By Paul Ndiho August 4, 2011 Botswana filmmaker Billy Kokorwe was recently here in the United States to promote his new movie, “The African Democrat.” The film chronicles the political life of Botswana’s second president, Sir Ketumile Masire. The film is part of the moviemaker’s personal campaign to improve the way others see the accomplishments of his country and Africa. Paul Ndiho has more: Four decades of uninterrupted civilian leadership, progressive social policies, and significant capital investment have made Botswana what U.S. officials say is one of the most dynamic economies in Africa, dominated by diamond mining, and with a growing tourism sector. “The African Democrat” film follows the life of President Ketumile Masire, a former school teacher who founded Botswana’s Democratic Party. Filmmaker Billy Kokorwe says he wants the Western media to show Africa in a better light, and for their audiences to understand Africa differently.
“The main objective is not really for Africa to be seen as a continent that comes with begging bowl. We want Africa to be seen in a positive light for the western peoples to actually understand Africa. For the Western countries to not just give aid to Africa, but to sometimes deal more with development of Africa.” Kokorwe takes issue with editors of Western media, asking them not to tar the whole continent with the same broad brush. “I am concerned about negative images really. You can tell a story without showing babies who are skinny and are suffering. You can still tell that story without showing images that are demeaning. Because I feel that the images really are demeaning, because if you are going to tell a story about anything that is going to happen in America for example you are not going to show the worst images. You can still tell that story in a positive way.” The filmmaker says that when he thinks about the African continent, he is reminded that Africa is -not- all gloom and doom:
“What comes to mind is a film that I just made about our second President Ketumile Masire, who took Botswana from being one of the 25 poorest countries in the world to being a middle income country. What comes to mind is the story of South Africa and how Africa is progressing. What comes to mind is how Africa as a whole is beginning to unite through the AU.” Kokorwe says that Africans themselves are leading the growth in investment across the continent, and says they are optimistic about their prospects, though he says Africa still needs the help of other nations. Kokorwe says he is talking with independent film festival directors, distributors and producers to see how best to market his movie, “The African Democrat.” Its part of what he calls his “Positive Africa Image Campaign,” one that he would like to take to Europe and Asia and following his stop in the United States.
By Paul Ndiho August 4, 2011 Botswana filmmaker Billy Kokorwe was recently here in the United States to promote his new movie, “The African Democrat.” The film chronicles the political life of Botswana’s second president, Sir Ketumile Masire. The film is part of the moviemaker’s personal campaign to improve the way others see the accomplishments of his country and Africa. Paul Ndiho has more: Four decades of uninterrupted civilian leadership, progressive social policies, and significant capital investment have made Botswana what U.S. officials say is one of the most dynamic economies in Africa, dominated by diamond mining, and with a growing tourism sector. “The African Democrat” film follows the life of President Ketumile Masire, a former school teacher who founded Botswana’s Democratic Party. Filmmaker Billy Kokorwe says he wants the Western media to show Africa in a better light, and for their audiences to understand Africa differently.
“The main objective is not really for Africa to be seen as a continent that comes with begging bowl. We want Africa to be seen in a positive light for the western peoples to actually understand Africa. For the Western countries to not just give aid to Africa, but to sometimes deal more with development of Africa.” Kokorwe takes issue with editors of Western media, asking them not to tar the whole continent with the same broad brush. “I am concerned about negative images really. You can tell a story without showing babies who are skinny and are suffering. You can still tell that story without showing images that are demeaning. Because I feel that the images really are demeaning, because if you are going to tell a story about anything that is going to happen in America for example you are not going to show the worst images. You can still tell that story in a positive way.” The filmmaker says that when he thinks about the African continent, he is reminded that Africa is -not- all gloom and doom:
“What comes to mind is a film that I just made about our second President Ketumile Masire, who took Botswana from being one of the 25 poorest countries in the world to being a middle income country. What comes to mind is the story of South Africa and how Africa is progressing. What comes to mind is how Africa as a whole is beginning to unite through the AU.” Kokorwe says that Africans themselves are leading the growth in investment across the continent, and says they are optimistic about their prospects, though he says Africa still needs the help of other nations. Kokorwe says he is talking with independent film festival directors, distributors and producers to see how best to market his movie, “The African Democrat.” Its part of what he calls his “Positive Africa Image Campaign,” one that he would like to take to Europe and Asia and following his stop in the United States.
