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Connecting To Advance
TED Talks
Ghanaian economist Prof. George Ayittey unleashes a torrent of controlled anger toward corrupt leaders in Africa — and calls on the “Cheetah generation” to take back the continent.
Please enjoy. Then contribute to the discussion. The space below is yours.
[youtube]ZnepHUYFqgg[/youtube]
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Folks who have been in the industry longer will tell us one thing: the landscape has changed, and it is a big change. Gone are the days when you got hired after college and you were certain that you were going retire with that employer if you chose to. These days, it is possible to change careers several times in one year and many times in your career.
At some point, you may realize that the skills that you brought out of college are no longer needed or inadequate to meet the ever-changing demands at the workplace. At other times, all you may need is a different challenge. All these situations may require you to go back to school or take some additional courses to make your position more secured or just for personal fulfillment. Continue reading “Making a Case For Tuition Reimbursement and Flexible Hours”
The National Youth Service Corps [NYSC] was a scheme set up almost immediately after the end of the Nigerian Civil War. In 1973 to be precise, to help heal the wounds of the civil war and particularly help foster national integration amongst young Nigerian school graduates.
That the NYSC scheme was a novel one was not in doubt, as it provided an avenue for young graduates to be posted or deployed to states or regions different from their indigenous or native regions/states. This enabled such youth corps members to become acquainted with the norms, values and culture of other Nigerians who were not from the same region as them.
The NYSC scheme has sought to do this since its inception in 1973, as thousands of Nigerian graduates including the current Nigerian President and his Vice have partook in the scheme. The prestige and importance which partaking in the scheme confers on Nigerian graduates was further reinforced by the legislation enacted that for any graduate to gain employment anywhere in Nigeria either in the private or public sectors, such persons must have completed the mandatory 1 year NYSC scheme.
However, recent untoward events in Nigeria have begun to threaten the existence of this once noble scheme. One of such is that the multitude of graduates which Nigerian universities churn out cannot find placement or accommodation within the scheme. Such that participation in the scheme has become compartmentalized into batches and streams within batches. This has led to a situation whereby graduates were left to languish for years before they could secure placements in the scheme to serve their fatherland.
Another issue which threatens to eclipse the survival of the scheme and which many observers feels portends a grave danger to it, is the killing and maiming of youth corps members across the country mostly during political and ethnic upheavals. The recent being the slaying of a couple of youth corps members in the recent post election violence that engulfed some parts of Nigeria. The sexual harassment of female youth corps members by “respectable” members of the community in places where such youth corps members are posted for national service is another serious factor hampering the survival of the scheme.
The NYSC has indeed come of age, and there is no doubt that in a diverse and plural country like Nigeria, it is a scheme capable of pulling the fabrics of the disparate tendencies in Nigeria together. But unfortunately, it seems like everything “Nigerian” the scheme seem to be tottering towards a collapse.
A Ghanaian student at Queen’s University, Margaret Mary Nimoh, has been named Northern Ireland’s Internationalã–Student of the Year.
She is studying for a PhD in Chemical Engineering and is now preparing to challenge for the title of overall International Student of the Year 2011at the national final in London next week Wednesday, 13 April.
Margaret, a past student of St. Louis Senior High School in Kumasi, was one of more than 1,200 students from 118 countries to enter the ninth annual Shine International Student Awards – a major initiative from the British Council that shines the spotlight on international students and their contributions to life in the UK.
Entrants were asked to write ‘letters home’ in English, describing their experiences, the challenges they have faced, and what they have achieved. In her letter, Margaret highlighted how coming to Queen’s has helped her to develop her leadership skills.
She said: “Some students came together to form Queen’s International Students Society (QISS) and I was the founding chairperson! I have really learnt a lot from this. Apart from meeting students from practically all over the world my leadership skills have also been really developed.”
Margaret, who also carries out voluntary work for the Ulster Cancer Foundation and visits local schools as a Queen’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) ambassador, said she is having the time of her life in Belfast.
