A platform where the young and inspired discuss relevant issues.
Saturday 6 February 2010
The Politics of
CLIMATE CHANGE
BY: SAKYI-GYINAE KWESI
“I believe we can act boldly, and decisively, in the face of a common threat. That’s why I come here today — not to talk, but to act.”1 Barack Obama
The Journey to COP 15
In early December 2009, the subject of climate change aggrandized as 192 world leaders converged at Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen to hew out of previous negotiations, an actionable deal to address climate change issues. COP 15, as it was captioned, was the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The UNFCCC was one of the three conventions adopted at the 1992 "Rio Earth Summit."....
A Mix of Fate with Faith
"How can man change the climate and make it stop raining: it is God's will that has brought the drought".6 This was a decrial captured by BBC’s Greg Whitehead from a female pastoralist from the arid lands of North-East Kenya against the proposition of world's scientists that climate change is man-made. Flippantly, her assertion sprung forth in the wake of prevalent deteriorating conditions resulting from climate change in Kenya. News reports...
Fiction or Fact
Despite the copious amounts of scientific reports being spewed out, the issue of climate change has graduated into something more than science; rather into politics and economics. Not everyone agrees to the facts unriddled by science. For some, the facts of climate change are symbolic of biased political ideologies and economical philosophies, thus dogmatically maintaining positions regardless of multitudinous evidence, and endlessly recycling views that have been repeatedly debunked by scientists.10...
Africa’s Position
The epic of climate change, like many other global issues, does not prove to be a favourite of Africa. In fact it has been asserted that Africa is one of the most vulnerable continents to climate change.16 Quoting a report by Up to Smoke 2, the BBC reported that on the average, the continent is 0.5C warmer than it was 100 years ago, but temperatures in some areas like a part of Kenya which has become 3.5C hotter in the past two decades, have risen much higher.17 The continent’s vulnerability coupled with a weak adaptive capacity is predicated on the existing developmental challenges such as endemic poverty, complex governance and...
Send a request mail to ksgsakyi@yahoo.com to get the full version of this article.
Your thoughts and comments always help to improve our discussions. Share them on the ‘Young & Inspired’ discussion board on FACEBOOK or on the blog www.youngandinspired.blogspot.com.
You can also send them to ksgsakyi@yahoo.com.
Friday 1 January 2010
“I Have a Dream!”
A New Year’s Resolution
SAKYI-GYINAE KWESI
A Struggle for Equality
“I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream.”
Martin Luther King Jr.1
One of the most remarkable historical struggles in world history was the struggle for development of African Americans in the United States of America. It represents a story of how daring men initiated political, economic, educational, and social change in conditions to shape their future and that of the country.2 Creating a feud that lasted for about a century from the mid 1800s to late 1900s, the era witnessed the relentless revolution for equality and justice of African Americans who were then subjected to racial desegregation, slavery and abuse.2 According to Marshall (2002), this struggle, profoundly evident in the south, almost succeeded in alienating that region as a place not part of the entire country....During those times, one of the leaders who revved up the anti-segregation and civil rights campaigns was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In fact the period between 1955 and 1968 has been called “the King years” of American history.4 ....Martin Luther King’s most significant campaign was on August 28 1963, when he led the peaceful March on Washington that pulled together 250,000 people at the Lincoln Memorial. That was where he delivered is monumental speech; “I Have a Dream”.5
The Dream That Lives
The veracity of King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech was pungent and powerful. It was an outward outburst of inner convictions. The speech typified a man who was not only convinced about the rightness of his dream, but also poised to pay the price for its greatness....Like Martin Luther King Jr., most people at the beginning of the year possess high ambitions fuelled by a strongly rejuvenated resolve to make them happen, dreams whose fulfilment would mean self liberation from the manacles of certain negative behaviours, friends or habits, and association with the muscles of positive attitudes and skills. Perhaps this is because the New Year comes with a pristine and promising spirit that awakens people to a world of purpose and possibility. It marks a defining moment that does not only offer first chances for ingenuity and innovation in the present, but also second chances for mistakes and miscues in the past....
