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Creating a buzz
A few days ago, the Freakonomics blog on the New York Times website profiled three highly driven and motivated Africans who are demonstrating the huge potential for a thriving business sector across the African continent: a venture capitalist and founder of a technology incubator in Uganda, the cofounder of an HIV/AIDS organisation in Northern Uganda, and a Senegalese entrepreneur and founder of a successful beverage company.
On a similar vein, here is an interesting article about the huge difference better internet will make in Africa. Fibre-optic cables should help to provide more reliable and speedy internet connections and not only will this technological revolution enhance communication but it is likely encourage social and economic growth across Africa.
-Jessica Gomez-Duran
Tony Blair on Faith and Development
This week I went to the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce, in London where Tony Blair gave a speech to launch a seminar series on Faith and Development.
He talked about the foundation that he has set up (the Tony Blair Faith Foundation) and described how they’ve developed a programme aimed at working towards the UN Millennium Development Goals as well as an anti-malaria campaign. He also talked about the importance of people in the development field engaging with those in faith, and vice versa: “faith can benefit action for development; but action on development can also benefit faith.”
The thing that resonated most for me was his suggestion that the best way to build bridges between faiths was through action not conversation. People of different faiths working together to beat a preventable and treatable disease like Malaria surely is worth a thousand conferences and seminars.
You can read the full speech here.
-Oliver Buston
What We’re Reading 9/8/09
NY Times—Lush Land Dries Up, Withering Kenya’s Hopes
A devastating drought is sweeping across Kenya, killing livestock, crops and children, the New York Times reports. The drought is stirring up tensions in the slums where the water taps have run dry, and spawning ethnic conflict as communities fight over the last remaining pieces of fertile grazing land. The twin hearts of Kenya’s economy, agriculture and tourism, are especially imperiled.
Reuters—EU proposes UN war chest for climate funds
The United Nations should set up a war chest to help process the billions of dollars poor countries will be paid to slash their greenhouse gas emissions, the European Union has proposed. The facility would sit separately from an existing “Adaptation Fund”, which aims to soften the impact of climate change on crops and water sources.
Financial Times—Expert warns on cost of failure in Copenhagen
Attempts to extract long-term carbon emissions targets from large developing countries to tackle climate change could backfire and produce “ugly” and “terrifying” consequences in terms of carbon tariffs and a rise in protectionism, Michael Spence, the chairman of the World Bank-backed Commission on Growth and Development, says. Lobbying is under way to persuade growing emerging economies such as India to embrace a low-carbon future and caps on greenhouse gas emissions in advance of United Nations talks on climate change in Copenhagen in December.
Washington Post—Group of 20 Seeks Curbs On Bonuses, But Not Caps
Top finance officials from rich and developing countries pledged Saturday to maintain stimulus measures such as low interest rates and additional government spending to bolster the global economy, warning that the fledgling recovery that provided the backdrop to their meeting here is by no means assured.
Reuters—Senegal wins $540 million U.S. aid over 5 years
Senegal has won aid grants worth $540 million from the United States’ Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), the West African country’s President Abdoulaye Wade said on Monday.
NY Times—South Africa’s Poor Renew a Tradition of Protest
Civil unrest among South Africa’s poor has recently gotten worldwide attention, and is often portrayed as unhappiness with South Africa’s new president, Jacob Zuma. The NY Times reports that actually these protests have gone on with regularity for a long time. Oddly enough, the protests can be seen as a measure of progress as well as frustration—democracy and increased access to basic services for many has risen expectations and driven the ire of those without access to basic services.
Reuters—Cholera/diarrhea outbreak hits 18,000 in Ethiopia
Cholera and other diarrheal diseases have infected 18,000 people in Ethiopia over the last three weeks in many parts of the country, including the capital Addis Ababa. Cholera is caught from contaminated water and food and it causes extreme diarrhea and vomiting. It can spread quickly and kill an adult in one day without help, but it is easily treated when caught in its early stages.
-Steve Wilson
Clinton Wraps Nigeria Visit
In wrapping up her one-day visit to Nigeria, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held a town hall meeting in Abuja on Friday. In attendance were government officials, civil society and members of the media. The tone was said to be cordial and candid.