She said:ã– “Moving away from home was a very difficult decision for me. I had to leave my mum, siblings, boyfriend and my dog behind, but I am very glad I came to Queen’s. My research is fascinating but also very challenging. I am based in the University’s world-leading Ionic Liquid Laboratories (QUILL), where the Director, Professor Ken Seddon, and researcher Dr John Holbrey were recently named the top two UK chemists in the world. It is a real honour to work alongside them.
“The facilities at Queen’s are amazing, and the McClay Library is one of my favourite places. The local people are also very welcoming. They are always curious to know where I am from and they’ll always go an extra mile to help me find my way around.ã– Belfast is definitely my second home!”
Congratulating Margaret, Cathy McEachern of Queen’s International Office said: “Margaret personifies all that is best in our international students, who do so much to enrich the university experience for all of us, and we wish her the best of luck in the national final next month.”
Queen’s has an excellent record in the Shine competition. Last year, an American student, Jordan Junge emerged as the Northern Ireland winner, while in 2007; Chinese student Yu Huai Zhang won the UK International Student of the Year title.
This year Queen’s students took the first two places in the Northern Ireland competition, with Kacie Smith from the United States taking the runner-up spot behind Margaret.
Administrator, allafrica
“Know the enemy and know yourself, and in a hundred battles you will never be defeated; when you are ignorant of the enemy but know yourself, your chances of winning or losing are equal; if you are ignorant of both your enemy and yourself, you are certain to be defeated” – Sun Tzu (The Art of War).
The quote above is unequivocally food for thought for all ages but especially the youth. I mean the African youth who appear ‘trapped’ by these conquerable enemies identified above as 3Fs….. FEAR, FAILURE AND THE FUTURE.
Take a moment to reflect on these popular quotes on the enemy of fear:
” I believe that anyone can conquer fear by doing the things he fear to do”….Eleanor Roosevelt.
”Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear”… Ambrose Redmoon. ”
No passion so effectually robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear”…Edmund Burke. ”
Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom”….Bertrand Russell..
No human is immune to this ‘abstract feeling’, regardless of age, social status, and skin color. Fear in this context is not the feeling manifested by an individual when exposed to life threatening situations such as a robbery attack, natural disasters, or the fear associated with the death of a loved one. Rather, the Fear under examination is one that is absolutely within the control of its host. I’ll like to share a personal experience along this line as a youth. I remember growing up in the bustling city of Lagos, Nigeria with so many attractions around. As a youth while in High school (secondary education), I had a deep interest in sciences wanting to become a Medical doctor or a Pilot. My Dad used to have a health book as big as an encyclopedia. I usually pick up the book from his library at my leisure to read even though most of what I was reading made little or no academic sense to me. Moreover, growing up in an environment that was not ‘science friendly’ so to say, I started nurturing the fear of pessimism. Added to this was the issue of finance. In school, most of those in the sciences were mates from affluent or wealthy homes. So I had this mindset like, which may be true of most young people that success in the sciences depends on the pay-book of our parents. Hence, I had to settle for the major that accommodates students from all walks of life, the Business Department.