Down Memory Lane: A History Untold
The tradition of the New Year's Resolutions is not a new philosophy. Its practice dates back to early BC when the Romans led by King Numa introduced Januarius (January) and Februarius (February) to the existing solar and lunar calendars.8 Januarius was named after the god Janus, the protector of doorways and hence the opening of the year, and Februarius after Februalia, the time for sacrifices at the end of the year.8Janus who was regarded as the god of beginnings and the guardian....It was when the Julian calendar was instituted in 46 BCE by Julius Caesar to accurately reflect the seasons than previous calendars had, that the beginning of the year was shifted from March 1 to January 1...
‘Alice in Wonderland’
....Most people are quick to celebrate the beginning of a new year, but slow to tactically anticipate what the fresh days ahead have in stock. They therefore live the days of the New Year like the days of Alice in Wonderland. Remember that famous and classic bedtime story by English Author Lewis Carol? In the “New Year Wonderland”, such people have absolutely nothing to do with goals or ambitions.
Dream SMART
.....Since the concept of New Year resolutions can have a yearlong impact on our behaviours, it is important to tackle its developments from a strategic angle. One of the best ways to develop NYR is by using the SMART strategy, a strategy which is widely used in the corporate world by business leaders to effectively and efficiently develop organizational goals or launch campaigns. Captured in the variables of Specific, Measurable, Achievable (or Action-oriented), Realistic and Time-Bound, SMART goals ensure that all the necessary elements are included in goal setting in order to make them actionable, well planned and achievable....
Do More than Exist, Live: Specific & Measurable
In applying the SMART principle, the first step in the making of a NYR would be the identification of clear and precise goals; goals that are specific. This begs the question; “What exactly do I want to achieve in 2010?” The necessity of this step is to get the goal setter starting and thinking. Since this would be the big equation from which other derivatives would be churned, it is imperative that a personally thorough, thoughtful and tactical process is undergone to identify the things we would want to achieve. It is the starter pack for a purposeful year. Corroborating the importance of purpose, Dr. Mensa Otabil, accomplished Ghanaian statesman and educator, reflects that “Before you think about what you want to do, you must know who you aspire to be.”....
This is a highlight of the New Year's edition of 'Young & Inspired'. To get the full intellectual and inspiring version, just send a request mail to ksgsakyi@yahoo.com. And guess what, it's absolutely free! Let's start the New Year on knowledge springboard.
Thursday 3 December 2009
360°KNOWLEDGE POWER
Economy of Information, Insight and Impact
SAKYI-GYINAE KWESI & AKESSEH SOLOMON
“At times of momentous change in culture and society, our use of old words to describe new things can hide the emerging future from our eyes.”
Charles Handy1
Conquest of Change
Centuries of years ago, between the 1400s and 1800s, a new society emerged in different parts of the world at different times. It was the shift from the ‘hunter-gatherer’ society into the Agricultural society.2During that era, new agricultural inventions coupled with novel knowledge about how to grow, cultivate, and harvest food from seeds evolved, resulting in a massive and impressive increase in agricultural productivity, plus vast developments in farm technology.3 Later in the 18th century, another next shift occurred. This time it was the switch from the agricultural society into what was regarded as the industrial revolution. This period was marked by the introduction and extensive use of machines, particularly the internal combustion engine and the steam engine, to transform fossil fuels into controlled physical power.2 Other technological innovations culminating in production increases for industries such as cotton and iron, and rapid urbanization associated with growth in the service sector were symptomatic of this period.4 After almost three centuries of reign, the kingdom of the Industrial Revolution was invaded by the army of information in the beginning of the 21st century.2....In spite of the repercussions of these transformations, we often fail to see the nature of structural reforms and deep trends until they are upon us, just like the blight which goes unnoticed until just before the tipping point – the day before it takes over the entire pond.5 Today, the scope and scale of economic systems is being transformed by the proliferation of knowledge-intensive activities...
