In my previous article about internet usage in Burundi, I was afraid to explain more about Globalization and recommended my readers to ask more information to those big fat economists with post doctorate degrees, lecturers in well respected institutions.
I heard the term globalization (Mondialisation as he used to name it in french) the first time from my chemistry teacher Augustin Nzohabonayo surnamed Gotos when I was in high school at Buta Seminary in South of Burundi. He used to tell us that globalization just means: “Being the best, keeping the secret and absorbing the weak ( the poor)” ( “Etre premier, Garder le secret et Absorber le plus faible”). I m not a good translator, I encourage every one to give a better translation to some who may not understand french in comments.
When I appeared for interview in 2002 for a Chinese scholarship, I was expecting some questions about relativity theories and all of those biology, mathematics and chemistry related problems that you probably wouldn’t want to meet in your whole life. I also had memorized all I could about Chinese geography and history. I was also worried that my english wasn’t good enough to express freely myself.
I felt a bit happy when I heard them talking to me in french. After introducing myself to that smiling lady, I got two simple questions: what do Burundians in general know about China ? and the second: what is globalisation and how it does affect Burundi ?
For the first one, I couldn’t start vomiting all I had read in books. Should I have said that my Mom also knew the longest river in China and all those Tsing dynasties in the books and history teachers heads ? I have learned a lot about Chinese history and Geography in school, but the beer I drunk at the graduation day seemed to have erased all of it from my head. I had to read again several books. They think Chinese are too many, I said . The woman nodded but the man at her left side couldn’t understand well french . She explained in a language witch at that time was still a whole mystery to me.
The second one was too embarrassing, even though I have had some classes of Economy in high school, I had followed sciences option (Scientifique B) which means I was stronger in sciences, literature and economy not being my cup of tea. I remembered that my economy teacher gave some lessons about it but couldn’t really remember even the definition of globalization. I had to base my explanation on the assessments of my chemistry teacher to explain it. Everyone in my class had taken what Gotos was always repeating as a definition of Globalization ( Being the best, keeping the secret and absorbing the weak ( the poor) ) as just a joke. He used to repeat them without comments while teaching chemistry. I m not saying that I explained well the concept and gave a magic strategy to Burundi to profit from it but the truth is that, the results outcome showed I passed the interview and I was given a Chinese government scholarship.
According to studies conducted by PIPA two out of three Africans have a positive view of the effect of globalization on their lives. this is a strong majority reaching as high as 82 percent in Ghana and 79 percent in Kenya. However Africans(60%) think rich countries are not playing fair in trade negotiations and these can also be as many as 88% in Ivory Coast and 72% in Zimbabwe.
“These findings suggest that Africans are eager and willing to join the game of world economic integration even as they have resentments that they are being treated unfairly by the wealthy countries.” Steven Kull, director of PIPA, comments.
In today’s article, before a series of articles that I will put in the 101% wrong category , I decided to talk a bit about Globalization even though I m not an economist because it will come very often.
Globalization (or Globalisation) has many definitions but the widely used by economists is the following: “The diminution or elimination of state-enforced restrictions on exchanges across borders and the increasingly integrated and complex global system of production and exchange that has emerged as a result.”
Try searching on internet and more definitions including politics, culture and whatever will come up. Some people confuse Internationalization and Globalization : the former refers to the importance of international (between or among nations) trade, relations, treaties etc, and the later means erasure of national boundaries for economic purposes.
Previously I said that most Africans according to studies, have a positive view of the effect of globalization on their lives. The chart below is often used by globalization advocates to praise it. In this chat they show the difference between Sub-Saharan area, China and the reste of the world.
This is the poverty rates in countries, such as China, “where globalization has taken a strong foothold “, compared to areas “less affected by globalization”, such as Sub-Saharan Africa, where poverty rates have remained stagnant. I hope you noticed what the big ecomist say: Sub-sahara is the less affected by globalization. This is a big lie , they are 101% wrong but that wil be an other topic.The evidence is that Sub-sahara Africa is the only place on this planet where poverty , instead of decreasing continued climbing for the past 20 years. Have a look at the chart yourself for your information if this is new to you.
Africa let’s repeat it is the looser in today’s modern economy based on globalization. Why ? Are our leaders too stupid to find a way out of poverty for their people. Do they luck love or just not educated enough to make it. The answer for some of you I know is the combination of all of above and many more. from Nigeria to Congo we saw presidents who probably had nothing more in their minds than stealing Africa. We never heard an American or French president who did the same. If we are to hear the same story, it will probably come from Middle East, South America or some Asian countries . Why not in Europe or North America ? They are Christians you probably would tell me and I know they are the ones who brought Christianity to Africa.
Manasse Nzobonimpa, one of East African Community and Burundi General Assemblies member was telling us last week that he once asked to some students in Europe how they see their schoolmates. Some are smarter than us, others as normal as we are and others even less smarter than us. They said before he asked why then Europe is not like Africa. The economic differences between Africa and developed countries discourage Africans at the point that one of my friends from Tanzania started talking about some theories about a probable curse from God that I won’t tell you here because it would be a long history. I will probably write about it but you may need to wait because talking about such useless and meaningless things is not in my priorities.
Explaining why Africa has lost it’s way to the prosperity is not easy thing and I m not smart enough to do it in a year or two. But if you are ready for a conclusion before introduction: Africa is only lucking Unity. We need a United Africa to move. I don’t mean East African Community or African Union, I mean, Yes I mean and I m not dreaming the United states of Africa.
We note that globalisation makes all economies more inter-dependent, but it benefits developed countries more while putting most developing countries, especially small and vulnerable economies and the least developed countries in Africa, at a disadvantage and subjecting their economic security or even state sovereignty to severe challenges.
A high court in South Africa 
Keiko Wakabayshi, also known as the “Samurai Granny” was hired by the Italian army to teach new soldiers hand to hand combat techniques. But if you think that she is only teaching the methods rather than putting them into practice, think again.
Since sparring is the best way to learn how to put martial arts into practice, Keiko is “forced” to take down her students one by one until they have learned to counter her attacks and master her techniques.