It Appears That Senegal Isnt the Only One Being Raped

While going through my links, I just happened to come across a second article about the exact same company's (Arcelor Mittal)business practices in Liberia. It turns out that this company signed a contract with Liberia's interim government. The problem with the deal is that the contract allows Arcelor Mittal to opt out of Liberian laws that govern human rights and environmental standards. They also will not be required to pay taxes for the first five years of the contract. President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has stated that she will be reviewing the contract to confirm if the terms are appropriate. You can read more here.

Another African Country Agrees to be Raped

One of the largest steel making companies in the world is set to begin a mining project in the country of Senegal. Arcelor Mittal is said to invest $2.2 billion into the project. This money will go into the construction of a brand new mine, a new port, and railway connecting the two. Production is scheduled to begin in 2011.
So what is Senegal getting out of this relationship. Arcelor Mittal has stated that they expect to extract 15 -25 million tons of iron each year which will be shipped primarily to Europe. The details on the project have not been released at this time. This seem to be another case where investors are interested in only stripping African countries of their natural resources and not in investing in the people of the continent. Billions of dollars annually are invested to extract resources from Africa, but when investment is requested for infrastructure such as electricity, phone/internet systems, water/sewage systems, etc, the money always comes up short. You can read more about this new "investment" in Africa here.

Kenyan Coffee On the Way

Starbucks, the international coffee retailer, has just announced its plans to brand and sell Kenyan coffee to the world market. This is great news to the coffee farmers of Kenya. Starbucks has made a commitment to pay for the coffee at preferential prices as long as the farmers commit themselves to standard practices to ensure the quality of the coffee beans. Starbucks already sells lines of coffee beans from Rwanda and Ethiopia that have received a great response from customers. In my local Starbucks here in Manhattan,NY, a bag of these specialty beans can go for $12. Online 12 ounces of these coffee beans start at $9.00. Hopefully this is just the beginning of a wonderful relationship. You can read more about this new addition to the Starbucks line here. If you would like to order your own bag directly from Starbucks, you can click here to see their online store.

$300 Shoes for Charity

Am I the only person that finds it odd that Converse shoe company is selling their (RED) line mudcloth shoe for $300? What is even more disturbing is that only 10% of the net wholesale price will be donated to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. So the obvious first question is, where is the other 90% of the net price going to. If people are supposed to be encouraged to buy this product for charity can we please get a better break down of where the money is going to. Basically, Converse is asking people to buy $300 shoes so that they will donate $20 to a worthy cause. I am sure the management at Converse can find more efficient ways to support the world's less fortunate.

Part 2

Jefferey Sachs schools Angelina

I have gotten desperate for material, so I am posting this documentary from MTV about relieving extreme property.

SPONSOR A DAMN CHILD!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, reading any article about the wealth gap in the world (see the previous entry) has increasingly tempted me to donate to a charity or sponsor a child. I havent yet, but I would have if the members of a particular organization's street marketing team werent so amazingly annoying. I know I can not stand alone in feeling that the people who stand on the sidewalks of Manhatten harrassing people to sponsor a child are some of the most annoying people in the city. Let me breakdown exactly why I do not like these people. (Note: I am aware that this post does not fit into my normally positive and objective blog entries, but I need to get this off of my chest.) Now I will not name the organization at fault because I am pretty sure they are not the only organization that uses this type of guerrilla marketing to meet their objectives.
Anyway, the first problem I have with them is that they dont ask everyone if they would like to sponsor a child. They pick and choose what individual walking down the street they will jump out in front of and say "Hey, just give me minute of your time to save the life of a child!" Now, the reason I have a huge problem with this is because whether it is a charity, salesman or conartist its as if they are saying to me "Hey, of everyone walking down this sidewalk today you look like the sucker that will buy into my sob story!" Obviosly I am personally offended, was I looking a little too friendly today, or do I just have the face of a mark?
My second issue is that their one minute speech never takes one minute, and they really arent very concerned that you may be late for work as they go into ridiculous detail on how YOU can help these poor helpless children. Now, I will share a short true story, a very homely looking girl tracked me down on the way back from lunch and asked me a question. She asked, "How much a month do you think it would cost to pay for medical insurance, food, and school supplies for a child in a third world country?" My reply was "I don't know, $5?" She responded by yelling, " WHAT!!, Are you smoking crack!! How could you do all of those things for $5 a month!?!?!?!" Which basically made me want to walk away as quickly as possible. She went on to inform me of the "obvious" answer, which was $30/month
Now my third issue is what ended my conversation the last time I was approached by one of these reps. I was ready to sponsor my child and all I needed to know was where do I sign up. That is when she informed me that she would need my credit card or bank account number. Um, no. I don't think so. There just isn't any way I am going to give my credit card number or bank number to someone I just met on the street 1 minute ago. So, not taking no for an answer she showed me her driver's license so maybe I could use her name and face to track her down if she stole my money. I am sorry, there are just to many scams to be giving my account information to people out on the street.
Which brings me to the last problem I have with these people (for right now, there may be more later). I asked if its possible that I take the application home with me and mail it to the corporate office or if I can go online to fill out the application. The answer is always no. They can always come up with several excuses why it wouldn't be smart to do it any other way than to sign up with them on the street. I have heard "80% of applications we give out are never returned so it doesnt make sense for me to give you an application to take home." Which makes me wonder, isn't saving the life of a child worth the 20% chance that someone would return the application. I have also heard, "The children on the website are different from the ones I am trying to get sponsored, only children new to the program are posted on the internet, so I represent the kids that keep getting pushed back and forgotten about." The insistence that the application be filled out with them, just oozes selfish motives. If it is really the kids you are worried about, does it really matter who gets credit for the application.

