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C urierThe magazine of Africa Caribbean Pacific & European Union cooperation and relationsTheN. 11 N.E. – MAY JUNE 2009REPORTDominica Nature Island Grenada, rapid renaissance after destruction DOSSIERSport targets development DISCOVERING EUROPEThe Swedish paradoxREPORTDominica Nature Island Grenada, rapid renaissance after destruction DOSSIERSport targets development DISCOVERING EUROPEThe Swedish paradox

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C urierThe magazine of Africa Caribbean Pacific & European Union cooperation and relationsThe Editorial Board Co-chairs Sir John Kaputin, Secretary General Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacic Group of States www.acp.int Mr Stefano Manservisi, Director General of DG Development European Commission ec.europa.eu/development/ Core staff Editor-in-chief Hegel Goutier Journalists Marie-Martine Buckens (Deputy Editor-in-chief) Debra Percival Editorial Assistant and Production Joshua Massarenti Contributed in this issue Elisabetta Degli Esposti Merli, Sandra Federici, Andrea Marchesini Reggiani, Anne-Marie Mouradian, Hans Pieenar, Pov, Igino Schraf and Joyce van Genderen-Naar Project Manager Gerda Van Biervliet Artistic Coordination, Graphic Conception Gregorie Desmons Public Relations Andrea Marchesini Reggiani Distribution Viva Xpress Logistics www.vxlnet.be Cover Nutmegs from Grenada. Reporters.be / LAIF Back cover Indian river / Dominica, 2009. Hegel Goutier Contact The Courier 45, Rue de Trves 1040 Brussels Belgium (EU) info@acp-eucourier.info www.acp-eucourier.info Tel : +32 2 2345061 Fax : +32 2 2801406 Published every two months in English, French, Spanish and PortugueseFor information on subscription, Go to our website www.acp-eucourier.info or contact info@acp-eucourier.info Publisher responsible Hegel Goutier Consortium Gopa-Cartermill Grand Angle Lai-momo The views expressed are those of the authors and do not represent the ofcial view of the EC nor of the ACP countries. The consortium and the editorial staff decline all responsibility for the articles written by external contributors. Privileged partners____________________Cultural centre promoting artists from countries in Europe, Afriand cultural exchanges between communities through performance arts, music, cinema, to the holding of conferences. It is a meeting place for Belgians, immigrants of diverse Espace Senghor Centre culturel d’Etterbeek Brussels, Belgium espace.senghor@chello.be www.senghor.be www.acp-eucourier.infoVisit our website! the magazine in pdf and other news

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C urierThe magazine of Africa Caribbean Pacific & European Union cooperation and relationsThe Table of contentsTHE COURIER, N.11 NEW EDITION (N.E) N. 11 N.E. – MAY JUNE 2009 EDITORIAL 3TO THE POINTGlynis Roberts: A beacon for women and men 4ROUND UP 6DOSSIERSports and donors team up‘International Inspiration’ targets 12M children in 20 countries by 2012 11 A World Cup that can change South Africa 13 UN gets behind Sport for Development 15 The power of Jamaica’s track success 16 Kick off for EC sport for development projects 17 The power of Sport 18INTERACTIONAfter the razzmattaz What’s in the G-20 package? 20 ACP countries in line for ‘Food Facilty’named 22 NGOs alert over aid cuts 23 The ACP-EU Assembly condemns the G20 24 The dismantling of the Netherlands Antilles 25 ACP/Commonwealth links step up 26ZOOMA man of many parts. A day in the life of South African actor, Tobie Cronje 28TRADEACP-EU parliamentarians call for greater flexibility 30 Africa’s ‘America’ resists an EU trade deal 31OUR PLANETTargeting climate justice 32REPORT Dominica/GrenadaDominica. A Passion for Nature and Focus on People 34 Government strategy. Sustaining growth while awaiting a fair wind 37 Psychology 38 Opposition wants more transparent government 39 EC aid. A recompense for good governance 40 Discovering the beauty of a country to be seen on foot 41 Surprising Grenada 43 Do not put all our eggs in one basket 45 Financial crisis. Keep people in jobs 46 Authentic Caribbean: Flash of Wit 46 Government has lost millions in investment for Grenada, alleges the opposition 47 EC-Grenada Cooperation. Wager on Grenada’s decisions 48 Explore. Bright Red Grenada 49 Art. Heart Attack 50DISCOVERING EUROPE Stockholm. The Swedish paradoxA model of openness 52 Migration: a characteristically Swedish sensitivity 53 Development Days 2009 54 Innovation at all costs 55 What a Green city! 56 Hammarby Sjstad, a laboratory for sustainable towns 57 Light and Dark 58CREATIVITY African publishers networking against invisibility 59 Eco-and cultural tourism: a panacea for African tourism? 60 When Africa meets the blues 62FOR YOUNG READERSSport and development 63YOUR SAY/CALENDAR 64

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Work of Hemerson Andrianetrazafy. Malgagasy artist, Art historian from Antananarivo University. Marie-Martine BuckensIncrustation: Nathalie Murphy, executive manager of the Dominican branch of the NGO ‘Channel Cross Disability’, 2009. Hegel Goutier

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When a blind person's expression is a joy to behold Her face lights up, breaking into a dazzling smile that alters her expression completely, when she is asked how her life is different now. Keeping her eyes firmly shut, she tells you, “My entire life’s been changed”. The utter beauty, the pure joy that she radiates is like an unexpected gift. You see, Nathalie Murphy was born partially sighted, but her condition continued to deteriorate so that by the time she reached adolescence she could not see at all. Today, she is the executive manager of the Dominican branch of the NGO ‘Channel Cross Disability’. Her life-changing experience was the information and communication training scheme that got underway five years ago with the help of grants from various sources, including the European Union (EU). Now, thanks to the scheme, she is able to use the Internet using specially adapted computers and a sophisticated piece of software known as ‘Job activation with speech’ (JAWS). As Nathalie explains, “my entire daily existence has changed. Yes! Before, I was dependent on other people. Now I can do everything by myself. Oh God! It really is a wonderful new life”. Much more than the aura of happiness that surrounds Nathalie is the joy she conveys. A joy she shares with everyone she meets. That’s what’s so impressive. And, of course, this raises the question that given the current economic climate, what is the value of this aid that has brought so much happiness and pure joy into a person’s life? The answer to this question should be somewhere in the conclusions of the G20 summit (see separate article in this issue of The Courier), as one of the objectives the G20 members decided upon was the creation of new development indicators. However, for that we will just have to wait and see. As you will read in the report on Dominica in this issue, the country is in the upper level of the UNDP human development index. This nation is one of the few countries boasting the biggest number of people to attain 100 years of age. Indeed, it would seem that both rich and poor alike can look forward to a comparatively long life. Logically, this is indicative of effective social and development practices. But what about GDP? With regards to GDP, one of the myriad arguments the French economist Jean Gadrey puts forward to challenge GDP’s status as an indicator of “progress” may strike people as being somewhat curious if not specious: that GDP is a male-gendered phenomenon. His explanation is that first of all, when it was adopted during the 1930s, the people who took the decision were all men. Second, it was a reflection solely of wealth and power, because the key aim, according to Franois Fourquet, was to give the powers-that-be some idea of what resources could be called upon in the event of war. Third, the domestic production of goods, such as car repairs, was included – even at a later date but domestic services were not. In other words, men fixing and making things count, women doing housework do not. Sweden (see the separate article on this country elsewhere in this issue) may have something to teach us about the status of women since the time of the Vikings and particularly regarding its focus on nonmarket services. Equally, Sweden can be seen as a source of inspiration in the struggle against climate change, particu larly in Africa, according to on-the-ground experts. Organisations such as the German NGO Misereor are calling for a better form of what is termed “cli mate justice”. New facts about climate change have emerged at just the right time, appearing as they do in the countdown to the next UN Convention on this subject in Copenhagen this December. However, for the people living in these impoverished nations, the dayto-day reality of dealing with climate change means simply making adjustments to their way of life and their relationship with the environment. Something that is hardly likely to have any value in terms of measuring their country’s GDP! Hegel Goutier Editor-in-chiefRecommended reading: Jean Gadrey, “Nouveaux indicateurs de richesse" (“New Indicators of Wealth”, two volumes), La Dcouverte, coll. Repres 2009. Jean Gadray “En finir avec les ingalits” (“Enough of Inequality”), Mango, 2006. Franois Fourquet, “Les comptes de la puissance” (“The Accounts of Power”), Encres Editions Recherches, 1980. Franoise Hritier “Masculin/Fminin II” (“ Masculine/Feminine II”), Odile Jacob, 2002. 5Editorial N. 11 N.E. – MAY JUNE 2009

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6 Is Grenada a good country for women? It’s a nice country for everyone but we do have challenges for women that are not unique to Grenada, but problems faced by women worldwide. A deep concern is violence against women and our need to empower them to be an integral part of development. I believe that fear is our biggest deterrent; the fear of change and of expressing ourselves. We still live in a man’s world where the men believe that the women should be there but only to a certain point. I want to be an agent of change for women because if I can do it, anyone can. For development to happen, we must do things collectively because we all have our different talents – both men and women. Wherever you go, it seems, women do get top posts but those at the very top are always in the hands of men Sometimes we allow ourselves to be used and marginalised by men, or even women. I can use my own life experience to encourage women that you can climb the ladder, but we have to be mindful of being respectful to one another. Women have to elevate themselves because others will not have confidence in you if you do not show confidence in yourself. Do you think women in high-level posts have to work twice as hard to arrive at the same positions as men? In Grenada, I don’t think women are attracted to politics. Politics for women is quite different to politics for men; particularly women who are wives and mothers because you have to find the right balance to look after yourself, look after your constitutency and still look after your family. Women often have to consider other factors in their lives whereas if a man leaves home at nine in the morning and returns at two the next morning, the most his wife will do is frown. If it is the other way round, it becomes a difficult situation. What about going the same way as countries in the north of Europe – such as Finland – where no ministerial meeting takes place after five or six p.m and men are compelled to take paternity leave? Further along, we may have to do this but in our parliament now we only have two women in the Lower House; one in government and T o the point GLYNIS ROBERTS:Grenada, East coast, 2009. Hegel Goutier Hegel GoutierA beacon for women and menGlynis Roberts is Minister for Labour and Social Development and Gender in the yearold National Democratic Congress (NDC) government of the eastern Caribbean nation of Grenada. She started off her career in the EC office in Grenada. Known for getting things done, she shares with us her ideas of how to get more women involved in politics in the Caribbean. She is promoting the creation of an ‘Association of Caribbean Female Politicians’ to nurture women Caribbean-wide in political careers, following in the footsteps of outstanding figures such as Eugenia Charles, the first Prime Minister of a Caribbean country, Dominica (19801995) and Jamaica’s former PM Portia Simpson-Miller (2006-2007). GLYNIS ROBERTS: A beacon for women and men

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7 N. 11 N.E. – MAY JUNE 2009 one in opposition. In the Upper House, there are just three women so we will have to work together to do things that affect us. All in all, I encourage women to be part of the decisionmaking process – it’s a necessity. We need that female touch to the whole thing. So how can you achieve it? We need to focus more on building families. This will give us stronger communities and stronger nations. We need a collective approach and move towards doing things for the family, and not only on the government side but also with churches and NGOs. You have situations where a person is being abused by an individual: you are abused once, twice, but you still go back and have a child with him. This syndrome locks us into poverty. How do we free ourselves from the chains of abuse and poverty? It is not the sole responsibility of the churches or government to do this. Women have to take up the mantle. One of the biggest problems of humanity is our fear of negatives or disappointments. The biggest fear you have going into politics is: “What if I positions are for people from a certain clan. We say we are liberated from the colonial masters but we are enslaving ourselves because we are not open to saying yes. I want to be that beacon for women who feel they are marginalised. As a woman who came from a poor, rural community and as someone who used to be hungry at school and who did not go to university, also as a mother and wife, I always kept my strong will. I am not saying that everybody will have the fortitude that I have but I believe if we dig deep, we can see that inner strength that will bring us through. Is your Ministry planning programmes to enable women to take control of their lives? We have quite a number of programmes, for example, a national parenting programme where we bring parents, churches and community health centres together to teach people to parent their children because this is one of the biggest problems we have. There’s a cycle of violence because children have grown up seeing their mothers being battered. Like everything else with funding and costings, it will take time. You have to understand that in Grenada now there is a ‘dependency syndrome’; we have to go back to liberating people to making their own decisions. What measures have been taken to stop violence against women? In Grenada, we have an Act, hotline and shelter for women but the biggest problem is of wanting to take the perpetrators to court – you cannot force it. In many cases, the victims – women and children – do not want to go to Court. We are moving towards OECS reform and setting up our own Family Court where for such cases you would not have to go through the big court system but a different, more relaxed setting, although still with the aim of getting the persons punished for their wrongdoings. How dynamically involved is civil society in the gender agenda? The Grenada Organisation of Women does quite a lot in terms of advocacy and running community programmes to support women who are victims of domestic violence. We have quite a lot of church and other organisations: groups against cancer, community bodies and cottage industries but we need to do a lot more so we can bring the benefits to both men and women for a well-balanced society. H.G. KeywordsGlynis Roberts; Caribbean; Grenada; gender; labour; social development. To the point Glynis Roberts, Minister for Labour and Social Development and Gender, Grenada. “Challenges for women are not unique to Grenada, but worldwide”, 2009. Hegel Goutier

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R ound up BANANAS : ACP COUNTRIES “sacrificed on the altar of liberalisation” says ACP chair, bananas groupThe European Commission has sacrificed development to trade liberalisation as a result of the decision to allow a further cut in the duties imposed on bananas imported from Latin America. This is how Gerhard Hiwat, Ambassador for Suriname and chair of the ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific) working group on bananas, described the decision in a statement he made on 6 April in Brussels. This move was also condemned by African Union Trade Ministers in a declaration they issued on 20 March. The decision could deal a serious blow to Cameroon and Ivory Coast, the main ACP countries exporting bananas to the EU. Marie-Martine Buckens A fruit vendor preparing his stall in Merkato market, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, May 2007. Manoocher Deghati/IRINThe Commission announced a proposal on 12 March that the tariff should be cut from per tonne to by 2011, the idea being to have it taper off to reach per tonne by 2019. The EU institution hopes this measure will help settle its longrunning dispute with Latin American banana producers, mainly Ecuador, Colombia and Costa Rica. According to an initial estimate, this cut would mean lost income of “at least M” for the ACP banana exporters during the liberalisation period (2009-2019), says Mr Hiwat. The Commission has recommended an aid package of roughly M to offset these losses during the 2010-2013 period. This is not enough, say the ACP countries who are calling for the duties to be cut to and frozen at this level for a four-year period, topped off with a set of flanking measures. 8

