International Biotechnology Centre Opened in SA

Published on 11th September 2007

An international biotechnology center that aims to develop vaccines for HIV/AIDS and other diseases has been opened in SA (South Africa). The Cape Town-based branch of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) will focus on infectious diseases including malaria and tuberculosis. The facility is the third ICGEB centre that targets research to meet the needs of developing countries; the others are in Italy and India. President Thabo Mbeki officially opened the center.


Ethiopia Celebrates the Millenium

Ethiopia, the oldest independent nation in Africa, celebrates the millennium on 12th September, 2007. The country has a heritage dating back to the first century AD. Traders from Greece, Rome, Persia and Egypt knew of the riches of what is now Ethiopia. The nation comprises of more than 80 different ethnic groups, the heritage and traditions of each blending to form a unique and colourful mosaic.

Dr.Ayele Bekerie, Assistant Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies, African Studies and Research Center, Cornell University stresses the need for celebrating  the life and works of the Ethiopian people throughout the millennia, their historical journey, Ethiopia’s ancient civilization, culture, religion,  architecture, literature, arts etc. He says that Ethiopians should mark the event by getting involved in activities that are for the good of the nation. Befekir Kebede, multi-media specialist and host of a web site dedicated to the Ethiopian millennium (www.ethiopianmillennium.com) says many in the world are led to believe that "Ethiopia is nothing more than a deserted land somewhere in Africa where people starve and die" but this is not so.

Fekade Shewakena an Ethiopian in diaspora however feels that all is not well in the country and the celebration is planned to be a diversionary tactic from the widespread human rights abuse, repression and biting poverty that have become routine in Ethiopia.

The 2007 Edition of the Economic Freedom of the World Released

The 2007 edition of the Economic Freedom of the World is out. Published by the Economic Freedom Network, it measures countries in terms of key ingredients of economic freedom: personal choice, voluntary exchange, freedom to compete and the protection of persons and property. The report has been cited in about 250 academic articles and over 100 books.

Farmers Should be Profit Minded

According George Gardner, a senior agricultural economist at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), policies that spur subsistence farmers to start growing crops for profit rather than survival and that expand market opportunities for private traders enhance agricultural productivity and reduce hunger in the developing world. A cultural shift is also required to get the subsistence farmer thinking in terms of profit, says William Hammink, who directs the USAID's Food for Peace program. Farmers also need to know that they have legal rights to their land   so that they can invest and make it more productive.

Over 700 Companies to Participate in UMA

Over 700 companies from 32 countries are expected to participate in this year's, Uganda Manufacturers Association's (UMA) trade fair. About 20 companies will be from South Africa, while 120 are from Kenya. The fair, under the theme: "Leading the way to regional markets," has also attracted the Tanzania Board of External Trade who will exhibit the country's tourism potential plus services and opportunities in Dar es Salaam. Other countries to participate include companies from Nigeria and Ghana who are to exhibit African fabrics.

West Africa Targets Crime Reduction

Five West African countries begun deliberations in Accra on reducing the wave of crime and spread of HIV/AIDS along the Abidjan-Lagos road. The 1,200 kilometre Abidjan-Lagos road, which connects Cote d'Iviore, Togo, Benin, Nigeria and Ghana, will be under the spotlight of 25 groups from the five countries for two days. The groups comprise various stakeholders on the highway, who include customs, police, architects, transport specialists and HIV/AIDS prevention agencies, under the auspices of the World Bank and the ECOWAS secretariat.

Uganda Not Eligible to Borrow Some ADB Funds

Uganda is no longer eligible to borrow certain African Development Bank funds due to the country's high debt burden. Uganda's current external debt is about $1.8 billion (Shs32.4 trillion). In 2004, its debt was nearly $5 billion (Shs8.89 trillion). The debt reduced drastically in 2006 as a result of the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative decided by the Highly Industrialized Countries (The G8 summit in 2005) that saw 18 poor countries' debt cancelled by the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and African Development Bank (ADB). Uganda was among the 18 poor countries that benefited from the initiative, but its external debt burden is still high compared to the size of the economy. The ADB report of 2006 looks at the performance of the regional member countries' economies and divides them into five groupings; North, Central, West, East and South Africa.

15th Commonwealth Law Conference

The 15th Commonwealth Law Conference is underway in Nairobi Kenya. The Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) founded in 1983 with membership from 53 commonwealth countries organizes the conference. This is the first time the conference is being held in Kenya and the second time in Africa since 1980 when it was held in Nigeria. The event under the theme ‘Governance, Globalization and the Commonwealth’ was officially opened by Kenya’s President Mwai Kibaki at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre.

Compiled by Anne Mugoya
Inter Region Economic Network


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