Converting the converts

I lectured on Africa and its problems with democracy today. This semester in my Geography 101 class started with Sub-Saharan Africa and I've been working to build a case that we need stability (whatever that is) in this region as globalization finally starts to run out of places to chase cheap labor. Democracy, for better or worse, is a stabilizing factor usually. In Africa, it has had some good moments, but the legacy of colonialism and corruption causes pain even some 60 years after the first movements away from European domination occurred.

As a place that we need, Africa also has the burden of teaching us about itself and some key values or practices that it engages in especially with regard to democratization. In general, Africa has been moving toward more democracy, though some back tracking and recalcitrant places are still behaving badly. I give Equatorial Guinea, Zimbabwe, and, sadly, Rwanda as examples. Rwanda is noteworthy in that its attempt to fix genocide and the potential thereof with the rule of law has faltered by application of laws against "genocidal ideologies" against governmental opponents and journalists.

Still there is much to be learned for us "converts" in the process of African democratization. The TED lecture from 2007 points one possible avenue for education on the spread of democracy. George Ayttieyeh:

Comments

[lobbygow]

I know nothing about geopolitics and I am not up on current events, but I've had a general impression that the U.S. has been "investing" in Africa as an undervalued region for some time now. That includes Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations. Is there any reason other than my own imagination that I should have that impression?

[metulj]

China outstrips in aid "activity." Not money but activity.

[Andy Axel]

...globalization finally starts to run out of places to chase cheap labor.

A couple more years of 20% real unemployment in the US, who knows.