The founder of Nigeria’s best known fast food retailer is looking at business opportunity in the rest of Africa. After spending 16 years abroad, Deji Akinyanju, founder of Food Concepts, returned to Nigeria to start one of the country’s largest food chains, one that is now worth over 150 million dollars. The chief executive says he plans to expand into the West African market and across the continent. “There is still no strong brand across West Africa, so for instance if you were to go to Ghana you will find three stores run by a particular brand and if you were to go Ivory Coast, you may not find that brand in Ivory Coast, so we have this entire West coast market.”
Now 42, Akinyanju started in business in Nigeria more than 10 years ago, using funds raised from family and friends to open a pizza and chicken outlet. In 2003, he opened Butterfield, now Nigeria’s largest formal bakery, but greater success came with the opening of Chicken Republic in 2004. Today, there are over 70 Chicken Republic outlets and Akinyanju has plans to set up many more. “We strongly believe that with all the tools, as in funding and human resources, and proper backing in business, we certainly can do 300 to 500 stores in this country, because we see that there is a younger population, we all know that we have may be 70 percent of our population under the ages of 18, and is a growing population, a lot more people are eating out, so that cultural change is happening daily,” Nigeria has more than ten major local brands in the country’s 2-billion dollar annual food retail business. There have been international arrivals, such America’s Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and many other brands. The demand for chicken has outstripped supply, which is why Akinyanju is building his own poultry farm, which will be the largest in the country. Food Concepts signed a 20 million dollar investment deal with the International Finance Corporation (the IFC), to improve its safety and corporate standards, and to expand into Ghana. Solomon Adegbie-Quaynor with the IFC says supporting such enterprises are key priorities for the lender. “This is really going to be something that supports the changing demographics in Nigeria and these are part of the reasons why we see growth in the market, and we are also looking to support companies like Food Concept, we already have one investment in this area, with “Tantalizers”, and we are now supporting food concept as well, and that is because we see a lot of potential in the entire market.” Food Concept expects its planned expansion will create thousands of jobs and benefit a number of smaller businesses in the food supply chain. The company already employs over 2000 people.
The founder of Nigeria’s best known fast food retailer is looking at business opportunity in the rest of Africa. After spending 16 years abroad, Deji Akinyanju, founder of Food Concepts, returned to Nigeria to start one of the country’s largest food chains, one that is now worth over 150 million dollars. The chief executive says he plans to expand into the West African market and across the continent. “There is still no strong brand across West Africa, so for instance if you were to go to Ghana you will find three stores run by a particular brand and if you were to go Ivory Coast, you may not find that brand in Ivory Coast, so we have this entire West coast market.”
Now 42, Akinyanju started in business in Nigeria more than 10 years ago, using funds raised from family and friends to open a pizza and chicken outlet. In 2003, he opened Butterfield, now Nigeria’s largest formal bakery, but greater success came with the opening of Chicken Republic in 2004. Today, there are over 70 Chicken Republic outlets and Akinyanju has plans to set up many more. “We strongly believe that with all the tools, as in funding and human resources, and proper backing in business, we certainly can do 300 to 500 stores in this country, because we see that there is a younger population, we all know that we have may be 70 percent of our population under the ages of 18, and is a growing population, a lot more people are eating out, so that cultural change is happening daily,” Nigeria has more than ten major local brands in the country’s 2-billion dollar annual food retail business. There have been international arrivals, such America’s Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and many other brands. The demand for chicken has outstripped supply, which is why Akinyanju is building his own poultry farm, which will be the largest in the country. Food Concepts signed a 20 million dollar investment deal with the International Finance Corporation (the IFC), to improve its safety and corporate standards, and to expand into Ghana. Solomon Adegbie-Quaynor with the IFC says supporting such enterprises are key priorities for the lender. “This is really going to be something that supports the changing demographics in Nigeria and these are part of the reasons why we see growth in the market, and we are also looking to support companies like Food Concept, we already have one investment in this area, with “Tantalizers”, and we are now supporting food concept as well, and that is because we see a lot of potential in the entire market.” Food Concept expects its planned expansion will create thousands of jobs and benefit a number of smaller businesses in the food supply chain. The company already employs over 2000 people.
