Browse by Topic: Africa
A Brave, Complex, New Urban World
The world’s urban metropolises are growing faster than ever before in history. This expansion has brought with it a host of social and economic problems that tend to affect poorer countries and peoples the most. The international community has to rethink the way it provides development assistance and make a long-term political commitment to poverty reduction and development policies that emphasize equity in an environment of economic growth.
Poverty and Debt in Southern Africa
Especially in the present global economic downturn, the world’s poorest countries must be helped. Debt cancellation, more development assistance, and greater access to foreign markets are all needed. One important program is the Highly Indebted Poor Countries Initiative that trades debt forgiveness for institution of sound domestic economic policies.
The New African Union
There is one little-known accomplishment of Libya’s Muammar al Qadhafi. Back in 1999 he championed formation of an African Union to replace the Organization of African Unity. It remains to be seen if this is more than just a name change. But this year’s African summit will for the first time be called the African Union summit.
European Air Transport and Humanitarian Aid
The hot controversy about the costs of pan-European procurement of the Airbus A400M plane have overshadowed other considerations. But this kind of military transport could contribute in a major way to humanitarian assistance in disaster areas world-wide.
