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

Thu Jun 21 15:23:11 EAT 2012

I think Kivuva if the govt compelled NGOs to register various details
in an openly accessible database - a database that can be
searched/filtered/manipulated, etc by projects, focus areas (health,
democracy, rights, violence, etc) with these NGO also providing
budgets, project costs, opex, etc - then we'd be one step closer to
streamlining the sector - as was the intention back then.

We'd pool projects - foster collaboration between NGOs, identify main
funding partners and guide them accordingly.  We'd be saying "yes -
there are problems here and if you would like to help, lets work
together and do it this way for maximum impact" - rather than have
four/five diff NGOs traipsing all over the place doing the same
things, falling over each other and sometimes confounding the
communities they work in or the people they help.   The donors will
also have visibility as to how many NGOs are doing what and prioritise
accordingly.    Reporting to govt and donors in a set format must be
made mandatory - e.g. what has been the impact and how is it measured?

NGOs should not exist in isolation.

My two bits....

On 21 June 2012 14:51, Kivuva <Kivuva at transworldafrica.com> wrote:
>>
>> 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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>
> 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