[kictanet] Failed States Index 2012 - Kenya #16, Somalia #1, Libya #50 (???),

[Warigia Bowman]

The list makes no sense, really. I am in Egypt, which is currently a
military dictatorship, and yet it is ranked higher than Kenya, which in my
view is a somewhat functional democracy with authoriarian elements. Yet the
list gives Egypt a better score than Kenya. It is ridiculous.

On Thu, Jun 21, 2012 at 12:29 PM, Kivuva <Kivuva at transworldafrica.com>wrote:

> Syria, 7 places adrift! With 17,000+ casualties, 35,000 wounded, and
> 250,000 refugees, and still fighting in the uprising, how can they be
> better than Kenya?
>
>
> On 21 June 2012 13:16, Kivuva <Kivuva at transworldafrica.com> wrote:
>
>> Francis,
>>
>> Thank you for bringing this up. I think the ratings are more to do with
>> perception than reality. Most of the negative that make us rank so poorly
>> is our own creation. What about thousands of NGOs taking pictures of slums,
>> drought and starving children then run to western donors begging for cash
>> to "HELP" the poor they "REPRESENT"! This has ruined the developing world's
>> image beyond measure. Our own PRESS is also a major problem. I don't see
>> western country publish widely sensationalizing  their homeless, street
>> gangs, mafia, and grand grand corruption, as we do ours.
>>
>> In recent times, I have seen our leaders, including PS Ndemo insist on
>> positive reporting from our media. That is the direction we should seek. If
>> we instill cockiness in the direction of  narcissism, then the west will
>> stop taking us for granted.
>>
>> Self Love
>>
>> On 21 June 2012 10:47, Francis Hook <francis.hook at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Apologies this is not mainstream ICT but at the periphery some ICT
>>> aspects need to be considered as well...(open access to information,
>>> ICT enabling democracy/choice/transparency, ICT in corruption, etc) .
>>>
>>> This index is by the US group Fund for Peace.   I wonder what metrics
>>> they are using or how they are weighting the values of the 13 indices
>>> they use.
>>>
>>> Kenya is ranked 16th...that's just 15 steps away from Somalia (???),
>>> 14 from DRC and shares the "teens" positions with Pakistan, Nigeria,
>>> Niger among others. The lower the  score, the more "failed" a state
>>> is.
>>>
>>> Anyway....the links:
>>>
>>> 1 -
>>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Failed_States_Index
>>> (updated with 2012 Index)
>>>
>>> 2 - http://www.foreignpolicy.com/failed_states_index_2012_interactive
>>>
>>>
>>> Personally I don't think Kenya should rate that poorly out of a 177 or
>>> so countries...I suspect some of the 13 indices are weighted more
>>> heavy than others (corruption, criminality, political situation etc) -
>>> and if such were removed from the index, just for the sake of seeing
>>> how it shifts the rankings, I'd like to think some EU countries would
>>> be in the top 50 at least....social unrest, steep economic decline,
>>> slum creation (US - housing/mortgage crisis has seen more people
>>> living in the streets in the last couple of years than in the last
>>> half a century), Wall Street demos, etc, ...."Suspension or arbitrary
>>> application of law" (Guantano Bay still open for business, The
>>> Patriots Act).
>>>
>>> And "Intervention of external political agents" - I think in Africa's
>>> case these "political agents" are usually from (or supported/fronted)
>>> by some developing countries that would want to nurture certain
>>> regimes in order to reap some economic gain...but that's an argument
>>> for another day.
>>>
>>> I'm also surprised the use of the adjective "primitive" by Korean
>>> Airlines, to describe Kenyans, elicited more reactions than this lowly
>>> ranking...should we get all hot and bothered about what is likely an
>>> issue of translation or summon our national pride and repudiate this
>>> "failed" states index?
>>>
>>> Rgds
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Francis Hook
>>> +254 733 504561
>>>
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>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> ______________________
>> Mwendwa Kivuva
>> For
>> Business Development
>> Transworld Computer Channels
>> Cel: 0722402248
>> twitter.com/lordmwesh
>> www.transworldAfrica.com  | Fluent in computing
>> kenya.or.ke | The Kenya we know
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> ______________________
> Mwendwa Kivuva
> For
> Business Development
> Transworld Computer Channels
> Cel: 0722402248
> twitter.com/lordmwesh
> www.transworldAfrica.com  | Fluent in computing
> kenya.or.ke | The Kenya we know
>
>
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> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>
> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>



-- 
Dr. Warigia Bowman
Assistant Professor
Clinton School of Public Service
University of Arkansas
1200 President Clinton Ave.
Sturgis Hall
Little Rock, AR 72201
501-683-5227
wbowman at clintonschool.uasys.edu
http://democratizingegypt.blogspot.com
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