More Parallels

I've written about Dambisa Moyo before. What she has to say about Africa has parallels with the issues on First Nations in Canada. The interview in the video below hits on a few of the parallels between the two. Perhaps "parallels" is not the most accurate description, though, as there are many things that are different as well, differences that only make the problems more intractable.

Specifically, at the 58 and 6:57 minute marks Moyo talks about the effects of massive amounts of free money transferred from government to government without accountability to the citizen. She also states: "We need to start having the discussion of how Africa is going to wean itself of aid and become an equal partner on the global stage." Indeed we do and we also need to have the same conversation about funding for First Nations in Canada.

During the 1950s and '60s many First Nations people looked longingly at the independence movements that were reshaping Africa and other Third World nations. George Manuel, leader of the National Indian Brotherhood (the precursor of the Assembly of First Nations) even wrote a book about the issue of non-Western peoples surrounded colonizers and controlled by colonizer governments. The Fourth World he called it. Indian people today would do well to look at the results of those Third World independence movements and to study what Moyo has to say.

The barriers in the Fourth World are probably higher and more difficult to overcome, reaching, as they do, directly into our constitution; imbued, as they are, with a revisionist and grossly distorted interpretation of treaties; and hamstrung, as they remain, by outdated and patronizing legislation that should have been scrapped decades ago.

Anyway. Food for thought.

Obama!!!

Well lookie here! Every once in a while Obama does something that I agree with.

Barack Obama tells Africa to stop blaming colonialism for problems

""I think part of what's hampered advancement in Africa is that for many years we've made excuses about corruption or poor governance, that this was somehow the consequence of neo-colonialism, or the West has been oppressive, or racism – I'm not a big – I'm not a believer in excuses."

And while we're on that topic, here's something I wanted to post and comment on a few weeks ago, but never got around to it. An interview with Dambisa Moyo, author of Dead Aid: Why Aid is Not Working and How There is a Better Way for Africa. If you've never heard of her, she kicks ass!

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

Enjoy.

Morning Round-up of Good News Stories

Tories get tough on sex offenders

"All Canadians convicted of sex crimes will automatically have their names added to the national sex offender registry, under legislation Conservatives introduced yesterday in a cross-country media blitz.

Whether it be a predatory pedophile, violent repeat rapist or a 21-year-old convicted of having a consensual relationship with a 15-year-old, police can use that information pre-emptively, rather than only as an investigative tool after a crime is committed."

You mean they can't already???

Bus beheader still a danger to the public

"Dr. Stanley Yaren told a provincial review board on Monday that Li remains a risk to the public, and himself, and should be locked up indefinitely..."

It's about time we started to realize that some forms of mental illness render its victims too dangerous to ever be walking free among us. At the very least, we owe this much to Tim McLean and his family.

Stephen Lewis in hot seat over aid

"In another exchange, Moyo said, to rapturous applause, "You've had your chance and you have not delivered," noting that, after roughly 40 years of aid, Africa still has many problems including endemic corruption, widespread poverty and dismal economies --- it has fuelled corruption across Africa, continuing the Cold War tradition of propping up unaccountable dictators."

---

"The debate also featured Hernando de Soto, a Peruvian thinker and development consultant"

Man, oh man, I wish I had been there. More here on this inspiring woman. And that's this Hernando de Soto, author of The Mystery of Capital, not the Peruvian conquistador. (I wonder if they are related?)

Indian leaders defend Australia against accusations of racism

"While increasing attacks on Indian students in Australia must be strongly condemned, giving it racial overtones is causing much concern amongst the over 200,000-odd Indian diaspora who call Australia home, Indian community leaders here say.

"Australia is certainly not a racist country. My children study here and they have not faced any discrimination", Moninder Singh, CEO of Australian Academy of Management & Science in the Sydney suburb of Quakers Hill, said."

That's another reason I have such admiration for India and her diaspora throughout the world. Rarely do you hear race grievance mongering from them. Residents of the great state of India know very well that conflict and group identity politics is hardly restricted to the Caucasian set. Rarely do you hear of any Indian or group of Indians wallowing in self pity. No. The Indian Industry is restricted to the North American variety.

Monk Debate

Further to my morning round-up, here's the full Munk debate on video. If you can put up with the 45 minutes of dead time that precedes it, it's very good. I'm still with de Soto and Moyo and Stephen Lewis continues to vex with his patronizing "we socialist know best" infantilization of so called developing countries.

Interesting Development

...from sub-Saharan Africa:

Zambian Presidential Candidate Courts Israel

"Said Chishimba over a cup of hot tea with fresh mint in a Tel Aviv restaurant earlier this month: “The current leadership stands for outdated politics. It’s time to form international contacts with bodies and leaders who have a broader understanding of business and democracy. Like parliamentarians in the UK and business leaders in the U.S., I want to form different types of networks and get away from the old ways of thinking.”"

[---]

Chishimba specifically means is that he will weaken ties with Iran, and specifically Mahmoud Ahmedinejad. This currently prompt (sic) eyebrow-raising over the African country’s covert uranium trade.

“The partnership I seek with Israel dates to the pre-independence period. My government will work with progressive countries to create a new global democratization with democratic principles. I want to open our country to foreign investment interests and democracy and shut the door on practices stifling freedom."

Must have been reading Dambisa Moyo.