african intellectuals Archives - Page 2 of 3

January 21, 2011

ASA CALL FOR PROPOSALS 2011 MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL

ASA CALL FOR PROPOSALS/2011 MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL
The ASA 2011 Call for Proposals is Now Open! The 54th Annual Meeting of the African Studies Association will be held November 17-20, 2011 at The Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC. This year’s Annual Meeting theme is: “50 Years of African Liberation” and this year’s Program Chair is Carol Thompson, Northern Arizona University. To renew your ASA membership and/or pre-register to submit your proposal, you may log on at www.africanstudies.org.

December 30, 2010December 27, 2011

Making It Slowly but Surely

Success is a marathon, not a sprint. But many of today’s youth do not know this, or they know but not make it a maxim in running their life race. If we take things easy, and act as purposely and positively as we can, success will surely come our way.

There are rules for success, and one of them is: ‘Never rush’. If you look around you, you will discover that those who have made it to the top are not only those who inherit wealth, fame or name. Yes, wealth, fame, and popular name can open door of opportunities for some folks, but the lack of them, ab initio, does not lock such doors and windows of opportunities either.

If you want to make it in life, as we all make efforts to achieve greater potentials and accumulate better aspirations of life, the rule , ‘never rush’, applies. What do you want to make in life: intellectual progress or social mobility? The best and possibly easiest way to make it in life is to make it slowly but surely.

With this recommendation, I am not saying we should be lackadaisical about life, or that we should sleep off all the twenty-fours and expect miracles to come, what I am saying is that we should organise ourselves, and see our dreams come true one by one.

Remember the scriptural axiom that the battle is neither for the strong nor the race for the swift, but that time and chance happen to them all. In the year 2006, I gave a speech at the orientation event organised by the Student Leadership Development Programme, SLDP, at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. The coordinator of that novel student programme, who read my modest citation on that day, is today the Chief Economic Adviser to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I am talking about

Prof (Mrs) Precious Kassey Garba, a woman of substance; respectful, respected, and respectable scholar and teacher.

Prof. Garba always told us to believe in ourselves, and that no matter how big a challenge could be, determination can melt it. At the event mentioned above, I spoke about why and how the youth can take their destiny in their own hands. I said the youth should always plan their time and time their plan. I said the youth should always choose their friends and make library one of their friends. I reminded the youth about what Prof Adedoyin Soyibo used to tell us, that when you add value to yourself, the distance from your success is reduced by miles. We can make it slowly but surely. Nothing is worth-worrying or worth-rushing about in life.

The biggest god most people worship is money. Money is good but money is not god. How you get is more important. Remember Napoleon Hill, who wrote in Think and Grow Rich that ‘Quick riches are more dangerous than poverty’. What we need most of the time is organised planning, faith, hope, and action, and slowly but surely we shall make it.

December 16, 2010December 18, 2010

Making Government Work Can Transform Africa

Tony Blair

As British Prime Minister I trebled aid to Africa. At the 2005 G8 summit we took far-reaching steps in debt cancellation worth more than $100 billion to the poorest African nations. I am immensely proud of what we achieved at Gleneagles: Every day since, the aid given to developing countries has been saving thousands of lives. But I came to recognize that aid alone is not the answer.

The truth is that ultimately Africa’s future prosperity lies with the decisions of Africa’s leaders. We need leadership that is democratic, accountable and transparent. But in addition, we need leadership that is effective, that can shape plans and deliver policies that will make a difference on the ground.

The problem for many African countries is not the absence of the right vision or the right intentions. It is the simple lack of capacity to achieve them. Government today, even in the West, has often far less to do with ideology, but to do with delivery. The techniques for this are not that different from the private sector — the right mix of focus; prioritization; capable people and machinery to deliver; performance management and innovative ideas.

This is hard enough for developed nations. It is a vast challenge for African leaders, whose governments very often lack the most basic levers of delivery, the expertise and the know-how.

In the last three years, the charity I set up, the Africa Governance Initiative, has focused on these issues. We bring in dedicated teams of international staff who have worked in government or for leading private sector organizations. They work alongside the leader’s office and key government ministries, building capacity to prioritize and get things done. Because the only long-term route out of poverty is economic growth, we make a big thing of helping the governments we work with to attract quality private-sector investment to create jobs and livelihoods. Our staff — with expertise gained working in the international financial sector — sit alongside the government and coach them to bargain on equal terms with big multinationals.