By Paul Ndiho JULY 26, 2011 The U.N. World Food Program will start airlifts into Mogadishu to get vital supplies of special nutritious foods to malnourished children. Other aid agencies also warned over weekend that the plight of famine victims in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia is close to catastrophic. There is a life and death situation in Somalia. The W-F-P says the first shipments are on the way: “We do already have some plans to start airlifts of vital food that will help children and mothers Into Mogadishu where we have been operating for the last few years where we have been providing both a combination of monthly rations and as well as wet feeding. New arrivals who are coming in there are actually able to get what we call wet feeding basically a ready-made meal when they come to a distribution site.” McGuffin said. The World Food Program is among several groups that had been ordered out of rebel controlled areas. Aid agencies have been preparing to return, describing the situation in Somalia as increasingly desperate. But the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militants who control the famine-stricken parts of the country say aid agencies may not return. This reverses a pledge from the militants to allow the workers to operate freely. WFP spokesperson, Rene McGuffin says that WFP needs safe access to other parts of the country. “The real challenge is actually in Southern Somalia, where, we have not been able to operate since 2010 and perhaps it’s no surprise that as result of this massive drought one of the driest years on record in 60 years, combined with high food prices combined with conflict and the lack of access by humanitarian organizations like WFP that you have such a dire situation. I mean really the situation on the ground in Southern Somalia is life or death.” Some 10 million people are affected by famine and drought in a region, dubbed the “triangle of death” by local media, that straddles Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia. The U-N says it has a “moral imperative” to get back into the areas from which it had been ordered out. Melissa Fleming is the UNHCR Spokesperson. “We are really trying our best to work inside Somalia so that people don’t have to make this devastating, life threatening trek into Kenya and Ethiopia. If we could aid, and I think we all know this, the victims on the spot, prevent them from leaving their villages, we would not be in this terrible situation we are seeing now.”
WFP is currently reaching 1.5 million people in Somalia, and says it is scaling up to reach an additional 2.2 million people in the previously inaccessible south of the country. WFP says is preparing to open up a number of new routes – by land and air – into the core of the famine zone to establish the necessary operating conditions, including those that will secure the safety of humanitarian personnel. “Somalia’s one of the most difficult, dangerous, risky places that we can work in the world. We’ve lost fourteen staff since 2008 inside Somalia but we are ready and we do have plans. But we do need safe access and so we’ve been working through the UN Humanitarian Coordinative for Somalia seeking that assurance that we will have safe access to the people, mostly children and mothers who are in desperate need.” Rene McGuffin said. Al Shabaab accused the United Nations last week of exaggerating the severity of the drought gripping the south of the country and of politicizing the crisis. Well over 100-thousand Somalis have fled since January, mainly to Kenya and Ethiopia. Hundreds of Somalis are arriving in Ethiopia and Kenya each day.
