In this age of incessant information, it sometimes feels like we're drowning in a deluge of articles, stories, essays, opinion pieces, blogs, photo galleries, video galleries... Some days it's all I can do to skim through the headlines on my reader, an average of 750 per day, bookmarking those that look vaguely interesting, to be read at the weekend. Then the weekend rolls around and there are hundreds of saved articles, and no time to read them. Ah! It's too much this information, way, way too much. That said, they tell me information is power, no? When I become powerful, you will know know why, and how. Until then, however, I need to clear my backlog. With your permission, I'll be putting up links every so often, links to articles (hopefully) worth a second read, links I have to delete, but don’t want to forget just yet.
This week, Africa and our new, or new-ish, narrative.
5 July, 2013
William Muchayi @ Think Africa Press
“Bad news has been replaced with good news, pessimism with optimism, despair with triumph. Yet in many ways one stereotype has simply been replaced with another. And, as unsophisticated stereotypes do, the Africa rising narrative implicitly conceals the fragility of Africa’s economic situation and various impediments that continue, and will continue, to hold Africa back if they are not addressed, a few of which are examined below.”
12 July, 2013
Tony Elmelu, Nigerian economist
“Elumelu says that the narrative of "doing good" in Africa – among both Africans and non Africans – really boils down to how much money you're donating to charity. "But some of these wealthy Africans have created companies with massive employment, who pay huge taxes, and who fight a lot of economic and social needs across Africa."”
24 July, 2013
Mo Ibrahim at the Skoll World Forum
“Good governance in the public sector is a prerequisite for development but it is not enough. We cannot have it without also having good governance in the private sector; people need to understand that. If we have a go at corruption we really need to deal with it in the private sector, there is no question about that. Political leaders don’t corrupt themselves; they have partners in the private sector.”
1 November, 2013
Zitto Kabwe, Tanzanian economist and MP
“For more than five decades, the development debate has been dominated by a single story: foreign aid. But there is another story – that of illicit financial flows. However, this story is not rosy, nor is it popular. Information about illicit flows are kept secret and efforts to address the situation are often discouraged. And little wonder – because data shows that illicit money flowing out of the continent is double what it receives in foreign aid.”
5 November, 2013
Marta Tveit @ Think Africa Press
“Fronting a constructed group identity such as the ‘Afropolitan’ backs-up a reductive narrative of Africa and the African, which in turn continues to be an important part of neocolonial power structures. As an individual who happens to have one parent from the African continent I am offended by being put in a group and perceived to have certain interests and affiliations because of the nationality of one of my parents.”
3 March, 2005
Taiye Tuakli-Wosornu
“They (read: we) are Afropolitans – the newest generation of African emigrants, coming soon or collected already at a law firm/chem lab/jazz lounge near you. You’ll know us by our funny blend of London fashion, New York jargon, African ethics, and academic successes. Some of us are ethnic mixes, e.g. Ghanaian and Canadian, Nigerian and Swiss; others merely cultural mutts: American accent, European affect, African ethos. Most of us are multilingual: in addition to English and a Romantic or two, we understand some indigenous tongue and speak a few urban vernaculars. There is at least one place on The African Continent to which we tie our sense of self: be it a nation-state (Ethiopia), a city (Ibadan), or an auntie’s kitchen. Then there’s the G8 city or two (or three) that we know like the backs of our hands, and the various institutions that know us for our famed focus. We are Afropolitans: not citizens, but Africans of the world.”
8 February, 2013
Stephanie Santana @ Africa in Words
“Afropolitanism extends ideas of fluid, easy travel to texts as “singular products.” Based on the same capitalist fantasy that economic markets are equal, it is assumed that the literary marketplace, too, is unfettered by issues of uneven development or protectionism. Wainaina points to a particular kind of Afropolitan African novel that is frequently produced—one that touches upon social and economic issues, but ultimately is written for an audience of “fellow Afropolitans.” Overall, a spirit of Afropolitanism has led to texts that are product, rather than process focused, a trend that can perhaps be changed as more and more literature goes digital.”
3 April, 2013
Minna Salami @ Ms Afropolitan
“However, like every other continent, Africa is entitled to have multiple subcultural movements and we should reject all attempts to relegate African culture to a monolith. In a short period of time Afropolitanism has helped to nurture more positive views of Africa, also among Africans ourselves, with its no-nonsense obligation to correcting decades of Africa being misrepresented as a “dark, failing continent.” Does it sometimes go overboard in commodifying African culture? Possibly. Does that mean it needs exorcising? No, thank you.”
