Africa, does anybody still care?

[Dr. Stiby]

After visiting Zimbabwe last year, I gained a lot of interest in the current situation of Africa. I noticed how little pubblic debate is going on about the horrible situation on the African continent. Here on poly for example, every international discussion tends to result in Europeans and Americans bashing each other. I've seen only one Africa-related discussion which was at the time Mugabe "stole" the Zimbabwe election.

Here are some issues that are threatening especially the southern part of Africa:

Over 15 Million southern Africans already died of Aids.

Apart from the human tragedy, imagine what the demographic effects of HIV/AIDS on the working force end thus the already backward African economy might have.

10 million people face starvation in southern Africa

Due to an unlucky stream of events, millions of Africans face to die of starvation. This is partly the result of Mugabes ridiculous farming policy.

Conflicts in Africa

The last link shows some of the conflicts Africa has faced or still faces. The numbers of victims of the Angola civil war (which thank God is over) exceeds the numbers of deaths on for example the Israel-Palestine conflict dozens of times.

In short, IMHO, the problems Africa is facing makes the conflicts we are discussing on the OT mere futilities. I think that media should cover African issues way more often. Furthermore I think that a LOT more needs to be done to help spread the AIDS disease in Africa and prevent millions of people from facing starvation.
Please discuss.....

[rah]

Re: Africa, does anybody still care?

Originally posted by Dr. Stiby
Furthermore I think that a LOT more needs to be done to help spread the AIDS disease in Africa

A concerned racist.

RAH

[Sandman]

5-point plan for the restoration for Africa

# A centralised African government

# Massive protectionism so as to develop its industries

# Education of the masses to eliminate witchdoctors and such and also spread AIDS awareness.

# To hell with patents - anti-AIDS drugs are urgently needed.

# Combat overgrazing, desertification and deforestation otherwise the continent is finished.

[DinoDoc]

Is centralization really what Africa needs given the fact that it is European lumping ethnic groups together that is the source of the ethnic conflicts that plague the continent today?

[Dr. Stiby]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
Is centralization really what Africa needs given the fact that it is European lumping ethnic groups together that is the source of the ethnic conflicts that plague the continent today?

That is at least one of the goals of the African union.

(Objectives of) African union

Article 3
Objectives

The objectives of the Union shall be to:

(a) achieve greater unity and solidarity between the African countries and the peoples of Africa;

(b) defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of its Member States;

(c) accelerate the political and socio-economic integration of the continent;

(d) promote and defend African common positions on issues of interest to the continent and its peoples;

(e) encourage international cooperation, taking due account of the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;

(f) promote peace, security, and stability on the continent;

(g) promote democratic principles and institutions, popular participation and good governance;

(h) promote and protect human and peoples’ rights in accordance with the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other relevant human rights instruments;

(i) establish the necessary conditions which enable the continent to play its rightful role in the global economy and in international negotiations;

(j) promote sustainable development at the economic, social and cultural levels as well as the integration of African economies;

(k) promote co-operation in all fields of human activity to raise the living standards of African peoples;

(l) coordinate and harmonize the policies between the existing and future Regional Economic Communities for the gradual attainment of the objectives of the Union;

(m) advance the development of the continent by promoting research in all fields, in particular in science and technology;

(n) work with relevant international partners in the eradication of preventable diseases and the promotion of good health on the continent.

[JohnIII]

Yes, lumping ethnic groups together just doesn't work .

[SnowFire]

There are two ways to deal with clashing ethnic groups:
A) Separation. The easy way, build a wall, Germany for the Germans and France for the French, blah blah blah. Still, perhaps better than conflict.
B) Like Madison & political parties- have so many of them that they all play off against each other and are irrelevant.

The problem was that many of the European boundaries had things like 2-3 ethnic groups in them, so they became the 2-3 political parties with the interests strictly in the advancement and cronyism for their group.

Anyway, I don't see how strict protectionism would help Africa a bit. Just as an example: Mobile phones. Phone lines had always been hard to set up in Africa, being expensive to insulate against the weather, rebels, disasters, etc. But thanks to wireless technology, mobile phones are extremely popular in some African countries. But how many factories for them already exist inside Africa? Massive protectionism would kill off the new supply of them, quite simply. Same with lots of neato gadgets that Africa is a minimum of 15 years away from developing on their own, but would be quite useful to them right now.

[OneFootInTheGrave]

We all care about ourselves only.. so it was so it will be until next step in "evolution" of human kind.

[Carver]

Originally posted by Sandman
5-point plan for the restoration for Africa

# A centralised African government

# Massive protectionism so as to develop its industries

# Education of the masses to eliminate witchdoctors and such and also spread AIDS awareness.

# To hell with patents - anti-AIDS drugs are urgently needed.

# Combat overgrazing, desertification and deforestation otherwise the continent is finished.

Wow, two Africa threads in one day...my head might spin off.

I agree with you almost completely. An eventual centralized government is a must. The borders of African states as they are are meaningless. Lump all the ethnicities together so that they're all small, and all irrelevant.

Africa should have targeted protectionism. Otherwise, basic industries like shoe manufacturing will have a hard time surviving. At the same time the West needs to open up its market to Africa. If we want to do something "for" Africa, forget giving money. Just end agricultural subsidies in the West and end tarriffs on African textiles.

And yes, the growing Sahara is scaring me also.

[Dr Strangelove]

Yes I do care.

I give when I can.

I hope the new African Union will be more effective than the old OAU.

The AIDS epidemic is clearly no longer growing geometrically, so maybe something is going right for Africa.

[Arrian]

I don't see how a central government would work, considering how bad the smaller national governments tend to be, and the overall tribal nature of African politics.

Africa hasn't really accepted the Nation-State yet, let alone the idea of a continental government. That's like expecting the EU to become the United States of Europe tomorrow. Too much nationalism - come back in a few centuries.

-Arrian

[Caligastia]

Africa is a basket case. Why is it everyone elses responsibility to do something about it? They need to help themselves by choosing better leaders for one thing.

[Faboba]

To answer your question no. I never gave a ****.

[Sandman]

Africa has thousands of ethnic groups, so I think that a centralised government can probably forge an overarching African identity. Unlike smaller states, an African Union can't easily be held to ransom by a single ethnic group.

The lack of 'nationalisation' might make this easier rather than more difficult.

Religion may be a problem though. Christianity competing with Islam, with Animism and Marxism thrown into the mix could be a big problem.

I accept your points about protectionism, clearly it shouldn't apply to hi-tech stuff which Africa can't produce itself.

[Flubber]

I care but am never sure exactly what the west is supposed to be doing

1. Give money-- it seems that a disproportionate amount of this is skimmed off by corrupt leaders to keep a small group of military happy and keep their support and thereby retain control

2. Military intervention to set up democratic governments-- Many western dead and it just does not seem to work -- - democracy only seems to work when enough locals in the populace are willing to fight and overcome their despotic leaders. There was a book by Dahl ( Polyarchy) that had a good discussion of the preconditions for a successful democracy. Suffice it to say that may African states seem to lack the preconditions or even a basic belief in democracy is absent in many places

We have seen the impotence of major military might to curb groups that want to fight.

3. Give AIDS drugs and education-- this might be more promising and education on birth control would also seem appropriate