At the town hall there was wide ranging discussion on the paradoxes of Nigerian society. On the one hand Clinton talked about the failure of Nigeria achieve the economic successes expected of a nation with the continent’s largest population and enormous energy and natural resources, which she attributed to poor leadership and corruption. She further illustrated this by indicating that Nigeria is one of the leading exporters of crude oil and yet it imports 80% of its domestic fuel needs. Clinton went on to mention how the country is still embroiled in an election dispute two years after the universally acknowledged, seriously flawed event.
On the other hand, Clinton praised Nigeria’s prominent and continued leadership on matters pertaining to peace and security in Africa and also discussed the great potential for trade and development that exists in Nigeria. Clinton also said she was pleased about the progress that has been made in the area of basic health care and HIV/AIDS treatment and care. At an earlier meeting, Secretary Clinton agreed that the U.S. had been mistaken in not expanding some of its health commitments, a decision which she attributed to the global financial crisis. She also admitted that the U.S. should have responded more swiftly with assistance to mitigate the impact of the global financial crisis on Africa.
The Secretary also took questions from the audience. One audience member raised the issue of the negative stereotypes about Nigeria that exist in the U.S., emphasizing that these conclusions are based on the actions of a few people, when the majority of Nigerians are honest, law-abiding individuals who contribute much to Nigeria and the United States. The questioner asked Secretary Clinton to address this matter upon her return to the U.S.
Women groups asked for the Secretary’s help with women’s rights and empowerment in U.S. policy towards Nigeria, and Clinton pledged to include this issue in the mandate of the soon-to-be-established U.S.-Nigeria bi-national commission. The commission was included in the recently passed House State Department authorization bill and will explore a variety of areas of U.S.-Nigeria partnership and cooperation, including in the trade, health, education, defense, science and technology sectors.
Clinton was also asked to ensure that NGOs and implementing agencies of the U.S. government be required deliver assistance to the rural areas in the country to achieve maximum impact; Clinton agreed that this is an important task and is part of the policy review of U.S. assistance to Nigeria.
The Nigerian government officials said they were delighted by Secretary Clinton’s visit and the friendship and assistance of the American people. Secretary Clinton was told that Nigeria is looking forward: the country will address the issue of the flawed election in an electoral reform bill that is currently in progress in the national Assembly (Nigerian congress), and will tackle corruption issues though institutions built to prevent the rampant practices and promote transparency and accountability.
-Maryamu Aminu & Edith Jibunoh
Tough Talk on Africa is a Two-Way Street
cross-posted from the Huffington Post.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has offered up some tough talk on her seven-nation, 11 day trip to Africa. While it’s caused some discomfort among African statesman, it’s precisely what citizens throughout the continent, particularly young Africans, have been demanding from their leaders.
Building on President Obama’s recent speech in Ghana, Secretary Clinton has made it clear that America has no tolerance for the corruption and impunity that has sadly plagued the independence generation in many African states. “Leaders have to lead. They have to demonstrate to their people that democracy does deliver,” Clinton stated in Kenya on the first leg of her tour. It’s a message that puts wind in the sails of a rising generation of Africans who are unwilling to accept the status quo. They’re demanding jobs, accountability and tangible results from their leaders. They’re similarly frustrated with donors that reward bad behavior with unaccountable and ineffective aid.
As President Obama said in Egypt and Ghana, democratic and economic development go hand-in-hand. Good governance, transparent leadership and control of corruption are critical components for a prosperous nation; it is equally true that democracy is difficult when a country can’t develop because it’s stuck in extreme poverty, when citizens aren’t empowered through education, and when families, communities and businesses are torn apart by deaths from preventable diseases like malaria and AIDS.
Poor countries that are committed to stable, accountable governance are typically committed to improving the lives of their citizens. Take Ghana for example, a country I recently visited. Ghana has seen five consecutive, peaceful transitions of power, the latest decided by fewer than 40,000 votes. As Ghana’s commitment to transparent governance and rule of law has deepened, development and growth have taken hold. Ghana has posted close to 5% annual growth for the last two decades, increased primary school enrollment rates for boys and girls over 20% from 2004 to 2008 and has nearly halved its poverty rate since 1992.
