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Trying to make sense of things by looking at causes and understanding their effects. Using science to discern what's real and relationships to determine what's of value. Curious about everything.

Talk about odd couples

I attended the Tufts University Jebsen Center’s Countering Terrorism in Africa Through Human Security Solutions Conference, which took place February 28-29, 2008. 

What a trip.  Do-gooder development folks cheek by jowl with military planners, private sector consultants to the military, academic Africanists, and the occasional radio talk show person who was soaking it all in.

The focus of the conference was on issues like:

  • what does security in Africa have to do with development?
  • what does development in Africa have to do with security in the US?
  • what effective action can be taken to prevent the spread of Al Quaeda in Africa?
  • should the military be engaging in development work?  what about schools, water supplies, and hospitals?  what about electricity?
  • can development agencies truly be neutral?  should they have the luxury of neutrality?
  • what actually works?

Some themes that came out of the conference:

  • Rule of law - countries that do not abide by the ‘rule of law’ will not succeed, so establishing the rule of law is the priority
  • military action is rarely what is needed, and represents a failure in the efficacy in other actions
  • State department needs more funding, better planning
  • we need someone in charge of development efforts on the part of the US government
  • the US needs to ramp up on knowledge on Africa, and fast

They’ve started a blog to collect information about the continent here:  http://shareafricainformation.com/twiki/bin/view/

The blog is run by a private firm who consults to governments and private firms, and presumably they are collecting this information so they can more effectively serve their clients who have interests in Africa.  Investment banking firms, mineral extraction firms, you name it.

So, do we help or not?  Do we share our knowledge and expertise, in the hopes that it will lessen the likelihood of more Iraqs?  Or do we not facilitate policies that are likely to not be in alignment with our values?

I had some ideas that I passed along at the conference and that I will write more on here, but in the meantime, what do we do with this?


Posted by Sam on Mar 01 2008 under Security and war, Economics - International, Aggression, Radio topics, Globalization, Africa



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