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N. 11 N.E. – MAY JUNE 2009 9 Round up Jacob Zuma, the leader of the African National Congress (ANC), was sworn in as South Africa's new president on 9 May. At 67 years of age, this controversial politician is succeeding Kgalema Motlanthe, his ally who has been interim president since Thabo Mbeki was deposed in September 2008. Zuma was officially elected by the South African parliament on 6 May after the ANC won general elections. On 22 April, almost 80 per cent of South Africa’s 23 million electorate turned out at the polling stations, compared to 72 per cent in 2004. While the ANC won almost 66 per cent of the vote, the new dissident party, called COPE and created by the allies of Thabo Mbeki in January, took almost 8 per cent. The Democratic Alliance led by Helen Zille, the Mayor of Cape Town who is of German origin, remains the main opposition party, winning 16 per cent of the vote nationally and almost 50 per cent in the province of Western Cape, strengthening its position in all parts of the country. Jacob Zuma is the fourth head of state in postapartheid South Africa. The first was Nelson Mandela in 1994, while Thabo Mbeki was elected president on the other two occasions in 1999 and 2004. M.M.B. Cameroon is the leading exporter of ACP bananas (279,530 tonnes in 2008), closely followed by Ivory Coast (216,583 tonnes), and the Dominican Republic (170,406 tonnes). These three countries have signed an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) in the form of an interim (for African countries) or a comprehensive pact in the context of Cariforum, in the case of the Dominican Republic, which allows them to export their bananas to the EU free of obstacles. a resounding VICTORY for the ANCSouth Africa South African President Jacob Zuma, seen as he gives his first State of the Nation address at parliament, in Cape Town, South Africa, Wednesday, June 3, 2009. EPA/TIAGO PETINGAFederico Alberto Cuello Camilo, Ambassador for the Dominican Republic, says the current tariffs have not prevented Latin American countries from boosting their exports to the European market, while ACP exporters have witnessed a decline in their market shares. The Dominican official also highlights the fact that the banana trade in Latin America is dominated by the multinationals, whereas in the ACP countries “families are the foundation of our political stability”. According to figures from the Central Organisation of Pineapple, Banana and Mango Producers-Exporters (OCAB), the total level of bananas ACP countries exported to the EU in 2008 (918,376 tonnes) was less than the volume accounted for by Ecuador alone (roughly 1.3M tonnes) and a far cry from the amount exported by Latin America as a whole (3.9M tonnes). ACP banana producers account for one-fifth of bananas exported to the European Union, a percentage that has been remarkably consistent over the last three years, even though the level of banana exports has shown a mild increase. J

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10 > Don’t give upIn 2004, the European Union opened consultations with Guinea which produced promises of democratisation from the Conakry authorities. Follow-up missions on the ground were planned up until 14 April 2009. Following the coup d’tat which followed the death of President Lansana Cont in December 2008, the military junta in the form of the National Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD) received a favourable reception from a Guinean public anxious to break with the past and to avoid destabilisation of the country. The CNDD nevertheless seized power by force, which was condemned by the EU, the African Union, ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States), the USA and Nigeria. Guinea has been suspended by the African Union, ECOWAS and the International Organisation for the French-Speaking World (OIF). In contrast, the regime has been welcomed by Libya, Senegal, Mauritania and Gambia. ECOWAS has started mediation, and the African Union, UNO, France and the EU have sent missions. Richard Moncrieff, director of the West Africa project of the International Crisis Group, an NGO, believes that some of the new leaders are sincere when they talk about ridding the government of the corruption of the Cont regime. But others stand accused of serious human rights violations. In a letter to the President of the CNDD, Moussa Dadis Camara, and the Prime Minister, Kabin Kamara, the EU invited the Guinean authorities to take part in political consultations. Meeting on 29 April in Brussels, the two parties agreed on a roadmap, setting out the holding of elections before the end of the year, an agreement between all parties (CNDD, government, political parties, unions and civil society), the establishment of a National Transitional Council with the powers and prerogatives of a constituent assembly and urgent measures to ensure the respect of human rights and basic freedoms.> Cooperation with Mauritania suspendedFollowing the coup d’tat on 6 August 2008 which ousted the elected president of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, the EU entered into consultations with the representatives of the military junta on 20 October. It closed talks on 6 April 2009 WEST AFRICARound up CONFLICT in The three West African countries of Mauritania, Guinea Conakry and Guinea Bissau have all seen outbreaks of military conflict within the space of several months, which have disrupted their complex progression towards democracy. The international community has condemned the regimes and called for the immediate return to constitutional order. In the first two cases, the European Union has invoked Article 96 of the ACP-EC Cotonou Agreement which provides for the opening of consultations with the country concerned in the event of clear and serious violation of democratic principles and the rule of law.Anne-Marie Mouradian Young Guinean supporters of the African Party for the Independance of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) take part in the last rally of their candidate to the Legislative Elections Carlos Gomes Junior (Cadogo) at the main square of the capital Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, 14th November 2008. EPA/TIAGO PETINGAThe EU and outbreaks CONFLICT WEST AFRICA

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N. 11 N.E. – MAY JUNE 2009 11 A Mauritanian soldier runs as he and others break up a crowd of demonstrators against an army coup in the city of Nouakchott, Mauritania, August 2008. Reporters.beas they resulted in failure with the Mauritanian leaders unable to provide sufficient guarantees of a return to constitutional order. The EU has put cooperation with Mauritania on hold for two years with the exception of humanitarian aid and direct support for the people. In the meantime, in March 2009 the European Commission welcomed the decision by the African Union’s Peace and Security Council to take action against “people in power in civil and military positions” involved in the coup d’tat. The EU has made the gradual reestablishment of cooperation dependent on a series of measures to be taken by Nouakchott over the next 24 months. In the event of a consensual solution for an end to the crisis and a legal framework enabling the holding of free and transparent presidential elections, the EU will release funding, including the redevelopment of the ore tanker port of Nouadhibou. In the event of the “irreversible implementation” of this consensual solution, it would support the ending of the crisis and the organisation of elections and pursue the programme of support for justice, etc. It would also implement all the programmes provided for under the 8th and 9th EDF, but not yet placed under contract. Only the complete return to constitutional order will enable the lifting of all restrictions and the implementation of the full M from the 10th EDF. On 15 April, General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, head of the junta, stepped down from the army and his position as President of the High Council of State to stand as a candidate in the presidential elections. He is promising a “new Mauritania” and “genuine democracy”. Due to take place on 6 June, but boycotted in principle by his opponents, the ballot will be closely monitored by the international community.> Guinea Bissau – avoiding chaosThe assassination of President Joo Bernardo Vieira by unidentified soldiers at the beginning of March 2009 was not considered to be a coup d’tat, and Guinea Bissau was not suspended by the African Union’s Peace and Security Council. The army has promised to respect the constitutional route and the President of the Assembly, Raimundo Pereira, interim head of state, has 60 days in which to organise the presidential election. The country remains highly unstable, blighted by corruption and drug trafficking – it is a key crossing point for South American cocaine en route to Europe – which risks undermining any democratic process. The opposition has demanded the resignation of the government which it accuses of being incapable of controlling the army and stopping military aggression. The European Parliament has called on the EU and the international community to continue its aid, while keeping the country under surveillance, and to maintain the European Security and Defence Policy’s mission which has been supporting the reform of the security sector since June 2008. According to Alioune Tine, President of the NGO Rencontre Africaine pour la Dfense des Droits de l’Homme (African Association for the Protection of Human Rights), which is very active in West Africa, nothing will be achieved until the army is reformed in Guinea Bissau, Mauritania and Guinea Conakry. KeywordsMauritania; Guinea Conakry; Guinea Bissau; Joao Bernardo Vieira; Raimundo Pereira; Alioune Tine; Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz; Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi; Lansana Cont. Round up

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12 D ossier “Sport has the power to change the world, the power to inspire, the power to unite people in a way that little else can. It speaks to young people in a language they understand.” These stirring words of former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, encapsulate sport’s ability to put development on track, starting with individual self-esteem. The FIFA World Cup football to take place in South Africa in 2010 – the first time on the African continent – is expected to bring social and economic benefits to the country beyond hosting the event. With a few exceptions, donors have been slow to fund sports-related development initiatives, given other priorities and a simple lack of money available. Many interviewed for this focus on sport spoke of the difficulty of accessing funds given ever more stringent evaluation criteria with donors’ demands to apply the criteria of accountants to the evaluation of projects in the field of sport. NGOs have traditionally led the way in funding sports initiatives, as well as some national lottery funds and European football federations. On a national level, non EU-states Norway, Canada and Australia and EU member state, the UK with its special initiative for the 2012 London Olympic Games ‘International Inspiration’ which we profile, are some of those trailblazing sport for development projects. The national policies of some African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries such as Papua New Guinea and Jamaica, already reflect the reach of sport beyond producing elite athletes and the African Union (AU) is also poised to take on the responsibility for sports development in the continent within its social policy objectives, with some nations hoping this may trigger the release of more donor funds for sports programmes. A dossier by Debra Percival and Hans PiennarSPORT donors Depiction of Sierra Leonean football legend, Ajay Kallon, on wall of national football stadium, Freetown, 2008. Debra PercivalSPORT and donors team up

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13 N. 11 N.E. – MAY JUNE 2009It was in Singapore in 2006 at the clinch presentation of bids to host the Olympic Games in 2012 that Sebastian Coe – Lord Coe – leader of London’s in successful made a pledge that a London Games would reach out to children worldwide. The UK’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) subsequently chaired a think-tank on how to honour that promise, describes Debbie Lye. To date DCMS has contributed ,000, the United Nations’ Children’s Fund has contributed .45M, The Premier League .2M, and the British Council, .85M. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Para Olympic Games (LOCOG), D ossier Debra Percival Inspiration’ Inspiration’ ‘International ‘International targets 12M children in 20 countries by 2012 Young woman takes part in UK Sports Council-funded project. Matt Bright DossierACP Sport for development‘International Inspiration’ will be a legacy of the London 2012 Olympics: a target of making available high-quality, inclusive physical education and sport and play to 12 million children in 20 developing nations amongst which is a number of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states. Programme Director, Debbie Lye, describes how UK Sport – the United Kingdom Sports Council, set up by Royal Charter in 1996 with a remit to promote development of sport and sport for development – has teamed up for the programme with the United Nations’ Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the British Council.

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together with the British Olympic Association (BOA), wanted the pilot programme to include one country from each of the five continents represented by the Olympic rings. The progamme for an initial five countries kicked off in October 2007: Azerbaijan (Europe)*; Brazil (Americas); India (Asia); Palau (Oceania) and Zambia (Africa), with the aim of enabling a further 15 countries to follow. Debbie Lye describes how the choice of countries has been based on a balance between need and the country’s existing capacity to take things forward. She describes how UK Sport has been able to use the expertise of UNICEF – which has ongoing anti-poverty strategies targeting chil dren in developing nations – and the British Council with its 110 offices worldwide. The British Council’s ‘Dreams + Teams’ intiative has trained young sports leaders in schools who organise festivals of sport for younger children and do everything from communicat ing via the internet to announcing festivals of sport, setting timetables and drawing lines on pitches. Put this together with UK Sport’s proven success in running sports programmes worldwide and you have a unique and widereaching partnership. “What we are aiming to do with ‘International Inspiration’ is to reach policy-makers, institu tions where the sports can take place, practitioners such as teachers and participants”, says Debbie Lye. She refers to the research work done by Professor Fred Coalter of the University of Stirling, Scotland, who has said that there cannot be effective sport for development if there is not good quality sport in place. “You can’t give this youth group a football and expect wonderful things to happen. There must be good quality coaches and an understanding of how the principles of sport can be used developmentally”, says Debbie Lye. She adds: “There is a slight propensity to use sport simplistically.”> Scoping visits She explains how the programme works in practice. A‘scoping visit’ to the targeted country is firstly arranged to assess a country’s needs. “When we go and do a scoping visit, we know the questions to ask and do prior research to ensure we understand the country context and areas of need. We sit down with UNICEF and British Council staff and share our understanding of programmes and we then have the opportunity to meet key professionals and decision makers and we begin the debate about what International Inspiration can help them to achieve. Finally, we encourage them to set up a steering committee when we leave.” Ministries of Sport and Education, as well as the Olympic and Paralympic associations in respective countries are all key consultees. She describes the programme already underway in India where UNICEF plans to launch a national campaign around, sport and play to showcase the work they are doing in International Inspiration, facilitating training for community leaders and creating safe spaces to play. “You’re not going to get Wembley (the UK’s national stadium) or a perfectly-laid cricket pitch but you can provide somewhere you can keep the grass mowed and snakes and broken glass away and provide simple equipment like basketball hoops, a volleyball net and community ownership of these”, she says. For this to happen, she continues, there’s a need for a degree of training intervention both at school and community level in creating such environments. UNICEF is also taking the programme out to communities, to slums and villages and is preparing advocacy materials in indigenous languages. “UNICEF India like it so much that they are taking the campaign to all states and the multiplying effect is potentially huge”, she says. Programmes for the initial five countries are now in their final year. Scoping visits have already been undertaken in another eight countries with the intention that in future the partners will work ever more closely together. UK Sport is integrating its work within the British Council plans from day one, and the British Council and UNICEF are co-ordinat ing from the outset in each country in order to ensure a more holistic approach to planning and implementation. The three further countries already approved by the board are Mozambique, Jordan and Bangladesh. Another two programmes, in Ghana and Trindidad and Tobago, are due to start by the end of the year. Other countries at the beginning of the planning process are South Africa, Malaysia and Nigeria. In the current economic crisis funding the whole programme to the level envisaged will present a challenge, explains Debbie Lye. However, an impressive .9M of the M projected budget has been raised to date. UNICEF is currently leading the drive to raise money from non-government sources but the fundraising targets will be tough to meet. International Inspiration, which was supported into being by the UK government, is now governed through an independent charitable foundation to give it the drive and expert focus it needs to achieve its ambitious vision. KeywordsInternational Inspiration; UK Sport; UNICEF; British Council; Debbie Lye; LOCOG; Debra Percival. ACP Sport for development Dossier 14 On left: Sport is combined with teaching of life-skills. A UK Sports Council-funded project, Brazil. Caldas LeoOn right : Renovation of facilities for sport and play, Brazil. Caldas Leo *Azerbaijan is considered as part of the greater Europe for the project.

