<div dir="ltr">Yes, and another amusing indicator is that they say that Ghana is borderline. The last time that I checked, Ghana is one of the most stable and successful of all African countries, with a thriving democracy. <br>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Jun 21, 2012 at 1:19 PM, Francis Hook <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:francis.hook@gmail.com" target="_blank">francis.hook@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
Interestingly Ethiopia is ranked 16th (somehow its missing on the<br>
wikipedia link but is on the other link) - one better than Kenya.<br>
<br>
Recently they banned VoiP and attached a prison sentence to anyone<br>
caught using a VoIP app. There IT indicators are among the lowest in<br>
Africa ergo access to information , implicit freedom to<br>
"associate/assemble" electronically, ICT for development, share<br>
ideas, ability to politick online, etc are severely constrained - at<br>
least in so far as social and political environments go. Anyone who<br>
has tried to open shop in Ethiopia will tell you its not plain<br>
sailing. Dissent is not allowed. etc etc.<br>
<br>
And they are one better than Kenya?<br>
<div class="HOEnZb"><div class="h5"><br>
<br>
On 21 June 2012 14:03, Francis Hook <<a href="mailto:francis.hook@gmail.com">francis.hook@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
> Thanks Kivuva,<br>
> On that note about NGOs (and perception), its sad to note that these<br>
> have increasingly become a form of creating self-employment - both by<br>
> foreigners and Kenyans alike. Pick a cause, shed light on how bad<br>
> things are (even if they are not really that bad) and start passing<br>
> around the cup.<br>
><br>
> I recall there was a time the govt sought to regulate (audit?) NGOs<br>
> and their activities - (and avoid duplicated efforts, wastage of<br>
> resources, etc). I think at the time were some rumblings about why the<br>
> govt should do this - if I am not mistaken it was mainly because<br>
> certain NGOs "addressing" democracy, civic education, human rights,<br>
> etc were drawing fire (or the govt's wrath) for whatever reasons and I<br>
> think part of the political class that that time, who perhaps had<br>
> vested interests, supported such NGOs activities and the whole move<br>
> amounted to nought.<br>
><br>
> I'd like to think that since 2003 the democracy has grown, healthcare<br>
> more widely available, women's/Children's/human rights are better,<br>
> malaria/AIDs on the decline, agricultural practices better, etc. Of<br>
> course I do not have a yardstick but just by living in our society I<br>
> have seen changes. Most certainly things are better than 10 years ago.<br>
> Thus such NGOs should have whittled down to a handful and perceptions<br>
> of Kenya should be different already. Ironically this ranking must<br>
> mean the NGOs work has amounted to nothing :-)<br>
><br>
> Having said that I admit there are indeed NGOs doing sterling jobs in<br>
> Kenya and we need to support them. But for the most part, and I make<br>
> no apology about this, many of them are simply busy bodies that muddy<br>
> the waters, distort the facts (or focus on the negative ones), stir<br>
> controversy (in NGO-ese: "foster open dialogue") etc and strive to<br>
> remain relevant in order to secure funding. In so doing they must<br>
> continue to paint a negative picture of Kenya.<br>
><br>
><br>
> On 21 June 2012 13:16, Kivuva <<a href="mailto:Kivuva@transworldafrica.com">Kivuva@transworldafrica.com</a>> wrote:<br>
>> Francis,<br>
>><br>
>> Thank you for bringing this up. I think the ratings are more to do with<br>
>> perception than reality. Most of the negative that make us rank so poorly is<br>
>> our own creation. What about thousands of NGOs taking pictures of slums,<br>
>> drought and starving children then run to western donors begging for cash to<br>
>> "HELP" the poor they "REPRESENT"! This has ruined the developing world's<br>
>> image beyond measure. Our own PRESS is also a major problem. I don't see<br>
>> western country publish widely sensationalizing their homeless, street<br>
>> gangs, mafia, and grand grand corruption, as we do ours.<br>
>><br>
>> In recent times, I have seen our leaders, including PS Ndemo insist on<br>
>> positive reporting from our media. That is the direction we should seek. If<br>
