27 July 2020
AFRICA - Cutting a Straighter Path
Africa discussion paper #1By: Karsten Riise
This paper will discuss how Africa can cut a straighter path and bring Africa's development up to Hi-Speed.
Africa has made a lot of progress. Yet, 60 years after most of Africa gained independence, it is rather safe to say that Africa has not come as far, as the men and women who fought for African freedom hoped for at independence in 1960.
It is time for Africa to compare and learn from different paths taken since 1960 - not only across Africa, but also in places elsewhere. We must dare talk in an open way about these things: In 1960, most Asian countries were at a starting point like Africa. Today, much of Asia is in many ways on a much higher path than Africa. We have a lot to learn.
Material improvement is vital. Money (=GDP) is needed to feed people, provide water, sanitation, nice housing, health, long good life, education, technology, investments, improve culture & leisure, and to protect the environment. A prosperous (and stable!) economy (=GDP) is also needed to give Africans freedom - the power to stay free from outside control. Also, where GDP-growth is not strong and solid in Africa, it is a good indicator of other problems to address.
In 1960, Korea suffered from a war with 5 million dead, and Korea's GDP per capita was around half of Ghana. Though burdened with high defense costs, South Korea has today long since passed Ghana, and South Korea has even reached the level of Africa’s colonizers, the United Kingdom (and France) - see Figure 1. In her steep path, South Korea even preserved a social balance, the environment and improved farming.
In Figure 1, I compare South Korea with the biggest African societies, which represent a picture of Africa’s diverse development since 1960. No African country has achieved anything comparable with South Korea.
Figure 2 demonstrates, that many Asians now follow South Korea on a path surpassing much of Africa. In Figure 2, South Africa represents the "richest" part of Africa, Kenya represents Africa's "middle-level", and Burundi represents Africa's "basic" level. Many Asian countries are about to cut their way up through all of Africa's levels - from "basic" to "richest" - ref. Figure 2.
Asia (Figures 1 and 2) proves that a MUCH faster & better African development IS possible - and even necessary for Africa to be prosperous and free in a more competitive world.
With Fig. 1 & 2 as a starting point - let’s discuss how Africa cuts a path to Hi-Speed development.
Karsten Riise
Partner & Editor
CHANGE NEWS &
CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Changemanagement.dk@gmail
www.Changemanagement.News
www.Karsten-Riise-Music.Live
Figure 1:
Figure 2
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