where for example, the E.U decides to stop importing our raw materials, what then would we do? we'd be stuck with alot and nothing to do with it.
I'm not saying it is wrong to export or anything, just lets try and add value to what we export. indusrialise, process our own raw material, consume it within our countries as well as export it.
there are other things I am sure we can do, any suggestions?
let's wake up Africa
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monica
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Re: Africa, wake up!!!
October 2, 2006 - 10:22 AM
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ma sista .........i feel u dere is so much more people can do but the problem with africans is that we are more that greedy and highly jealous...........we need to love one another first. thats when all this corruption in governments and all will stop. when the leaders start considering and lovin those that they are leading. the problem with africa is CORRUPTION. the west do influence highly but if we really wanted to make a stand we would have. look at zimbwabwe where people dont even get a decent meal due to mugabe's stupidity. by chasing the british farmers zim has lost so much all this due to what??? ILLITURACY is a DISEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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e.sum
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Re: Africa, wake up!!!
October 2, 2006 - 11:36 AM
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Adhiambo, thanks for sharing your perspective. Indeed, the "free trade" we see in globalization is rarely "fair trade".
To greatly simplify, developing nations don't have the same political leverage as developed ones when it comes to trade. So it's a bit counterintuitive but it's the nations and the NGOs with the strongest economies or finance capital who get to call the shots, not those who have the most natural resources. Japan, for example, is a small country low in natural resources, but they have the 2nd largest GNP, right after the States.
Now as for suggestions on what can be done. There are organizations that have fair trade programs like Oxfam that offer some very practical suggestions about how you can help: Make Trade Fair. Just click on the link that says "act now"
For Canadians, there are a couple sites about buying fair trade products:
Transfair
Fair Trade Toronto
We also have some groups, projects and events listed on TIG you might want to look into:
TIG search for fair trade
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vas
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Re: Africa, wake up!!!
October 3, 2006 - 03:21 AM
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One way out can be uniting together at WTO trade negotiations esp the ones concerning TRIPS and TRIMS as they are
discriminatory towards developing countries .Other option can be asking and implementing intellectual property rights esp on natural resources like the way France has doen for its wine and perfumes or the way India got patents on its indegenous products liek Basmati rice and Haldi vacated.
Third option can be calling for free technology transfers as promise din WTO.African countries are big markets and they must act on this strength the way China has acted by negotiating better trade agreements.Fourthy,
at various world Formus developing countries are under represented so their voice is not often heard properly.
Fifth, like ASEAN and NAFTA,North American Free Trade Agreement, African counrties must unite together
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Sahro Ahmed
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Re: Africa, wake up!!!
October 3, 2006 - 05:42 AM
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This is a great point you have raised. Thanxs for that.
I think we can not say there is one solution to the problem you ahve raised. I think there are different factors to be considered and all have merit. One important point is unlike the West, where the mass can demand and bring about change, In Africa our all power lays in the hands of a few, namely the governments (and their executing puppets such as Police, etc).
What African people need is indeed to wake up, stop complaining and start demanding their basic human rights. I think if the masses could be empowered to demand justice, alot could go right.
Sahro
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ginzburg
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Re: Africa, wake up!!!
October 3, 2006 - 06:19 AM
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a dood post.
well the problim is in my opinioon from what i soo in africa so far, that the african countrees are contralled by small elites that relay on westren manty and support in order to survive in most case. and there for serve the interests of there main benificioarys, the westren countrys and not of there people...
so the first thing to do woode be placing people orientated govermants on the continent witch than can take all kind of steps to make the life better among them, incrise the prices of the row matirials ofcuorse ...
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Adhiambo
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Re: Africa, wake up!!!
October 3, 2006 - 08:15 AM
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thanks for the response. esum, thanks for the suggestions.
however esum, I believe we can decide how we use our resources, afterall, how do you think the developed countries got where they are? in the early 1980's and late 1970s, Kenya's economy was at the same level as that of Taiwan, china, India but today, the rate of growth of thier economies is so much higher. sure we could blame part of it on coruption, but I believe we should try and also take some responsibilities. those countries' economies are growing coz they are industrialising. we need to follow their example. Japan is where it is coz of it's technology, their education system is good. we have equally bright people in Africa, we should be able to do the same.