Over the past three years, we have been working in three countries — Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Liberia. In each case, of course, the prime movers are the leaders and their teams. And in each country the results are both deeply impressive and offer real hope for the future. Rwanda was the fastest riser in the World Bank place to do business rankings last year. Sierra Leone has seen Freetown with the lights on, and a 90 percent cut in deaths of children from malaria. Liberia has seen astonishing progress, not least in attracting major private investment, with $16 billion committed in the past four years.

This is all part of the change now happening in Africa. There is still a long way to go. But the feeling of optimism is palpable.

For its part, the international development community needs to find new ways to support, not just exhort, leaders in Africa to do the right thing. The democracy and accountability revolution that has swept across Africa over the last 20 years has done immeasurable good. No leader deserves a blank check. But it is not enough for us to just say that Africa needs more Mandelas and fewer Mobutus.

Instead, the goal must be to create a dynamic where current African leaders can deliver real improvements in the lives of their citizens and where the next generation of leaders — in some countries the first to grow up under stable, democratic rule — have models of true public service they can aspire to follow.

What these leaders need is practical support in articulating and delivering on their priorities, so that the donors can align their assistance behind them. That is how we give real substance, not just symbolism, to the idea of “country ownership.” Here, the World Bank, USAID and others have been breaking new ground in making the new partnership with Africa, which Barack Obama articulated on his visit to Ghana, a reality.

The development community already invests a great deal in keeping Africa’s leaders honest. The question is whether it invests enough in supporting them to succeed. Good leadership is about capacity, not just character.

LIVE WEBCAST: Watch Tony Blair’s keynote speech to the Center for Global Development at 10:00 a.m. EST.

Tony Blair was UK Prime Minister from 1997 to 2007, and is Patron of the Africa Governance Initiative (AGI). ‘Not Just Aid: How Making Government Work Can Transform Africa’ is published by the Center for Global Development.[ad#Adsense-200by90]

December 13, 2010January 2, 2011

Africa has potential to solve own problems, Canadian Researchers say

Amy Husser, Postmedia News

A young girl receives a vaccine on November 23, 2009 in Monrovia, Liberia in a file photo. Photograph by: Glenna Gordon, AFP/Getty Images

In spite of a global perception as being “dependent, pestilence-ridden and suffering,” Africa has the ingenuity and conviction to solve its own health problems, Canadian researchers say in a sweeping new look at the continent.

A team of researchers conducted hundreds of interviews in nearly 100 locations across sub-Saharan Africa to offer a “unique microscope” on neglected health problems for Afica.

The “landmark collection” of papers — published Sunday in the U.K.-based BioMed Central — outlines 25 innovative health technologies they say deserve more attention.

The researchers paint Africa as a hub of innovation, being held back only by finances and cultural biases, resulting in a lack of access to global markets.

“The bottom line is there’s a lot more ideas and talent in Africa . . . than there are products on the market helping people improve their health,” says Peter Singer, director of the McLaughlin-Rotman Centre for Global Health, which conducted the research.

“In the long term, the sustainable solutions to Africa’s health problems rest with the home team.”

According to lead researcher Ken Simiyu, the 25 technologies are considered “stagnant” because they languish in African health institutes instead of being converted into a viable product or service for local markets.

Examples include a portable medical-waste incinerator created in Kenya that can cut down on byproducts produced during mass vaccinations in rural areas, or a Ghana-developed diagnostic test for schistosoma, a parasitic disease that affects as much as 50 per cent of the population in some areas of Africa.

And in Kenya, scientists have isolated human odours that effectively repel mosquitos; an adapted insecticide could cut down on malaria, which kills nearly one million people — mostly African children — annually.

“What is holding them back is they have not been able to get a commercial partner who can transform these chemical entities . . . into a product that is really deliverable to the market,” said Simiyu.

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December 9, 2010December 27, 2011

Surviving as an International student: Friendship and Dating

This is Part 3 of our series ‘Surviving as an International Student’. Today, we cover Friendship and Dating. We hope that African students studying abroad and those contemplating doing so may find these materials useful

Your first weeks as an international student will be ones of adjustment and you may experience culture shock.

The people you pass may smile, say, “Hello, how are you?” and keep walking past you. People might not know where your country is located. What have you gotten yourself into?