Closely associated with ‘fear’, is the enemy of Failure. In my view, the fear of failure is largely responsible for the stagnant and under-developed psyche of an average person especially youths. In this part of the world (Africa) where superstitions and the fear of the Unknown permeates, many individuals out of lack of motivation and willpower submit themselves to the dictates of their environment thereby giving up after few encounters with failure. Interestingly though, most of the world acclaimed and celebrated personalities from time immemorial, in Africa and in the Diaspora, were beset by this ‘enemy’ on a constant basis and yet are known for success today. Bill Gates, Wright Brothers, Henry Ford, Albert Einstein, Nelson Mandela, Wole Soyinka and most recently, Barrack Obama were all ‘victimized’ at one point or the other in their quest towards success by failure. However, due to determination to succeed at all cost, these individuals are known for who they are today. The same can be your experience too. Failure in my opinion, no matter how often it besets its recipient, is only a natural manifestation, to some extent the frailty of the human species, which is inevitable before success can be realized. Ponder over this: What does it take an infant to become a toddler and grow into childhood? It takes days, weeks and months of repeated crawling, stooping and falling (failure) as a natural experience. In the same vein, failure in whatever form, be it in your academics, business, relationships and other areas of life should not be a deterrent to your progress and success in life. As a very good friend puts it in an article; ‘MAKING IT SLOWLY BUR SURELY‘, Tunde Oseni fervently addressed issues on success in life as a gradual process that takes time to materialize. Therein, he advised youths, especially those in the developing economies, never to be ‘too ambitious to succeed’. Rather, with the right ‘tools’ such as education, commitment, perseverance amongst others, success is guaranteed even though it may come slowly. Therefore, never allow the failure of today to becloud the success of tomorrow. No matter, how many times failure comes your way, realize that what matters most is your unrelenting determination to turn it into success.
The last ‘enemy’ identified above is the Future. Erroneously, many usually see the Future as being into the distant days ahead. However, the future starts today! Future in this context is the unnecessary worries, concerns and anxieties about tomorrow. Needless to state, it is vital to think or plan ahead of time. Many though have allowed themselves to be entrapped by the uncertainties of life thereby giving up effort towards a bright future. Most African youths grow up in an environment that barely impact positively on their lives. Environments where values which define us a people have been thrown into the air, environment where leaders lack integrity and national interest, environment were the youths hardly have a voice especially in government. Despite these limitations, a good number of African youths have made the best for themselves. It is important that as youths, we start positioning ourselves now in terms of empowerment for the future. Obama positioned himself years ago through academic and intellectual empowerment, emerging as the President of the United States of America in 2009. Certainly, a ‘mystery in disguise!! The same can be your experience too. A positive mindset coupled with optimism is needed to successfully wage the battle for a bright Future.
Hence, a call goes to everyone out there, especially African youths who before reading this piece may have been ‘enslaved’ as it were to FEAR, FAILURE and FUTURE. These three ‘enemies’ are within your capacity not only to control, but to conquer. May your Fear turn to be your Freedom, your Failure turn to Fortune and your Future turn to Fame.
For too long, Africa has been defined just by war, corruption and poverty. It was so welcome to read “A fresh chapter is opening in Africa’s history” (Editorial). It is time the rest of the world recognised the amazing resilience shown by Africa.
The continent quickly recovered after the economic crisis. Growth is forecast at 5.3% this year and 5.5% in 2012, making it one of the world’s fastest-growing developing regions. Africa’s resilience was the result of years of hard work – a deep commitment to reform and economic stability over 15 years. Two-thirds of African economies brought in reforms during the crisis to make it easier for investors. Foreign direct investments in sub-Saharan Africa grew by 17% last year.
Africa still needs aid but it should be aid that targets real results – in education and health, with malaria an example. It should also be aid that leverages private investment and creates jobs.
Africa presents a market of 1 billion people whose potential buying power should make the continent an important contributor to global growth. Africa is coming of age in a complicated environment, marked by issues ranging from global imbalances to climate change. It must seize the opportunities to tell and sell its own success stories.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Managing director The World Bank Washington DC[ad#Adsense-468×60]
Even though poor leadership is primarily responsible for the slow and epileptic development of the African continent, in my view, another factor responsible for Africa’s marginal position is lack of creativity and idea generation. Economically, African countries are known to be ‘consuming nations’, absorbing products or goods from Asia and the West for local consumption. Products ranging from automobiles, electronics, shoes, beverages and so on are shipped in tons annually to Africa countries. This is the reason the currencies of African nations are at the mercy of their foreign counterparts such as the dollar, the pounds sterling, and the yen. Moreover, developing economies are usually at a disadvantage economically with respect to the balance of trade and payments. Paradoxically, most African countries produce what they do not consume and consume what they do not produce. It is high time Africans and other developing economies learnt to proffer scientific, economic and social solutions to our challenges.