Elusive Apologies
For many reasons this information about the pre-eminence of knowledge might not be good news among some sects of people across the world because the idea of ‘knowledge’ simply scares them. There can be no apologies! But for individuals who intend to make an impact in their various fields of endeavour, it is imperative that this reality be unravelled and understood. The macro implications of this knowledge-reality can be understandably complex. These implications would mean the evolution of strategies bent on addressing and advocating for both structural and procedural reforms within national economies, large multinational firms, small and medium-sized enterprises, governmental institutions, among many others. However, it is much more pragmatic to reckon with what this knowledge economy brings to our tables as individuals and more so as young people...
On Your Marks, Get Set, Stop!
Before sprinting through this concept, it is important to establish certain foundations. The nub of the knowledge economy is undisputed; the times have changed, and for us to become relevant to and productive in our current dispensation, we have to arm ourselves with knowledge. Unfortunately the system of education in Africa, particularly Ghana, which was supposed to serve as the powerhouse for the knowledge economy, has neither understood nor taught us in the right perspective of knowledge...
‘Brilliant Science & Maths’ Gig: A Real Life Experience
With the issue of rote learning comes one of the biggest issues with education in Ghana. This is most readily seen in the Mathematics. The subject has become a fearful thing among most students and it is not without reason. Who wouldn’t panic if they had to commit to memory several esoteric math formulas the usefulness of which is hard to overestimate?...
Rethinking Our Destinies
One of the world’s corporate services leaders, Ernst & Young, together with New Zealand’s Ministry of Information Technology observed that “The implication of the knowledge economy is that there is no alternative way to prosperity than to make learning and knowledge-creation of prime importance.” Meaning that to make an impact in this economy, we must look beyond the disappointments we harbour for the failed knowledge powerhouse of the country- the educational system- and begin to rethink our own destinies as young people and future leaders. It will be catastrophic for us to remain adamant to the worldwide transformations set into motion by the knowledge economy...
“It has been said that arguing against globalization is like arguing against the laws of gravity.”
Kofi Annan (2001 Nobel Peace Prize, Former UN Secretary General)1
On the 7th of September 2008, it was announced that two U.S based firms popularly known as Fannie Mae (Federal National Mortgage Association) and Freddie Mac (Federal Home Mortgage Corporation) would be nationalised to ensure their financial stability. Since they are the only two Fortune 500 companies that are not required to inform the public about any financial difficulties that they may be having, this news was received with mixed reactions. A week later, financial services firm, Lehman Brothers, filed for bankruptcy after being denied support by the U.S Federal Reserve Bank. Later the same day, the Bank of America declared their intention of purchasing Merrill Lynch, another world leader in financial management2 .....
These were snapshots of the evolution of the global financial crisis which surfaced on the world of business. Although it just began with the failure and merger of a number of American financial companies, the crisis managed to usurp other major financial institutions and national economies across the world. In a matter of days, people everywhere in the world could feel a pinch of this financial mishap. Perhaps Wall Street Journal’s commentary on January 17 1908 about the late 19th century Long Depression will still be a relevant qualifier of the recent economic crisis. It reported that “It was as if a volcano had burst forth in New York, causing a tidal wave that swept with disastrous power over every nation of the globe.”3
The Famous Icon
In contemporary times, one of the terms that has gained increasing popularity is globalization. The vocabulary of ‘globalization’ has pervaded almost all major languages. Its phenomenon has become a shibboleth among the diverse communities of business owners, politicians, journalists, managers, advertisers, bankers, entertainers, officials, computer experts, and researchers across the world. Now, everyday life easily associates with this term, making unending references to ‘global’ institutions, ‘global’ markets, ‘global’ finance, ‘global’ communications, ‘global’ migration, among others. 4
What has even heightened the fame of globalization has been the onset of the global financial crisis, which is a quintessence of how connected nations of the world have become. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) describes globalization as “The process through which an increasingly free flow of ideas, people, goods, services, and capital leads to the integration of economies and societies.”5 It is a process fuelled by, and resulting in, increasing cross border flows of goods, services, money, people, information, and culture.6 One of the comprehensive definitions is what Scholte (2000) sums up into a five-fold conception namely.....