But tough talk goes both ways–and many African leaders are similarly tired of business as usual. As the leaders of Senegal, Liberia, Rwanda and Botswana recently articulated in a Forbes op-ed, “Africa seeks not patrons but collaborators who will work ‘with’ rather than ‘for’ the continent.” They want equal partnership, not North-South patronage. What does that mean? It means we must improve our development assistance so that it’s transparent and accountable to the Africans it’s designed to serve. Equally important, it means complementing this aid with our full array of non-aid tools–strengthening trade through the removal of barriers, working with Africa to increase trade capacity and to encourage trade between African countries, providing loan guarantees to attract more foreign direct investment and financing for low-cost energy infrastructure, and taking meaningful action to hunt down Africa’s looted assets. The Millennium Challenge Corporation, started during the Bush Administration, and the Obama Administration’s new long-term agriculture initiative unveiled at the G8 in July, are strong examples of a comprehensive approach that puts developing countries in the driver’s seat.
When equal partnership works, we’ve seen what it can do. Smart development investments and strong African leadership have led to remarkable breakthroughs in the fight against extreme poverty and infectious disease: 34 million additional African children have now seen the inside of a classroom, malaria rates have been halved in Rwanda and Ethiopia, and approximately 3.2 million Africans now have access to life-saving AIDS medicine, up from only 50,000 in 2002. The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), the U.S.’s duty-free trade program with Africa, has also created 200,000 jobs and increased imports from sub-Saharan Africa to the U.S. more than three-fold from 2001 to 2007.
Africa’s been hit hard by the global economic crisis, rising food prices and climate change. So to make sure the continent’s progress isn’t completely overturned, it’s time for Africa and the U.S. to step up. It’s time for African leaders to listen to their citizens’ calls for more jobs, greater transparency and better standards of living. It’s also time for the U.S. to treat Africa like a true partner, focusing on better trade, effective aid and a stronger emphasis on investments. In order for this relationship to work, it must be a two-way street.
Clinton holds court with Nigerian leaders
Secretary Clinton is in Nigeria today, the fifth stop of her seven-nation, 11 day tour. This morning she met with the Nigerian Foreign Minister, members of the legislative branch and several cabinet secretaries, taking a “noticeably softer tone” with the country’s leaders according to the New York Times.
During the meeting, Secretary Clinton acknowledged and complimented Nigeria’s contribution towards peace and stability on the African continent (the bulk of African Union and UN peacekeeping troops in Darfur are Nigerian soldiers, and additional troops will also be deployed to Somalia). Secretary Clinton noted that Nigeria is blessed with many resources and the country has the potential to develop social and economic infrastructure. She also urged Nigerian leaders to improve security and increase transparency, actions which would help attract greater foreign investment and lead to economic development.
At the meeting, the Nigerian Minister of Health and a legislator expressed to Secretary Clinton the country’s concern regarding the flatlining of funding for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Nigeria’s PEPFAR program is one of the largest in Africa, but funding has dropped nearly $10 million a year over the last two years, even though more people are in need of treatment and care. ONE is glad to see that African leaders are drawing attention to this issue, and ONE hopes that this language continues to remind the Obama administration of its commitment to double U.S. foreign assistance.
-Edith Jibunoh
Tony Fratto: Clinton delivering the right message in Africa
Tony Fratto, who recently joined ONE on a trip to Ghana and Ethiopia wrote the below on Secretary Clinton’s visit to Africa. Cross-posted from the Roosevelt Room.
Secretary of State Clinton would have been forgiven if she had to cut short or postpone her eleven-day, seven nation visit to Africa. With foreign policy flare-ups in Iraq, North Korea, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and a North American summit this week, few would have blamed her — in fact few would have noticed.
Instead, she is in the midst of visiting African nations that rarely warrant attention from American media unless accompanied by photos of conflict or acute human suffering: Kenya, South Africa, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Liberia, and Cape Verde.
So Clinton’s visit to these diverse countries — following President Obama’s visit to Ghana last month — sends an important signal about America’s strong commitment to the fate of the continent.
Clinton’s message, supporting the theme President Obama addressed in Ghana, is balanced and it’s the right one: America will partner with and support those African nations that take responsibility to fight corruption, invest in the health, education and well-being of their citizens, cooperate in countering security threats, and promote democracy, human rights and economic freedom.