How can you revive the yearning for creativity?
To this end, I would like to share what I feel can spark up a deep yearning for creativity. I would like us to look at what we can learn from the letters in A.F.R.I.C.A, C.R.E.A.T.E and I.D.E.A.
AFRICA: A Land, Full of Resources, Intellectuals, Committers, and Achievers. The African continent is endowed with resources such as oil, gas, minerals; intellectuals such as Kofi Annan, Nelson Mandela, Wole Soyinka; committers as demonstrated recently by the people of Egypt in the ousting of the 30-year dictator Hosni Mubarak ; Achievers such as Barrack Obama, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and so on.
CREATIVITY: Conceive, Reflect, Expound, Articulate Think, In-depth, Visualize, and Establish. Regardless of your particular undertaking, your status in life or age, you must learn to be creative and the way you do this is by conceiving an idea, reflecting on the idea, taking time to expound on the idea, articulate on the idea, think on the idea in-depth, visualize the idea and finally establish the idea.
IDEA: I– in depth Deliberations, Endears and Actions. Ideas have been the basis for many creative writings in the world. Phrases such as ‘Ideas rules the World’ are commonly used by speakers and writers the world over to emphasize the pivotal role of idea generation in the development of an individual and nations.
As stressed earlier, it is important that as a people, we embrace ideas and creativity for the development of our continent. The development of the West and other regions of the world were built on IDEAs and CREATIVITY. A call goes out to African leaders, especially the African Union, to leave up to the expectations of the African people. Around the world, Africans are known to be exceptional people. However, the structures and the enabling environment required for this to thrive at home are hardly in place and this is the reason most African ‘brains’ end up in the Diaspora. The A.U and sub-regional bodies such as ECOWAS, SADC must formulate long-term developmental policies, especially in the areas of science and technology that are necessary for the development of the continent. We can take a clue from what the European Union and the Asian Tigers have been able to achieve in their respective regions. If they can do it, we can also do it with sheer determination and commitment. Similarly, the private sector, the media and NGOs must stand up to play their role. It is our collective responsibility as people to join hands and move the continent to where we would like to see it.
I resent a common school of thought that expects the government to do everything to meet the expectations of the people. It is imperative that we as individuals give serious thought to what we can give back to our nation and continent. Individually, we owe our respective countries our quota towards their development. Developments in the big economies around the world were built on the creativity of their citizens who believed in their countries and invested their ideas and resources in the development of their countries. It is time for all of us to rise up and wholly embrace the concept of IDEAs and CREATIVITY for mutual development. Long live Africa, Long live our Mother Land.
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The Dissertation Proposal Development Fellowship (DPDF) is a strategic fellowship program designed to help graduate students in the humanities and social sciences formulate doctoral dissertation proposals that are intellectually pointed, amenable to completion in a reasonable time frame, and competitive in fellowship competitions.
The Dissertation Proposal Development Fellowship (DPDF) is open to all students, regardless of their nationality, who are currently enrolled full-time in a doctoral degree-granting program at a U.S. institution.
In order to participate in the Dissertation Proposal Development Fellowship (DPDF) program, students must have finished all incomplete course work and have removed any “incompletes” from their transcripts at the end of the academic year during which they are applying for a fellowship.
This is an open competition; students will apply directly to the SSRC with no campus nomination required (other than the standard letters of recommendation, transcripts, and essays).
If awarded a fellowship, your expenses (airfare, hotel, meals, ground transport) will be paid for by the Social Science Research Council.
Dissertation Proposal Development Fellowship (DPDF) staff will either make arrangements or offer you a maximum sum with which to arrange your own needs.
Students enrolled in U.S.-accredited institutions outside the United States are not eligible to apply.
Fellows are eligible to apply for up to $5000 from SSRC to support predissertation research during the summer.
Incase you have any questions, please contact: dpdf [at] ssrc.org
Note: Application information can be found on the site given below.