Traces In the Past
Whereas several people have linked the idea of globalization to recent changes in society, especially withthe advent of the information age7, others have argued the novelty or otherwise of this term. Literature is replete with divergent views about its origin. Contrary to the propositions of some economists which speculate the boom of international trade and investment before World War I as a form of globalization, another section of think tanks have identified the late 1970s and early 1980s as the spark period for the concept.7 Despite these disparities in opinions, what remain mutually agreed on, both conceptually and contextually, are the “increasing interaction of the world's peoples through their national economic systems” and the “significant broadening of world markets” that associate the term....
The African Experience
In spite of globalization’s robust intentions of reinforcing interdependencies between countries and continents, the African continent seems less inspired by its ideals since the latter has not been treated fairly by its influences. Unlike its Asian counterpart, Africa seems to have become the victim of the global change. The UNDP observed the associated discrepancies as well by stating in its 1999 Human Development Report (page 25) that: “While globalization has positive, innovative, dynamic aspects, it also has negative, disruptive, marginalizing aspects”.15 Addressing the same issue, Global Policy forum’s writer, James Matethia, identified that “No other region has suffered during this period of globalisation as Africa has.” He further details factors such as unfavourable terms of trade with advanced countries, lower prices of products and fewer markets, and austere measures attached to funding from International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, as challenges militating against Africa’s benefits.16
On several platforms that the plaudits of globalization have been mentioned, it excluded that of Africa. Has Africa become the extreme pessimists who see globalization as a ‘calabash full of problems’?....
GET THE FULL VERSION OF THIS ARTICLE ARTICLE TODAY FOR FREE. JUST SEND A REQUEST MAIL TO ksgsakyi@yahoo.com. You can also share your comments on this blog. Let the revolution begin!
“It has been said that arguing against globalization is like arguing against the laws of gravity."
Kofi Annan (2001 Nobel Peace Prize, Former UN Secretary General)
Repositioning in the Global Community
By: Sakyi-Gyinae Kwesi
On the 7th of September 2008, it was announced that two U.S based firms popularly known as Fannie Mae (Federal National Mortgage Association) and Freddie Mac (Federal Home Mortgage Corporation) would be nationalised to try to ensure the financial stability of the two firms. Since they are the only two Fortune 500 companies that are not required to inform the public about any financial difficulties that they may be having, this news was received with mixed reactions. A week later, financial services firm, Lehman Brothers, filed for bankruptcy after being denied support by the U.S Federal Reserve Bank. Later the same day, the Bank of America announced that it would be purchasing Merrill Lynch, another world leader in financial management...
These are snapshots of the evolution of the global financial crisis which came to the forefront of the business world and world media. Although it began with the failure and merging of a number of American financial companies, the crisis managed to usurp other major financial institutions and national economies across the world. In a matter of days, people everywhere in the world could feel a pinch of this financial mishap...
In fact, the future is contingent on cultivating the sense of urgency and agency which addresses global issues and incites appropriate behaviour as world citizens. Even more crucial will be the need of generations to understand globalization, and to be able to respond and adapt to its influences.
WATCH OUT FOR THE NOVEMBER ISSUE OF 'YOUNG & INSPIRED'. YOU CAN SUBSCRIBE TO THE FULL ARTICLE IN ADVANCE. Just send a request mail to ksgsakyi@yahoo.com.
“Our days are numbered. One of the primary goals in our lives should be to prepare for our last day. The legacy we leave is not just in our possessions, but in the quality of our lives…The greatest waste in all of our earth, which cannot be recycled or reclaimed, is our waste of the time that God has given us each day.” -Billy Graham 1
On May 29, 1953, New Zealand’s explorer, Edmund Hillary, and his climbing partner Tenzing Norgay for the first time reached the summit of Mount Everest2. This record shook off the limitations of mountaineers and several people who hitherto regarded such feat as impossible. The achievement was not only a phenomenal conquest of the highest 8,850m spot on earth, but also a breakthrough in the world of expedition after decades of failed attempts to summit. Later that year, newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II whose coronation was met with the raving news of the British-led expedition triumph, knighted the thirty-four year Edmund Hillary for his display of courage and confidence3. Sir Edmund Hillary subsequently was involved in the exploration of the Antarctic, and other mechanized expedition to the South Pole.