You may have to weave yourself into the society as soon as you can in order to enjoy your life. You may encounter difficulties in several areas and the extent will depend on whether you’re single or married: In Part 3 of the series Surving as an International Student, we will discuss Friendship and Dating

Friendship: Most people you will come in contact with will be friendly, however international students often remark that while Westerners are “polite”, they can appear to be distant or cold. The best way to strike up a conversation is to talk about the weather since it is seen as an important aspect of the society. This probably sounds strange, but the longer you’re here, the more sense it will make.

Dating: Dating is developing a romantic relationship with someone. Dating is common among students; however, no one can force you to date or go out with him/her against your will. Also, going on a date does not mean consenting to have sex; it just means that you are interested in spending time with the person. Friendships between people of the opposite-sex are common and are not necessarily dating and it is important to respect this boundary where it exists. Rather than assume that you are in a relationship or that one has consented to an act, always ask questions for clarifications. Be also aware that NO means NO. If someone is not interested in having a sexual relationship with you, pursuing it could have serious legal consequences such as sexual harassment or assault charges.

Traditionally men have taken the initiative in asking women on dates, but this is changing as women are asserting their equal status in society. Common dating events include dinners, concerts, movies, and plays. If you want to know someone better, you might ask the person to join you for coffee or a lunch; such meetings can provide the beginning of an enduring friendship without the pressure of being a “date.” It used to be the practice that the one who invited a person on a date would pay for any expenses incurred (such as the dinner check or the ticket price). It is becoming more common for people on a date to “go Dutch,” which means that each person pays for his or her own expenses.

In some cultures, if a woman agrees to spend an evening with a man, it is assumed automatically that ‘it will happen’. In the West, making this assumption and following it up with some premature actions can bring your academic career to a miserable end. You may even have to do some time in jail.

As far as dating and romantic relationships are concerned, if in doubt, the first thing to do is to Ask, the second thing to do is to Ask, and the third again is just Ask.

Enjoy your studies

(These are materials extracted from several student bulletins and academic sources mixed with my personal thoughts. If you would like to continue to the series ‘Surviving as an International Student’, please email info@talkafrique.com)

November 29, 2010December 27, 2011

Surviving as an International Student Pt II: Being Money-Wise

While Studying in the United States

Students who study abroad often regard it as the experience of a lifetime. It’s a time when you can learn almost as much outside the classroom as within it. It can also be a time of extra expenses. But by creating a sensible budget and sticking with it, you can easily manage the financial side of studying abroad.

Covering the Direct Costs of Education

When looking at the cost of studying in the United States, it’s important to distinguish between Direct Costs—tuition, room and board, and any special fees—and indirect costs, which are more flexible, and cover just about everything else. Taking care of the direct costs should be your top priority. Funds for these could come from private or family sources, scholarships or loans.

Although it may seem obvious, it’s important to remember that the best types of college funds are scholarships and grants because they do not have to be paid back. Be sure you apply for every scholarship for which you feel you are qualified.

After you have exhausted funds that do not need to be repaid, you may want to consider student loans to cover your remaining direct costs. As an international student, you will not be eligible for low-cost loans sponsored by the U.S. government. However, a wide variety of lenders, including Sallie Mae®, offer private, credit-based student loans that may be available to you.

Once you have your direct costs under control, make a budget for indirect costs, which are essentially living costs while you are in school. Because there are strict limitations on off-campus employment for international students, you will need to show that you have enough funds to cover the entire academic year when you apply for your student visa.

Managing the Indirect Costs

Housing. After you have been admitted, your institution’s housing office will contact you with information on the availability of on- and off-campus housing. If you decide to live off campus, you’ll want to arrive several weeks ahead of the start of classes to begin searching for a place to live and get settled.

Depending on the type of housing you need and the location of your college or university, the cost of off-campus housing can vary considerably. In general, housing in large urban areas and on the West and East coasts is the most expensive. In addition to rent, you should also budget for furniture and other household essentials because most rentals in the United States are not furnished.

Saving tip: Consider getting a roommate to split the cost of rent.

Transportation. If you will be using a car while you are in school, you should budget for operating expenses such as fuel, parking fees, and routine maintenance that will be incurred commuting to and from your institution. Carpooling can help reduce these expenses. But also look into the availability of public transportation—it may be more economical than having a car, particularly in urban areas. As an international student, you might also want to budget for airfare home during holidays and other academic breaks.