By Paul Ndiho JULY 26, 2011 The U.N. World Food Program will start airlifts into Mogadishu to get vital supplies of special nutritious foods to malnourished children. Other aid agencies also warned over weekend that the plight of famine victims in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia is close to catastrophic. There is a life and death situation in Somalia. The W-F-P says the first shipments are on the way: “We do already have some plans to start airlifts of vital food that will help children and mothers Into Mogadishu where we have been operating for the last few years where we have been providing both a combination of monthly rations and as well as wet feeding. New arrivals who are coming in there are actually able to get what we call wet feeding basically a ready-made meal when they come to a distribution site.” McGuffin said. The World Food Program is among several groups that had been ordered out of rebel controlled areas. Aid agencies have been preparing to return, describing the situation in Somalia as increasingly desperate. But the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militants who control the famine-stricken parts of the country say aid agencies may not return. This reverses a pledge from the militants to allow the workers to operate freely. WFP spokesperson, Rene McGuffin says that WFP needs safe access to other parts of the country. “The real challenge is actually in Southern Somalia, where, we have not been able to operate since 2010 and perhaps it’s no surprise that as result of this massive drought one of the driest years on record in 60 years, combined with high food prices combined with conflict and the lack of access by humanitarian organizations like WFP that you have such a dire situation. I mean really the situation on the ground in Southern Somalia is life or death.” Some 10 million people are affected by famine and drought in a region, dubbed the “triangle of death” by local media, that straddles Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia. The U-N says it has a “moral imperative” to get back into the areas from which it had been ordered out. Melissa Fleming is the UNHCR Spokesperson. “We are really trying our best to work inside Somalia so that people don’t have to make this devastating, life threatening trek into Kenya and Ethiopia. If we could aid, and I think we all know this, the victims on the spot, prevent them from leaving their villages, we would not be in this terrible situation we are seeing now.”
WFP is currently reaching 1.5 million people in Somalia, and says it is scaling up to reach an additional 2.2 million people in the previously inaccessible south of the country. WFP says is preparing to open up a number of new routes – by land and air – into the core of the famine zone to establish the necessary operating conditions, including those that will secure the safety of humanitarian personnel. “Somalia’s one of the most difficult, dangerous, risky places that we can work in the world. We’ve lost fourteen staff since 2008 inside Somalia but we are ready and we do have plans. But we do need safe access and so we’ve been working through the UN Humanitarian Coordinative for Somalia seeking that assurance that we will have safe access to the people, mostly children and mothers who are in desperate need.” Rene McGuffin said. Al Shabaab accused the United Nations last week of exaggerating the severity of the drought gripping the south of the country and of politicizing the crisis. Well over 100-thousand Somalis have fled since January, mainly to Kenya and Ethiopia. Hundreds of Somalis are arriving in Ethiopia and Kenya each day.
By Paul Ndiho July 20, 2011 A study published by the Fund for Peace, a Washington-based nonprofit organization, and Foreign Policy magazine, says seven of the World’s top ten failing states are in Africa. Somalia, Chad, Sudan and Congo top the 2011 Failed States Index as Africa’s worst political performers. The African continent continued to figure prominently again in 2011, with 27 African countries scheduled to hold or have already held presidential or legislative elections this year. Analysts say, as much as elections can contribute to democratic progress, they are often a flashpoint for conflict. For example, the Ivory Coast was thrown into a four-month crisis when it’s outgoing president. Uganda’s incumbent President Yoweri Museveni won re-election in February, but the opposition cried foul and his inauguration was marred by violent protests. In Nigeria, post-election violence killed as many as 800 people. Washington-based political analyst Nii Akuetteh, says elections are necessary for democracy, but they are not sufficient. “Democracy is very important, and one of the first major steps is elections, however, those who have fought for democracy and even those who are skeptical, no one should think that elections equal democracy. It is a start, but it is the first step in a long journey.”
Last month, the Fund for Peace, and the Foreign Policy Magazine jointly released a Failed States index for 2011. The study listed and rated some African countries on 12 indicators of pressure on the state during 2010. Out of the 177 countries analyzed, most African countries performed poorly. J. J. Messner, one of the authors of the Fund for Peace report, says it is important to look at the failed states characterization as a representation of pressures on a state.