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15 N. 11 N.E. – MAY JUNE 2009 DossierACP Sport for developmentThe country has escaped much of the fall-out of the crisis because of its sound banking system, in which very few toxic assets are on the books. But the global downturn was always going to have an impact on an economy as globalised as South Africa’s. During the last quarter of last year, it contracted for the first time in ten years. This year there has already been a massive drop in manufactur ing, making another shrinking quarter likely. But South Africa’s former president Kgalema Motlanthe was upbeat about it all. The reason: a bonanza of global sporting events culminat ing in the FIFA Football World Cup in less than 18 months’ time. This month the Indian Professional League brought its tournament to South Africa after the Mumbai terror attacks; the British Lions rugby team tour starts in May 2009, followed by FIFA’s Football Confederations Cup in June 2009. Enormous figures are being bandied about on what these all mean in terms of boosting tourism, the hospitality industry, the media and taxes for the government. Deputy Minister of Sport, Gert Oosthuizen, estimates the direct contribution of the FIFA World Cup alone to GDP R55.7bn** (about US$6bn) with tax of R19.3bn being generated: “The succession of tournaments imposed on us the need to invest in bulk infrastructure and that investment serves as a countercyclical measure against the negative consequences of the global economic meltdown”. Analysts question the figures used by Oosthuizen. Some say it would more likely be about R22bn, with the government recouping a spend of more than R15.6bn by not more than R8bn. This sounds more in tune with the World Cup legacies of other recent hosts, such as South Korea, which is still battling to pay off its World Cup debts.> Rainbow-nation spiritMotlanthe is right when it comes to the more intangible factors. For the past year or so, South Africans have been stoically enduring the almost frenzied construction work on new transport systems because they know they will change South Africa forever. Pride of place goes to the ‘Gautrain’, a name encompassing the Sesotho language word for Johannesburg, the country’s commercial capital, as well as Governments have been battling the world financial crisis with a process that has become part of everyday talk around the coffee can – bailouts. In South Africa hopes are being placed on something altogether different: the 2010 Soccer World Cup.A World Cup New World Cup 2010 stadium under construction in Cape Town, South Africa. AP/Reporterrs.beHans Pienaar*A World Cup that can change South Africa

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ACP Sport for development Dossier 16 the Afrikaans word ‘gou’, which means quick. There is also the illusion to ‘goud’, the metal that gave the 110-year-old city its existence. It is an almost perfect example of Nelson Mandela’s Rainbow-nation spirit, encompassing the old and new orders in reconciliatory projects. But it goes much further than that. Enormously expensive as it is going to be – costs could reach R40bn (US$4.5bn) – it will catapult South Africa into the 21st Century, and strike a blow against one of the most tenacious legacies of the past: apartheid. Under the former National Party, in power from 19481994, the country modernised itself in leaps and bounds but the benefits of growth were reserved for years for the white population who enjoyed one of the highest living standards in the world. One of the more unusual consequences was that South Africa never developed proper public transport systems. While it was among the first countries, in the 19th Century already, to have trams these were eventually phased out. Plans for underground trains never got off the planning board. Instead, huge amounts were spent on building state-of-the-art highways for cars. The apartheid government planned roads which avoided the ever-mushrooming black townships. It has only been under the stewardship of Finance Minister, Trevor Manuel, that the government has begun the huge challenge of installing transport systems that cater for all, rich and poor. Such systems have also suddenly, in the past few years, become essential for the country’s battle plan against climate change. Proper public transport became a mat ter of urgency. Quite soon after the World Cup announcement, construction started on the Gautrain, which will connect Johannesburg with the administrative capital Pretoria, 60km away, snaking through both affluent, now mixed-race suburbs, and the still dirt-poor black townships. World Cup fever was also used to launch another key system. The Rea Vaya (‘we are going’) Bus Rapid Transit System was touted as essential to ferry fans from especially townships to the various WC venues in the country’s cities. The two projects exposed the dark underbelly of the World Cup spectacle; benefiting a relatively small number of interna tional businessmen. In late March 2009, black minibus taxi drivers launched their first strike against the BRT system. For fifty years they had been supplying the essential links between black workers who could only find work in white areas. In the post-apartheid dispensation they were hailed as entrepreneurs, setting up transport businesses without the help of whites. “We’re going to lose jobs to these buses. We’re not going to allow these buses to happen”, said Alexandra Taxi Association spokesperson, Velile Thambe. Other questions are being raised: how much of the World Cup proceeds will actually reach the poor? Five brand new stadiums are being built, and the one in Cape Town will cost R3bn (US$350M). “To build the stadium will cost 60,000 homes (for the poor) that about 300,000 people would live in and use every day for decades, and not once for 45 minutes each way”, says Professor Anthony Leiman of Cape Town University. ‘Celebrate Africa’s Humanity’ is the broader theme of the whole 2010 project, but Germany’s enormously successful integration of soccer into the arts and other disciplines in 2006, through its ‘goalposts’ project, seems to remain a foreign concept for Johannesburg. Still, South Africans are hugely upbeat about 2010. In a survey last year improvements in infrastructure were expected by almost nine in 10 (87 per cent). About 88 per cent stated they were proud South Africa was hosting the cup and 83 per cent agreed it would improve South Africa’s image abroad.* Hans Pienaar is a Johannesburg-based journalist. ** On 28 April 2009, 1 South African Rand = 0.0876 euro. KeywordsSouth Africa; World Cup 2010; football; FIFA; development; economy; Trevor Manuel; Kgalema Motlanthe; stadiums. FIFA 2010 Stadium in Cape Town (South Africa). Flickr.com/Epic Memory Johannesburg is in upheaval as construction continues on the Rea Vaya Bus Rapid Transit System and the Gautrain underground system Hans Pienaar

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Why and when did the United Nations put together a programme on sport for development and peace? Sport for Development and Peace is not a new approach within the UN system. The different UN funds, programmes and specialised agencies that make up the UN family have used sport in their field work for a long time. The power and utility of sport in humanitarian, development and peace-building programmes was, however, not always used systematically or coherently and evidence remained anecdotal. That is one of the reasons why the position of the Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Sport for Development and Peace was created in 2001 by Kofi Annan. I am the second incumbent, having succeeded former Swiss President, Adolf Ogi, in April 2008. My mandate includes three main tasks, namely, to advocate for the systematic inclu sion of sport in national and international development policies, to work as a facilitator between actors within the UN and external partners, and to represent the UN Secretary-General at major sports events. Briefly, what is the current policy focus? One of our main focuses is coordination within the UN system. I am trying to help avoid duplication, create synergies and identify good practices in the field. In that sense, I see myself as an information broker within and for the UN family. A practical example is the coordinating role in the preparation for the many mega-sports events that take place next year. In the limelight of these events the UN must be visible and present itself as one. On a more programmatic level, I am hoping that with the integration of the Secretariat of the International Working Group on Sport for Development and Peace into my Office, we can continue the successful work on policy advice for Governments that wish to incorporate sport in their development plans. The sights of the international donor community are at the moment firmly set on attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). What’s the link between investment of public funds in sport and poverty alleviation? Although it is not a panacea, sport can contribute to realising literally all of the eight MDGs. It can help alleviate poverty by giving people transferable life skills, higher self-esteem and self-confidence which all increase their employability. Some sport programmes also include sport equipment production which creates jobs locally. Sustainable programmes may eventually help establish more complex sport-related social institutions and markets which provide employment opportunities. Last but not least, sport can help prevent diseases, one of the driving factors of poverty. What criteria are used for evaluating the success of projects in the field of sport for development? The importance of quality monitoring and evaluation of sport for development and peace programmes is not to be underestimated. While it is recognised that there is a lack of widely available evaluation tools specifically for sport for development and peace, researchers around the world are building the evidence based in support of global efforts. Evaluation of any programme should assess the relevance, effective ness, efficiency, impact and sustainability of the programme. Do you feel that other donor agencies lack interest in funding sport for development programmes? Of course the financial crisis has an impact on development activities as a whole. But compared to other designs of social development programmes, programmes including sport as a tool to promote develop ment and peace are relatively cost-effective. This is one of the many assets of the concept. SDP programmes led by the UN or others should thus pave the way for the inclusion of the concept by Governments in their national development plans. Are you running any joint programmes with other donor agencies? Due to the mandate as Special Adviser, my office is principally focused on coordination, facilitation and advocacy work. Although we help initiate and encourage joint programmes and advise where requested, we do not have the mandate to actively engage in the implementation of sport for development and peace programmes. D.P. SPORT 17 N. 11 N.E. – MAY JUNE 2009 Wilfried Lemke, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Sport for Development and Peace. UN KeywordsDebra Percival; UN; Wilfried Lemke; MDGs. The power of sport in development has for some time been recognised by the United Nations (UN). Wilfried Lemke, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Sport for Development and Peace told us about his activities. DossierACP Sport for developmentDEVELOPMENTUN gets behind SPORT for DEVELOPMENT

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18 Olympic double sprint champion, Usain Bolt, celebrates with Jamaican flag, Beijing, 2008 Pniesen, Dreamstime.com The power of JAMAICA’S TRACKsuccessSince 1948, Jamaica has won 13 gold, 27 silver and 21 bronze medals at the Olympics and at the World Athletics Championships: seven golds, 29 silvers and 30 bronzes. Patrick Robinson*, a Jamaican judge at the International Criminal Court in the Hague, lauds his country’s model system for nurturing athletic talent which fosters self-reliance. The Interscholastic Championship (CHAMPS) – an annual junior-level competition – is the training ground and launch pad for Jamaican athletics and has nurtured home grown tal ent for almost a century, Robinson explains in an interview with The Courier. Qualified coaches in each school rigorously prepare students for the prestigious event. “My thesis is that even though Jamaica has tremendous natural talent in athleticism, it is the system that has evolved since 1910 that underpins and explains Jamaica’s high performance in athletics at the international level”, says Robinson. “All the athletes who won medals competed at CHAMPS as secondary school students, notably Usain Bolt, who is the current Class 1 CHAMPS record holder in the 200 and 400 metres with times of 20:25 seconds and 45:35 seconds, both done in 2003, and Veronica Campbell, who is the current CHAMPS Class I record holder in the 100 metres with a time of 11:13 seconds done in 2001”, says Robinson.Usain Bolt was the star of the track at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, becoming the first man to win the Olympic sprint double with world records in both the 100 and 200 metres. “For a country to benefit fully from funding in sports, it must have a coherent sports policy which sees sports as an integral part of national development”, he says. There can be no better example of the potential of sport for development than the success of Jamaica’s top two coaches Stephen Francis (coach of Asafa Powell) and Glen Mills (coach of Usain Bolt). “By their example of professionalism and industry they have shown that Jamaicans can achieve success in athletics at the global level by staying and training in Jamaica, thereby, eliminating the need to go to the USA for training”, Robinson tells us. “Jamaica benefits from the success of its athletes because the example of excellence, commitment, dedication, hard work and self-belief set by them is an inspiration for every Jamaican, and is to be contrasted with the negative images of violence with which our young people are bombarded daily by the media”, he adds. He says Jamaican atheletes and coaches can provide services in athletics to the entire world. And sport creates opportunities for youngsters to be trained in a particular area for employment. Moreover, it helps keep youngsters off the streets and away from illegal activities. “This example of selfreliance is vital to national development, giving full force to the words of National Hero, Marcus Garvey: Up, up, you mighty race; you can accomplish what you will ”, cites Robinson. D.P. *Author of ‘Jamaican Athletics: A model for 2012 Olympics and the World’, Arcadia Books, London, 2009. KeywordsJamaica; Patrick Robinson; Usain Bolt; Veronica Campbell; Stephen Campbell; Glenn Mills; CHAMPS; Olympic Games; Debra Percival. DossierACP Sport for development Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) have developed a ten-year $US44.5M Sport for Development Initiative, shifting the policy focus in PNG from elite high performance athletes to sport for development. Grants will go to projects such as increased community participation in regular, quality sport and community projects piloting sport-based lifeskills activities, as well as coaching and administration courses. PNG’s sports foundation will also be strengthened. SPORT CENTRE FIELD IN PNG

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19 N. 11 N.E. – MAY JUNE 2009Louis Michel, Member of the EC in charge of Development and Humanitarian Aid, receives ‘Zakumi’, the mascot for the South African Football World Cup tournament. EC Dossier ACP Sport for developmentEC SPORT There’s a growing recognition in European Community institu tions of the role sport can play in development. The European Commission’s 2007 White Paper on Sport contains a specific chapter on cooperation in the field of sport to promote education, health, inter-cultural dialogue, development and peace aims and ambitions. A ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ (MoU) between EC Commissioner Louis Michel and President of the Fdration Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), Sepp Blatter, on the day of the 2006 Soccer World Cup final in Berlin, provides the scope for an EC/FIFA partnership in projects in ACP nations. “This new policy context might change the traditionally low profile of sport in EC development cooperation. It has been increasingly recognised that sport has a certain convening power and it is able to transgress borders”, says Tamas Varnai who is in charge of sport in the EC’s Directorate-General for Development. “Sport also has a peace building potential, while it can be a relatively low-cost, high-impact tool to advance the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). A good example is a soccer pitch on school premises that can be used by school pupils after tuition. Athletes are perfect role models for children and youth, especially those who come from disadvantaged communities”, says Varnai. . The White Paper moots partnerships between the EC and the United Nations, European Union Member States, local authorities and private bodies whereas the FIFA/EC MoU foresees regular policy dialogue between the Commission and FIFA. > Funding deficitBut it has been difficult to get projects out of the starting blocks, as sport has to compete with other funding priorities. A joint letter was sent in May 2007 by Commissioner Michel and FIFA’s Sepp Blatter to all EC delegations and national soccer associations in ACP countries suggesting that they meet and identify cooperation possibilities. Ideas include: distribution of EC funded sports equipment, financing of soccer schools and national soccer competitions for schools; scholarships for young football players; sponsoring of famous soccer players to transmit messages on self-esteem health and education. But few delegations have expressed interest in including sport projects in their bilateral programmes under the 10th European Development Fund (2008-2013). With no centralised EC budget for sport, the only other option is funding by country or via regional programmes. With the FIFA World Cup to be held in South Africa in 2010 – the first time on the African continent South Africa is to use M of its EC funding package for sport especially football – for boys and girls. D.P. PHOTO-JOURNALISTS FOR SOUTH AFRICA 2010The European Commission and FIFA have teamed up to enable trainee African photo-journalists to take part in a course run by the ‘Fondation Agence France Presse’ to improve coverage of the World Cup. Some 200 participants will take part in various African capitals (Cairo, Lagos, Johannesburg, Rabat, Dakar, Libreville and Maputo). KeywordsFIFA World Cup; Louis Michel, Sepp Blatter; South Africa; Tamas Varnai; Debra Percival. development projects Kick off for EC SPORT for development projects