Saving tip: Many universities offer a free or low-cost shuttle bus service both on-campus and for the areas surrounding the school. Take advantage of it when you can.

Meals. If you’re an undergraduate, your college or university probably has a meal plan, and you should definitely use it. The food may not match home cooking, but it’s convenient, nourishing, and could be the most economical way to eat while you’re enrolled. If you have a family, meals may occupy a larger portion of your budget. If money is tight, try to eat as many meals at home as possible rather than at restaurants.

Savings tip: Use generic products instead of name brands; clip coupons; and pack a lunch rather than eating out.

Entertainment. A big part of studying abroad is what you do outside the classroom. Be sure and budget some money for movies, snacks, concerts, short trips to visit friends, and other activities. A well-rounded student is one who effectively balances study and play.

Saving tip: Your student activity fee may entitle you to attend concerts, lectures, movies, and sporting events at a discount. Take advantage of these on-campus events.

Textbooks and school supplies. The best way to keep textbook costs low is to buy used ones. Most campuses have stores on campus or close to campus that sell used books, and you can also check campus bulletin boards for ads offering texts for sale. Be sure that the edition of the book you are buying matches the one that is required for the course.

Miscellaneous costs

The international student advisor at your institution can help you with miscellaneous expenses such as health insurance (usually available at a low cost from your college or university) and visa processing fees. In addition, it’s a good idea to budget for items such as utilities (if they are not covered by your rent), a mobile phone, clothing, Internet service, and even a small, general emergency fund.

Managing credit cards

Even if you have the best intentions, a credit card—used freely—can ruin even the most carefully planned budget. Use your credit cards sparingly and only for items you really need. Try to pay the full balance off each month. And make sure you know what the interest rates and fees are. Sometimes just knowing how much extra you’ll be paying if you make a late payment or carry a balance from month to month can provide the incentive for fiscal discipline.

This is an exciting time in your life. Make sound financial management a priority so that you can fully enjoy the uniquely rich learning experience of study abroad.

Read Part 1 of this series

(The International Student Guide to the USA)

November 24, 2010December 27, 2011

Surviving as an International Student, Part 1

Patrick Coomer

Pursuing your education in a foreign land poses a mix of positive and negative feel. On a good note studying abroad will open up a lot of new opportunities. You will need to meet new friends and experience diverse cultures. However, timid students may consider this idea unenthusiastically. Certain types see this point as something awkward, lonely and tangled. Whatever the case, international students will naturally feel the pressure and anxiety of living their student lives away from their families and usual lifestyles. Nevertheless, here are the ultimate tips that will equip you in surviving international school amidst the lack of monotony.

There are many things you have to get used to when you live in another country. With this experience, you will find out that there is something more to what you used to see back in your hometown. One adjustment that must be made is the change in weather conditions. If you were raised in a tropical country and is migrating to a chilly land, might as well prepare for it. Gear up with winter tools and proper acceptance of the change. Also, you have to take into consideration the new work culture you need to live by. Understand that different people have different attitudes in fulfilling their tasks. Adapt to the local customs but stay focused on your true values.
To help you function well in this new environment, you have to in shape holistically. This means that you are well-nourished physically, mentally, emotionally and socially. Even if you are drowning from school works and deadlines, you still have to attend to your other necessities. The key to achieving all that’s needed to be done is balance. You can excel in school and still join an interest club of your choice; deadlines could be met without sacrificing a 30 minute meal time. Maximize your time and energy wisely. You can make it happen.
You are what you think. Even if you are faced with a troublesome situation, look up and smile! Sulking in one corner will further enhance your negative feeling. Rise above the situation and be positive. Problems must be faced with solutions, not by crying or cursing. A kind nature will always maintain you wavering. Keep your attitude to its amiable quality and see your luck dash through and through.
not by crying or cursing. A kind nature will always maintain you wavering. Keep your attitude to its amiable quality and see your luck dash through and through.
Your work will never be productive if influenced by a deep sense of hatred. If you have personal issues, resolve them first before working on your term paper. You will see that thought and ideas will easily come to you if you are worry-free. To help you gain that relaxed state, seek help. You could go to a trusted friend and ask for advice. If you feel like, you need a professional, go to your infirmary doctor or subject supervisor involved. Sometimes, all you need is a listening ear to ease the issues.
Before you start with anything drastic, know how your school system works first. It will only be a waste to spend too much time on preliminary quizzes if it only amounts to 5% of your whole final grade. Know the distribution of grades, methods of computations, requirements, student rights, etc. It pays to be informed.
Be a planner. Have yourself a daily or weekly calendar where you can jot down all your schedules. Organize your tasks and set time tables. It doesn’t matter if you accomplish little as long as you are following your time frames. Before you know it, your planner will be filled with check marks.
As a promising professional-to-be, you have to keep in track at all times. Set short and long-term goals. Make them realistic, specified and time bound. Be clear with the following things:
a. Aspired career after graduating