“It’s absolutely true unfortunately that for countries at the high end of the index that countries that we believe are the most at risk of state failure, or even beyond that are experiencing the most pressures in comparison to most states those tend to be contrast in Africa within the top ten. I believe that seven of those top ten are in Africa.” For a fourth year in a row, Somalia held the number one spot. Somalia’s Transitional Government has made some progress in stabilizing the security situation, but al-Shabaab, the al-Qaida-linked militia group, continues to kill and attack civilians while trying to overthrow Somalia’s transitional government. “Somalia at the top of the index is the closest that we come to what we may call a failed state. But that really is not our call at the fund for peace. We are not saying that Somalia is necessarily a failed state. What we are saying is that out of all the countries in the world Somalia is the most at risk of state failure.” Chad took the number two spot, according to the report. In April 2011, Chad’s president, Idriss Déby, widely regarded as a strongman, won a re-election with almost 90 percent of the vote. Observers say the ballot was flawed and turnout was low, but the president claimed victory. Sudan just went through a painful partition this month. In January, the country’s south voted to secede from the north and the referendum went smoothly. North and south Sudan fought each other for decades in a civil war fueled by oil, ethnicity, religion, and ideology. The violence claimed an estimated two million lives, forced four million to flee and destabilized the region. Nii Akuetteh, attributes these failures to bad leadership and a lack of strong institutions on the continent. “Leadership in Africa has been terrible, but how do you correct leadership? In my view, your current leadership with strong institutions, to the extent that you can have democracy, transparency, rule of law, strong parliaments, and you devolve power…I think it helps to have good leadership.” The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is not doing well either on the failed states index. Congo is considered as one of the world’s richest countries in terms of mineral resources, but remains poor. In the East, where much of the mineral wealth lies, armed militias terrorize the impoverished population in a perpetual struggle to control land, mines. Sexual violence against women in the east has left thousands of victims in need of assistance. The United Nations says over five million people have died from war-related violence, hunger and disease.
Zimbabwe took the sixth position on the Failed States index. The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) beat Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF at the polls in 2008, but when the president refused to step down, neighboring South Africa had to broker a deal for both parties to share power. But the coalition government is failing; the MDC has been effectively sidelined and President Mugabe continues to wield power. Political analyst Nii Akuetteh, says it’s not surprising that so many African countries are dubbed as failed states. “African countries are the youngest countries in the world, they’re made out of colonialism, the state wasn’t set up well, and then Africa became independent right in the middle of the Cold War, with major east/west rivalries impinging what African countries could do. The Congo is the perfect example of the imposition of Mubutu in place of Patrice Lumumba the leader that they country elected.” Ivory Coast ranked at number 10 on the list of failed states. Before this year’s post election violence, Ivory Coast was an economic success story, often referred to as the gateway to West Africa. Late last year, the country went to the polls to elect a new president; the winner, Alassane Ouattara, secured victory by a tiny margin. The incumbent, Laurent Gbagbo, refused to step down. A four-month showdown ensued. Ouattara was finally installed in office almost half a year late. Observers say it may take months for the Ivory Coast to get back to where it was even a year ago. J. J. Messner, senior associate, at the Fund for Peace, dismisses claims that the report is biased towards Africa, and says that many African countries scored poorly on the index because of democratic pressures, uneven economic development, abuse of human rights and the rule of law. So it’s not exclusively African countries but i think that that is recognition in many ways that there are immense pressures among many of the countries in Africa whether it may be political pressures or economic pressures or social pressure it may even be natural disasters which really undermine the state’s ability to function properly and also undermine society at large. A country that is experiencing economic growth may be experiencing pressure in other in the areas. In Uganda, protesters flooded the streets after February’s presidential election, which predictably gave Uganda’s long time Leader Yoweri Museveni another victory. Government troops responded to the peaceful demonstrations with brutality, smashing car windows with guns or pointing weapons at people, reminding Ugandans of previous brutal regimes. Mr. Akuetteh blames the west for encouraging and supporting such failing states. “I think it is so egregious that the US so frequently gets in bed with dictators and the failed states that we are talking about, when you look at the top 5 failed states, 4 of which are African the thing that jumps out at you is that all 4 have dictators that were befriended by the US because they were thought of as friendly tyrants. So, it goes to my argument that friendly tyrants are no good for their countries, and I also think that they are not even good for the United States.” Nigeria is also on the Failed States Index in the 14th position. In April 2011, Nigerians voted in elections which were declared by the intentional community as the most credible in the country’s history. But after the incumbent, President Goodluck Jonathan, had been declared winner in the poll, the main opposition rejected the result, and violent demonstrations broke out in the north of the country, leaving more than 800 people dead. Nigeria is one of Africa’s largest oil producers, and gets between 90 percent of its revenues from oil. As another symptom of its failure as a state, analysts point to the poverty in which so many of the country’s 150 million citizens live. Other African countries that performed poorly on the failed states index 2011 include Central African Republic, Guinea, Niger, Kenya, Burundi, Guinea Bissau and Ethiopia.
