ZURITA
Learn to Learn and Do!
Sunday 24 February 2013
Friday 15 February 2013
The Last Day
In this last day, what I have enjoyed most
is the exercise that we were performing. Writing the article about China-Africa
relation is one of the interesting thing to me.Also, checking different African news sites
such as Tanzania Government Website, Tanzania Parliament website, Jamii forum, Reuters Africa, Inter Press Service, IRIN, allAfrica, DailyNation, DailyMonitor, MailGuardian, The guardian, Africa the good news, Hiraanonline, Pambazukanews, African Election Database, African literature, Africanstudies, failedFutures, Free eBooks, Plagiarism site and the funny site that enable a person to know greetingsin more than 2500 languages. Also the BBC,
DW, VOA and Al-Jazeera
· With the above sites, I
have managed to secure important links that will be very useful to me and my
students in the fact finding process of learning
The Past 5 Days:
In a nutshell, for the
whole of 5 days training, I have managed to acquire those skills as I pointed
out on the first day of the training that I would love to get for the purpose
of bringing back what I would learn to my students and colleagues.
I have been using
internet for several ways but in a way that I could not access information
easily. But with this useful training, I received a package for a lifetime.
For that case I am
confident enough to run a small workshop preferably to my third year students who
are going to start writing their dissertation, and they would need to have
different ways of searching for relevant information about their respective
research topics.
I will also advice my
Head of School, to have me training my colleagues since with experience I have
very few of them can be able to work with the internet sources and mostly
ending up rely on the hard copy reading materials.
Lastly I would like to send my heartfelt appreciation to Media Institute of Southern Africa, Tanzania chapter (MISA-Tan) in collaboration with Finnish foundation for media and Development (VIKES) for arranging this useful training. Hoping that the created network will last for long.
Beside , I would like to send my personal thanx to the training facilitator Peik Johansson and Ms. Cecilia for their assistance throughout.
Beside , I would like to send my personal thanx to the training facilitator Peik Johansson and Ms. Cecilia for their assistance throughout.
China in Africa: The Construction and Extraction!
AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa Ethiopia, that was constructed by the Chinese government as a donation to African countries.
|
In the past 10 years, Chinese government
has expanded and strengthen its relationship with African countries in several
ways. The sign of the strengthened cooperation between China and Africa can be the
beautiful construction of blocks; let say the headquarters of the African Unionin Addis Ababa Ethiopia,
fancy roads and bridges in some African countries (at least the ones I have
casted my eyes) including Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, and many
other.
Last year, China offered US $ 20 billion in
terms of loan, for development projects in Africa for the time of three years. Accordingly,
this amount has doubled compared to the amount provided in 2009.
Why would the African countries be the main
focus for the Chinese government to bring loan with simple terms, especially now?
There is a lot to ask about whether this cooperation is true of false, will the
cooperation last long? Are there any long term consequences because of this
cooperation?
Still there is a commonality between China
and most African country as what the director of African Studies Program at theJohns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C., Dr Peter Lewis explains that, “China, after all, was not long ago a poor, agrarian country,
broadly similar to some of the development challenges facing sub-Saharan
Africa. And as a poor, agrarian country that has become rich in a rather
breathtaking climb to greater prosperity, many analysts have said that this
presents possibilities for Africa – an alternative development model,” This may
be a motive to upgrade African countries from the state they are.
The Benefits:
One of the main benefits that African countries
are receiving from the cooperation with China is the fact that there are a lot
of development projects that are carried out smoothly because of the provided
loans and grants. The construction of roads has facilitated easy transportation
infrastructures in different places, let say from urban to rural areas.
Also there are several signed projects on
the side of health. In Tanzania there are some hospitals that have been
constructed by the Chinese government. This is a good thing as it helps to
facilitate the provision of health services to people in a modern way-modern
building, comfortable one and modern medical equipment. In the Democratic
Republic of Congo, Chinese government has managed to construct several
hospitals and health centers too.
