It has been argued that it was important not to be excessively pessimistic about Africa, nor to over generalise. Growth on average was in the region of 4-5% per annum. Some countries were lagging, but in 2002, the latest year for which figures were available, 25 countries had raised average living standards and only 9 had failed to do so. Overall, per capita income had risen by 2% in 2002. Social indicators were also improving.
The case for large rises in aid to Africa was being made with great energy. The peg was the achievement of the MDGs. The meeting title referred to a "doubling", using this as a metaphor for any large, discontinuous and short-term increase in aid. It was important to note that the increase would be larger than a doubling in Africa, given the special development needs in the region. Amongst the main protagonists, Tony Killick identified the Millennium Project in New York (led by Jeff Sachs), the work on the International Financing Facility in the Treasury, and the priority given to the issue by the Prime Minister, including through the Africa Commission.
Tony Killick's key argument was that the emphasis on large and quick increases in aid would (a) undermine efforts to improve the effectiveness of aid because quality would suffer and (b) because the resulting additions to already high aid dependency would undermine accountability, ownership and institution-building in African countries.
Aid was already very highly concentrated on Africa, and the region exhibited a high dependency. For example, for the top half of recipients, aid accounted for 17% of GNI, 108% of gross domestic capital formation and 49% of imports. The risks with rapidly increasing aid included: (a) diminishing returns; (b) limited absorptive capacity (especially because of weak institutions and a brain drain); (c) the undermining of domestic ownership; (e) high fiduciary risk because of weak budget institutions (associated with fungibility, poor accountability and corruption); (f) macroeconomic problems created by large additional inflows, particularly Dutch Disease; and (g) negative effects on domestic accountability, the strengthening of local institutions and governments' willingness to tackle deep-rooted problems (moral hazard).
Germany also argued that Without strong institutions and professional capacities, a doubling of aid is not very useful.
Many believe doubling of aid to Africa will only give room for her leaders to acquire more riches.
What is your argument?
About YFAR
The purpose of this blog is to discuss and find out ways to re-engineer Africa and position it in a glorified world. To portray a true picture of Africa, to promote direct investment and sustainable development and to fight social and economic misconduct denigrating Africa.
To provide an international organization for national sustainable development and other sustainable development organizations whose primary purpose is to improve the quality of life of Africans and to rebuild Africa.
To provide a strong global network to support the development of Africa
To increase awareness, understanding and knowledge of Africa and on how best to develop Africa and to meet the needs of Africa.
Lets do it together!!!
Water problem in Africa
Among the challenges currently facing Africa, perhaps none is more important, nor more often overlooked, than the threat to the continent's supply of clean, fresh water. In most African sub-regions water is relatively scarce; throughout the continent, even where the supply itself is adequate in quantitative terms, the quality of the water is in serious decline. It is common knowledge that water is an essential resource for life on earth. What is unfortunately far less common is the knowledge of how to tend to this resource properly to ensure its availability for future generations.
Government policies have generally emphasized exploitation for development at the expense of conservation and sustainability. In most countries there is no single agency responsible for wetlands management, as there tends to be for agriculture and forestry. To complicate matters further, the major freshwater ecosystems in Africa are shared by multiple nations; if coordination within a country is difficult, the task is all the more daunting across political boundaries.
In immediate practical terms the water problem in Africa is a problem of management.
Do you agree and in what best ways do you think Africa can alleviate this problem?
Is circumcision an abuse of individual rights?
Female circumcision has been perceived as an act of barbarism, savagery, torture and maiming which deprives African women of their feminity, especially with regard to sexual sensitivity and pleasure.
Often the rationale for male and female circumcision is that it is necessary to make a child (neutral term) a real male or female. This leads to a further explanation that "men are hard and women are soft," and that the "soft" part of a man's genital, e.g., the pre-puce or foreskin and the hard part of the female genitalia, e.g., the clitoris (possibly erectile) must be removed in order to make them truly male-all hard, and female-all soft. As in many other instances, the "crossover"-soft foreskin and hard clitoris-is seen as dangerous to the formation of "completely" male and female adults, who in traditional societies almost always have an equal but separate and complementary rather than equal and overlapping sexual and social role.
Female circumcision, like male circumcision in the same group, is often thought to purify and protect the next generation from dangerous outside influences, to bind all youth to their peers or age set. As part of intensive group socialization, it also firmly establishes age set relationships, generational respect and authority patterns. At marriage, the authority over the bride is transferred to the spouse's patriline. The respect and economic value of the bride to her patriline and to her spouse is dependent upon her unquestioned virginity as demonstrated by the intact circumcision.
