Countries

Welcome to Africabiz Online Synopsis RSS Feed edition. Previous issue available atthis link

DEVELOPING STRATEGIES IMPLEMENTED BY AFRICAN NATIONS ARE INADEQUATE

Dear reader,

Click here for the beginning of the article

Thanks to Sir Bob Geldof's Live8 concerts (July 2-3, 2005) that rocked the nights of several big cities worldwide (London, New York, Paris, Tokyo, Johannesburg and many others around the world), the humanity's conscience had been raised a notch about the problem of poverty - particularly in sub-Saharan African countries.

Expectations were high when G8 big powers met at Gleneagles the morning of July 7, 2005. The audience of billion of people around the world was waiting for decisions that would make poverty history.

Unfortunately, the summit's result felt short to expectations as one can remark reading the final communiqué. No mention of actions or commitments, just talk; and a repetition of the agreement to cancel African debt taken a month ago by finance ministers.

A statement from Christian Aid declared: "This will not make poverty history. It is a vastly disappointing result. Millions of campaigners all over the world have been led to the top of the mountain, shown the view, and now we are being frogmarched down again."

Only G8 heads of states, and African heads of states invited to represent the continent are expressing satisfaction about the outcome of the summit.

Sure, they cannot kill their own baby. African leaders who attended the summit have to show national opinions they obtained something.

In fact, G8 leaders gave them nothing substantial. Except promises. No trading facilities, no firm commitment to fight aids, no debts' relief procedure and action plan, no additional loans or aid package. Nothing.

One of Nepad's promoters declared "...the implementation of G8 decisions are critical." Such kinds of declaration are simply denial and spin, cynical and machiavellian practice of the ostrich's politics, which do not help finding solutions to the heart breaking problems African countries are confronted with.

The crude reality, which everyone can see reading the communiqué, is that no decision had been taken. Only talks to do something by 2010.

At the end of previous G8 summits (Kananaskis, Canada - 2002 - Evian, France - 2003 and Sea Island, USA - 2004), G8 leaders had always stated that Nepad's financing would be dealt with next year. Have you noticed? This time, in Gleneagles' final communiqué there is not a single word about Nepad.

Even prominent Live8 campaigners (except Bono and Geldof) are disillusioned. They think it was a missed opportunity. Opinion to which Africabiz Online fully agrees, in line with doubts expressed G8 summit after G8 summit

AVAILABILITY OF DEVELOPING FUNDS IS NOT THE MAIN CRITERIA TO CONSIDER

Every then and now, we will doubtless hear G8 leaders talk about their determination to fight against poverty in African countries. Talking of poverty in Africa is a theme, which bears emotional resonance. It plays on the conscience of the masses and helps G8 politicians putting a veil on other facts and deeds not too popular. No need to develop further the matter.

These upcoming humanitarian declarations would be just talk. G8, for many reasons already stated in Africabiz Online (July 15, 2003) would never deliver by 2010 if ever.

We are not going to witness any firm decision and step by step action plan against poverty from G8 leaders. We would be hearing a lot of proclamation of good will. But no action would never follow suit. Let us hope we are wrong, but that is how we at Africabiz Online see the future.

Now, that it is painfully obvious that Gleneagles G8 summit felt short of expectations, in spite of heavy marketing carried out by millions of campaigners, one has to calm down and analyses the problem of alleviating poverty in African countries.

One has to ask the right questions in order to search for the right answers that might lead to devising the most effective strategies to solving the problem of poverty in African countries.

One right question could be formulated as follows: "Is it the lack of financial means that is blocking the developing process in African countries?".

The answer to the question is straightforward: It is not the lack of developing funds that is blocking the effective developing of African nations.

Indeed, if money availability was the main criteria, which decides upon an effective developing that could lift a country from the poverty league to the developed one, many African countries would not be stranded in dire poverty as they are now.

During the 1980's, sub-Saharan African countries received US$31 per capita; almost the triple received globally by the developing world. Ghana, for instance, received during the decade of 1988 to 1998, a substantial flux (US$900 million a year - under Structural Adjustment Programs sponsored by the IMF and the World Bank); and yet, during said decade, Ghana's per Capita Gross National Product's evolution remained flat around US$ 500.

Ghana is not the only country to single out. All African countries could be chosen as examples of the failure to translate financing influx into prosperity for all.

