A news segment on NPR about women technology "geeks" in Nairobi.  A great portrayal of 'the new Africa' and only a 5 minute listen.  (note: transcript is the article itself)
http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2012/12/24/167961947/kenyan-women-create-their-own-geek-cuture

Is reporting on Africa too positive?

Our blogger, Victoria Schorr, added a very long comment to this interesting article written by Duncan Clarke about how Africa's image may now be too positive.  What are your views?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/12/africa-expert-celebrity-madonna?CMP=twt_gu

EDC encourages trade

EDC provides USD 30 M line of credit to Afreximbank to help boost African-Canadian trade
https://www.exportwise.ca/article759

Africa And The War On Drugs

Last week the Royal African Society, Zed Books, and the International African Institute launched a new book entitled, Africa and the War on Drugs.

Since its launch, there have been a number of articles and Op-Eds on the Royal African Society's African Arguments website.  Here is a list of what is out so far:

• Fighting A-Historical Analysis Of The West African Trade – By Gernot Klantschnig
• The West African Cocaine Trade Is Not Just Business As Usual – By James Cockayne
• Africa And The War On Drugs – A Review By Stephen Ellis
• Focus On Khat And The Fight For Legality – By Neil Carrier
• Guinea-Bissau, Coups And Africa’s Cocaine Equation – By Joseph Kirschke

While this may seem to be a topic more suited to Latin America, indeed this is no longer the case.  Starting with Guinea being named a "narco-state", the drugs trade and it's recent explosion in West Africa has become a topic of much debate and contention.  The linkages between AQIM and other terrorist groups with the drug trade is an issue that needs to be discussed and debated.  Hopefully these links will only be the beginning for further debate, research, and discussion of findings.

Also, though not African-specific, for a good introduction to the international drugs trade in general, here is a lecture at LSE by Misha Glenny that can be watched for free online: http://www2.lse.ac.uk/newsAndMedia/videoAndAudio/channels/publicLecturesAndEvents/player.aspx?id=173

China and Canada in Africa

One of our own members was featured in last month's China in Africa podcast.  It can be listened to on iTunes or here: http://soundcloud.com/chinatalkingpoints/china-and-africa-come-together

Minister Fast on Africa

Here is a good review of what the Minister said last week at the Canadian Council on Africa's Symposium.  "While numbers like these aren’t new for those familiar with investment in Africa, Negatu’s analysis revealed the delay people have in shedding their impression of Africa of forever being hat in hand."
http://www.ipolitics.ca/2012/10/17/from-aid-to-trade-a-new-africa-paradigm-on-the-rise/

Along the same lines but earlier this month...
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/trade-not-aid-the-theme-of-harpers-visit-to-africa/article4597741/
“People in Canada are used to hearing of Africa strictly in aid terms, but it’s turning into more of an economic story. … It’s a region that’s growing. Countries are starting to orient themselves outward to exports and growth.”  Nice change and just in time too, if we really are seeing a shift.

Land Grabs?

What is likely to be an excellent report for those interested in the facts about Land Grabs (and lack thereof):
http://media.routledgeweb.com/catalogs/handbook_land_waterpdf.pdf

African Small & Medium Enterprises Face Challenges

An excellent look at the major issues faced by African SMEs:

http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/greedy-financiers-and-lack-of-business-skills-holding-back-african-entrepreneurs/21440/


Echoed here as well: http://www.itnewsafrica.com/2012/10/bootstraps-or-bust-starting-a-tech-business-in-africa

K'naan Autobiography To Be A Children's Book

On George Stroumboulopoulos' website yesterday was an announcement that Somali-Canadian singer K'naan's autobiography will be a children's book targeting kids aged 7 to 10.
http://www.cbc.ca/strombo/canada/knaan-autobiography-to-be-a-childrens-book.html

Brazil-Africa Relations

A recent article by The New York Times on Brazil-African relations: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/08/world/americas/brazil-gains-in-reaching-out-to-africa.html?_r=2&smid=tw-share

The Clinton Tour Issue?

The Clinton Tour Issue?

A diplomatic row may be erupting surrounding the debate about Hillary Clinton's speeches on her latest tour of the continent.   Is she being condescending?  Is the US incorrectly portraying themselves and China?   Does she have a point?  

The latest on this is an article from Charles Kenny in Bloomberg Business was published today, entitled Why Cheap-Shot Diplomacy in Africa Won't Work.  This is by no means the only coverage of the issue, however.  The UK's Guardian Poverty Matters Blog has a post with the bold title, Hillary Clinton's morally superior speech in Africa was deluded.  Chinese media sources have also come out with several statements (here, here, and on the FOCAC website) in retaliation to what has been perceives as veiled jibes against their involvement on the continent.  Equally, there is an op-ed in the Philadelphia Inquirer entitled, Don't let Africa fall to China, to which our own blogger, Victoria Schorr, recently commented on through The China in Africa Project's Facebook page (see August 6th).

This is just the latest in seemingly cold-war-revivalist discussions on China's role in the continent.  Only time will tell how this will play out diplomatically and on which side African citizens will fall.

An Op-Ed by Jeffrey Herbst and Greg Mills ahead of their new book by the same name:

Africa's Third Liberation
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/30/opinion/africas-third-liberation.html?src=recg

Is Canada losing out?

Here is a recent article from the Canadian version of the Huffington Post that has been circulating on a couple African business sites.  Do you agree?
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/glen-pearson/china-africa-investment_b_990306.html

South Sudan Conference at Carleton University

The Institute of African Studies, Carleton University, is pleased to present:

 South Sudan: Its 1st year of Independence and Beyond 

A Two-Part Event with Matthew LeRiche (LSE)

When:        Thursday July 19, 2012;  3:30-7 pm
Where: Arts Lounge, 2017 Dunton Tower, Carleton University

Click here.
 

A great way of flipping things on their head. Congratulations to the authors!
http://africanarguments.org/2012/07/05/africa-rising-when-will-the-west-join-africa-by-eliot-pence-bright-simons/
And, as always, please check in with the African Arguments website often as they have great posts and discussions.

Canada, the AfDB and Africa

On June 13, 2012, Bruce Montador, Senior Fellow, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) at the University of Ottawa gave a presentation on his experience at the Africa Development Bank.

Mr. Montador has accepted to share the presentation with the readers of our Blog, for which we are most grateful.

Canada, The AfDB and Africa: Montador Presentation

Is China a Boon or Hindrance for Africa?

Is China a Boon or Hindrance for Africa?  
There has been much debate about this lately and here is some of the latest:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/28/opinion/beijing-a-boon-for-africa.html?_r=2&smid=fb-share
http://africanarguments.org/2012/07/02/china-in-africa-dambisa-moyo-fails-to-uncover-a-more-complex-situation-by-jolyon-ford-at-oxford-analytica/ .


For more out of the UK, the IQ2 Debates series has both a for and against team of well-known experts commenting on the statement "Beware of the dragon: Africa should not look to China": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXck9BS3Hfw .


Similarly, Al Jazeera had a segment on China in Africa that can be watched here: http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/peopleandpower/2012/01/20121484624797945.html .


And finally, an excellent blog out of The China in Africa Project that can be downloaded on iTunes or watched here: http://soundcloud.com/chinatalkingpoints/when-china-met-africa . This latest podcast discusses the film When China Met Africa and Dambisa Moyo's latest book on Africa and China.