The construction of building has also added
to not only provision of offices but also decorating different cities and towns
because of the styles that buildings are constructed from. It is easier to
identify any constructed building by the Chinese construction company.
Senegalese and Chinese workers at a construction site in Dakar. Photograph: Seyllou/AFP/Getty Images |
Yet there are several water well projects
that are sponsored by the Chinese government in different places of Africa. At the
end of the day, the constructions of wells help local people to access water
service.
Chinese government is engaging in almost
all spheres of life by investing in different areas such as sports and
entertainment, mining sector, business and economy, health sector, education,
water supply and constructions.
The provision of loans has made Zimbabwe to
defuse its financial crisis after expelling all foreign investors in the
country. China has partnered with Zimbabwe and help to sort some economic cases in
the country.
Challenges:
This cooperation has both positive and
negative impact, probably more negative to African countries.Despite providing loan to the African countries,
yet the Chinese government is insisting on providing their own constructors to construct
roads and building. This hinders local construction companies not to be able to
win such tenders and ending up backward.
Also, it is claimed that the China
engagement to Africa is one way of finding resources for their growing
industries. Resources such as metals, ores, oil and scraps are some of the most
imports to China. The need of resources is because of china production of
different materials such as electronics and construction resources.
Yet the population increase in China is
another thing that is bringing about challenge to the Chinese government to
find a place of reducing their population through this partnership. The assertion
is that, the Chinese constructors are brought to Africa purposely to reduce
population in their country.
The market place is another thing to
explore as the china produced products are flooding in African markets. This situation
is bringing about a stiff competition between local producers and the Chinese
goods; which temp consumers to set their preference over Chinese goods because
of the market price. Today, to purchase consumer goods such as clothes, shoes,
home utensils and house decorations is very cheap if a consumer choose to
purchase a product from China.
On the other hand, the products from the
local industries are sold in expensive cost to the extent that the local
consumers can not afford. But why this? Probably the reason behind is, the low
cost goods are produces using the low cost resources such as raw goods, man
power, shipping expenses and even payment of tax to the respective country.
People's Reaction
Therefore, ordinary people have different
reactions over the Chinese business in Africa. Some groups are impressed with
this intervention that is caused by presence of China in different areas, while
some are not.
From my point of view, maybe this is the
new colonialism that after the Western countries colonizing Africa, now it is
the time of the Eastern block –specifically China! Maybe this is the Dead Aid as what Dambisa
Moyo has discussed in her book,trying to leave African countries bankrupt and China dependent forever! What is
the hidden motive behind?
Thursday 14 February 2013
The Fourth Day of the Training:
On the fourth day, I
was very impressed with the exercise we have undergone. Those exercises include
fact finding in a way that it has improved my knowledge. Before, I used to go
through a long way on how I could find for a book, article or any fact through
the internet. The situation was a bit complicated as I could spend much time in
search for a single element which sometimes I could end up with nothing. But
with this training I am sure that I am in a position of working faster despite
having unlimited internet connection that sometimes I do experience.
In addition to that the
Google search engines such as Google Scholar, Google map, are very important
sites to visit so as to find some information. With Google search, facts can be
obtained easily with a shortcut way. The importance of Google Scholar to me is
relevant as it is a site that I visit to obtain scholarly works that are useful
to me and my students.
Also, the fact that we
were supposed to read and bring our opinion on Dambisa Moyo’s Dead Aid, I have been happy to read and reflect on the
reading as I like posing some discussions and debates over the African heritage
that in one way or another is lost; knowingly or unknowingly. Also in my Peace
and Conflict studies, I have undergone such debates of whether the African
Continent is a result of colonial invasions or the syndrome that has been
planted for ages by the some Africans who betrayed their fellow Africans.
On the side of blog
posting, again it is important for the journalist (blogger) to know exactly
what s/he wants to post by constructing his/her story in a logic manner. Having
something to write is one thing but knowing how one is going to write is
another important thing to consider before posting anything in a blog.
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