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

Thu Jun 21 19:07:43 EAT 2012

Ali Hussein, we have been lied to before, and we never learn. never
trust The imperialists.

For Who deceives me once, God forgive him; if twice, God forgive him; but
if thrice, God forgive him, but not me, because I could not beware.
[1611 *Tarlton's
Jests* (1844) 11]

On 21 June 2012 18:37, Ali Hussein <ali at hussein.me.ke> wrote:

> Andrea
>
> I beg to disagree. They may not necessarily look at Foreign Policy
> Magazine Rankings but you can't deny the fact that biased reporting and
> rankings like this do have a certain influence on analysts. Unless you are
> telling me we as human beings are not influenced by a bit of 'desktop
> researching'? My question would be to what extent do these kind of reports
> influence analysts?
>
> Ali Hussein
>
> +254 773/713 601113
>
> Sent from my iPhone®
>
> On Jun 21, 2012, at 6:28 PM, Andrea Bohnstedt <
> andrea.bohnstedt at ratio-magazine.com> wrote:
>
> No, I can assure you, sovereign risk ratings are not determined by Foreign
> Policy magazine rankings. I've done a few in my past life at GI and they
> were usually *far* more tedious than skipping through shallow-ish Foreign
> Policy mag articles, and involved snooze-making amounts of balance of
> payment data and stuff.
>
> I also think the ranking is off. But as a country risk analyst, I suspect
> the FP ranking doesn't matter much anyway. Anyone who's serious about an
> investment will not rely on this as a yard stick, anyone who's not serious
> isn't, ummm, serious anyway.
>
> Have a lovely Thursday evening, everyone!
>
> Andrea
>
>
> On 21 June 2012 17:52, Ali Hussein <ali at hussein.me.ke> wrote:
>
>> Now we are being punished for our hospitality? Surely...
>>
>> Having said that me thinks we shouldn't expend our energies on something
>> so obviously biased. Thing is though is that we are caught between a rock
>> and hard place as these rankings sometimes determine our financial rankings
>> in matters of sovereign debt etc. unfortunately it's still true that who
>> pays the piper calls the tune!
>>
>> Ali Hussein
>>
>> +254 773/713 601113
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone®
>>
>> On Jun 21, 2012, at 2:43 PM, Adam Peake <ajp at glocom.ac.jp> wrote:
>>
>> > Short explanation of Kenya's position according to Foreign Policy:
>> > <
>> http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/06/18/postcards_from_hell_2012?page=0,16
>> >
>> >
>> > A problem Kenya carries that many other countries do not are the
>> > refugee camps along the northern borders, and then there's the
>> > problems of unstable neighbours. But such a ranking, without
>> > explanation is ridiculous.
>> >
>> > Adam
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > On Thu, Jun 21, 2012 at 8:19 PM, Francis Hook <francis.hook at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> >> Interestingly Ethiopia is ranked 16th (somehow its missing on the
>> >> wikipedia link but is on the other link) - one better than Kenya.
>> >>
>> >> Recently they banned VoiP and attached a prison sentence to anyone
>> >> caught using a VoIP app.   There IT indicators are among the lowest in
>> >> Africa ergo access to information , implicit freedom to
>> >> "associate/assemble" electronically, ICT for development,  share
>> >> ideas, ability to politick online, etc are severely constrained - at
>> >> least in so far as social and political environments go.   Anyone who
>> >> has tried to open shop in Ethiopia will tell you its not plain
>> >> sailing.  Dissent is not allowed. etc etc.
>> >>
>> >> And they are one better than Kenya?
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> On 21 June 2012 14:03, Francis Hook <francis.hook at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >>> Thanks Kivuva,
>> >>> On that note about NGOs (and perception), its sad to note that these
>> >>> have increasingly become a form of creating self-employment - both by
>> >>> foreigners and Kenyans alike.   Pick a cause, shed light on how bad
>> >>> things are (even if they are not really that bad) and start passing
>> >>> around the cup.
>> >>>
>> >>> I recall there was a time the govt sought to regulate (audit?) NGOs
>> >>> and their activities - (and avoid duplicated efforts, wastage of
>> >>> resources, etc). I think at the time were some rumblings about why the
>> >>> govt should do this - if I am not mistaken it was mainly because
>> >>> certain NGOs "addressing" democracy, civic education, human rights,
>> >>> etc were drawing fire (or the govt's wrath) for whatever reasons and I
>> >>> think part of the political class that that time, who perhaps had
>> >>> vested interests, supported such NGOs activities and the whole move
>> >>> amounted to nought.
>> >>>
>> >>> I'd like to think that since 2003 the democracy has grown, healthcare
>> >>> more widely available, women's/Children's/human rights are better,
>> >>> malaria/AIDs on the decline, agricultural practices better, etc.   Of
>> >>> course I do not have a yardstick but just by living in our society I
>> >>> have seen changes. Most certainly things are better than 10 years ago.
>> >>> Thus such NGOs should have whittled down to a handful and perceptions
>> >>> of Kenya should be different already. Ironically this ranking must
>> >>> mean the NGOs work has amounted to nothing :-)
>> >>>
>> >>> 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.
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>> 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
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> --
>> >> Francis Hook
>> >> +254 733 504561
>> >>
>> >> _______________________________________________
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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.
>> >
>> > _______________________________________________
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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.
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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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.
>
>
>
>
> --
> Andrea Bohnstedt <http://ke.linkedin.com/in/andreabohnstedt>
> Publisher
> +254 720 960 322
>
> www.ratio-magazine.com
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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.
>

-- 
______________________
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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