Club Name : ProgressiveAfrica Description : This group was formed to provide a forum for those brilliant African minds and those who are her cherished ally. For those people who have unfolded the truth of her oppression and will stand for genuine resistance. For the free black souls and animated brilliant friends of the people. For the liberation fighters and justice seekers. For all those who demand justice now and not when the imperialist and wealthy thiefs say it so. For the oppressed people of the world who demand justice NOW! If this is not you join some other group. my blogspot: Progressive Africanist some facts: -Africa is a Continent!!!!! -54 countries and some islands -The most populous countries in Africa are Nigeria(130m), Ethiopia(77m), and Egypt(72m) -Most of the borders between states in Africa were created at the Berlin Conference when most African nations were colonies. Borders were drawn up with little consideration. -Africa is the fastest urbanising continent in the world with over half of the African population expected to live in cities by 2030!! Africa will cease to be a rural continent -5 of the10 fastest growing economies in the world are in Africa! -2/3 of African States have commited themselves to multi-party democracy. Largely because of bottom-up pressure. -Angola, Libya, Nigeria, Sudan and Equatorial Guinea are Africa's and some of the worlds largest oil producing nations and all of these countries(excluding Nigeria) are just coming on as oil producers and are just begining to tap that resource all of these countries are planing to expand their production. -Chinese trade with Africa has doubled every year for the last three years. China has passed the EU as Africa's second largest trading partner and is just behind America. But China might be more influential in that US trade with Africa is largely driven by oil, the Millenium Challenge Account and the AGOA tariff free trade pact(which has benefitted few states) and both are tied to US 'free market' demands, While Chinese investments are more substantial, more diverse, and have been made in all 54 African countries and are not tied. -The African Union was formed in 2002 replacing the Organization of African Unity -During the post independence period and into the cold war period almost all of the leaders in Africa were used like pawns and were either supported by the West(UK, US) or Russia based solely on where they stood between the two and with no consideration for human rights or their people. Many of these despots(Mobutu, Abacha, Amin, Savimbi) were created and backed by the West at the same time they were preaching democracy. Many of the indigenous leaders like Lumumba and Nkrumah were assasinated at the call of the CIA. -Africa's debts are well over $300 billion. Most of these debts were created by leaders not backed by their own people and largely came in the form of loans from the west!! The G8 debt relief proposal amounts to a tiny fraction of this amount. - As a result of all this almost every African country experienced an internal rebelion or faced war at their borders from neighbouring nations. The nautious borders, extreme poverty, extreme social inequality, lack of basic state service, and externally backed despots created condtitions ripe for conflict literally setting Africa back several generations!! The west is scared shitless about China's growing influnece in Africa!!! .. Alpha Oumar Konare, chair of the Commission of the African Union, introduces his entourage to President Hu Jintao during a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing yesterday. Konare arrived on Sunday for a five-day official visit to China at the invitation of the Chinese Government. Konare will also travel to Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, and Shanghai, in East China. Le Monde:Chinas trade safari in Africa USA Today:Chinese seek resources, profits in Africa PNIR: Sino US energy Competition in Africa last two weeks: Vice Priemer Huang on Africa tour in Madagascar anounces nation will triple trade and investment in Africa to $100 billion from its current $30 billion in five years New York Times: China Wages Classroom Struggle to WIn Friends in Africa Ignore Africa at Your Peril, Think Tank Warns Bush State's Frazer Discusses U.S.