On June 24 the U.S. Senate passed the African Growth Opportunity Acceleration Act (AGOA)

I'm back, and talking about Africa...again...for something a little lighter simply scroll down...A funny Picture of Smith and Bogg awaits you....
 
So Africa.  Trade is a huge issue for Africa.  We've seen what trade can do for our economy and development and Africa has been excluded from that for far too long.  With high tariffs on goods produced there, and protectionism the way it is in the first world,  most African countries cannot engage in international trade because they are marginalized.  The International trade system works against them and organizations like Oxfam  (and their Make Trade Fair Campaign) and Data have been trying to raise awareness about these issues.   
 
The African Growth Opportunity Acceleration Act (AGOA) will work to alleviate these barriers and has had big success in Lesotho, Madagascar and Kenya, but mostly in the textile industry. I have been following this closely and the extention to 2015 will hopefully allow them to branch into other industries.  This new development is good news, and I feel like this act has allowed African's to help themselves instead of the first world just throwing money at a situation or trying to control, like with Debt and structural adjustment policies.  I think that Canada should also get on board with this, but Canada should also raise it's overseas Development Assistance (ODA) too.  I am hopeful that Paul Martin will continue to work towards the African agenda set down by Cretien.  Paul Martin has already proven that he is willing as he was responsible for the moratorium on African debt owed to Canada in 2001, but that gets into the whole debt issue and that is another post altogether.  It seems like for the first time  major change is within our grasp... Let's just hope Martin actually continues to pursue these options.
 
I recognize there are still a lot of problems with the way the system is set up, but things are changing and it because of the hard work of the NGO's that these items are on the agenda in the Senate and Congress.  It is a lot of hard work and an uphill battle so I wanted to acknowledge the fact that we are making a difference out there.  It can be done. 
 
Some times you lose, like the loss of the additional $15 Million dollars for AIDS that was promised by George Bush, (it was a promise he made and then Congress did not approve it because of the additional money being spent in Iraq, which makes sense, but a kick to junk nonetheless when the funds did not materialize) and sometimes, like on June 24th you get a little victory...  
 
Bogg asked me the other day why I am so concerned about Africa, and I guess I just can't turn my back on it.  I feel like I know about the dire situation there and because I know so much I'm implicated and I can't turn away.   Hence the name of this blog that comes from 'Bad',
"I'm wide awake....I'm not sleeping."

If you want to get involved, just go to those links above and make your voice heard.
 
Song Du jour: Acrobat ~ U2
 
"and you can dream, so dream out loud!  You can find your own way out.  You can build and I can will and you can call, I can't wait until you can stash and you can seize , in dreams begin responsibilities and I can love and I know that the tide is turning 'round, so don't let the bastards grind you down"
 
Egalitarian rant over....