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How can sport contribute to social and economic development in developing nations? I think everyone working in this area is cautious about over-stating the case, but sport really does have special qualities that can contribute to development goals. Sport is especially effective as a means for working with young people: they enjoy sport, they relate to its global image – football will draw youngsters in anywhere! and they respond enthusiastically when given the chance to participate. Sport brings young people back to schools and into community facilities, and when it does, it gives them access to a wide range of support. There are three areas that come to mind: sport as a vehicle for formal education; sport as a vehicle for life skills and health education and sport as a mechanism for female empowerment and addressing issues surrounding gender inequity. One of the areas which seems to be especially productive is sports development work with females. Our work in Africa and India has shown that sport can be a particularly powerful mechanism for empowering young women. What criteria should be used to evaluate the contribution of sport to social and economic development? Sport is not a complete solution in itself. What sport is particularly good at is engaging people who are difficult to reach through other means and give them them access to support which in turn can maximise their chances to challenge some of the constraints in their everyday lives. One of the most important factors is that sport can provide a basis for constructive relationships with supportive adults. In The Institute of Youth Sport at the UK’s Loughborough University is researching into how sport promotes development. In our interview with its Deputy Director, Tess Kay, we tap into the body’s invaluable knowledge which is used by organisations that are funding sport for development projects. SPORT 20 DossierACP Sport for developmentThe power of SPORT

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21 N. 11 N.E. – MAY JUNE 2009 KeywordsSport; Tess Kaye; Institute of Youth Sport; Loughborough University; India; Brazil; Debra Percival. Sudanese Participate in Information Dissemination Campaign through Sport, Khartoum (Sudan), November 2006. UN Africa, we have learnt how differently young people interact with adults when they are in sports contexts. The playful and fun nature of sport breaks down barriers, encouraging less formal, more open relationships. We have had some very strong testimonials from teachers in Zambia who describe how playing sport alongside their pupils produces a completely different form of interaction compared to those they have with the same pupils, but in classroom settings. This allows them to talk more directly about important issues – in Zambia, especially about HIV-AIDS and young people seem to respond very positively to information delivered in this way. What is the most effective assistance that can be given to promote sport for devel opment? Sport is similar to other forms of development work in so far as the most effective initiatives are those fully attuned to local cultural and practical realities. These initiatives have local ownership and thus some prospect of sustainability beyond initial funding.The most effective assistance is therefore to develop sports programmes in full partnership with the host nation. We have to be careful of not parachuting in ready-made sport systems which are too ‘westernised’. Full account of the cultural context into which any sports programmes are being introduced Must be considered. This means partnership approaches from the very outset, not just when it comes to implementation and delivery. It’s also important to recognise that there is sometimes cultural resistance to sport – in impoverished communities, even young children are required to work, and sport can seem an irrelevancy. It is interesting that even in these situations, sports programmes seem to flourish once they are introduced. Do you feel that donor agencies lack interest in funding sport for development programmes? It is not so much a lack of interest as a genuine lack of knowledge about what can be achieved through sport. Once organisations are made aware of the research evidence of how powerful sport can be, they often embrace it very fully and are keen to use it as one of their development tools. Sports researchers and agencies have a role to play in making donor agencies more aware of how well sport can work in promoting their core work – encouraging education, supporting health agendas, and delivering life skills. Sport also has a value in itself, as an enjoyable activity for children and young people who in impoverished communities are often bereft of other forms of play and entertainment. These are all things that donor agencies value. As research ers, we need to make sure they know more about how sport can deliver them. D.P. Dossier ACP Sport for development GOAL netball project in Delhi, India. Joanna Welford

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I nteraction After the RAZZMATTAZWhat’s in the G-20 package? 22As soon as the curtain fell on the G-20 (Group of 20)* states’ Summit in London, 2 April, the dissection of the deal done to revive the global economy began. Leading think-tanks and NonGovernmental Organisations (NGOs) alert that to avoid placing more people in poverty, especially in developing nations, the G-20 must now deliver on the pledges contained in the agreed International Global Plan for Recovery and Reform. “This is the day that the world came together, to fight back against the global recession, not with words but a plan for global recovery and for reform with a clear timetable”, said British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, host of the Summit held in London’s Excel Centre. A $US1.1 trillion booster package to restore growth and create employment was agreed including: an additional US$500bn for the IMF; US$250bn in Special Drawing Rights** (for all IMF Members); a $US250bn twoyear trade finance package; and $US100bn of additional lending by multilateral development banks. The sole African around the G-20 table, former President of South Africa, Kgalema Motlanthe, said he was “quite pleased” with the outcome and particularly, “a commitment to ensure that developing countries receive finances particularly for infrastructure”. US President, Barack Obama, said the event had The London Summit 2009. Lawrence Looi/newsteam.co.uk After the RAZZMATTAZ

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23 N. 11 N.E. – MAY JUNE 2009taken “unprecedented steps to restore growth and prevent a crisis like this from happening again”. Chairman of the African Union (AU), Jean Ping and Ethiopian Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, representing the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), were both Summit invitees. General pledges made by the G-20 were to: restore confidence; create growth and jobs; repair the financial system to restore lending; strengthen financial regulation to rebuild trust; fund and reform international financial institutions to overcome this crisis and prevent future ones; promote global trade and investment and reject protectionism, and underpin prosperity. Leaders also committed to adhere to global banking system principles: bring the shadow banking system, including hedge funds, within the global regulatory net; set up new international accounting standards; regulate credit rating agencies; and put an end to tax havens that do not transfer information on request.> Fresh funds?In a post-Summit paper, Martin Kohr of the South Centre, a development policy thinktank, says the funds pledged are not entirely new allocations: “Some of it had already been decided long before the Summit, and some of it reflected only an intention rather than concrete pledges.” The Summit pledge to provide loans to the IMF and recycle them as loans to crisis-hit countries running out of foreign reserves would compromise the ability of the IMF to carry out surveillance and discipline of countries that provide loans, says Kohr, call ing for IMF reform. What’s more, the $US250bn of Special Drawing Rights pledged would be shared amongst the IMF’s 186 members according to their quotas or voting shares meaning that 44 per cent of these monies will go to richest seven countries and only US$80bn to middleincome and poor developing nations, says Kohr. He adds that the G-20 made no move to assist developing nations in avoiding wrenching debt. Duncan Green, Head of Research at Oxfam says: “There is a huge question mark on how far tax haven commitments really go. There has clearly been a big fight within the G-20 on whether to release a list of bad guys, so they are pleased to pass the buck to the OECD.” (see box). And he believes that only US$12bn of a US$250bn trade stimulus will go to low income countries. D.P.* The group of 20 comprises Finance Ministers and Central Bank governors of 19 states; Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom and USA. The European Union, represented by the rotating Council presidency and the European Central Bank, is the G-20’s 20th Member. ** The SDR is an international reserve asset, created by the IMF in 1969 to supplement the existing official reserves of member countries. SDRs are allocated to member countries in proportion to their IMF quotas. AFRICA’S SUMMIT CALLPrior to the G-20, the ‘Committee of Ten’ a group of African Finance Ministers and Central Banks chaired by South Africa’s Finance Minister, Trevor Manuel, put together Africa’s package for the Summit. Its report on the impact of the crisis on African econo mies warns that steady progress over the last decade could be compromised: “It is sweeping away firms, mines, jobs revenues and livelihoods.” For the first time in a decade, zero per capita growth could occur across the continent with shortfalls in export revenues continent-wide expected to be $US251bn in 2009 and $US277bn in 2010, oil exporters being the biggest losers. Capital inflows are declining as worker remittances and tourism receipts fall and stocks of foreign reserves run low. Some countries only have few weeks' cover (i.e DRC) severely jeopardising the capacity to import basic commodities food, medical supplies and agricultural inputs, says the report. A key concern is how to sustain adequate levels of investment, especially in infrastructure. An additional $US50bn in 2009 and $US56bn in 2010 are needed to maintain pre-crisis levels of growth. Increasing investment to the level needed to achieve higher, MDGs-consistent growth rates requires an additional $US117bn in 2009 and $US130bn in 2010, says the report. Recommendations are for additional resources, donor policy flexibility with reduced conditionality and trade promotion measures. Interaction G20 KeywordsG-20; Kgalema Motlanthe; Trevor Manuel Gordon Brown; Jean Ping tax havens; food facility; Debra Percival.

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InteractionFood facilityACP countries in line for ‘FOOD FACILTY’ NAMEDThirty-four nations are to benefit from a variety of EC-funded projects and programmes to improve food security over the next three years. 24 A young girl cleans food at an internally displaced persons camp in Arare, 12 km from Jamame, Southern Somalia, December 2006. Manoocher Deghati/IRINOn 30 March 2009, the European Commission approved an initial financing decision under a bn ‘Food Facility’ which was adopted at the end of last year by all European Union (EU) institutions and strongly backed by development NGOs. Overall over three years, the poorest in a total of 50 developing countries will benefit. “Europe has already made humanitarian responses to the food crisis through emergen cy aid. The ‘Food Facility’ is the development response to get agriculture back on its feet”, said EU Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel in a statement on 30 March 2009. On 18 December 2008, the European Parliament and Council of Ministers gave their green light to the proposal tabled by the European Commission in response to the 2007/2008 global food crisis which saw food prices soar. Three areas will be targeted under the three-year package (2009-2011): fertilisers and seeds and services such as vets and advisors; agricultural production including microcredit, rural infrastructure, training and support to professional groups in the agricultural sector; and income to vulnerable population groups, through working on labour-intensive public works projects (roads, irrigation etc). The initial ACP beneficiaries under the Facility are: Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, DR Congo, Cuba, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Haiti, AID SHOULD BE INCREASEDPresident of the European Commission, Jos Manuel Barroso, swiftly called on 8 April for development aid of the EU’s 27 EU States to be increased: “We are now more than half way to the 2015 deadline for achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and some of the gains achieved so far risk being forefeited, leaving poor countries worse off than before the crisis”. As the world’s biggest aid donor in terms of Gross National Income (GNI) share, the EU committed bn in 2008, or 40 per cent of GNI. But aid volumes would need to increase to bn collectively in 2010 to meet the promise of 0.56 per cent of GNI to Oversaeas Development Aid made at the Gleneagles Summit of the G-8 in 2005. Barroso called for “greater use of development aid to leverage other funds, including through the European Investment Bank (EIB). Every euro spent on aid should leverage up to five euros of private investment”, he said. Barroso said the EC would ‘frontload’ (expediting the disbursement of its aid) and refocus its existing commitments including bn of foreseen budget support on the most vulner able. In addition, an ad hoc FLEX instrument is to compensate developing nations worst hit by falling export revenues as world trade contracts. Barroso said this would be on stream before the end of 2009 and includes M to allow developing nations to continue social safety net spending. In addition, the EU has adopted a ‘food facility’ to stimulate agricul tural production in developing nations (see article that follows). ACTION ON TAX HAVENS? On the announcement of the G-20’s action on tax havens, the Paris-based Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) promptly published lists of states that are lagging in implementing agreed tax transparency standards. A ‘grey’ list of countries that have improved international transparency standards, but not sufficiently, includes 16 Caribbean countries. See: oecd.org

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N. 11 N.E. – MAY JUNE 2009NGOS ALERT over aid cuts Cuts in the respective Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) budgets for 2009 of several EU states as a result of their shrinking economies will cost lives in developing nations, says a leading Irish NGO. NGOs ODA Interaction Central Africa. Francois Groemans/EC ECHOIn December 2008, Italy announced aid cuts of 56 per cent. At the beginning of 2009, Latvia slashed its spending by 100 per cent and in March 2009, Estonia cut its budget by 10 per cent. Now a further reduction in Ireland’s aid budget means the original M pledge for 2009 has shrunk to just M. Hans Zomer, Director of Dchas, the Irish umbrella Association of Non-Governmental Organisations, says this cut is disproportionate to the decline in Ireland’s economy: “An eight per cent fall in national income should proportionately result in a cut of M to the aid budget, not a cut of M.” He added: “Vital programmes providing clean water, health care, food and support to victims of disaster will now have to be cut.” Meanwhile, figures of the Paris-based Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), show a slight increase in aid given collectively to development nations by OECD EU* states from 0.39 to 0.42 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI) compared to 2007. But NGOs say that EU collective spending targets of 0.56 per cent of GNI for ODA by 2010 are lagging. The OECD report highlighted the severe effect the world’s economic crisis is having on poor countries in lost earnings from exports, reduced foreign direct investment and other financial flows. D.P. Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe. In this first instalment, all funding for ACP states will be channelled through International Organisations: the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Food Programme (WFP), the World Bank (WB) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP). Further allocations over the three years for other ACP nations (see box) will be made through a wider group of actors: International Organisations, Regional Organisations and national governments and also as calls for proposals by Non-States Actors, Member States’ bodies and other eligible actors, say EC officials. D.P. Indicative Allocation (in M) 12.9 23.7 13.4 10 3.6 11.7 40.6 12.8 45.4 5.5 20.9 8.4 13.5 15.8 5.9 31.2 6 Country Benin Burkina Faso Burundi Central African Republic Comoros Cuba Democratic Republic of Congo Eritrea Ethiopia Gambia Ghana Guinea Bissau Guinea Haiti Jamaica Kenya Lesotho Country Liberia Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mozambique Niger Rwanda Sao Tom e Principe Senegal Sierra Leone Somalia Tanzania Togo Zambia Zimbabwe Indicative Allocation (in M) 10.9 21.8 17.9 22.1 7.6 23.2 19.2 15.6 2.1 14.5 16.2 14.4 32.4 13.7 16.3 15.4Allocations of the ‘Food Facility’ for ACP States (2009-2011)25 KeywordsNGOs; Overseas Development Assistance (ODA); Dchas; Hans Zomer; Debra Percival. * 19 EU states are Members of the OECD: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, the Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

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In her opening session speech, MEP and Assembly Co-President, Glenys Kinnock said: “The ACP countries have clearly not been spared by the economic crisis. They should therefore not be marginalised in the efforts being made to mitigate the impact”. Referring to the promises of aid made at the G20, she expressed her concerns that these funds were in the form of loans rather than grants and that the process was being controlled by the IMF. In an emergency resolution, the members of the Joint Assembly called for development aid from the US$1,000bn package promised by the G20 on 2 April in London to be released quickly and to be made available from new funds. While the representatives once again demanded greater flexibility from the European Commission in the conclusion of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) with the ACP countries (see the trade section), they also called on the EU Member States and the Commission to completely redefine their development aid policies to finance the social and environmental consequences of climate change. Netty Baldeh (Gambia), co-author of the resolution with Spaniard Josep Borrell Fontelles, said: “The ACP countries must not repeat the mistakes made by the industrialised countries in developing their economies on the basis of fossil fuels.”> Addressing the real causes of piracyThe representatives also made an appeal to the new Somali government to put an end to the fighting and to allow humanitarian aid access to the 2.6 million victims of the conflict which is ravaging the country. The resolution states that the real causes of the piracy are poverty, unemployment and the decline in the fisheries sector. It calls for cooperation between the European naval forces of the Atalanta mission and the Americans, Russians and Chinese present in the region. Finally, two days after the memorial of the genocide in Rwanda, the parliamentarians adopted a resolution calling for a legal framework guaranteeing respect for ethnic, cultural and religious diversity (see The Courier n).M.M.B. THE ACP-EU ASSEMBLY condemns the G20The financial and food crises, the Economic Partnership Agreements and the conclusions of the G20 summit in London were on the agenda for the members of the ACPEU Joint Assembly, which met in Prague from 4 to 9 April. The parliamentarians also adopted an emergency resolution on Somalia and the issue of piracy which is rife off the coast of the country. KeywordsJPA; Economic Partnership Agreements; G20; Glenys Kinnock; climate; Somalia; food crisis; economic crisis; Marie-Martine Buckens. BYE BYE, MRS KINNOCKThe Assembly closed its 17th session by paying tribute to Glenys Kinnock from the UK, who took part in her last meeting as Co-President. The “indefatigable” and “charming” Mrs. Kinnock was applauded by many participants for her work and her commitment to the issue of development in the ACP countries. InteractionACP-EU 26 The ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly in Prague, from 4 to 9 April 2009. EC/ACP Secretariat