Another function is to insure marriage in a society in which men have been taught that only circumcised women make good wives. Yet another function of FC is to limit the possible enjoyment level of sex for women. It also serves to implant fear of pain and being shamed and cast out if not a virgin girl or chaste wife. The actual day of circumcision is one of fear and pain, but also accomplishment and recognition as a full adult marriageable member of society. Some have compared it in western terms to a combination of first communion, confirmation or bat mitzvah and sweet sixteen occasion. The girl gets more recognition, including attention, special beautiful clothing, special food and jewelry, after this coming of age ritual than at any other time in her life except on her marriage day.
The perspective that female circumcision necessarily robs women of sexual pleasure presupposes that only the clitoris ensures sexual urge and guarantees sexual pleasure for women. Therefore, alI women who are not circumcized should experience sexual urge and sexual pleasure. If having the clitoris alone does guarantee sexual satisfaction and pleasure, it implies that all women with clitoris should always have sexual pleasure. But if that is not the case then there are other parts of a woman's body and dynamics yet to be made known and emphasized which affect female sexuality and responses.
This presumption suggests common reasons for women to engage in sexual relations and that all women should react to sexual stimulation in the same way regardless of cultural differences and social back- grounds. Sex in most African societies serves procreation, not necessarily the satisfaction of emotional needs. It is conceived as a sacred act and a spiritual experience with emphasis on spiritual compatibility of partners.
It is believed that sexual urge depends on the nature of existing relationship between women and their spouses to a large extent. Is the man caring, is he protective, emotionally and morally supportive? These are some of the concerns which affect the state of mind of many African women in their responses to sexual stimulus and satisfaction.
Therefore is circumcision an abuse of individual rights?
Often the rationale for male and female circumcision is that it is necessary to make a child (neutral term) a real male or female. This leads to a further explanation that "men are hard and women are soft," and that the "soft" part of a man's genital, e.g., the pre-puce or foreskin and the hard part of the female genitalia, e.g., the clitoris (possibly erectile) must be removed in order to make them truly male-all hard, and female-all soft. As in many other instances, the "crossover"-soft foreskin and hard clitoris-is seen as dangerous to the formation of "completely" male and female adults, who in traditional societies almost always have an equal but separate and complementary rather than equal and overlapping sexual and social role.
Female circumcision, like male circumcision in the same group, is often thought to purify and protect the next generation from dangerous outside influences, to bind all youth to their peers or age set. As part of intensive group socialization, it also firmly establishes age set relationships, generational respect and authority patterns. At marriage, the authority over the bride is transferred to the spouse's patriline. The respect and economic value of the bride to her patriline and to her spouse is dependent upon her unquestioned virginity as demonstrated by the intact circumcision.
Another function is to insure marriage in a society in which men have been taught that only circumcised women make good wives. Yet another function of FC is to limit the possible enjoyment level of sex for women. It also serves to implant fear of pain and being shamed and cast out if not a virgin girl or chaste wife. The actual day of circumcision is one of fear and pain, but also accomplishment and recognition as a full adult marriageable member of society. Some have compared it in western terms to a combination of first communion, confirmation or bat mitzvah and sweet sixteen occasion. The girl gets more recognition, including attention, special beautiful clothing, special food and jewelry, after this coming of age ritual than at any other time in her life except on her marriage day.
The perspective that female circumcision necessarily robs women of sexual pleasure presupposes that only the clitoris ensures sexual urge and guarantees sexual pleasure for women. Therefore, alI women who are not circumcized should experience sexual urge and sexual pleasure. If having the clitoris alone does guarantee sexual satisfaction and pleasure, it implies that all women with clitoris should always have sexual pleasure. But if that is not the case then there are other parts of a woman's body and dynamics yet to be made known and emphasized which affect female sexuality and responses.
This presumption suggests common reasons for women to engage in sexual relations and that all women should react to sexual stimulation in the same way regardless of cultural differences and social back- grounds. Sex in most African societies serves procreation, not necessarily the satisfaction of emotional needs. It is conceived as a sacred act and a spiritual experience with emphasis on spiritual compatibility of partners.
It is believed that sexual urge depends on the nature of existing relationship between women and their spouses to a large extent. Is the man caring, is he protective, emotionally and morally supportive? These are some of the concerns which affect the state of mind of many African women in their responses to sexual stimulus and satisfaction.
Therefore is circumcision an abuse of individual rights?
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