The Keyboard is Mightier than the Vast Tracts of Land

Or something like that. I just read a very short article over at 'the times' which may be an online paper in Zimbabwe. I think.

At any rate I read an article titled "Can the internet make Africa wealthy?" and it brought up an interesting point, but I think it is off base. The article cites the sharing of information from better business-educated westerners as a means for creating more savvy African Entrepreneurs. Through free education, and in some cases, small grants (there is apparently a website which will even offer small grants to African businesses in the start-up phases of their companies) Africa can use the Internet to pull itself out of the muck.

The author says:

Perhaps the next step would be to invite educated, skilled people from around the world to donate their professional time to help these small ventures operate more effectively.

I think this mind frame is very short sighted and that the Author is missing out on the true value which the Internet can bring to Africa.

The west became rich and powerful in large part due to our natural resources. Our ability to mine iron, tin and coal gave countries like America the ability to create steel. Steel is what made car manufacturing possible, buildings cheap, and it pushed progress. Basically, steel created a middle class in the West.

So we got to the place we are today because of our natural resources (and our culture).

Culture is the tricky part, but since the dawn of the internet - natural resources no longer are. People can now replace goods as a country's top export. For examples of this look no further than Bangalore, India. It is full of web developers, and call centers. A country doesn't have to pay the expensive fee of exporting physical goods and shipping them all the way to the West, it simply needs to connect to the internet.

That is where the true power of the Internet lies for Africa. Africa can turn it's people into resources for the rest of the world, and in doing so, make it's top annual export not Bananas or Diamonds or Coffee, but information. Cheap, environmentally friendly, information.

Clinton Global Initiative

In complete contrast to what is going on with (RED), you have the Clinton Global Intiative (CGI), whose purpose seems to not be to discuss, but to do. Now, that is a wonderful idea - obviously, all charities promise that very same thing, but what is apparent about CGI that isn't with (RED) is that CGI knows how to use Public Relations to cheaply and effectively disseminate its message of world aid, whereas (RED) spent 100 million dollars to convince people that Apple, GAP and Bono are world-conscience brands.



Both organizations may be merely attempting to boost the philanthropic identities of their benefactors, but only one is doing a good job of it.

1.5 years later, '(RED)' still pointless

About one and a half years ago we started to see those ads from GAP and apple to buy their red colored junk because they'd send the money to African AIDS charities.

Additionally, there was a big stink about 6 months ago over Advertising Age the magazine reporting that a year after launch, it had only raised $18 million compared to the $100 million it had spent on marketing...

Well, 6 months later it looks like they've still only raised about $45 million. Granted, that's much better, and the stink from Advertising Age clearly lit a fire under Bobby Shriver's (Chairman of (RED)) butt, BUT, holy hell. It's going to be 2 years before they break even.

I suppose if they end up sending $101,000,000 in relief it will be worth it, but, wow. It seems like maybe they could have thought of a better way than sending half of the profit on something red you buy over to Africa. Maybe if they had sent all of the profit? Maybe three quarters? Oh well, I suppose Steve Jobs needs to make another million dollars so he can buy the moon or something.

He probably needs it more than impoverished Africans dying of AIDS.

Celebrities

Africa in Perspective

I just read a column in the LA times online that really puts the media spin on African assistance into perspective. Check it out. The article cites the sensationalism that Western media places on the plight of the African people, Making everyone on the continent out to be an AIDS infected refugee torn from their war-ridden homeland and chased by platoons of children wielding AK-47s. Here, however is what the article states:

What percentage of the African population would you say dies in war every year? What share of male children, age 10 to 17, are child soldiers? How many Africans are afflicted by famine or died of AIDS last year or are living as refugees?

In each case, the answer is one-half of 1% of the population or less.

The problem is he doesn't actually cite where he got this statistic. The article makes some very good arguments and for that reason had a large amount of notoriety on social bookmarking sites such as digg.com, but I think some of the assertions are ridiculous.

The author basically states that Africa is doing just fine, and is progressing at a good pace and what they really need isn't assistance, but expanded trade with the west and more entrepreneurs. This is true, but the article diminishes the plight of the African people in their battle against the progress-killing epidemic of HIV/AIDS.

He goes on to quote the noted journalist "Andrew Mwenda" as saying:

What man or nation has ever become rich by holding out a begging bowl?

I think if you asked a few sisters in Calcutta that question they might have a few examples for Mister Mwenda. Do both. Free trade + Free aid = better Africa.

The Power of Knowledge

You may already know about this cat, but if you don't, give his blog a read. It is the story of a gentlemen from Malawi named William Kamkwamba who built a windmill to power his home. The blog is very inspirational and it tells a great story of what you can achieve with education.

Originally, I guess it just documented his struggle with building this windmill, but now he tells about his life. The latest post I read was about his first preventative health care visit - a physical. Did I mention he is now 19 ?

Give it a read.

For a quick summary of what this self educated 14 year old engineer has accomplished so far, read the story about him on myhero.com

Aids and African Development

Here is a video featuring Mark R Dybul, US Global AIDS coordinator, where he talks about how AIDS dramatically impacts the development of Africa. It's very interesting. He also talks about how, where resources are available, Productivity and development go through the roof. It's pretty neat.

Take a look:


Also, and I'm just pointing something out here for Mr Dybul. Mark. What are you doing, man? Who do you think you're fooling with that flock of seaguls cut? Bald is beautiful. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Philly Awards Bono with 'Liberty Medal' for Humanitarian Work

I am not a big fan of Bono. I think he's pretentious. But he does good things. Of course he also says incredibly simplistic and asinine things like:

When you are a monk in Burma this very week, barred from entering a temple because of your gospel of peace...well then, none of us are truly free

What? What does that even mean?

Celebrities.

I can't knock him too badly however. Bono was awarded $100,000 for his philanthropy and he gave it all to his charity Debt AIDS Trade Africa (DATA).

As a quick aside, "Debt AIDS Trade Africa" doesn't make any sense. None. Its just a bunch of random words strung together to make an acronym.

Celebrities.