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27 N. 11 N.E. – MAY JUNE 2009ACP InteractionCuraao and St. Maarten will receive more autonomous statutes within the Dutch Kingdom, comparable to the status apart that Aruba has since 1986. The other three Dutch OCTislands, Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba will become a ‘gemeente’ of the Netherlands: that is a small Dutch municipality with a Dutch mayor. Why in the 21st century do islands want to become more dependent instead of less dependent? An explanation is that they are too small, the population of Bonaire being 11,537, Saba 1,491, St. Eustatius 2,699. Until now the central government of the Netherlands Antilles in Curaao has taken the decisions for these small islands. The Dutch government wants to keep financial control and financial supervision of Curaao. The population of Curaao will be able to give its opinion during the referendum that will take place on 15 May 2009. > Land of the Heart Curaao is the largest island of the Netherlands Antilles: 140.000 people and 40 nationalities, are living together on a surface area of 44 km2. Due to the island’s slightly heart-shaped bays, Curaao received the Spanish name ‘corazon’ (heart). Tourism and financial services are an important source of income for Curaao. The economy of Curaao performs well. Main contributors to the recent economic expansion are: tourism, the logistics industry including the airport and harbour, the oil industry, financial services sector. Special regulations enable Curaao to offer special grants to attract investors in e-commerce and to facilitate e-commerce development, local banks offering e-services and financial offshore companies hosting international e-companies.> The rice-OCT (Overseas countries and territories) routeA longstanding historic cooperation/relation ship exists with Surinam. Famous was the rice-OCT route: rice from Surinam went from Curaao to the EU-market duty-free. The commercial contact between Curaao and Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago has become significant during the last five years. The Netherlands Antilles is an associate member of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS). In May 2008 the Chamber of Commerce of Curaao organised an EPA Fact Finding Trade Mission to Trinidad and Barbados with the participation of public and private sector stakeholders in order to identify CariforumEC-EPA business opportunities. KeywordsDutch Overseas Countries and Territories; OCTs; Curaao; Netherlands Antilles. Willemstad, the capital of Curaao, on the UNESCO world heritage list since 1997, with its typically Dutch colonial architecture. A town grown around the first fortresses which the Dutch built at both sides of the harbour’s entrance. Joyce van Genderen-Naar MORE INTEGRATION WITH ACPSThe European Commission (EC) is in talks with all Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) countries to strengthen trade relations with ACP regions. In a ‘Green Paper’ released in June 2008 (see The Courier n), the EC raises the possibility of the 21 OCTs becoming members of Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) with respective neighbouring ACP states. Joyce van Genderen-NaarTHE DISMANTLING THE DISMANTLING of the Netherlands Antilles Part of the Dutch Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs), the Netherlands Antilles and the Dutch government agreed upon the dismantling of the Netherlands Antilles in January 2010.

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28 Most Commonwealth states belong to the ACP Group (see box page 27). A large important ongoing project is ‘Hub and Spokes’ between the European Commission (EC), the Commonwealth Secretariat and the ’Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie’ (Organisation of Frenchspeaking countries). “The purpose is to increase the ability of the ACP countries to effectively develop, manage and negotiate their own trade policies,” explains Edwin Laurent. Funding – mainly from the European Commission, but also from other partners – is for a number of ‘hubs’, comprising a senior trade policy adviser and trade policy analysts based in ACP regional bodies who are assisted by trade policy analysts in individual ACP countries – known as ‘spokes’. They work alongside trade officials of national governments. The analysts are generally not from the host country and many are recruited from a completely different region, explains Edwin Laurent. Both ACP and EC trade analysts are eligible. About half of ACP states benefit from the national experts, says Laurent who continues, “It is a project that has worked exceedingly well and has helped countries understand the issues in trade negotiations and trade-related areas that they would not otherwise have appreciated.” He adds that it was the brainchild of former EC Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy during the early days of trade talks on Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) and trade negotiations in the Doha Round of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). One of the challenges ‘Hub and Spokes’ is currently facing is its all-ACP character, says Laurent: “There is a view now, I understand, that its management will be decentralised and instead of having an all ACP part, the ACP regions have communicated quite clearly with us that in the interests of management and the coherence of the whole system, it is much more efficient to do it on a regional basis.’’> Research on China’s rise The Commonwealth has also provided experts and advisers to the ACP Secretariat in special ised areas funded out of a ‘Commonwealth There are signs of increasingly close relations between the 53-member Group of Commonwealth nations and the 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States. Edwin Laurent, Head of the Commonwealth Secetariat’s International Trade and Regional Co-operation section, recently took us through the whys and wherefores. Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma (4th from right) with Commonwealth leaders at the Press Conference marking the end of the Commonwealth mini summit on ‘Reforming International Institutions’, Marlborough House, London, 10 June 2008. Roland Kemp/ Commonwealth SecretariatACP/COMMONWEALTH links step up links step upInteraction Commonwealth

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29 Interaction N. 11 N.E. – MAY JUNE 2009Commonwealthfund for technical assistance.’ These interna tionally-recruited experts work with the ACP Secretariat for a fixed period of time, often on a specific subject. There is currently an adviser in the ACP office in Geneva who is instrumental in informing ACP Ambassadors on WTO happenings particularly helpful for those ACP countries that have no representation in Geneva, explains Laurent. He adds: “We also provide research and assistance to the ACP group and would like to further bolster its negotiating positions on certain issues.” He says that his organisation had a specific request on the impact of the rise of China on African nations. “We are also working on trying to promote consensus and understanding between countries so we have informal meetings”, says Laurent. Political encounters have been promoted between ACP Ministers and European counterparts. “We do this in an informal, off-the-record-way where you can speak freely. Quite recently we had one with the new EC Commissioner for Trade, Baroness Ashton with 12 ACP Ministers. She was new and we thought that as the Commonwealth we could make a contributon by promoting understanding outside the conference room and the confrontational framework of negotiations”, says Laurent, adding: “In the established structures like the ACP-EC joint Ministerial Trade Committee, discussions are on the record: people take positions and they defend them. The purpose of the informal meetings is to win arguments. What we can do is to promote understanding – empathy.” But will the Commonwealth continue to back the ACP as an entity, given the current trend towards strengethening regional groupings within the ACP, especially in the trade sphere? Laurent makes the point that because so many Commonwealth members are also in the ACP group, in supporting the ACP the Commonwealth is supporting itself. There is also a more fundamental reason, he adds: the Commonwealth principle about creating a fairer and better world. “If you want to bring about change and a better world, what better group to focus on than the ACP. It is the group that needs the assistance the most.” He says that whatever the future configuration of the ACP Group, the Commonwealth Secetariat would support the ACPs and try to ensure that the maximum benefit is obtained from other partners. D.P. For info : www.commonwealth.org KeywordsCommonwealth Secretariat; ACP Group; ‘Hub and Spokes’; Sir John Kaputin; Kamalesh Sharma; Pascal Lamy; Baroness Ashton, Debra Percival STRONGER TIES On March 23 2009, ACP Secretary General, Sir John Kaputin, met in Brussels with his Commonwealth counterpart, Kamalesh Sharma, to look at new areas of cooperation. The outcome, says Laurent, was a commitment to “more active and fuller cooperation”. A detailed programme is to be drawn up within the coming weeks and is likely to look at stronger links in existing areas rather than creating new ones. Scope includes more research, training activities, capacity-building initiatives, workshops and seminars. During the meeting, Sir John recalled that the Commonwealth and ACP had already cooperated in the areas of migration, trade, culture, political dialogue and conflict prevention. Mr Sharma said that the current global, financial, food and energy crises were reasons for stepping up cooperation. Commonwealth Members who are also Members of the ACP Group: Antigua and Barbua; The Bahamas; Barbados; Belize; Botswana; Cameroon; Dominica; Fiji Islands*; The Gambia; Ghana; Grenada; Guyana; Jamaica; Kenya; Kiribati; Lesotho; Malawi; Mauritius; Mozambique; Namibia; Nauru**; Nigeria; Papua New Guinea; St. Kitts and Nevis; St Lucia; St Vincent and the Grenadines; Samoa; Seychelles; Sierra Leone; Solomon Islands; South Africa; Swaziland; Tonga; Trinidad and Tobago; Tuvalu; Uganda; Tanzania; Vanuatu; Zambia*Fiji Islands was suspended from the Council of the Commonwealth in December 2006 following a military coup. **Nauru is a member in Arrears . Bananas growing in St. Lucia. Debra PercivalAt the ACP Secretariat, Brussels: Commonwealth Secretary General, Kamalesh Sharma (left) with ACP counterpart, Sir John Kaputin (right). Robert Iroga

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30 The veteran of scores of movies, plays, TV-series, cabaret and the odd piano performance has just started, for the first time, acting in a soap opera. A storyline has been created specially for him in the hospital series Binnelanders (‘People of the Interior’). He is somewhat apprehensive. We are waiting for his charge of several years now, the 15-year-old Refilwe Matsimela, who has to be taken to her boarding school, the posh Rand High School for Girls. Although she has her own room, she spends weekend nights in the bed of her mother, Philippine, who is disabled after a hit-and-run accident. “It cuts too close to the bone”, complains Cronje, in the appropriate medical language. He is talking about the hurried way in which soaps are shot, barely allowing time for rehearsing a scene. Cronje feels he doesn’t get time to “hide” inside his character, and that as a consequence too much of himself is visible. Cronje is also a tai-chi and Zen meditation teacher, and is always willing to give alterna tive medicine a try. But it is just coincidence that his storyline is that of the rather margin alised brother of the chief doctor and owner of the hospital, who appears one day out of the blue and peddles ‘new age’ approaches. The situation is meant to generate comedy, which is Cronje’s fort. He first won the hearts of South Africans as the bumbling private eye Willem. Cronje got so famous that he was mobbed on many an occasion, unusual for someone who will be the first to admit he doesn’t have the looks of Sean Connery. Since then he has become an annual fixture in the hugely popular pantomime at the Johannesburg civic centre, playing camped-up wicked witches and silly queens. Refilwe rushes into the kitchen, where Cronje has just finished his bowl of quinoa. The bright-eyed youngster has a row of clothes Z oom TOBIE CRONJEA man of many parts It’s 6.30 in the morning on a Monday. Actor Tobie Cronje sits at the breakfast table in his Johannesburg home already deeply immersed in a thick file of dialogue by the time I get there. Although he is 60 years old and has been a household name in South Africa for decades, he is taking on an entirely new venture. Tobie Cronje on stage. Scenes from the pantomime Snow White. Courtesy of Maxine Denys (Joburg Theatre).A day in the life of of South African actor, TOBIE CRONJEA man of many parts

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Zoom hangers with school dresses over her crooked finger. No, she doesn’t want breakfast – later she admits to looking forward to the hostel’s food, the best thing about it.> Financial father“One day she just grew tried of my tofu and olive salads”, remarks Cronje dryly. They are clearly fond of each other; later Cronje recounts how he and his partner, the late journalist William Pretorius, tried to adopt Refilwe when Philippine, who had just started as his housekeeper, announced she was pregnant. Cronje and Pretorius were advised not to do so, since it might create endless problems in the future. Later Refilwe’s father, who does not contribute to her upkeep, was identified as a bus driver in the northern city of Polokwane. “So I became her financial father, instead of her adoptive father”, says Cronje. We’re off in Cronje’s car, after I have pulled mine into his yard behind the security gate – the guard that every Johannesburg suburb has to have nowadays is nowhere to be seen. Cronje has his own crime story, like every South African: a friend’s car was recently almost stolen in the few seconds that the guard nodded off in his hut. In the rush-hour traffic Refilwe confesses her dream. She is not much interested in university; she wants to become a pilot, following in the footsteps of a friend who started the four-year course in Pretoria this year. By the time we reach the old brownstone building, barely two or three kilometres away, she remembers she has forgotten something. “That’s the one drawback of going to a hostel so close to home”, says Cronje. “She easily forgets something since she knows I’ll bring it to her just as easily.” Then it’s off back home to imbibe some more dialogue. At Binnelanders they don’t require him to be on set at 7am, his call is for 10.30am, for three shoots until 5pm. But he soon begins to frown. The other thing about soaps, grumbles Cronje, is that the characters are so inconsistent, because several writers have a go at them. He has pointed out some inconsistencies to the directors, but they have been dismissive saying nobody would notice. Cronje misses his William, who died two years ago. Theatre managements knew that when they hired Cronje for a production, Pretorius had to be come on board as well, to act as his prompter. Cronje is notorious for forgetting his dialogue. Now he relies on healthy doses of spirulina and omega3, especially when he works on a movie, a play and soap on a single day, as happened three weeks earlier.> Non-unionised industryCronje shares a cloakroom with Hans Strydom, the patriarchal main character in the soap. Strydom is a lawyer in real life, and has brought his profession with him to the studio complex in the centre of Johannesburg. He has been acting as representative for South African theatre people who are hugely exploited in the non-unionised industry. Cronje is the perfect example. He has acted in 20 films, but it was only through Strydom’s intercession that, for the first time, he recently got paid film royalties instead of a one-off fee. Their costumes for the day have been hung out on a trolley rail. Then it’s off to the Green Room for some coffee and cake. The pieces of dried cake tend to go uneaten, because it comes straight off the set every day, and the actors and production people have simply grown tired of it. There is a monitor in the Green Room, announcing in running script who has to do what. “Strange that it is all in English when it’s an Afrikaans soap”, says Cronje. Although the series has a multiracial cast, and Afrikaans is spoken by millions of black people, English is the lingua franca in the industry. He is then called for the rehearsal of the first of his three shoots for the day. As Cronje is such a professional, the director is satisfied. The four cameras are called in, and they go through the rehearsal as well. Then it is the real shoot, but after just one go, everybody is happy and it is in the can. Everyone except Cronje, that is. “Instant acting”. he sighs, “I still have to get used to it.” H.P. KeywordsTobie Cronje; South Africa; Binnelanders; Theatre; Hans Pienaar. Tobie Cronje with the Laureate Award from his alma mater in 2004. The Laureate Award is the highest award that an alumnus of the University of Pretoria can receive from the alumni association. TuksAlumni, University of Pretoria.Below: Tobie Cronje (on right). Courtesy of Maxine Denys (Joburg Theatre). 31 N. 11 N.E. – MAY JUNE 2009

