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

Kivuva Kivuva at transworldafrica.com
Thu Jun 21 14:51:05 EAT 2012


>
>
> Having said that I admit there are indeed NGOs doing sterling jobs in
> Kenya and we need to support them.  But for the most part, and I make
> no apology about this, many of them are simply busy bodies that muddy
> the waters, distort the facts (or focus on the negative ones), stir
> controversy (in NGO-ese: "foster open dialogue") etc and strive to
> remain relevant in order to secure funding.  In so doing they must
> continue to paint a negative picture of Kenya.
>

There must be a way to root out such elements. They are doing more damage
than good. What regulation mechanism  has worked elsewhere? Maybe we should
learn some lesson.


>
> 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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> >>
> >>
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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
> >
> >
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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.
>
>
>
> --
> Francis Hook
> +254 733 504561
>



-- 
______________________
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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