-Chinese Cooperation on Africa Washington Post: China poses threat to U.S. in Africa, report says US, China wage diplomatic battle on 'playing field' of Africa: report The 2 recent Council on Foreign Relations reports: CFR: China's Rising Role in Africa CFR: More than Humanitarianism a Strategic Aproach to Africa(massive report even by CFR standards 140 pages) Thats right China is making significant inroads in Africa and the US and its western allies are scared shitless. I've raised this issue before, and it seems policy heads are finnaly catching up. THe Council on Foreign Relations just released a very high profile report intended to redraw attention of US policy makers towards the expanding relationship between China and Africa. The New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Washington Times, Los Angeles Times, and several other prominent news outlets have written about this this week. All of this comes on the heels of Chinese president Hu Jintao's anouncement that China would triple its trade and investment with Africa to $100 billion by 2010 which at current rates would make it Africa's largest trading partner ahead of Europe and America and making a mockery of the recent G8 aid pledges. The greatest fear of US policy makers of this relationship is that they will be pushed out of the African energy game as Africa looks to take a prominent place in world energy. Africa, for instance, will be providing the US with approximately 25% of its oil by 2010 about as much as the middle east and Africas potential reserves are largely untapped. All this gives a good explanation to why all the recent focus on Africa by the G8 countries in particul Britain and France who are used to having influence there seeing their influence diminsh. Will China's engagement and trade embaress the west in Africa and actually lead to growth and development? If current growth figures in Africa are correct than thats exactely what is happening. PBS: China's investment in Africa PBS: Sudans Booming Economy Some more interesting pieces: Video: Basil Davidson on Ancient Egypt, Nubia and the ethnic makeup of Ancient Egypt. check out my long threads on Whitewashing Egypt(posted in several groups really heated debate): Ancient Egyptian Civilization: White washing Egypt Ancient African Civilizations: Another Sad Example of Whitewashing Egypt There is also the same topic posted in this group if you want to find it. more from the Basil Davidson series Meroe and Kush The Sahara(Ancient African Migration). Africans lived in the ancient green Sahara!!!! and migrated west and east to Kush, Nubia, and Egypt!!! Ancient Egypt and Ancient Nubia. Ancient Egypt for long wanted to impress Nubians. Abu Simbel Ancient Kushites migrated to Nuba hills pyramids of Nubia and Meroe, Nubian Christianity for those who want to learn about africa: .. AFRICAN UNION The Constituitive Act of the African Union Pan-African Parliment COMESA(The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa - promoting regional economic integration through trade and investment.) SADC(Southern African Development Community) ECOWAS(Economic Community of West African States) VOA real audio report on the inauguration and goals of the pan african parliment VOA real audio report on the inauguration oif the African Union Security Council Dr. HE Salim Salim (former prime minister of Tanzinia and Sec-Gen of the OAU now the AU's appointed head envoy on the Sudanese peace process) gives a strong lecture on the development of "The New African Unity". He also touches on some very important topics including Zimbabwe, Darfur, and the first 20 minutes are devoted to a background on the African Union. Dr. HE Salim Salim(The former Secretary General of the Organisation of African Unity now the African Union) speaking at the Woodrow Wilson center on "The Changing Face of African Unity" Best African news sites African Union News AfricanUnion.info. Africa Leader PANAPRESS Sudan Tribune Ethiopia First SABC news All Africa News AFROL Africa Confidential Arab News Economic Development in Africa The Guardian(UK):The New Scramble For Africa(The West, China, and India rush to secure influence and access to African Oil) and Revealed: The New Scramble for Africa Wall Street Jounal: China Flexes Economic Muscle Throughout Burgeoning Africa Aid to Africa is not the answer Africa well positioned to capture much of the worlds energy market Monetary Union by 2021 Africa Should Form its own Cartels African Economy Grows Faster Under Positive Climate Africa's Economic Makeover Misses Media Ethiopia leaps into the information age (I thought this was fantastic) China's Growing Influence in Africa .. Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) meets with Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union Alpha Oumar Konare in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Premier Wen of China speech at the opening of the CHina Africa Cooperation Forum in 2003 Watch:Video-Jim Lehrer Newshour reports:China Sees Trade and Investment Opportunities in Africa(just prior to the G8 meeting) Video-U.S. Senate Hearing: Chinas Exploding Influence in Africa Le Monde Diplomatiquë: China's Trade Safari in Africa(Is Africa destined to be at the center of an intensifying trade war? yup!) Christian Science Monitor: A rising China Counters US Clout in Africa The Guardian(UK):Beijing Makes Friends and Riches in Africa China Cancels all of Africa's Debts(taking a shot at the West)