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32 T rade A local farmer harvests sorghum produced from seeds donated by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) through the ‘Improving Seeds’ project, Nyala (South Darfur, Sudan), December 2006. United Nations ACP-EU parliamentarians call forGREATER FLEXIBILITY The Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) should be more flexible and supported by a new fund to boost trade. Members of the ACP-EU Joint Assembly, who met in Prague from 4 to 9 April, insist that European aid should under no circumstances be made dependent on the signing of agreements. KeywordsGlenys Kinnock; JPA; EPA; flexibility; Ashton; Marie-Martine Buckens. Assembly Co-President, Glenys Kinnock from the UK, said: “Progress in the EPA negotiations now depends on the willingness of the Commission to make concessions to ACP governments and negotiators. It is encouraging that the European Commissioner for Trade, Baroness Ashton, is committed to showing greater flexibility in the negotiations.” The Joint Assembly’s resolution (whose corapporteurs are Assarid Ag Imbarcaouane from Mali and Jrgen Schrder from Germany) underlines the objective of turning the EPAs, which aim to bring trade relations between Europe and the ACP countries into line with WTO rules, into development aid instruments. The Commission is being urged not to push for liberalisation of the most vulnerable sectors of the ACP economies, and the EU should not make the signing of agreements a precondition for trade and development aid.> Research on China’s rise The resolution opposes any form of condition ality linked to the EPAs and the granting of European aid for trade and the resources of the 10th European Development Fund (EDF). The Assembly is urging the EU to provide “adequate additional resources” to support the implementation of the EPAs, in addition to those already earmarked by the EDF. The resolution calls for half of the bn a year, which the EU has committed to contributing to aid for trade from 2010, to be used to finance the EPAs. This appeal has been made even though Louis Michel, the Commissioner for Development, declared on 4 April in Brussels that “there would be no release of additional funds” but instead an advance payment of bn for the aid budget for ACP countries and M to offset the loss of the export revenues of developing countries (‘FLEX’ instrument).> Controversial clausesThe Assembly is also calling on the Commission to allow the renegotiation of “controversial clauses” contained in the provisional agreements, which have already been initialled by some ACP countries and severely criticised by NGOs. The ACP-EU representa tives are also demanding that the Commission does not impose negotiations on services when the ACP countries are not willing to enter into them. A study carried out by the University of Nottingham in the UK referred to in the report estimates that the liberalisation of the trade of goods will result in an annual loss of US$359M in customs revenues for the African countries, with the Cte d'Ivoire losing the equivalent of its annual healthcare budget for 500,000 people. M.M.B.

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33 N. 11 N.E. – MAY JUNE 2009South Africa is now regarded by many Africans as the continent’s ‘America’. Its much more efficient enterprises tend to take over large market shares and push out the competition – almost acting like a colonial power itself. On the other hand, South Africa has become the voice of Africa on the international stage, especially under a former president, Thabo Mbeki, who was the driving force behind a number of pan-African institutions since the launch of the African Union (AU) in 2000. South Africa’s ruling party still views the West as not having South Africa’s best interests at heart. This split personality – of being a relatively ‘rich’country, and a champion of poor blacks – has come to the fore in talks over EPAs between EU and ACP states. The EPAs gathered urgency towards the end of 2007 when the maintenance of preferential treatment given to ACP states was no longer allowed under World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules. On the EU’s initiative, EPAs were offered under the Cotonou Agreement (2000-2020). In Africa, several interim ‘EPAs’ were initialled – not signed – to avoid lawsuits under WTO rules. In southern Africa, nine of the 15 members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have done so, threatening to scuttle regional integration, one of the cornerstones of SA’s ‘black champion’ foreign policies. But with the EU being SA’s largest trading partner since colonial times, SA already has its own trade agreement with the EU, which is periodically renegotiated. In 2007, it also entered into a Strategic Partnership Agreement with the EU, one of only a handful of countries to have done so. Talks over an EPA to possibly replace the current SA-EU trade agreement when it matures in 2012 have been stalling on both fronts. As a potential competitor with the EU in its own African backyard, it is nervous, especially over the future of its services sectors. In banking, for instance, bank charges are much higher in SA than Europe, and would therefore be uncompetitive outside SA. The introduc tion of trade policies as required by the draft EPAs would entail phasing out tariffs. But most African governments, with their inefficient tax structures, are vitally dependent on tariffs, both above and under the table, as their main source of income. South Africa wants a common external tariff for the whole region, administered under an enlarged South African Customs Union (SACU), one of the key building blocks and stages of southern Africa economic integration, which it hopes would in turn be a model for integration on the rest of the continent. During a ministerial troika meeting in January 2009, both sides agreed that integration around SACU should be a key focal point in future negotiations. But the EU has since recorded its intention to forge ahead with an EPA with Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland (the BLNS countries) plus Angola and Mozambique – but without South Africa. H.P. AFRICA’S ‘AMERICA’resists an EU trade dealAFRICA’S ‘AMERICA’ resists an EU trade dealPort of Port Elizabeth (South Africa). KeywordsSouth Africa; SACU; SADC; EPA; Thabo Mbeki; Hans Pienaar.South African journalist, Hans Pienaar, gives his view of why South Africa is resisting an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the EU. Trade

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34 The main losers in the climate pact, which is to be agreed in December in Copenhagen within the framework of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change, may well turn out to be developing countries, who must suffer the climate problems identified which have been caused to a large extent by the industrialised countries responsible for the increase in greenhouse gas emissions.> Influencing the negotiationsThis is significant for two reasons. Firstly, the solutions advocated to limit greenhouse gas emissions are essentially market instruments managed by, and often in favour of, the industrialised countries (see the box). Secondly, the lack of expertise and political gravitas of the representatives of third-world countries may well weaken their position in negotiations which promise to be uncompromising, highly technical and complex. The network of NGOs in the CIDSE (www.cidse. org) association, which includes 16 Catholic organisations, has criticised these two shortcomings. The German NGO Misereor, which is part of the association, is endeavouring to identify, in partnership with the local population, methods to enable these countries to mitigate the effects of climate change and to adapt to them. Two concepts – mitigation and adaptation – will be the subject of fierce O ur Planet TARGETING climate justiceTARGETING climate justice“A fair climate policy would help foster efficient development”, Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, recently declared. The German NGO Misereor is proving the point on the ground. It is stepping up its efforts with less than six months to go to the climate summit. The countries in the north can frequently learn from those in the south. CIDSE and Caritas Internationalis campaigners during the Climate Justice campaign launch in Poznan, Poland. CIDSEPage 33: Araya Afsaw. Araya Afsaw

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Our Planet 35 N. 11 N.E. – MAY JUNE 2009negotiations in Copenhagen where the parties to the convention will have to decide on a special fund enabling developing countries to take ad-hoc measures. Anika Schroeder, head of climate and development at Misereor, explained: “We try to provide our partners with the tools to allow them to take part in the negotiations. Copenhagen is just the beginning of the process after all. The people on the ground are not yet ready to influence their governments, but that will come step by step.” The German NGO is organising a webcast in Malawi of negotiations between the African nation’s representatives and those from the northern countries at the preparatory meeting to the Copenhagen summit which will take place in Bonn (Germany) in June.> Learning from the countries of the southThe NGO is also operating on the ground. Anika Schroeder said: “We have launched workshops with the local populations in three countries Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. These three sub-Saharan countries have in fact learned some important lessons about the climatic changes they have been experiencing for more than 10 years. They have already taken preparatory measures and are demonstrating the flexibility needed. Adapting is already part of life for them. It’s like a laboratory. We are actually trying to understand their process of adaptation with the aim of sharing it with the rest of the world.” The technical workshops set up are to be followed up by political workshops. A major conference will be held next October in Niamey, Niger’s capital, where the issues of climate change and justice will be discussed in depth. Anika Schroeder said: “We intend to invite scientists from the north, including from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, to show them what climate change means on the ground rather than according to their models.” Half of Misereor’s funding is allocated to agricultural projects. Anika Schroeder added: “We have observed that small farms adapt very well to climate change. We also aim to collect and preserve native seeds. In the Philippines, for example, farming communities use ancient rice varieties, and have also succeeded in developing new varieties which are resistant to drought and flooding.”> Fighting povertyMisereor is also active in other areas which present different challenges, in particular in South Africa. Anika Schroeder said: “There is an emergency economic situation which presents problems, but opportunities as well. There are major polluters, but at the same time there is still great poverty. We are fighting on two fronts.” South African NGOs are already very active and are striving in particular to reduce the carbon footprint of the wealthy populations. In poor districts, Misereor works with communities faced with daily risks, such as landslides. Such districts are often built in boundary areas. A must: the initiatives should come from the populations concerned. The NGO contributes advice and funding. M.M.B. KeywordsMisereor; CIDSE; Anika Schroeder; Araya Asfaw; climate convention; Copenhagen; adaptation; Marie-Martine Buckens. “BRING AFRICA IN FROM THE COLD”Araya Asfaw, Director of the Horn of Africa Regional Environment Centre at the University of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, believes a review of the ground rules is imperative at Copenhagen to enable Africa to adapt efficiently to climate change. In a document published in March for the Science and Development Network (SDN), Asfaw said that the Kyoto Protocol, which currently governs reductions in greenhouse gas emissions between industrialised countries, has in fact curbed sustainable development in Africa. Araya Asfaw is particularly critical of one of the protocol’s instruments, the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), which allows investors from the north to finance projects in the south to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in exchange for “carbon credits”. The Ethiopian scientist condemns the CDM principle itself for not allowing new “clean” projects to be financed. Only the countries which are already significant polluters and which have to reduce their emissions can benefit from it. This is the case with South Africa, which alone has the majority of CDM projects in Africa. One example: the Europeans are examining the possibility of producing solar power in North Africa, importing it and connecting it to the energy grid. However, as the CDM does not support solar power technology, Africa cannot pursue this approach alone.

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Dominica.A PASSION for Nature and Focus on PeopleSome mistake it for the Dominican Republic. It truly is a 'nature island', as its inhabitants like to call it. But Dominica is more surprising, more enchanting even than this gracious compliment. The new trend for green tourism is a ’natural’ for the island and, despite the international financial crisis, giant cruise ships berth in front of the windows of the seafront hotels of Roseau, the capital, every day. Another interesting fact is that, for 15 years, this little island was headed by Dame Eugenia Charles, only the 5th female president or Prime Minister elected in the world, and the very first in the Americas. A report by Hegel Goutier R eport 36 ‘The Marginal’, Luanda. Debra Percival

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N. 11 N.E. – MAY JUNE 2009Report R eport 37‘Massacre’ murals by Earl Etienne, Petros Meaza & Lowell Royer / Massacre, Dominica, 2009. Hegel Goutier Dominica > Unspoiled beauty and social welfareWhile much of Dominica's beautiful landscapes can be reached by road the island particularly appeals to 'eco' tourist: those attracted by walks in a virgin countryside of untouched beauty, with its rainforest, waterfalls and rivers and places of interest (such as the Boiling Lake and the hot sulphurous springs bubbling and spurting from the geothermal depths). Dominica is the most mountainous island in the Caribbean with hardly any flat countryside and with peaks reaching to 5,000 feet. It combines the two extremes of modernity and wilderness, even in the cities. It is also a country that, while based on an agricultural economy with all its ups and downs, does not have any extreme poverty and benefits from a relatively balanced distribution of its resources, a rather high level of education and good medical services. Its fairly long life expectancy is the same both for rich and poor, a sign of good social balance and commitment from its successive governments to invest in their people. Its social welfare and health insurance system is efficient. Today, life expectancy in Dominica is 75 years, 14 years higher than the world’s average. But what makes this country so extraordinary is its relatively high number of centenarians, 22 in 2002 for a population of just 70,000. These have included the world's oldest person, Ma Pampo, who died in 2003 at the age of 128; one of her neighbours was just 13 years her junior. The country also offers a certain quality of life, security and friendly relationships and it is not unusual for a stranger to be stopped in a village or in Roseau to be warmly welcomed by a Dominican who simply wants to talk. Dominica is an agricultural country and, unlike other small islands, its population is not concentrated in the capital and no more than a third of its inhabitants live in or around Roseau. However, in recent years there has been a rural exodus, a consequence of the many hurricanes that have ravaged plantations coupled with the problems encountered by banana growers (the leading export product) due to erosion of their preferential access to the European market.> Culture: mixture of languages, religions, peoplesAlthough an English-speaking country, Dominica speaks the same French Creole as the French dpartements of the America and Haiti. It sits between Guadeloupe to the north and Martinique to the south, right in the middle of the Lesser Antilles arc stretching between Florida and Venezuela. As is the case throughout the Caribbean, Dominica has a mixed population and culture, even though most of its inhabitants are of African descent. The island is one of the very few in the Caribbean still having an Amerindian minority (the Caribs), just under 2,500 out of a total Dominican population of just over 70,000. There is a mix of French and English, of European, African and Amerindian influences along with those of new arrivals from around the region and from Asia. There is a religious mix of Protestants and Roman Catholics along with African beliefs and those of its native population, not to mention a strong presence of the political/religious Rastafarian movement. Six out of ten Dominicans are practising Catholics and the influence of this Roman Catholic cathedral / Roseau, Dominica, 2009. Hegel Goutier