By Paul Ndiho July 20, 2011 A study published by the Fund for Peace, a Washington-based nonprofit organization, and Foreign Policy magazine, says seven of the World’s top ten failing states are in Africa. Somalia, Chad, Sudan and Congo top the 2011 Failed States Index as Africa’s worst political performers. The African continent continued to figure prominently again in 2011, with 27 African countries scheduled to hold or have already held presidential or legislative elections this year. Analysts say, as much as elections can contribute to democratic progress, they are often a flashpoint for conflict. For example, the Ivory Coast was thrown into a four-month crisis when it’s outgoing president. Uganda’s incumbent President Yoweri Museveni won re-election in February, but the opposition cried foul and his inauguration was marred by violent protests. In Nigeria, post-election violence killed as many as 800 people. Washington-based political analyst Nii Akuetteh, says elections are necessary for democracy, but they are not sufficient. “Democracy is very important, and one of the first major steps is elections, however, those who have fought for democracy and even those who are skeptical, no one should think that elections equal democracy. It is a start, but it is the first step in a long journey.”
Last month, the Fund for Peace, and the Foreign Policy Magazine jointly released a Failed States index for 2011. The study listed and rated some African countries on 12 indicators of pressure on the state during 2010. Out of the 177 countries analyzed, most African countries performed poorly. J. J. Messner, one of the authors of the Fund for Peace report, says it is important to look at the failed states characterization as a representation of pressures on a state.
“It’s absolutely true unfortunately that for countries at the high end of the index that countries that we believe are the most at risk of state failure, or even beyond that are experiencing the most pressures in comparison to most states those tend to be contrast in Africa within the top ten. I believe that seven of those top ten are in Africa.” For a fourth year in a row, Somalia held the number one spot. Somalia’s Transitional Government has made some progress in stabilizing the security situation, but al-Shabaab, the al-Qaida-linked militia group, continues to kill and attack civilians while trying to overthrow Somalia’s transitional government. “Somalia at the top of the index is the closest that we come to what we may call a failed state. But that really is not our call at the fund for peace. We are not saying that Somalia is necessarily a failed state. What we are saying is that out of all the countries in the world Somalia is the most at risk of state failure.” Chad took the number two spot, according to the report. In April 2011, Chad’s president, Idriss Déby, widely regarded as a strongman, won a re-election with almost 90 percent of the vote. Observers say the ballot was flawed and turnout was low, but the president claimed victory. Sudan just went through a painful partition this month. In January, the country’s south voted to secede from the north and the referendum went smoothly. North and south Sudan fought each other for decades in a civil war fueled by oil, ethnicity, religion, and ideology. The violence claimed an estimated two million lives, forced four million to flee and destabilized the region. Nii Akuetteh, attributes these failures to bad leadership and a lack of strong institutions on the continent. “Leadership in Africa has been terrible, but how do you correct leadership? In my view, your current leadership with strong institutions, to the extent that you can have democracy, transparency, rule of law, strong parliaments, and you devolve power…I think it helps to have good leadership.” The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is not doing well either on the failed states index. Congo is considered as one of the world’s richest countries in terms of mineral resources, but remains poor. In the East, where much of the mineral wealth lies, armed militias terrorize the impoverished population in a perpetual struggle to control land, mines. Sexual violence against women in the east has left thousands of victims in need of assistance. The United Nations says over five million people have died from war-related violence, hunger and disease.