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mnopq
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Re: Africa, wake up!!!
October 3, 2006 - 01:29 PM
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Erica provided some useful links.
I wanted to add that globlalization is not neessarily detrimental to oor countries. Read Thomas Friedman's "The world is flat" to break any stereotype of rich-get-all and poor-suffer idealogy of globalization.
There is another factor which i htink is much more important a reason of why sub-Saharan Africa is largely behind other countries.
It has been under mandates or simply collonies of richer European countries and served mainly as a playground for production of cotton, cacao, coffee, etc thanks to the richness of its natural resources. And as such Europeans were never interested in haveing educated or intellectual Africans, cause all it would lead would be a rebellion and disobeying. Thus the mentality of a slave, a servant, a serf was predominant till almost our times - till 1960s-70s.
And as such, after obtinaing their independence, these coutries lacked educated and competent people for many intelligence-requiring jobs and naturally governement; thus govrnments were seized by whoever was more powerful and had army backing, but not necessarily brains...And usually these governments were and i guess still are corrupt and uncompetent.
And that is one reason why African countries are not competitive..
Another reason is also that Europeans drew artificial borders among African countries and thus separated some ethnic unities and other communities from their brethren. This, from the other side, fomented and increased insecurity and indefinite situation which also caused people to be concerned much moreabou their daily security and satisfactin of daily needs in sometimes alien environment than any thought of getting educated or learning something. In other words Maslow's pyramide at work...
The mentality and the basic lack of security is what is driving many African nations not to the natural development. But i hope that changes soon with the help ofthe West and more importantly with helping themselves.
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e.sum
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Re: Africa, wake up!!!
October 3, 2006 - 02:04 PM
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You're most welcome, Adhiambo and thanks for starting a great thread!
Adhiambo wrote:
those countries' economies are growing coz they are industrialising. we need to follow their example.
I hope I didn't make it seem as if there is nothing developed countries can do. There are good suggestions on this thread and I agree, in some cases, populations can apply pressure to the government to look out for their interests first! One great example, although not trade related, is Brazil's successful AIDS program. Brazil is notable for supporting its public and rejecting foreign aid from the US because of stipulations regarding abstinence education and prostitution which would have likely harmed their public rather than helped. I'm sure others will have stories like this.
As for the path of (capitalist) development, it's never the same for every nation because every context is different - developing nations can't follow in the footsteps of previous nations because of changes in economics and politics. As Hayk pointed out, there are regional specifics to consider. Development can be done, but it will probably be done differently.
Another search term which comes to mind is sustainable development which focuses not only on the environment, but social and development.
UN's sustainable development page (includes info about Africa)
Foundation for Sustainable Development
Lots of stuff to check out on TIG
This post was edited on: 2006-10-03 at 02:06 PM by: esum
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Mohamed Barrie
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Re: Africa, wake up!!! [development and economics]
October 8, 2006 - 07:57 AM
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We need to see the development of africa but i believe untill GOD comes to our aid cuase what am seeeing is not easy all we have is selfish and curropt leaders.like for example here in guinea i have expiriense a lot the president came to power without even having a place to sleep but today he is one of the reaches president in africa he drive most of the expensive cars if today hummer tommorow is navigatour or x5 while his people are dying out of hunger and salvation.
in june 12 2006 the goverment workers go to strike becouse they are paid less than a bag of rice and transportation have increase so they need there salaries to be raised up one week no work the goverment never say a word and it was time for the students to take their international exams so they too came to the street and started demonstrating all he have to do is to send soldiers to attack the boys and killed 26 boys accrding to there report raiout is all over the country when he see that the boys are ready to die but wont stop then he call the teachers to arrange the problem,but just for a moment prise where control for the main time after the exams everything raise up again.