As David Lane, CEO of the Africa advocacy organization, the ONE Campaign, described Clinton’s message, “It’s a two-way street and African leaders have to be responsive to their people. They have to govern justly and invest in their people. And that’s an implicit bargain as the U.S. Provides resources for development.”
Standing in counterpoint to that message of reform and responsibility is China, promising cash with no questions asked in exchange for access to Africa’s vast energy and mineral wealth.
There’s a myopic view that the U.S. strategy of engagement with Africa puts U.S. firms at a disadvantage.
In fact, it’s likely this year China will overtake the United States as the largest external investor in Africa, so the belief is that U.S firms are losing out.
They’re wrong. In an Africa dominated by strong-man kleptocrats, China’s strategy might work for time. But that’s not the Africa of today where nations across the continent are increasingly embracing free and fair elections, building strong institutions and markets, enjoying a free press and a robust civil society.
China’s blind-eye efforts to “buy” Africa threaten to slow and disrupt this transformation in Africa, but China’s strategy is ultimately destined to fail. As citizens become greater equity stake holders in their governments — through democracy, the social contract, and liberal economic freedoms — they increase their ability to demand accountability.
By continuing to support this transformation the U.S is making an investment that will, over time, reap far greater rewards both for America’s interests and for Africa’s citizens.
The Obama/Clinton message isn’t new: for decades U.S. talking points expressed much the same commitment. After the tragedies of Somalia and Rwanda, President Clinton began to give life to the rhetoric with the historic trade pact, the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
President Bush expanded AGOA, and then went further by revolutionizing America’s economic assistance programs for Africa through the Millennium Challenge Corporation, tripling the amount of aid, demanding verifiable results from the international institutions, and creating transformative programs to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases.
The Obama Administration is building on the bipartisan momentum by reinforcing the emphasis on responsibility and accountability, and adding new, specific commitments, as with its focus on long-term investments in agriculture.
With her visit to Africa, Secretary Clinton is rightly reinforcing a stronger, more mature and what will ultimately be a more successful partnership with Africa.
-Tony Fratto
Energy in Angola
On Sunday, August 9th, Secretary Clinton arrived in Angola, the third African country on her seven nation tour. Secretary Clinton met with government officials, including Angolan President Eduardo dos Santos, to discuss good governance and greater cooperation with the United States.
With a population of 17 million, Angola is one of the largest oil producers in sub-Saharan Africa, rivaling Nigeria as the largest sub-Saharan African source of crude oil for the United States. Angola has been working with the U.S. government to increase transparency and recently started publishing their oil revenues online. Yet even with these revenues, two-thirds of the Angolan population still lives on less than $2 a day. During her meeting, Secretary Clinton pressed the government to do more to fight corruption and emphasised the importance of the country’s first post-war presidential election. The elections were initially scheduled to take place this year, but it appears that they will be delayed until 2010. The government has said that they would like to approve a new constitution before holding elections, but critics argue that the President is intentionally delaying elections in order to extend his three decade rule. The government held parliamentary elections last year and in a press conference with Secretary Clinton, the Angolan Minister of Foreign Affairs said they needed more time to conduct a presidential election.
It is thought that Secretary Clinton is seeking a strengthened relationship with Angola in order to ensure America’s position in African energy relations. U.S. officials say Clinton’s visit is intended to demonstrate the government’s interest in Angola as a major energy supplier to the U.S.
Secretary Clinton also stated an interest in playing a larger role in Angola’s agriculture sector. Angola was once a major food exporter, but it now imports over half of its food.
Clinton is the first U.S. Secretary of State to visit Angola since Colin Powell’s trip in 2002. A U.S. president has not visited Angola since it became independent in 1975.
-Edith Jibunoh
What We’re Reading 8/7/09
Secretary Clinton in Africa
Bloomberg News: Clinton Presses South Africa on Zimbabwean Crisis
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had a meeting with South Africa’s Foreign Minister today, during which she encouraged South Africa to take a leadership role on the political crisis in neighboring Zimbabwe. She said that the government must be aware of the challenges posed by Zimbabwe because 3 million refugees have crossed over the border into South Africa. US officials say that Clinton’s meeting with President Jacob Zuma tomorrow will have the same message. Zuma recently said that he will contact Robert Mugabe over delays in implementing a power-sharing accord signed in Zimbabwe in February.