Let us notice that the "wealthier" countries of the continent, those which had perceived hundred of billions of dollars selling raw mineral commodities (oil, iron, manganese and aluminum. Etc.;) are in the same poverty boat - drifting towards abyss - as those which had nothing to sell. They have a high poverty level, which reaches up to 80% of the populations living with one or two dollars a day. (Even that statement is below the truth. They "live" with less.)

All these remarks lead us to ask another question in the quest to finding solutions to the poverty problem in African countries, which reads as follows:

"Had sub-Saharan African countries implemented the adequate developing strategies? Strategies that are capable of boosting the economy to creating jobs to cope with demand, and building up riches to progressively raise the per capita Gross National Product - in each individual African nation? Strategies that could progressively establish prosperity for all and therefore help alleviating poverty?"

Rampant poverty now existing in sub-Saharan African countries (where unemployment hovers from 40% to 80% of the existing workforce) gives the answer: It is no.

Now, we have a good picture of the situation. We know that money had been poured into African countries for decades. We know what the result is, at the begriming of the new millennium: the economies of African nations are not performing well. They do not create jobs to cope with demand; they do not build up riches, year in year out to increase the per capita GNP in African countries, which evolution remained flat around US$ 500 for five decades running.

The logic conclusion to be drawn from the answers to above raised questions is that the strategies implemented by African nations are not adequate.

Here another question pops up to which it is necessary to answer, in order to move a step forward finding solutions to solving the poverty problem in African countries. The question is: Adequate with regards to what?

Adequate with regards mainly to the sociologic composition of the populations. (There are other criteria we cannot address in this delivery because it would take us to much space.) The main criteria is the sociologic composition of the populations. Let us concentrate on that and explain why said criteria needs the highest consideration if one is serious about alleviating poverty in African countries.

Rural folks represent 80 to 90% of the populations in African nations. As long as the living conditions of these people would not be improved, the fight against poverty is lost.

If living conditions are improved in rural areas, boosting economic activities in rural areas, 80% to ninety percent of African populations would be progressively lifted from abject living conditions to descent ones. If rural folk in African countries become relatively prosperous, African nations' economies would grow and prosper. Rural dwellers would become consumers they cannot afford to be now. They would drive upward the economy. That is the solution to effectively fight against poverty in African countries.

Owing to the urgency of the problem, this require developing strategies that generate double-digit growth rates, year in year out, in each individual sub-African nations. The matter had been extensively exposed in another delivery here available.

"CONTRIBUTOR'S GUIDELINES" are available here. We invite you to contribute to AFRICABIZ ONLINE MONTHLY ISSUE - with articles related to "How Africa Could Bridge The Developing Gap".

Your feedback / objection / contribution is welcome. Visit WorldWide BizCenter, and choose General Information (as topic) to create a thread for discussion. On the top of the WorldWide BizCenter page, there is a HELP link to assist you making an efficient use of the discussion board. This link also is useful

Many thanks for subscribing to Africabiz. See you here on August 15, 2005.

Dr. B.M. Quenum
Click here for contact & support console

Business Opportunities

FOWL BREEDING AS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY - PART X: - THE BREEDING OF RATITES AS ALTERNATIVE TO CLASSIC LIVESTOCK

The emu breeding industry is gathering momentum and is poised to become a substantial domestic and export earner for countries that would enter the fray.

- ADVANTAGES OF EMU'S BREEDING VERSUS CLASSIC LIVESTOCK BREEDING

The emu industry is in its infancy and now is the time to become involved.

 Explanations given here highlight profits one makes breeding Emu versus cattle.

Emu breeders start reaping benefits from the third month of operation, which is not possible for cattle breeders, who have to wait for 18 month for a cow to calve. and the new born become a burden to feed and care about for at least one year before it become marketable.

Further, Emu products include leather, meat, and decorative egg shells. Emu oil is sold for cosmetic and pharmaceutical purposes as here briefly exposed.

Young stock may also be bred for resale, and eggs can be sold for hatching. Emu meat, like ostrich meat, is similar in texture and color to beef. Compared to beef, it has more iron, protein, and vitamin C. The low fat meat has less sodium than beef, chicken, or turkey. For nutritional comparison between Emu meat and various other meats click here.

