||Sandwich|| & [Drink]> blog
A Sandwich of Topics, Easy to DigestArchive for Our World
China Pledges $10 billion in Cheap Loans to African Countries
via Al Jazeera
China is steadily and rapidly becoming a key player in the Global marketplace, especially in Africa.
Key Facts:
- Africa’s combined GDP is worth approximately $1.2trn, equal to about one quarter of China’s $4.4trn economy.
- Trade between China and Africa has risen by more than 33 per cent annually this decade.
- Volume of two-way trade almost hit $107bn in 2008.
- Africa has a market potential of 800 million people.
- In the first nine months of 2009, Beijing invested more than $7.8bn in Africa.
- China’s imports from Africa are dominated by oil and minerals to fuel its booming economy. Most come from Angola, Sudan, Nigeria, Zambia, the DR Congo and the Republic of the Congo.
Many western companies and organizations have been criticizing the Chinese for doing business with some African countries but as one Chinese representative put it, “Just because [US and European] companies are doing business here, does that mean they are supporting the military government?…So why, when Chinese companies do business here, is China accused of supporting the government?”. Some see the criticism as fear that the West’s strong role in Africa is steadily diminishing.
The West has had a monopoly on the buying of African resources for the past 20 years and the next decade should be interesting in how the relationships and economic strength of all three regions change with this new trade relationship. I doubt it will be bad for the Chinese or Africans.
CNN Interviews Matthew Hoh Who Resigned In Protest Over Afghanistan
CNN’s Fareed Zakaria Interviews State Department Official Matthew Hoh Who Resigned In Protest Over Afghanistan War.
Hoh does a very good job describing the Afghan landscape and the logistical difficulties and pointlessness of the U.S. operations there when dealing with a unique region and culture.
PBS- The Market Maker: Eleni Gabre Madhin Creates First Commodity Market in Ethiopia [Full Episode]
Trailer:
While in college future economist Eleni Gabre-Madhin watched the famine in her home country Ethiopia, where about a million people died of starvation. The most messed up part about it was that in the northern part of the country there was a surplus of food which was thrown away.
In the video we get to watch her as she goes back to Ethiopia to set up a commodity exchange so that Ethiopian farmers get access to the market all across Ethiopia- and with enough time, the world. This is an amazing documentary (and the only one I know of) showing a person developing a national commodities exchange from scratch.
If you want to see the whole video in full screen, go here:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/episodes/the-market-maker/full-episode/5293/
William Kamkwamba on Daily Show with Jon Stewart
After having to drop out of school to help his family due to famine in Malawi, William Kamkwamba went to the library and found a book called “Using Energy”. From this book, the 14 year old created his own windmill to harness energy in his small African Village.
During the interview, Jon Stewart calls him the closest real life version of MacGyver. The story William tells at the end had me cracking up.
The book mentioned, “The Boy Who Harnessed Wind” is currently #10 on Amazon.
Oliver Stone’s South of the Border
via Street Knowledge
I’m always open to anything that sheds light on US media bias.
This flick specifically portrays U.S. media bias against Hugo Chavez, but in a broader way, any leader who happens to favor their people over U.S. corporate interests.