So, now that I have completed my rant, I am currently surfing online gathering information so I can decide which organization I will be sponsoring my child through. I am currently leaning toward an organization that allows you to sponsor an entire family as opposed to just one child.

If I have to say anything these street marketers did convince me that there were things I can do to help right now. They have suscceeded in motivating me to "sponsor a damn child."

If you have $2,200 you are RICH!!!!!!!

A global study found that if you have a personal wealth of $2,200 you are currently in the top half of the world's wealthiest people. You are in the top 10% by just holding $61,000 in assets. Really makes you stop and think about our priorities. Over 3 billion people live on less than $2 a day. Really puts things in perspective. Read more here.

Positive Development in SA

Well at least good news for the government of South Africa. De Beers diamond company has agreed to help create a black-run diamond producing firm. The firm will most likely be run by Alexkor, a state run company. The deal is scheduled to be completed by 2008. Click here to read more.

New Uses for Your Manure

I have a strong interest in the recycling of waste. In my humble opinion the use of recycled material is one of the best ways to sustainably develop third world countries. It is amazing how many tons of material are simply buried or incinerated in developed countries that could be used in construction, consumer goods, or art in poorer countries. I came across an article today that announced the success of a Michigan State research team. They were able to convert animal manure into wood board. Their study finds that this wood board is of a higher quality than the standard particleboard wood often used in construction, floors, and shelving. This directly addresses the issue American livestock farmers are having in processing the hundreds of tons of manure that is produced every year. In the book, "101 Reasons Why I Am A Vegetarian", by Pamela Rice ( a great read), she addresses how the replacement of a large number of small farms by a small number of megafarms have led to a increasingly difficult problem of removing animal waste. She states that the increased number of animals using a reduced anount of land limits the area farmers have to spread the maure across. A large amount of waste finds its way into America's waterways eventually contaminating drinking water. To read more on this article you can click here.

The Problem with NGO's

Does Economic Aid Hurt Africa?

Came across an article written in 2005 that interviews a Kenyan who argues that international economic aid actually hurts Africa more than it helps. His arguments include that economic aid has a negative effect because, "Huge bureaucracies are financed (with the aid money), corruption and complacency are promoted, Africans are taught to be beggars and not to be independent. In addition, development aid weakens the local markets everywhere and dampens the spirit of entrepreneurship that we so desperately need." You can read the rest of the article here. The idea of immediately suspending international aid to Africa sounds a bit extreme. But a gradual reduction of aid is reasonable. Isn't the oringinal purpose of aid to sustain a country until they can get back on their feet? So what is the long range goal of the international donor community, and what date have they set for Africa to be able to stand on its own?

Recognition for Postive Work

Over the next few months I will be be posting links to non-profit organizations that appear to be doing great work around the globe. This is by no means an endorsement as I have no personal connection to these organizations. This is just to bring attention to some of the organizations and mission statements that are out there. If anyone would like to have their organization acknowledged or has an opinion regarding any of the organizations that are posted, please feel free to forward me your comments. Today I ran across the GEANCO Foundation, an organization committed to building medical, educational, and athletic facilities in Nigeria. It was created by Dr. Godwin Onyema, and I think it is worth a look.

Interesting Economic Development Clip

Slums of Kenya

This article by Joyce Malama reviews the new UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-Moon's, first visit to Kenya's largest slum, Kiberia. With insights such as "He could not have missed the tightly-tied polythene bags on every roof: some bags have burst open revealing its contents - human excreta. Flies buzz all around what have come to be known as "flying toilets". In the absence of toilets, people defecate in bags and throw them as far as they can, on to other people's roofs and homes," it is a in your face article that questions why it has taken so long for the international community to respond to the plight of these communities.

Is Help On The Way?

This article announces to the world that China is not the only country interested in investing in Africa's resources. As many people have commented, Europe and America have had plenty of time to help Africa and have been unsuccessful. Maybe the introduction of some new power players can help the countries of Africa jump start their economies. Competition is capitalism at its best. Check out this article from allafrica.com

Debating Crime in SA

Ok, I have finally motivated myself to add something to this fledgling blog. This a surprisingly interesting piece ( atleast to me) by BBC regarding the dabate on what is the best way for businesses to address the high crime rate in South Africa. So, who is really to blame for the high crime rate? Can you continue to blame the effects of aparteid for the current state of affairs in South Africa. And if you can, how long can this excuse be used before citizens take complete responsiblity for the state of their communities. Why does a bank need to motivate citizens to voice their opinions to the government? Or is it the governments fault for not acting on its own. The high crime rate is not a secret to anyone, why does the government need to be convinced to act. I will let you read the article to come to you own conclusions.