For developing countries, Emu breeding is also a pure Economic Catalyst operation that helps create jobs in addition to boosting economic growth.

Indeed, the Emu breeding industry if well implemented on industrial basis (using insemination instead of natural breeding - one elite male could be used to fertilize 32 females every 10 days, or up to 320 females in a season - would create a tremendous number of new jobs: in the breeding, raising, and sale of birds; in the formulation, manufacture, distribution and sale of feeds and supplements; in veterinary services; in slaughter facilities; in meat packaging plants; in leather tanning and finishing; in transportation and other service industries; in feather, leather, shoe, luggage and fancy women bags manufacturing; and in the pharmaceutical industry.

For more on the Organization of A Small Scale Emu's Breeding Operation Click here

MORE ON FOWL BREEDING

1- Poultry Breeding and Genetics by R.D. Crawford 2- The Dollar Hen: The Classic Guide to American Free-Range Farming. by Milo M. Hastingd, Robert Plamondon 3- Small-Scale Poultry-Keeping: A Guide To Free-Range Poultry Production. By Ray Feltwell 4- The Encyclopedia of Farm Animal Nutrition by M.F. Fuller, et al 5- The Mating and Breeding of Poultry by Harry M. Lamon, Rob R. Slocum. 6- Modern Livestock and Poultry Production by James R. Gillespie

7- Success With Baby Chicks: A Complete Guide to Hatchery Selection by Robert Plamondon. 8- The Classic Guide To Poultry Nutrition: Chickens, Turkeys, Ducks, Geese, Gamebirds, and Pigeons. By Gustave F. Hauser 9- The Strange History of The Ostrich In Fashion, Food and Fortune. By Rob Nixon 10- Ostrich's Avian Incubation: Behaviour, Environment and Evolution. By D. Charles Deeming

Control Your Desktop

HOW SECURE IS YOUR WEBSITE?

In line with the Freebie of The Month (click 'Freebie For You' at the top right side of this page to review "How To Choose The Best Hoisting From Start"), guest Robin Nobles wrote this article that will, doubtless, save you headaches managing and controlling the security of your website(s). Your main working tool, which, when suddenly down means loss of profits if not expulsion from business.

Do not get caught. Take precaution from the start using secure hosting companies. You may aloso run 'Opera browser' against your website and look at the left corner of the address field: there is a little label that indicates how secured is your website.

Now enjoy our guest writer's article: Click the More link below to read about How To Secure Your Website.

Freebie Of The Month

WHICH IS THE BEST HOSTING COMPANY FOR YOUR WEBSITE?

You have finished tuning up your website and need to find a hosting company for it. That is not an easy task to find the best performing one that suits you needs.

There are now around a million hosting company around the world. Some are free against posting banners and advertisements on your webpages. Other offer low costs hosting prices starting from US$ 7 a month ads free. Some can cost between US$ 500 a month to several times that amount for dedicated webservers.

So what to choose? Low cost hosting does not necessary means good performance.; that is 100% uptime availability, enough bandwidth to satisfy the several websites hosted together with yours, connection speed, Emails allocation, instant support-desk, storage space. Etc.

There are so many criteria to consider that one cannot make the right choice on a go. Does the hosting company offer mySQL database? How many are you entitled for? Does it offer access to the cgi-bin to run perl scripts? Does it have stats software installed? Is ImageMagick available for photo galleries? Or for the installation of Content Management Scripts?

You see, you need a guide to help you make the good choice; at least to do the right thing from the start. Because, if after a while you find out that you have made the wrong choice, you will be in "trouble" moving your site and all databases and so on to another hosting server.

HOST EVALUATOR DOES THE JOB FOR YOU

So, make use of Host Evaluator. A tool that compares features of different web hosting providers. It monitor their web performance to let you pick whatever hosting company you want. A step-by-step wizard walks you through the details that are need to compare the individual hosting plans. It provides options for storage space, bandwidth, 12-month cost, e-mail, support, redundancy, features, connection speed and uptime and more.

After you have entered several plans into the wizard, you can choose which plans you want to compare, and weight attributes according to your needs. Host Evaluator will generate a HTML table with the best host.

Further, once your choice made, the software is still useful as it assists you monitor your site's uptime. Click here to get your free copy of Host Evaluator