>> we instill cockiness in the direction of narcissism, then the west will<br>
>> stop taking us for granted.<br>
>><br>
>> Self Love<br>
>><br>
>> On 21 June 2012 10:47, Francis Hook <<a href="mailto:francis.hook@gmail.com">francis.hook@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
>>><br>
>>> Apologies this is not mainstream ICT but at the periphery some ICT<br>
>>> aspects need to be considered as well...(open access to information,<br>
>>> ICT enabling democracy/choice/transparency, ICT in corruption, etc) .<br>
>>><br>
>>> This index is by the US group Fund for Peace. I wonder what metrics<br>
>>> they are using or how they are weighting the values of the 13 indices<br>
>>> they use.<br>
>>><br>
>>> Kenya is ranked 16th...that's just 15 steps away from Somalia (???),<br>
>>> 14 from DRC and shares the "teens" positions with Pakistan, Nigeria,<br>
>>> Niger among others. The lower the score, the more "failed" a state<br>
>>> is.<br>
>>><br>
>>> Anyway....the links:<br>
>>><br>
>>> 1 - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Failed_States_Index" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Failed_States_Index</a><br>
>>> (updated with 2012 Index)<br>
>>><br>
>>> 2 - <a href="http://www.foreignpolicy.com/failed_states_index_2012_interactive" target="_blank">http://www.foreignpolicy.com/failed_states_index_2012_interactive</a><br>
>>><br>
>>><br>
>>> Personally I don't think Kenya should rate that poorly out of a 177 or<br>
>>> so countries...I suspect some of the 13 indices are weighted more<br>
>>> heavy than others (corruption, criminality, political situation etc) -<br>
>>> and if such were removed from the index, just for the sake of seeing<br>
>>> how it shifts the rankings, I'd like to think some EU countries would<br>
>>> be in the top 50 at least....social unrest, steep economic decline,<br>
>>> slum creation (US - housing/mortgage crisis has seen more people<br>
>>> living in the streets in the last couple of years than in the last<br>
>>> half a century), Wall Street demos, etc, ...."Suspension or arbitrary<br>
>>> application of law" (Guantano Bay still open for business, The<br>
>>> Patriots Act).<br>
>>><br>
>>> And "Intervention of external political agents" - I think in Africa's<br>
>>> case these "political agents" are usually from (or supported/fronted)<br>
>>> by some developing countries that would want to nurture certain<br>
>>> regimes in order to reap some economic gain...but that's an argument<br>
>>> for another day.<br>
>>><br>
>>> I'm also surprised the use of the adjective "primitive" by Korean<br>
>>> Airlines, to describe Kenyans, elicited more reactions than this lowly<br>
>>> ranking...should we get all hot and bothered about what is likely an<br>
>>> issue of translation or summon our national pride and repudiate this<br>
>>> "failed" states index?<br>
>>><br>
>>> Rgds<br>
>>><br>
>>><br>
>>> --<br>
>>> Francis Hook<br>
>>> +254 733 504561<br>
>>><br>
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>>><br>
>>><br>
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>> --<br>
>> ______________________<br>
>> Mwendwa Kivuva<br>
>> For<br>
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>> Transworld Computer Channels<br>
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>><br>
>> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for<br>
>> people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and<br>
>> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT<br>
>> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.<br>
>><br>
>> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors<br>
>> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,<br>
>> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do<br>
>> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> --<br>
> Francis Hook<br>
> +254 733 504561<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
--<br>
Francis Hook<br>
+254 733 504561<br>
<br>
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</div></div></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div dir="ltr"><div>Dr. Warigia Bowman</div>
<div>Assistant Professor </div><div>Clinton School of Public Service</div><div>University of Arkansas</div><div>1200 President Clinton Ave. </div><div>Sturgis Hall</div><div>Little Rock, AR 72201<br>501-683-5227<br></div>
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