Africa is a dying continent

Forums: Africa, History, Race, Aids, Colonialism
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Well having grown up in South Africa I can honestly say that this is a dying continent.

It was all over a long time ago and I think that "they"( the rest of the world) knew it and that would explain the lack of interest in the African countries. For 40 years now Africa as a continent has been on the decline.

Economically some countries stood firm and other have crumpled. For now "AIDS" is the biggest problem but it has always been a place of weird viruses, killer flu, T.B, polio and many others which are to many to add. There have been many reasons for this although i don't see the cuase to list them. What I am trying to focus on is the "future" of Africa not the past. I have lived here long enough to see the changes around me and the results of those changes. It has been a long walk and freedom is a plenty but what is lacking is: Jobs, Food, Education, Shelter and health care.
There is an outside intrest in Africa now but not enough to change the list above. With all the war in Africa and the rest of the world, how can we ever expect to receive aid from the richer countries. they are to busy fight the rest of the world. all in the while Africa is going further down into a pit of desperation and deceit that attacks the very fibre of society. What are we to do? Where are we going? What does our future hold?

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I dunno, I've seen

some encouraging stuff this year. People are at least talking about tacking the many problems

Africa is facing.

Talk is cheap, let's see if the money comes through.

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What about

Nature?

Quote:

All this is human business

What about the Planet, Wildlife and plantlife.

What are we fighting for?
We fight for peace & life, yet all we do is create death and destroy the world which we are

fighting so hard to keep.

Quote:

There is nothing on earth that man would not kill another for, So why

expect anything from them
Dan-E

Any thoughts? Question

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BTW, Isn't every

continent a dying continent on some level?

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Not to the extent

that in the next 35 years, the population will half at the current rate of decline.

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I am willing to

concede that Africa faces many a predicament but my point was that most of the world does.

The famous "If the world

population was reduced to a village of 100 people" anecdote comes to mind (* indicates the stats I'm referring

to).

Quote:

There would be:
57 Asians
21 Europeans
14 from the Western Hemisphere (North

andSouth America)
8 Africans
52 would be female
48 would be male
70 would be non white, 30 white
70 would

be non-Christian, 30 would be Christian
89 would be heterosexual, 11 homosexual
*59% of the entire world's wealth

would be in the hands of only 6 people *and all 6 would be citizens of the United States
*80 would live in substandard

housing
*70 would be unable to read
*50 would suffer from malnutrition
*1 would be near death, 1 would be near

birth
*Only 1 would have a college education and
*Only 1 would own a computer.

That is a

rough estimate.

And while Africa has it's problems I don't think that apocalyptic

statement is true. Here are the stats.

Estimates for these countries explicitly take into account the effects of

excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower

population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected

(July 2001 est.)

Quote:

South Africa

Population growth rate: 0.26% (2001 est.)
Birth rate:

21.12 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 16.77 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Senegal

Population growth rate: 2.93% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 37.46 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 8.35 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Botswana
Population growth rate: 0.47% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 28.85 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 24.18 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Zimbabwe

Population growth rate: 0.15% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 24.68 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 23.22 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Namibia
Population growth rate: 1.38% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 34.71 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 20.9 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Zambia
Population growth rate: 1.93% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 41.46 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 21.97 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Swaziland
Population growth rate: 1.83% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 40.12 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 21.84 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sierra Leone
Population growth rate: 3.61% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 45.11 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 19.19 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Nigeria
Population growth rate: 2.61% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 39.69 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 13.91 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Niger
Population growth rate: 2.72% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 50.68 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 22.71 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

I got bored of typing but you can

get a picture, below you can compare this to the world averages:

Population growth rate: 1.25% (2001 est.)
Birth

rate: 21.37 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 8.93 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Bottom line

is that there are no African countries with a decline in population. A decline in population is, in most cases, desirable.

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What Craven didn't mention was that most South African's have a life span of less than forty years. Their death rate is high, because of HIV/AIDS, and very little is being done to alleviate that major problem. Somebody asked about their natural resources. Most South African countries are developing their national parks, and many new safari lodges are being built, because tourism brings in much needed income. I have visited Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa during the past two years, and was very impressed by the development of their tourism industry. The lodges, camps, tour guides, and safari experiences are fantastic, and tourists are treated like royalty. Ernest Hemingway never had it so good! c.i.