Almost forty years later in 1990, legacy was relived. Peter Hillary, son of Sir Edmund Hillary, also climbed to the top of the Everest, making him and his dad the first father and son to have accomplished this pinnacle of adventuring achievement4. According to young Peter, his actions were motivated by the quest to follow the unique traits of his dad. In 2003, National Geographic, commemorating Sir Edmund Hillary’s historic ascent 50 years ago, sponsored Peter to again summit the Everest. This was incorporated in National Geographic’s biggest film of that year, Surviving Everest5. What’s more, Peter who was keen on pursuing the legacies set for him also explored new routes to the South Pole; again making him and his father the first two generations of one family to have reached the South Pole overland from the Antarctic Coast.
Now, Peter combines his rich experience of adventure with acute articulation to propel people to achieving their dreams.
Finding the Pitch
The concept of reliving legacy triggers an avalanche of thoughts for both the young and old. Webster’s dictionary defines legacy as “money or property left to someone by a will” or “anything handed down from an ancestor”6.This resonates the verity of young people succeeding worthy footprints engraved years ago by the older generation. In contemporary times, however, legacy is not so much about the money or property, but the lives touched; the impact made on society. This quest to make an impact cuts across a wide array of pursuits; from business to family, academia to entertainment, religion to politics, inter alia. For instance in business, first generation, brand new leaders have the vivid responsibility of charting organizational course for other generations to inherit it7. Also in the family unit, parents have the onus of both exemplifying and instilling healthy mannerisms and values worth emulating by the younger generation8. Ideally, parents must teach their children the life lessons they learned, so the mistakes could be avoided and the successes complemented9. Implying the concept of digging into the portfolio of predecessors and reliving their success stories, the idea of legacy sparks up the participation of two key players: the one who sets the standard and the other who lives up to it.
Who Passed on What?
For many of us in Africa, reliving legacies would have more to do with the two-sided question, ‘who passed on what?’ The reality of this query is imperative to consider as our history has been damaged by European imperialism and disguised forms of liberation even by so called forefathers, leaving us with a proportional twist in legacy. Several writers (including Nunn, 2005 and Houngnikpo, 2006) have identified the crooked African history as a factor in the continent’s current disposition. Explaining the genesis of such a legacy, Houngnikpo (2006) explains that because African leaders were too eager to gain independence, they gave much to campaigns against colonial rule, with little thoughts about their countries’ post independence10.
Ghana is no exemption of this legacy crisis. Fifty-two years after independence, it is difficult to trace the ideal legacy to be pursued. Quoting the Ghana Drum (March 12, 1992), Houngnikpo (p.28) wrote:
“Some people will blame our colonial oppressors. Well in some cases part of it is true but a whole lot of the blame should be put squarely on our own shoulders . . . Independence was thought to be the beginning of the golden era where political freedom and expression, freedom of association, free enterprise, economic prosperity, less ethnocentrism, responsibility and accountability of each and every one prevailed. These lofty ideals never happened because we replaced white imperialism with the black one.”11
The leaders who were supposed to grow and guard a worthwhile legacy, not only tempered with their own destinies, but also succeeded in denting the visions of the unborn. The myriads of military usurpers with disparate opinions associated with the era of political, economical and individual instabilities are witnesses of our motherland’s subverted legacies, legacies that the younger generation cannot afford to hold on to. The 1992 Constitution which came into effect in January 199312 should have been the point of intervention where the leaders would reshape and realign the vision of the country towards a worthwhile legacy. It was the point leaders should have put the axe to the roots and encouraged the populace to put their hands on deck too, to fix the country’s vision. But governments succumbed to amassing the wealth of the people through corrupt practices and general leadership malfunctions. For example almost a decade after adapting to the constitutional rule, the 2000 Ghana Governance and Corruption Survey indicated corruption as a major problem in both public and private sectors13. Obviously, the legacy is not straight and unlike the Hillarys, young people in our country today cannot identify with what legacy to live up to. Perhaps, the new generation would have good reasons to live a life of their own.
TO ORDER THE FULL ARTICLE ARTICLE, EMAIL ksgsakyi@yahoo..com.