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Report 38 Dominicareligion is clearly visible at both the moral and political levels. During our visit, the prayer gatherings in Roseau for Holy Week generally attracted some 2,000 people, a considerable figure for a small country like this. All led by preachers borrowing the performance, tone and vehemence of similar American preachings and denouncing moral deviations such as the sensual excesses of the carnival. The carnival is, nevertheless, a great success every year. Truly, a mixed culture! > A history of resistance Although Dominica was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1493, barely a year after his arrival in the Caribbean, it was not occupied until one and a half centuries later, thanks to both the intrepid Carib warriors that fiercely defended it and the mountainous topography. The Carib Indians did not refer to themselves as such the word resulting from a misunderstanding by Christopher Columbus but as Kalinagos. The Genoese navigator first landed on the island on the 3 November, a Sunday, hence the name Dominica for an island that its occupants honoured with the enchanting name Waitikubuli (Tall is her body) to describe an island that rose so abruptly from the sea. Towards the middle of the 16th century, Spanish ships in the region had a re-supply point on the island at Prince Rupert Bay. This was also used over the years by French, British and Dutch navigators. In 1569, there were 30 Spanish and 40 Africans living in the bay among the Kalinago Indians. Among the illustrious adventurers that used the bay were Sir Francis Drake, George Clifford Earl of Cumberland and Prince Rupert du Rhin. A few French buccaneers settled there much later, followed by some British and increasing numbers of Dutch. In 1625, the Kalinagos launched a battle against them, but had to beat a retreat as they were outnumbered and outarmed. After that, they arbitrated inter-colonial conflicts and were among the last in the region to be colonised. In 1627, the Earl of Carlisle affirmed his country's sovereignty over several islands grouped around Dominica. The French did likewise. However, the die was not cast for Dominica until 1805, when the British took it following the complete destruction of Roseau by the French. In the meantime the Kalinagos often played one off against the other. After the First World War, British colonisation granted an increasing amount of self-governance to the island, which was able to elect its local representatives. In 1967, Dominica acquired a system of autonomy under the West Indies Associate State and finally independence on the 3 November 1978 with Patrick John, of the Dominica Labour Party, as its Prime Minister. He resigned a few months later following allegations of corruption. Soon after, the island was devastated by a hurricane. In June 1980, Dame Eugenia Charles won the elections at the head of the Dominica Freedom Party (DFP). She won two other general elections and spent a total of 15 years as head of the country. Nicknamed the 'Iron Lady of the Caribbean’, she withstood two attempts at a coup d’etat and, as President of the OECS (Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States), supported the US invasion of Grenada in 1983. In 1989, while remaining a member of the British Commonwealth, the new State opted for a republican system; the president, with formal powers, is the Head of State and the Prime Minister is the head of government. The country is currently governed by a young Prime Minister from the Dominica Labour Party, Roosevelt Skerrit, elected in 2004 as the head of the government when just 31 years old. KeywordsDominica; Caribbean; Carib; Kalinago; Waitikubuli; Sir Francis Drake; Georges Clifford Earl of Cumberland; Prince Rupert du Rhin; Earl of Carlisle; Patrick John; Dame Eugenia Charles; OECS; Edison James; Roosevelt (Rosie) Douglas; Roosevelt Skerrit; Dominica Labour Party ; Dominica Freedom Party; United Worker Party. Portsmouth, Dominica, 2009. Hegel Goutier

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39 N. 11 N.E. – MAY JUNE 2009How is Dominica facing the present world economic crisis, following its own turbulent economic times a few years back? We experienced some difficulties in our economy but the government took strong action. It was assisted by the donor community, the European Union (EU) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). By 2004-2005, we started seeing some growth in the economy. Like the rest of the world, and particularly in the case of small open economies, we are affected by what happens in the large countries. Our economy is very closely related to those of the US and Europe because many of our people migrated to these countries and send remittances back to their families. If their employment is affected in those countries, it will affect remittances. We are also concerned about the present uncertainty in the oil market. The government has indicated that it will continue to push for economic growth and has tried to use the government investment programme to stimulate activity in the country. GOVERNMENT STRATEGY. Sustaining growth while awaiting a fair windGOVERNMENT STRATEGY. Dominica Report Interview with Rosamund Edwards, Financial Secretary of the Prime Minister of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of Dominica greetings kids, 2009. Hegel Goutier

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He believes Dominica essentially sees itself as a peaceful country. When something shocking happens, such as a crime, everyone unites to reflect on the situation and the Dominicans are aware that they have to insistently preserve this placid approach. This is a society where everyone knows each other. Nothing changes regardless of where you go. Wherever you are, you will never feel anonymous and you will always feel safe. And this solidarity extends beyond the barriers of social class. Dr Severin gives the example of a senior executive who lost his job and ordinary people offered him a basket of fruit and all kinds of other favours. He said: “This way of life provides security, but it also makes us more fragile, because it creates anxiety – the fear that it will all be lost to modernity, American TV channels broadcasting 24 hours a day, satellites and values introduced by migrants, and so on.” Severin believes these reassuring human rela tionships conceal a trap. The country’s politi cal system is based on the kind of democracy which developed in Westminster and is well respected, but the practice of helping one another produces a feeling of recognition for the person who has done something for you. This gratitude, for example towards a minister who has built a road close to your village, is a misplaced sentiment. The people in power believe they deserve this recognition. Those who win power hold grudges against the people who did not support them and those who lose, lose everything. This leads to politi cians frequently switching from one party to another to join the winning side, whereas they originally campaigned for another agenda. H.G. It is pushing implementation of a number of road and housing projects, either directly or by facilitating cheaper financing. It is making investments in agriculture and fisheries, all of which, we hope, will increase what we produce internally so as to minimise the impact. We are also seeing how we can improve exports, particularly within the region because of the investments we have made in agriculture. We are having discussions with major cruise lines and believe there might be as much as a 40 per cent increase in cruise tourism arrivals next season. The opposition says you do not put enough resources into agriculture. Investment in agriculture in a place like Dominica may never be enough because Dominica is largely an agricultural country and in fact, most of the region looks to Dominica to provide food, particularly Antigua, St Kitts, St Martin and the British and US Virgin Islands. In this sense, there is always room for additional investment. The government will continue to make those investments but you can only invest according to resources available. In 2007, Hurricane Dean affected our agriculture, particularly bananas. The government had to reinvest in agriculture, so instead of value added, we simply replaced what we had lost. Then, in 2008 Hurricane Omar affected our fishing industry. The Government had to make an investment of close to US$5M for fisheries. What about measures taken at regional level, through CARICOM, to tackle the crisis? Caribbean Community (CARICOM) matters are dealt with by different ministries: Trade, Foreign Affairs, and CARICOM Affairs. What I am aware of is that CARICOM and the heads of government are attempting to take joint positions on certain issues. They work together, for example, to resolve financial issues such as that which has arisen over some instability in the insurance sector. And the governments of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and those of Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago have worked very closely in an effort to resolve the matter. So I cannot say that CARICOM is not doing enough. Is the government’s current development strategy on course in the wake of the global economic crisis? Agriculture will always be part of Dominica. It will probably not be as it was in the 1970s, but it will continue to be a major sector. We are focusing on tourism and investing in the upgrade of our airport which will enable us to receive more visitors and make access easier for Dominicans and even Dominicans who reside overseas. Tourism will continue to be a major sector. Government has articulated its interest in the offshore sector. We have also been focusing on development of Information and Communication Technology. But in the immediate future, we have to think of what can keep the country afloat in spite of what is happening. The government is expected to move along more public sector investment programmes much faster than in the past because it is important to combat slow growth. H.G. PSYCHOLOGYFrancis O. Severin, Director of the Open Campus of Dominica at the PanCaribbean West Indies University (UWI) is renowned for being able to interpret the psychology of Dominica and Dominicans, including their actions. KeywordsHegel Goutier; Dominica; Francis O Severin; Open Campus of Dominica at the Pan-Caribbean West Indies University (UWI). Report Dominica40 KeywordsHegel Goutier; Rosamund Edwards; Roosevelt Skerrit; Dominica; CARICOM; OECS.

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Report 41 N. 11 N.E. – MAY JUNE 2009DominicaYou have levelled allegations about bad governance at the government The 2005 elections were fraught and full of irregularities. There is also the question of major corruption by the leadership; tax fraud and acquisition of wealth and a number of items to put to our new Integrity Commission but it cannot, according to law, look into the past irregularities that took place – it’s an issue of retroactivity. It is the responsibility of the Prime Minister to clear the air and provide the information in a spirit of accountability. The second issue is the economy. There is an international crisis but as we are not hooked so deeply into the international financial system, it has not hit Dominica yet. However, over the past four to five years we have gone through a period of extreme economic gloom; the loss of jobs, loss of income, high taxes and lack of any productive investment in agriculture, our primary sector and tourism our secondary sector to enable people to have a good life. We have outstanding natural assets but for some reason we have not been able to capitalise on them. Let’s come back to the nature of the electoral irregularities Throughout our contemporary political history since 1960, there have been irregularities but the elections on 5 May 2005 were the most corrupt in the history of Dominica. Money was used extensively to purchase votes. You had cases where Dominican citizens living overseas were given tickets to come home to vote – that’s against the law. There was a high number of voters compared to population figures, it appears There were 68,000 on the voters’ list whereas we know that 20,000 of these were under 18, so by law cannot vote. At the time of the election, the population was between 60,000-65,000, hence the voters’ list should have been around 48,000 people. The government says there’s economic recovery Well, that’s their line. Migration is an indicator of economic gloom. Our population is in the vicinity of 60,000 whereas it was estimated to have been 90,000 (ten years ago), which means that there has been mass migration of our people to Antigua and other places inside and outside the region looking for better opportunities. What is wrong with the way the country is governed? We are asking for ID cards and for the voters’ list to be cleaned up. Our law is that a Dominican citizen must have visited his/her country in the last five years to be able to vote. International observers must also be requested. We also think that there should be reasonably fair access to the state media (Dominica Broadcasting Services and the Government Information Service) for opposition parties. If you win the next election, what will you do differently? We feel that Dominica’s natural assets are so outstanding that the title ‘Nature Island’ should be fully enhanced. Second is the question of integrity: we need an open transparent democracy and to strengthen our local government system. We have the best local government system in the region but it has been stifled. H.G. KeywordsHegel Goutier; Ron Green; Dominica; UWP; migration; DBS.OPPOSITION wants more transparent governmentRon Green is leader of Dominica’s main Opposition Party, the United Workers’ Party, which won eight seats in the 5 May 2005 elections. General Population Annual population growth rate % Size Capital Language Human Development index for 2007/08 rank Adult Literacy rate (% ages 15 and above) GDP per capita Population with access to improved water source % Urban population (% of total) 2005 Fertility rate (Birth per woman) 2005 Infant mortality rate per 1000 live births 2005 Public Health expenditure (% of GDP) 2005 Public Education expenditure (% of GDP) 2005 EU Funding* allocated (in million Euros) National Indicative Programme 10th EDF (2008-13) Special Framework of assistance SFA (1999-2007) Sources: UNDP, * EU Commission, ** Government of Dominica. Dominica 72000 (2005)** 0.9 (1975-2003) 290 sq. miles (754 sq. km) Roseau English, French creole 71 88 4,684 97 (2004) 72.9 NA 13 4.2 5 5.70 52.5 Grenada 105000 (2004) 0.4 (1975-2005) 133 sq. miles (344 sq. km) St George's English 82 96 5,748 95 (2004) 30.6 2.4 21 5 5.2 6.00 5.5Dominica and Grenada in figures

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ReportDominica At the mid-term review of the 9th European Development Fund (EDF 2000-2007), the European Commission granted significantly increased resources to Dominica in the form of budgetary support that offers the beneficiary country the greatest possible flexibility. This ‘general budgetary support’ continues under the 10th EDF (2008-2013), with .56M earmarked for this purpose out of the total National Indicative Programme (NIP) for Dominica of .7M. The remainder is divided into two equal parts of ,000: one part for technical assistance for the National Coordinator (the government representative responsible for cooperation with the EU) and the other for the Technical Cooperation Facility (TCF), much of which is destined for civil society projects. In addition to the EDF, Dominica has also benefited from the Special Framework of Assistance (SFA) for traditional ACP banana producers. The country has used these resources (.5M for the period 1999-2008.) among other things, to improve competitiveness in the banana sector and for diversification of the economy. Twenty-five per cent of SFA contributions went to diversification of the banana and agricultural sectors, 33% to the private sector, ICT and tourism, 8.5% to social activities, 8% to transport and 14% to water supply and sewage. in STABEX funds were pledged between 1994-1999, of which the remaining amount has gone to budget support (.8M) and to the national Land Tenure and Administration Reform Programme. Other financial support in the framework of African Caribbean Pacific – European Union cooperation includes loans from the European Investment Bank (EIB), the Enterprise Development Centre and the Proinvest Programme. Dominica is also a beneficiary of the EDF’s regional programme to assist Caribbean integration. Major projects to be financed under the 10th EDF include: the setting up, or rehabilitation, of several agricultural facilities to increase exports of bananas and other crops, several off-farm irrigation schemes and a large programme to rehabilitate and maintain rural roads. A project to extend Melville Hall Airport includes: a new runway, arrival and departure halls and control tower, and better technical equipment to enable it to take larger aircraft and night landings. To contribute to the excellent growth in the tourism industry which the country has seen the past two years, the Waitukubuli National Trail Programme aims to turn Dominica into a leading ecotourism destination. Test drilling activities will help assess the full potential of geothermal power production in Dominica. A wide array of projects for the most vulnerable in Dominican society is being implemented through the Social Investment Fund (SIF), with M from the EC’s Special Framework of Assistance to offset the impact of dwindling banana exports. The elderly, children at risk, youths at risk, education dropouts, women, the Carib community, and physically and mentally challenged persons have all benefited from SIF assistance, as well as fisher folk and others affected by the recent hurricanes. Other interesting projects, albeit with smaller budgets, include training in office automation systems for the blind and visually impaired, a solid waste management project and a ‘business gateway’ to encourage businesses to start-up. Almost all the EC-funded projects are currently moving ahead as expected. Dominica will also benefit from Caribbeanwide integration programmes. A M sum is earmarked under the 10th EDF for regional integration of the Caribbean and imple mentation of the new Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)* signed on 15 October 2008. H.G. * CARIFORUM signatories of the EPA are: Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. KeywordsHegel Goutier; Valeriano Diaz; EDF; Melville Hall Airport; Waitukubuli National Trail; Dominica. GOOD GOVERNANCE After the severe economic crisis that affected Dominica in the late 1990s, successive governments have made notable efforts to provide a firm foundation for economic and political governance. These efforts were appreciated to such a degree, stresses Ambassador Valeriano Diaz, Head of the European Commission Delegation to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, that Dominica received a significant budget increase. 42 EC aid EC aid . A recompense for GOOD GOVERNANCEMelville Hall Airport, Dominica, 2009. Hegel Goutier