b. Ways on achieving the specified aspiration

c. Your education’s role in helping you reach your goal

d. Other actions to take

e. Impediments to reach your goals and how to manage them

November 18, 2010January 24, 2011

Ghana’s Economy 75% Bigger Than Previously Estimated

By Moses Mozart Dzawu

Nov. 5 (Bloomberg) — Ghana’s economy is 75 percent bigger than previously calculated, the country’s Statistical Service said, slashing the relative size of the fiscal deficit and the current-account shortfall.

The West African nation’s gross domestic product this year is 44.8 billion cedis ($31.2 billion), compared with the previous estimate of 25.6 billion cedis, Grace Bediako, head of the Accra-based agency, told reporters today.

“The revisions will be a huge positive for the relative risk matrix” of Ghana, Stephen Bailey-Smith, an analyst at Standard Bank Plc in London, said in a note to clients. The changes “should foster a rating upgrade.”

Standard & Poor’s cut Ghana’s credit rating to B, five steps below investment grade, on Aug. 27, citing concern about the large fiscal deficit and a lack of clarity on oil-industry laws. The government posted shortfalls equivalent to 14.5 percent of GDP in 2008 and 9.7 percent in 2009. The International Monetary Fund said on Oct. 1 that the shortfall may exceed the 8 percent target this year. Those figures are now significantly smaller.

The statistics service also raised its growth forecast for this year to 6.6 percent from 5.9 percent, and revised up its calculations for the previous three years. GDP expanded 4.7 percent in 2009, 8.4 percent in 2008 and 6.5 percent in 2007, compared with previous estimates of 4.1 percent, 7.2 percent and 5.7 percent.

Economic growth slowed in 2009 after the government embarked on an austerity program to bring down the budget deficit. Ghana posted a current account deficit of about 7.9 percent of GDP last year, according to the previous data.

Eurobond

Ghana’s 8.5 percent fixed-rate Eurobond due October 2017 was bid for as much as $115.50 at 5:14 p.m. in London, with a yield of 5.746 percent, according to data compiled by Standard Bank London. The bid price is 0.5 percent higher than yesterday’s close of $114.87, while the yield is 10 basis points lower.

Today’s announcement “confirms that over the last five years Ghana has performed better than most of its peers,” Wayne Mitchell, the country representative for the IMF, said in an interview today.

The revision won’t affect IMF support for the country, since “assistance is determined by need and not economy size,” Mitchell said.

Deputy Finance and Economic Planning Minister, Seth Terkper, said on Oct. 20 that Ghana may lose access to cheap loans if the new data show the country is wealthier than thought.

New Activities

The size of the economy was revised up after new economic activities were added, methodology was improved and the base year was shifted to 2006 from 1993, Bediako said.

“The new data series includes activities of the oil sector, forest plantations and information and communication, which were not included in previous estimates,” she said.

The new GDP places Ghana among middle-income countries, as defined as those with a per capita income of more than $976 a year, Bediako said. Ghana’s is now $1,318.36.

The statistics aren’t all good news, said Sampson Akligoh, an analyst at Accra-based Databank Financial Services.

“If GDP is 44 billion cedis and tax revenue is less than 7 billion cedis, it tells you tax collection is not enough,” he said in an interview today.

Ghana’s economic growth may average about 8 percent in the next three to five years, as oil production starts from the West African nation’s Jubilee oil field December, Kofi Wampah, deputy central bank governor said Oct. 7.

Wampah said the economy may expand 10 percent to 15 percent next year, slower than Finance Ministry’s prediction of 20 percent.

–Editors: Philip Sanders, Ana Monteiro

To contact reporter on this story: Moses Dzawu in Accra at mdzawu@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Antony Sguazzin at asguazzin@bloomberg.net.