Zimbabwe took the sixth position on the Failed States index. The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) beat Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF at the polls in 2008, but when the president refused to step down, neighboring South Africa had to broker a deal for both parties to share power. But the coalition government is failing; the MDC has been effectively sidelined and President Mugabe continues to wield power. Political analyst Nii Akuetteh, says it’s not surprising that so many African countries are dubbed as failed states. “African countries are the youngest countries in the world, they’re made out of colonialism, the state wasn’t set up well, and then Africa became independent right in the middle of the Cold War, with major east/west rivalries impinging what African countries could do. The Congo is the perfect example of the imposition of Mubutu in place of Patrice Lumumba the leader that they country elected.” Ivory Coast ranked at number 10 on the list of failed states. Before this year’s post election violence, Ivory Coast was an economic success story, often referred to as the gateway to West Africa. Late last year, the country went to the polls to elect a new president; the winner, Alassane Ouattara, secured victory by a tiny margin. The incumbent, Laurent Gbagbo, refused to step down. A four-month showdown ensued. Ouattara was finally installed in office almost half a year late. Observers say it may take months for the Ivory Coast to get back to where it was even a year ago. J. J. Messner, senior associate, at the Fund for Peace, dismisses claims that the report is biased towards Africa, and says that many African countries scored poorly on the index because of democratic pressures, uneven economic development, abuse of human rights and the rule of law. So it’s not exclusively African countries but i think that that is recognition in many ways that there are immense pressures among many of the countries in Africa whether it may be political pressures or economic pressures or social pressure it may even be natural disasters which really undermine the state’s ability to function properly and also undermine society at large. A country that is experiencing economic growth may be experiencing pressure in other in the areas. In Uganda, protesters flooded the streets after February’s presidential election, which predictably gave Uganda’s long time Leader Yoweri Museveni another victory. Government troops responded to the peaceful demonstrations with brutality, smashing car windows with guns or pointing weapons at people, reminding Ugandans of previous brutal regimes. Mr. Akuetteh blames the west for encouraging and supporting such failing states. “I think it is so egregious that the US so frequently gets in bed with dictators and the failed states that we are talking about, when you look at the top 5 failed states, 4 of which are African the thing that jumps out at you is that all 4 have dictators that were befriended by the US because they were thought of as friendly tyrants. So, it goes to my argument that friendly tyrants are no good for their countries, and I also think that they are not even good for the United States.” Nigeria is also on the Failed States Index in the 14th position. In April 2011, Nigerians voted in elections which were declared by the intentional community as the most credible in the country’s history. But after the incumbent, President Goodluck Jonathan, had been declared winner in the poll, the main opposition rejected the result, and violent demonstrations broke out in the north of the country, leaving more than 800 people dead. Nigeria is one of Africa’s largest oil producers, and gets between 90 percent of its revenues from oil. As another symptom of its failure as a state, analysts point to the poverty in which so many of the country’s 150 million citizens live. Other African countries that performed poorly on the failed states index 2011 include Central African Republic, Guinea, Niger, Kenya, Burundi, Guinea Bissau and Ethiopia.
This October, the world’s population is expected to exceed 7 billion people. Monday July 11, 2011 was World Population Day, a moment to reflect on both the challenges and opportunities that we face as the world’s population continues to grow rapidly. This milestone is of particular importance to women in the developing world. Currently more than 215 million women desire – but lack access to quality reproductive health services. Women are critical to reducing poverty, boosting economic growth, promoting environmental sustainability, and raising healthy and well-educated children all steps that are imperative to confronting a range of critical foreign policy challenges. The UN says addressing the unmet need for voluntary reproductive health services is one of the keys to empowering women, and creating a safer, healthier, and more sustainable world for us all. I talked to Tamara Kreinin, executive director of Women and Population at the UN Foundation, about the quality reproductive health services.
This October, the world’s population is expected to exceed 7 billion people. Monday July 11, 2011 was World Population Day, a moment to reflect on both the challenges and opportunities that we face as the world’s population continues to grow rapidly. This milestone is of particular importance to women in the developing world. Currently more than 215 million women desire – but lack access to quality reproductive health services. Women are critical to reducing poverty, boosting economic growth, promoting environmental sustainability, and raising healthy and well-educated children all steps that are imperative to confronting a range of critical foreign policy challenges. The UN says addressing the unmet need for voluntary reproductive health services is one of the keys to empowering women, and creating a safer, healthier, and more sustainable world for us all. I talked to Tamara Kreinin, executive director of Women and Population at the UN Foundation, about the quality reproductive health services.
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