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| May 2012 |
| IN THIS ISSUE
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Forum on Africa 2012: Shaping Africa's Transformation
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 9-11 May 2012 |
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| Cultural Heritage: Mother's Day |
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Julia Ward Howe's Mother's Day Proclamation of 1870
The first North American Mother's Day was conceptualized with Julia Ward Howe's Mother's Day Proclamation in 1870. Despite having penned The Battle Hymn of the Republic 12 years earlier, Howe had become so distraught by the death and carnage of the Civil War that she called on Mother's to come together and protest what she saw as the futility of their Sons killing the Sons of other Mothers. With the following, she called for an international Mother's Day celebrating peace and motherhood.
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Arise, then, women of this day!
Arise, all women who have hearts, Whether our baptism be of water or of tears!
Say firmly: "We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies, Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause. Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience. We, the women of one country, will be too tender of those of another country To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs."
From the bosom of the devastated Earth a voice goes up with our own. It says: "Disarm! Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance of justice." Blood does not wipe out dishonor, nor violence indicate possession. As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil at the summons of war, Let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel.
Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead. Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means Whereby the great human family can live in peace, Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar, But of God.
In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask That a general congress of women without limit of nationality May be appointed and held at someplace deemed most convenient And at the earliest period consistent with its objects, To promote the alliance of the different nationalities, The amicable settlement of international questions,
The great and general interests of peace
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| Rewards in emerging markets |
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In the last decade Africa has seen an increase in inward investment from 339 new projects to the continent in 2003 to 857 in 2011 (an increase of 153%).
KPMG projects $2.6tn GDP in Africa in 2012-13.
Merrill Lynch and Capgemini consultants indicate that the continent has 100,000 Africans with USD 1 million to invest.
Ghana The Technology Park through public/private investment, an arrangement under which certain facilities and infrastructure of the park would be developed by the government, public/private partnership or solely by the private sector.
Nigerian-owned companies invested USD 1.5 billion in Ghana's economy.
In the East African Community (EAC), the retail sector has taken the lead. Kenyan-owned Nakumatt supermarket has invested in three East African countries (Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda) while Uchumi Supermarket has invested in Uganda and Tanzania. South Africa based supermarkets take the lead in driving intra Africa FDI through their leading chains such as Shoprite (in 16 African countries) and Pick'n Pay (in 5 African countries).
South African companies – such as supermarket group Shoprite, mobile network operator MTN and Standard Bank – have also expanded their African footprints. Total South African investment into the rest of the continent grew at a rate of 64.8% over the past four years.
Brazil's leading investment bank Banco BTG Pactual has announced $1 billion Africa investment fund, the biggest in the world, with capital collected in the country.
Nigeria Stock Exchange-listed IHS, a telecoms infrastructure leasing company, announced the successful completion and launch of its solar-powered investment. The multi-operator installation is set to see a reduction in carbon dioxide emission of up to 24 000 tonnes a year.
Ben Lyon (26), a US expat who co-founded Kopo Kopo, a web based mobile payment gateway that helps businesses process mobile payments in real time.
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| Celebrating Africa |
On the 25 May, 1963, the leaders of the then independent Africa, made history and gave significant impetus to the continent's collective but then incomplete struggle for independence, by establishing the Organization of the African Unity.
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| Good Governance in Africa |
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| Hr.4221 Bill |
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INCREASING AMERICAN JOBS THROUGH GREATER EXPORTS TO AFRICA by Congressman Mr. Smith of New Jersey and Congressman Mr. Rush of Illinois.
STRATEGY.
- In General- Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall establish a comprehensive United States strategy for public and private investment, trade, and development in Africa.
- Focus of Strategy- The strategy required by subsection (a) shall focus on:
- increasing exports of United States goods and services to Africa by 200 percent in real dollar value within 10 years from the date of the enactment of this Act;
- coordinating United States commercial interests with development priorities in Africa;
- developing relationships between the governments of countries in Africa and United States businesses that have an expertise in such issues as infrastructure development, technology, telecommunications, energy, and agriculture;
- improving the competitiveness of United States businesses in Africa, including the role the African diaspora can play in enhancing such competitiveness;
- exploring ways that African diaspora remittances can help governments in Africa tackle economic, development, and infrastructure financing needs;
- promoting economic integration in Africa through working with the subregional economic communities, supporting efforts for deeper integration through the development of customs unions within western and central Africa and within eastern and southern Africa, eliminating time-consuming border formalities into and within these areas, and supporting regionally based infrastructure projects;
- encouraging a greater understanding among United States business and financial communities of the opportunities Africa holds for United States exports; and
- monitoring--
- market loan rates and the availability of capital for United States business investment in Africa;
- loan rates offered by the governments of other countries for investment in Africa; and
- the policies of other countries with respect to export financing for investment in Africa that are predatory or distort markets.
Link to the Bill: http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h4221/text |
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| World Economic Forum 2012 |
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Five social entrepreneurs were presented the award of Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2012 for Africa by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship on May 10th, 2012 in Addis Ababa at the World Economic Forum on Africa.
- Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, Sole Rebels, Ethiopia
- Sameer Hajee, Nuru Energy Group, Rwanda
- Paul Scott Matthew, North Star Alliance, South Africa
- Andrew Muir, Wilderness Foundation, South Africa
- Seri Youlou and Thomas Granier, Association la Voûte Nubienne, Burkina Faso
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| © 2012 Afrolehar |
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