Africa - Do we really know it?

Thursday, May 13, 2021, from 3:00pm to 4:30pm

Zoom Videoconferencing Platform

Before the pandemic, the African continent contained some of the world’s fastest growing economies and is home to 5 of the world’s top oil-producing countries. Nevertheless, most African nations missed their Millennium Development Goals during the 2000 – 2015 period and are likely to also miss their Sustainable Development Goals for the coming years. Furthermore, African countries continue to be widely stereotyped as being poor, beset by famine, violence and corruption, and simply incapable of developing good governance and becoming fully modern. It is common to ask how there can still be so much poverty and other lingering chronic problems despite all the continent’s natural resources and the influx of seemingly endless flows of outside “help”.

Based on the background reading material listed below, we’ll be discussing some of the reasons behind this apparent conundrum.

Those wishing to join us should RSVP at phyllisbarrantes@gmail.com. Participation will be limited to 20 Members.

READING MATERIAL:

• Introductory Text

Poverty, wealth, pandemic

• Why is Africa so poor? You asked Google – here’s the answer

• Honest Account 2017: How the world profits from Africa’s wealth

• You can’t fight pandemics without power—electric power

• Sassou rules like an emperor while Congolese die from extreme poverty

• How to avoid the aid trap in the AU-EU strategic relationship

• Aid spending in Africa must be African-led – it needs a Black Lives Matter reckoning

• Impact of COVID-19 on micro, small, and medium businesses in Uganda

Elections, governance

• Economist 2016 Africa’s fragile democracies

• Tony Blair’s tips for African Heads of State

• Challenge, annul, rerun pattern in African elections

Recent news and country-specific info

• Africa on BBC News

• Africa on CNN

• Africa on Aljazeera

PRIOR TO THE MEETING, CONFIRMED ATTENDEES WILL RECEIVE THE ZOOM LINK BY EMAIL.

In order to participate in the Zoom interactive videoconference, download the Zoom app and review the etiquette as outlined on the UWC Zoom page. We will send all confirmed attendees the Zoom link needed to attend in advance of the event.