Make friends with AFRICA
The state of Africa is a scar on the conscience of the world. But if the world as a community focused on it, we could heal it. And if we don't, it will become deeper and angrier. - Tony Blair, British Prime Minister, 2001
The Human Development Index is a 'league table' compiled by the UNDP. It tries to reflect the wider view of human development by taking into account the following factors: life expectancy, adult literacy rate, education enrolment, gross domestic product per capita.
Of the bottom 20 nations, all but East Timor are in Africa, and most of the other Sub-Saharan African countries are not far behind.
Substantial numbers of Africans now live and work in Europe and North America. Some of these Africans are passionate about 'doing something' for Africa and have started their own organisations to raise money and support development programmes.
These are much smaller than the big international development agencies. But they are an African response to promote African development.
...help it to a better future
Take Action
Volunteer to help one of the small 'diaspora development initiatives' that have been started in your country to support development in Africa in whatever way you can.
You will be working with a group of highly motivated people and make some exciting new friends - whilst doing your but for the future of Africa.
18th December is International Migrants Day
Find Out More
The African Foundation for Development (AFFORD) is a network of African diaspora initiatives in the UK: www.afford-uk.org
News from all over Africa can be gleaned from: www.allafrica.com
The UNDP human development website: hdr.undp.org
Stand Up For Africa
Elsie Nemlin, who is from the Ivory Coast, founded Stand Up For Africa in 2003 with three main objectives:
- To raise funds for the disadvantaged in Africa and facilitate their self-sufficiency.
- To provide volunteers from the African Diaspora to share skills for African development.
- To lobby for justice and fairness.
- SUFA's first programme addressed the child slave trade in West Africa.
Support Stand Up For Africa. Stand up for Elsie www.standupforafrica.org.uk
The Human Development Index
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) defines 'human development' as much more than the rise or fall of national incomes. It is about creating an environment in which people can develop their full potential and lead productive, creative lives in accordance with their needs, interests and choices.
UNDP has created an index to compare levels of human development in different countries. The bottom 20 nations in 2002 and their scores (out of 1.000) were as follows:
- East Timor 0.436
- Rwanda 0.431
- Guinea 0.425
- Benin 0.421
- Tanzania 0.407
- CÙte d'Ivoire 0.399
- Zambia 0.389
- Malawi 0.388
- Angola 0.381
- Chad 0.379
- Dem. Rep. Congo 0.365
- Central African
- Republic 0.361
- Ethiopia 0.359
- Mozambique 0.354
- Guinea-Bissau 0.350
- Burundi 0.339
- Mali 0.326
- Burkina Faso 0.302
- Niger 0.292
- Sierra Leone 0.273
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The state of Africa is a scar on the conscience of the world. But if the world as a community focused on it, we could heal it. And if we don't, it will become deeper and angrier. - Tony Blair, British Prime Minister, 2001
What are you going to do about it?
This page address: www.365act.com/actions/18.html
