AFRICA

Africa

A little bit of Africa in numbers before starting the cultural approach and some facts about organizations in the continent, I must mention that Africa is the world's 2nd-largest and 2nd most-populous continent, after Asia. It has an area of 30,221,532 km² and a population 1,001,320,281(est. 2009). Is the 2nd largest continent but a quarter of its territory is not suitable for habitation, because it's composed by the Sahara Desert.

This video really called my attention, a review of the actual problems in the continet, poverty, aids, hunger and violence experienced by afreican people. check it out Title: Africa Million voices http://http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj2Ilm7zYmQ&feature=related

Colonialism and post-colonialism in Africa

During my classmates exposition, some of colonialism and Post-colonialism in the region was mentioned, due to its importance and influence in the culture, political and social environment of the continent.
I found a book which really called my attention since it principally makes a critic to underdevelopment in Africa. The author describes colonialism as a "one-armed bandit," claiming that colonialism, more than anything else, underdeveloped Africa. Colonialism laid the roots of neocolonialism in Africa by creating Africa's economic dependency on the international capitalist system. The introduction of capitalist relations of production and distribution, -- for instance, the International Trade Commodity (ITC) exchange systems and values -- created such dependency. (Rodney, W. 1981)
"previous African development was blunted, halved and turned back" by colonialism without offering anything of compensatory value. (Rodney, W. 1981)

In order to preserve the lives of the members of a society and to maintain the social structure, the education is decisive, the main purpose of colonial school system was to train Africans to participate in the domination and exploitation of the continent as a whole , its important to mention that colonial education was an education for subordination, exploitation and the creation of mental confusion and the development of underdevelopment.
Colonialism, however, denied Africa the right to cultural development and self expression and set up a state of siege that it justified with theories about cultural assimilation.


Africa’s socio-economic development based on local needs and regional circumstances

When I looked something about eh actual African socioeconomic development I found out that the African continent is divided in 5 regions: Northern Africa, Western Africa, Middle Africa, Eastern Africa and Southern Africa, in which are localized 54 sovereign states.
Even though it is the second largest continent and that it has abundant natural resources, Africa remains the world's poorest and most underdeveloped continent, here I mention the most relevant issues of the region:

· Lack of access to foreign capital.
· Frequent tribal and military conflict (ranging from guerrilla warfare to genocide).
· Malnutrition and inadequate water supply and sanitation, as well as poor health.
· Spread of deadly diseases and viruses (HIV, malaria).
· Corrupt governments that have often committed serious human rights violations.
· Failed central planning.
· High levels of illiteracy.

The African Continent has been exposed across its history to Corporate exploitation, Tropical diseases, corrupt governments, human rights violations, Effects of colonialism, Civil wars and guerrillas.
These reasons and issues, difficult much more the region to emerge in the social and economical sphere bout also in having opportunities in the global market and economy. In the latest years a tendency has been noted in order to achieve some opportunities in the global market, and this is the growth of African-owned multinational companies, as a consequence, incomes are rising and new elites are becoming more demanding in their needs and economic reform is allowing companies to become more competitive.

Corporate social responsibility of foreign firms operating in Africa

Africans have interpreted the role of multinationals in two different ways, then I found:

1. Nationals blame multinationals of crushing local companies and expropriating people of their lands, People state they are invading the continent and appropriating of natural resources, all of this mentioned before with the complicity of many of the country’s leaders.
2. Multinationals give to the continent many economic benefits, they argue this enterprises from abroad are committed to the continent to fight poverty, unemployment and to gave best life quality to its
habitants.


Africa's Workshop.

Members: Maria Isabel Arango, Carolina Zapata and Andrea Radi.

1. How does the industry of development influence Africa?

Many years ago, Africa was a continent that was property of all of its conquerors and all people but the African one. After all the independence processes they started to have a more important role around the world. In this moment, Africa is having an improvement in the private sector and is starting to have a more developed economy.But though this continent has a real problem in terms of poverty, and even if the government is trying really hard to belong to trade organizations around the world, it’s really difficult to reduce the high poverty indexes.But what is really doing well, is supporting small and medium enterprises that are the engine of all economies. But first it has to work really hard to improve the Bank system for easy possibilities of loans, credits, etc in order to benefit small and medium enterprises.Despite all these and many other problems, there are many NGO’s that are interested in this African country and its development solutions. Many countries are interested on having commerce with this poor but rich continent.

2. Why some critics have questioned Africa adaptability to modern businesses?

This is because, some people think that Africa is the less globalized and industrialized continent. All of the other countries have been facing internationalization processes with the world changing day by day. And Africa is behind most of these countries. Except South Africa, which is pretty developed.Before being able to be as globalized as the other countries, Africa has to work really hard on these areas: good governments and its political stability, source funding, local ownership, among others.So this is the reason why Africa is so far to adapt to the modern business, because it has to change a lot of things first inside of the continent and each of its countries, which is not easy at all, because after all some of the problems are due to the different ethnic groups, which they cannot support each others, and that is one of the main problems, along with one of the lowest GDP, all the mortal diseases, lack of education, etc.

3. How African women have responded to the allegations that Caster Semenya is not a woman?

This was and still is a very sensitive topic, around the world, but more over inside Africa. African women are really proud of her, and for what she’s done, she has became an idol, and they think this false statements about her being a man, is just an envy response.She worked a lot to become who she is, a winner of a gold medal. And because she is a winner, this woke up a real controversy among people and others who were behind her. But she has the back up of the whole continent and they are really trying to protect her and her rights to be a clean winner, not like the media who’s spreading a false affirmation.Even though she had to confront everyone and prove she was not a man, she is proud and this way, everybody is too. More over when they found that she is a real woman and has become a national leader, supported by all woman in Africa and important politic figures.

4. How could Africa balance their political independence and at the same time to call for foreign investors throughout avoiding "no-imperialism"?

Africa needs to make equilibrium between political independence and foreign direct investment. This may bring a really positive effect among the continent, but at the same time neo-imperialism can be avoided.Supporting FDI all the way is not always the best solution, but other economical activities may be implemented inside Africa so they can find different solutions their economic development. This one can be built in so many different ways, including with the same human resources that they have in order to innovate and improve all of the process.Africa is a really attractive country because of its richness in natural resources, this way they will find the way to attract foreign investment and be able to eliminate the neo-imperialism because is the only way to go through the crisis.

References

Arango, Maria Isabel. Organisations and Culture. Class notes. 2009
Cabral, A. 1980. Unity And Struggle. London: Heinemann.
Rodney, W. 1981. How Europe Underdeveloped Africa. Harare: ZPH. P. 244

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