BUt what really suprise me within a week i was listing the radio when i heard a announcement that the goverment of america have donated to this curropt goverment the sum of 82 million dollars through world bank to fight porverty.
they know that this goverment is curropt everyday things are going from bad to worst young women are domping there babys to toilet or trowing them to the street becouse they dont have what to take caire of them with young youths are going fostrated every day,i want this so called international cummunity to come and ask this goverment how many institute they have built that can benifit the people of this country.
all i know this international goverment are not helping the people but helping the goverment to keep on stayin in power to destroy it people becouse they are getting some of the resources from them,becouse there are many ngos here who are trying there best if you give them such money they will do more.
This post was edited on: 2006-10-08 at 08:10 AM by: umaru
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Erick Ochieng Otieno
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Re: Africa, wake up!!! [development and economics]
October 17, 2006 - 12:14 AM
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It is good that most of you have raised very important issues about Africa's econmic woes.How ever, there are some things that Africa and other third world countries can not ignore.These are the issue of democracy, peace and sound economic policies without the degradation of the environment.It is true that Globolisation has brought more problems than to solve any in the context of African eonomies, and it is also rue that most african policy makers have not had any idea on how to formulate and impliment sound econmic principles due to political disturbances.Let me explain why I am saying this, imagine you are a minister for economic development but you don't know the difference between Macro and Micro econmics, and therefore you have to relie an you permanent secretaries to draw for you policies.You can not come up with your own initiative,do you honestly think that your econmic policies will be what your people will like or not?
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nockia
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Re: Africa, wake up!!! [development and economics]
November 10, 2006 - 06:51 AM
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this also distubs my head to see that of all people in the wold its the africans that are backwardness
but all this is brought as aresults of african leaders to be too much pupets to the developed countries just becuse they want to feed thir families and they accept the money given by them in order to sale our anatural resouces and promote european,american,asian culuter to africa these takes africa backward because these whits do come and take away our naturall resouces and then give us nothing for development instead they give us guns,bombs to kill our selves from january to december having no time to think way forwad
african please wake up and start stoping these peole who are mlking the cow with out feeding it and these are the gun,bomb,makers
and african leaders please stop coruption
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tinuke
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Re: Africa, wake up!!! [development and economics]
November 28, 2006 - 08:04 AM
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i was in a youth week 3 weeks ago and some one said something very intriguing about africa,
She said that the reason for africa laziness is too much comfort or rather we are not threatened by anything.
Abroad they've got extreme sunny weather they'[ve got to make summer clotthes,in extreme snow,they have to make winter coats or leather clothing,and so on but in african we arent threatened by anything.
dont get me wrong its not an excuse for us not to wake up from our slumber.the only thing that keeps us a bit agitated to meet up sometimes is the digital divide or gap that other countries like america are creating for us.as resourceful as we are......we look around and ponder in God's name what we are doing with our economy but the fact still remains that even in this disdain inequality,africans are not muffled at all.they are content with even poverty.africa is sleeping deep in with a poor menatlity awareness of thier surroundings and thier fellow brother.africa is like a child sleepwalking the rest of her life.
the wakeup call should be the resounding slap of where we are heading to ....DESTRUCTION..(it can never get as long as there is A GOD)
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Chris Williams
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Re: Africa, wake up!!! [development and economics]
December 3, 2006 - 10:38 AM
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I can see why this point was made, although almost all African countries are very weak and cannot really demand to the West very easily. What is really important is for African countries to get together and push the USA and EU together for changes. If African countries coordinate their diplomacy, they will greatly increase their voice.
Africa needs to push for changes in the trade rules at the WTO by working as a coordinated voice.
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tinuke
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Re: Africa, wake up!!! [development and economics]
December 4, 2006 - 06:18 AM
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i dont believe we need to involve any physical external involvement.Thats whats wrong with africa,we are always trying to jump the gun,a baby must crawl before he walks.we cannot meet external standards ina split second.we need to develop on our own african pace, putting into consideration both underdeveloped and deveoping countires within this continenet.making other continents examples is inevitable but not making them exact target phase because if we build in a haste,we crumble in a haste.
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