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For tourist it's great and I think that it's a beutifull country, but for those who have to live in the termoil of weak governments, bad health,poor currancy, disease. It's not that pretty a picture.
As a tourist you din't get to feel the results of the problems that are happening around you.
I Love this Country But it's gone to hell in a handbag. Crying or Very sad

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Pharon, As part of our tour, we were able to visit some local villages in Zimbabwe and Namibia. We did meet some of the people, how they live, and how the private concession camps/resorts try to hire locals. We even visited a school in Ngamo, Zimbabwe. The primary school has dirt floors, and the 'library' consists of one small room with very well used, limited number of text books. I usually bring school supplies to give to the schools we visit on our tour, but we were limited to 22 pounds for our personal luggage, because we flew to the camps in small planes. Somebody counted seventeen flights during our trip of 22 days. I donated $20 to the school which will provide tuition for 50 students for one full year. BTW, all the driver-guides were locals, and they are all excellent at what they do. c.i.

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Africa is neglected in many senses. Most of the countries are in deep human and ecological trouble.
Democracy is not rooted, and tribalism tears it apart.
The high birth rate is a problem, for it asks for too many scarse resources in health and education if things are ever to get better.
The AIDS plague and the ecological damages are no minor problems either.

All this said, it is clear that the future of millions of Africans lies, as things stand today, in migration.
That's going to be a big problem for Europe in the short term, and unless comprehensive development "packages" are implemented, Europe's problem is going to be gigantic.
The US has Africa among the last places of interest: Africans are far away (migrants come from Latin America, mostly), not much oil and a list of historical fiascos (Somalia, Angola, Mozambique).

South Africa and the Magreb countries stand a chance. For the others, I'm sorry to agree with Pharon.

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I think that colonial powers really messed things up there. If africa was left to have ruled themselves, they'd be ok. Whether the people there stayed tribal or embraced modern living. Given that what's done is done, it'd take alot of time and money to make things right there.

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littlek, Yes, I agree; where to begin? c.i.

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Every bit of africa would prolly need a different approach, the task would be the biggest international undertaking ever known.

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Sadly, regretfully agree with fbaezer and pharon.

Africa is her own worst enemy. The US and other countries have been floating Africa for decades. Someone on this thread prophetically mentioned that as the eyes of the world turn to terrorism, and possibly war, the charity that has kept them from complete despair will dry up.

Another bunch of people, I bet, who would like to hack us up because of our standard of living. (No, not everyone, but the majority.)

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Lash Goth. I think that statement was uncalled for.

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ehBeth--

I'm sure all of us at one time or another disagree with someone's statements. If we all crowded the boards with "I think that was uncalled for..." that's all we'd see. Most of us are re-doubling efforts to keep personal disagreements confined to PMs, but when you are personally 'called out' on the thread, I believe you are entitled to respond on the thread.

Usually, when one disagrees, they offer an opposing viewpoint. In the absence of that, they may want to handle a purely emotional response via PM, rather than try to personally disagree and muck up a thread.

I will explain the reasoning for my comment about Africans probable dislike of Americans.

As I was stating how the world's financial assistance to Africa (primarily US assistance) may dry up due to other global concerns, I was immediately stricken with the fact that this may increase already bad relations with Africa.

If you care to continue responses personally directed at me, please use PM.

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Lash - it sounded like a massively general racist comment.

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News reports of general use of machetes by Africans on many different occasions led to my use of the word 'hack'.

I don't see how using illustration of widely reported weapon of choice, when considering this issue, is racist.

But, will consider it.

Meanwhile, are everyone's choice of words so scrutinized?

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I dunno Lash, this is just my opinion too. Ok?

Africa consists of a lot of different cultures. Machetes are only traditional, I think, in the tropical areas. Anyway, it wasn't "hack" that got my hackles up, it was the whole sentiment.

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A healthy Africa is good for them, and good for me.

I haven't studied Africa, but glean my opinion from the news.

It seems that the infrastructure of Africa is almost beyond repair.

I despised Apartheid, and have cried over the plight of the people, who live there.

I guess I sound completely disheartened about their ability to find a workable government because I have given up that Africa can make it on their own. I see them as completely dependant on outside charity, due to news reports.

I see the US in the position to be unable to continue humanitarian aid for much longer, and anticipate a serious backlash when the funds dry up. It has been a practice, that when people are miserable internally, they look for an external blame. This tends to be a position that the US fills for just about everyone.

It is possible that my quippy statements, rather than a longer explanation, are considered unfeeling or brusque.

Africa is a beautiful country, with a rich heritage. But, a dismal reality. IMO.

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Africa is a dying continent

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