New York Times: Clinton Offers Assurances to Somalis
Yesterday the Secretary of State met with Somali President Sharif Sheik Ahmed, whom she praised as “the best hope we’ve had for some time.” Clinton said the battle for Somalia is deeply connected to American interests. She strongly warned Eritrea to stop supporting insurgents within the country, and promised President Ahmed more aid, training and equipment, in addition to the millions of dollars’ worth of weapons the United States has recently shipped to his government.
Other news
Reuters: China, Others Shove US in Scramble for Africa
Reuters writes that China has overtaken the United States as Africa’s top trading partner, and that this is one of the main problems facing Secretary Clinton on a trip meant to spread a good governance message and shore up relationships with key oil suppliers on the continent. African investment correspondent Ed Cropley notes that in contrast to President Obama’s one day, one country trip to Africa last month, in February Chinese president Hu Jintao was in a number of African countries — none of them rich in oil or minerals — offering a shoulder to lean on as world recession started to affect the continent.
AFP: Drugmakers to Supply Cheap HIV Treatments
Former president Bill Clinton has announced a deal with two major US drug companies to supply cheap HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis treatments to developing countries. Under the agreement, Mylan will make available a second-line therapy of four antiretroviral drugs for less than 500 dollars annually. In addition, Pfizer is to reduce the price and expand availability of a drug used to treat tuberculosis in patients taking second-line antiretroviral drugs. The discount will translate to 400 million dollars in savings over the next five years compared to prices usually paid for alternative regimens, the Clinton Foundation said.
Reuters: Global Fund Grants Zimbabwe $37.9 million to Fight AIDS
The Global Fund today granted Zimbabwe $37.9 million, resuming support after getting assurances from the new unity government that the money would not be misused. The head of the Global Fund’s Africa Unit said the funds, previously managed by the state-appointed National Aids Council, would now be overseen by the United Nations Development Program in Zimbabwe. Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said the grant showed increasing confidence in the country’s unity government.
Grace Lamb-Atkinson
A-List: Arise Africa Fashion Week
ONE is turning to its community of artists, friends, members and staff for their top picks on creative works that have enhanced their knowledge and understanding of the richness of African culture and arts. Today we have a recommendation from Anna Getaneh (bio below):
ARISE, the world’s first magazine on global African style, culture, business and politics, has partnered with Africa Fashion International (AFI) to present ARISE Africa Fashion Week. The fashion world has always looked to Africa for creative inspiration and ARISE fashion week provides a platform for African designers to take centre stage.
A few weeks ago, the First Arise Africa Fashion Week was held in Johannesburg. Coinciding with the FIFA Confederations Cup, this was the first time over 50 designers, from all over Africa came together and presented their latest collection in over 25 shows. It was a great launch, a great platform for young, emerging and established designers to showcase their work and network with leaders in the fashion industry.
Please check out http://www.africanfashionint.com/ to learn more.
-Anna Getaneh
Anna Getaneh is a former acclaimed international model, a humanitarian and cultural entrepreneur. She is the Creative Director and Founder of African Mosaique, a Johannesburg-based international enterprise that manufactures and promotes high-end African inspired clothing and accessories. It does this while celebrating African fashion, art and culture.
Anna’s hallmark is her passion about children and development. Most notable she has spearheaded the establishment of The Ethiopian Children’s Fund a US 501c3 not-for-profit development organization formed in the US, and a registered NGO in Ethiopia in 1997. To date, close to $2 million has been raised and invested in the ECF Village Project, an integrated development project for children and young people in Aleltu, 55km north of Addis Ababa. ECF Village comprises a school, a clinic, a feeding centre, a vocational centre and an environmental program. It provides various education, health and nutrition services for 400 poor, vulnerable children, mostly orphans.
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About the Blog
The International ONE Blog is a daily log of the anti-poverty movement. The site is operated by ONE staff, with guest contributions from ONE volunteers, members and allies.
The content of each post and each comment represents the views of that author and does not necessarily reflect the views of ONE. ONE does not support or oppose any candidate for elected office, and any post expressing support or opposition for a candidate is not endorsed by ONE.
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