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The project is funded by the Dominican government and the European Union (.9M) in partnership with the Regional Council of Martinique. Many sections of the trail, which will total 184 km (115 miles) when finished, are already useable. Much of the trail already existed and was cleared in the past by the indigenous community of Dominica. Now, the ‘trail project’ will link up the various sections. Today, the majority of the task is complete and tourists are already arriving in Dominica to visit it. For those in a hurry, there is a way of discovering most of the sights by car or by taking short walks that can easily be done in a day. Admittedly, it does not allow you to see the gases and steam rising from the Boiling Lake or the volcanic peaks because it takes a few hours to walk there and back from the road. But it’s worthwhile all the same. Roseau, the capital, is a timeless little gem. It seems almost antiquated with its gingerbread houses and its French quarter with its sloping side streets are ideal for a casual stroll. And its floral exuberance with bougainvillea, birds of paradise, poinsettias and hibiscus on every small balcony and balustrade. The tropical forest starts right at the gates of the city. This can be explored, but there is a strong temptation to follow the main road along the west coast. You will pass Canefield, where you can visit the excel lent Old Mill Cultural Centre. This is a museum for the sugar cane industry, a museum of contemporary art and a multi-purpose cultural centre with a library, theatre and concert venue. Not to mention the pleasure of ambling through the courtyards filled with captivating fragrances. A little further along the route is the historical village of Massacre, the scene at the beginning of the colonial period of a Shakespearian episode, where a governor’s two sons fought each other. One, who was white-Indian mixed race, was massacred with his partisans by his European half-brother. A mural by Earl Etienne commemorates this historical event, which appears to have been played down by legend. It provides an insight into the art of the island’s most famous painter.> The lion’s faceThose who like entertainment can stop at Mahau, the town which, though small, never sleeps. The lion’s face – ‘lion djel’ in anglicised Creole – is not to be missed either. Part of the ‘lion’s nose’ in this enormous rock formation had to be cut out in order to construct the DISCOVERINGthe beauty of a country to be seen on foot N. 11 N.E. – MAY JUNE 2009 43 Report DominicaDISCOVERING the beauty of a country to be seen on foot “This is my project – Dominica, and it is ideal for your magazine”, she says, pinning a map of the island on the wall to show the routes linking and highlighting the country’s treasures, natural wonders and places of historical and cultural significance. Yvanette Baron-George is the manager of the Waitukubuli National Trail Project created by a local NGO, which aims to manage a hiking trail winding across the island, from north to south and allowing visitors to discover the country’s natural beauty and places of major historical and cultural interest.Emerald Fall, 2009. Hegel GoutierInsert: Yvanette Baron-George is the manager of the Waitukubuli National Trail Project, 2009. Hegel Goutier

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GREAT ARTIST EARL ETIENNEEarl Etienne is one of the most widely exhibited Dominican artists. In his own country he is a major figure. He used to manage the Old Mill Cultural Centre in Canefield on the way to Roseau which is the most active arts centre in the country. Earl Etienne’s work is very diverse. He is part of an international movement that is closer to abstraction than figuration. His works, even the monochrome ones like his gas burner engravings, conceal warmth, an internal light. His creativity sparkles. He works with all kinds of tools and materials and many of the techniques found in painting and engrav ing as well as all those which he has invented and continues to invent every day. But rather than this technical inventiveness, it is the creativity characterised by his inspiration and deft touch that is fascinating.A WELL-KNOWN HISTORIAN TURNS HIS HAND TO CONSTRUCTIONA respected historian turned entrepreneur, Lennox Honychurch is an architect and a craftsman who is committed to restoring the authenticity of a dilapidated historical heritage site with a relatively small budget. A doctor in anthropology at Oxford, he is a writer, journalist, historian, radio and television broadcaster, conservationist of places of artistic importance and an artist. The site in question is Fort Shirley which dates back to the second half of the 18th century. Honychurch’s association began small-scale work more than 20 years ago with few resources. The construction work really got underway when the project was selected for funding from the EC Ecotourism Development Fund, in 2006. Lennox Honychurch began by carrying out research on the fort in the UK. All the documents required were in the Public Records Office at the National Archives. The restoration work was of such a high standard that the EC granted additional funds. This totalled EC$1M (just under ,000). A monumental job was achieved with this funding. It involved the complete restoration of the fort and most of the outbuildings, and the provision of basic equipment to enable the centre to begin its activities. The government is considering funding the centre for ecology, the environment and natural heritage of Dominica and the entire region aimed at young people, as Honychurch’s association had wished. http://www.lennoxhonychurch.com Dominica road. A visit simply has to be paid to Portsmouth, a magnificent town full of nostalgia and romanticism, a stone’s throw away from Prince Rupert Bay to the south with its beach of fine sand. Near to Portsmouth, for a total change of scenery, take the two-hour boat trip on the Indian River, one of the locations where Pirates of the Caribbean was shot. Indescribable, this takes you onto slack water with a silence encapsulated by the flora of giant mangroves and other aquatic plants. The most subtle note of a bird’s song can be heard distinctly. Returning down the west coast, you pass through the Carib Territory, where you can discover a living Amerindian culture and speak with its chief, Charles Williams. The EC has funded a number of projects to support the Carib Community, including childhood education centres, community facili ties, fisheries development and even a bakery. Or you can even enjoy a drink in his bed-and-breakfast accommodation or treat yourself to a hand-made ornament. Visit the tropical forest, classed as a world herit age site, to admire the breathtaking Emerald Falls. It is unique, yet there is still so much more to discover on the island. H.G. KeywordsYvanette Baron-George; Dominica; Hegel Goutier; Waitukubuli National Trail Project; culture; tourism; history.Report 44 Indian River, embankment, 2009. Hegel Goutier

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45 N. 11 N.E. – MAY JUNE 2009The smallest independent country in the Western hemisphere is brimming with life. Lying to the south of the Caribbean arc and just to the north of Trinidad and Venezuela, Grenada consists of three islands: Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique, each with its own particular charm. St. George’s, the capital of the country and of the largest island, Grenada, with its modernday air, is one of the loveliest and most elegant cities in the Caribbean. Nestled around a bay of exceptional beauty, its idyllic ports and mari nas invite the visitor to wander, particularly around nightfall.> Shakespeare’s TempestThe majority of the population are descendants of Africans and, to a lesser extent, of its first inhabitants, the Arawaks and, above all, the Caribs. There are also small communities of descendants of former European colonists and of workers who came over from India in the 19th century. As with all the Caribbean islands populated by the Caribs (Kalinagos), colonisation was late, not just because the Carib warriors were fierce, but also because they built themselves a reputation that terrorised the colonists. Along with many other references, Caliban, a slave and the son of a witch in Shakespeare’s Tempest, attests to the awe that their reputation aroused. Christopher Columbus landed on the island in 1498 during his third voyage in the Americas, but the island was only really occupied for the first time in 1650 by the French. When Columbus landed, Grenada was mainly populated by Caribs as the Spanish did not succeed in settling the island and British attempts were also futile. In 1636, Cardinal Richelieu’s ‘Compagnie des Iles d’Amrique’ (American Islands Company), through its representa tive in Martinique, Jacques Dyel du Parquet, set its sights on laying claim to Grenada. After the Company collapsed in 1649, Du Parquet ‘purchased’ the two islands. He sent in his infantry and, after many skirmishes, conquered the Carib warriors, the last survivors of whom threw themselves into the sea rather than surrender.> Ping-pong between France and BritainPossession of the island then became a game of ping-pong, with Grenada changing hands between the British and French until the 1783 Treaty of Versailles, which ceded it once for all to the British. Originally a sugar colony, it diversified at the end of the 18th century with the introduction of nutmeg, of which Grenada, Indonesia and India are, to this day, the three near-exclusive producers. It became a Spice Island. It abolished slavery in 1834 and in March 1967, after various Surprising Grenada GrenadaThe surprise. Even though we anticipated the beauty and friendliness attributed to the Caribbean islands, we are, nevertheless, surprised by Grenada. Older people, who still remember the island in 1983 under US occupation after the political upheavals, are surprised by the normality of this now democratic country. It is also a surprise to those who saw the devastation caused by the hurricane of four years ago, as they now find a country largely rebuilt the watchword having been, ‘Build back, Build better’. Just how long can we remain dispassionate about this island? Report GrenadaNutmeg, 2009. Reporter.be/LAIF

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ReportGrenadacolonial administrative regimes, it was granted complete autonomy under the Associated Statehood Act before formal independence in 1974. It remains, however, part of the Commonwealth and has kept the British monarch as its head of state.> Upheaval and romanticismIts first head of government, Sir Eric Gairy was overthrown five years after independence in March 1979 by a coup led by Maurice Bishop under the flag of a tropical version of Marxist-Leninism. This was the beginning of a major upheaval as Bishop, who had won the sympathy of a good part of the population, mainly through his social programmes, was overthrown and eventually murdered on 19 October 1983 along with eight of his ministers and supporters by a party fraction led by Bernard Coard. A few days later the island was invaded by US troops with the blessing of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). Following the invasion, 17 people were sentenced to death. The death sentences were subsequently commuted and the prisoners recently having been released. Bishop is still a symbol and some sort of romantic hero. Even his fierc est opponents pay tribute to him for his social achievements and the modernisation of the country’s infrastructure while, at the same time, condemning the restrictions on individual liberties imposed by his regime. This is, for example, the position that Georges Brizan, former prime minister and co-president of the ACP-UE Joint Parliamentary Assembly, described to The Courier. The elections held in December 1984 re-established the constitution under the traditional Westminster-style bipartite system. The party currently in power, since the elections of July 2008, is the National Democratic Party with Prime Minister Tillman Thomas as the head of government. H.G. KeywordsHegel Goutier; Grenada; Carriacou; Petite Martinique; Caribbean; Arawack; Eric Gairy; Maurice Bishop; Georges Brizan; Tillman Thomas. 46Cathedral St George’s, Grenada 2009. Hegel GoutierFrame of a cuban airplane destroyed during the American invasion. Former airport of Grenada, 2009. Hegel Goutier

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The new Prime Ministerof Grenada has been in his post just a year (elected 9 July 2008), his National Democratic Congress (NDC) party defeating the previous government of Keith Mitchell, in power for 13 years. 47 N. 11 N.E. – MAY JUNE 2009 Report Grenada“We should not put all our eggs in one basket” eggs in one basket”Interview with Prime Minister of Grenada, Tillman Thomas KeywordsHegel Goutier; Grenada; Tillman Thomas; OECS; NDC; EPA. What is the NDC government doing differently? Our approach to governance: we believe in the respect of the independence of institutions. The police force is better organised, more independent and operates more effectively. We say public officers should be promoted on merit rather than through politi cal affiliation. The past administration had a series of litigation matters with the media. Our approach to the media is different and our approach to governance is a partnership with other interest groups in society. What is your development strategy for Grenada? We have great potential in agriculture and could do a lot in agro-processing. We have nutmeg, a chocolate factory and a lager industry. These are small but could be expanded. We have great potential in fisheries smoking and processing fish and are looking for additional markets. We want to develop commu nity and cultural tourism in addition to sea and sun. For example, the ‘Fish Friday’ project at Gouyave (a weekly fish ‘fry-up’). Training for our young people is vital to enable them to contribute to national development with certificates for occupations such as electricians, builders and plumbers and the hospitality industry. What about development of social security? We would like to see a legal framework within the region for both social security and business operations. Say if someone moves from Grenada to St.Lucia or St.Vincent, he or she should continue to benefit [from social security]. Is there too much emphasis on tourism? We need a balanced approach. The agricultural sector is the most sustainable sector in the long run: to get our rural communities involved in business activities and cottage industries and get new markets for our products. We should not put all our eggs in one basket. Do you notice a slackening of the pace of CARICOM integration compared with two decades ago? The original enthusiasm and energy are not there. We fully support the initiative to create an economic space between Trinidad and Tobago and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)*. Port-of-Spain is the financial capital of the southern Caribbean, so I believe that the potential is there for inte gration between Trinidad and Tobago and the OECS. If you look at what is happening with the financial crisis, we need to have a regional framework for companies operating within the region. Because of the lack of that inte gration movement, there is an ‘opening’ for discrimination.We need to look at CARICOM seriously and decide where we are heading. The region should negotiate as a bloc with international organisations and shouldn’t have one country forming relations with China and another with Taiwan. We could have a supranational legal authority within the region and a regional parliamentary system. But would smaller-scale economies not be absorbed by Trinidad? Trinidad may be a bigger country but our tourism product is quite different. The economic structure of Grenada, the type of landholding system we have here where people own property throughout the country: I do not think there would be any mass migration movement if we decide to come together. People always think people want to go to a bigger country, but I do not think this is the case at all because the quality of life in Grenada, in my view, is second to none in the region. What are the geo-politics that govern Grenada’s external policy ? There is no longer any cold war. No two countries in the region are closer in cultural terms than Grenada and Trinidad. What matters is meaningful engagement – and to share and cooperate in areas that will promote democratic institutions and humanity. There are currently a few difficult areas of relations with the EU, such as bananas and the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). What is your view of Grenada-EU relations? The EPA has advantages and disadvantages. If we could really work together as a region, we could benefit from the EPA. We have access (since signature of the EPA) to provide certain services to the EU. We must get maxi mum benefit from these areas of comparative advantage because we cannot really produce as the EU does in terms of manufactured products. H.G. * There are nine OECS member states: Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines. Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands are associate members of the OECS.‘La Sagesse Beach’ 2009. Hegel Goutier

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Financial crisisKeep people in jobsFinancial crisisAuthentic Caribbean: FLASH OF WITCecile La Grenade is active in the WIRSPA (West Indies Rum & Spirits Producers’ Association), which receives EC support under the Caribbean rum programme (M) and has just launched the Authentic Caribbean Rum label, covering 18 producers of the finest rums of the region. These include the 25-year oak-aged El Dorado from Guyana and Barbancourt from Hati. Among other things, De La Grenade Industries produces La Grenade Liqueur, prepared from the outer shell that encases the nutmeg, using a twohundred year old recipe dating back to the dynasty’s forebear, Captain Louis La Grenade, one of Grenada’s first mulattos to have their own business. Cecile, who has a doctorate in food technology from Maryland, USA and has been at the helm of the family business since 1992, now holds perhaps the best-kept secret in Grenada. She has diversified the brand’s products and has made it a flagship industry of her country. La Grenade Liqueur was awarded a Gold Medal in the prestigious ‘Monde Selection’ competition. De la Grenade Industries has benefited from EC aid directly and via regional programmes. H.G. Interview with Nazim Burke, Minister of Finance Interview with Nazim Burke, Minister of Finance KeywordsHegel Goutier; Cecile La Grenade; De La Grenade Industries; EL Dorado; Barbancourt; Captain Louis La Grenade; La Grenade Liqueur. Report 48 De La Grenade Industries is one of the prestigious brand names of Grenada. Since 1992 it has been run by Cecile La Grenade, one of the business people thanks to whom the famous rums of the Caribbean, which often make a clean sweep of the awards in international spirits competitions, are better known by spirits lovers. Grenada > DiagnosisWe can lump problems into three broad categories. Firstly, there has been a decline in foreign direct investment. Many of the huge tourism infrastructure projects that we anticipated (representing investments of about $US700M) will not happen. Secondly, there is also a decline in the tourism industry itself in term of arrivals and expenditure. In the cruise tourism sector, we still see large numbers of tourists coming even though they are spending less. We anticipate there will be some further decline. The third area has to do with remit tances from abroad. Grenadians living abroad in the metropolis are sending less money to the country than they would normally send. Our sense is that it may have declined by about 16 per cent over the last year. Because of the slow down in various sectors including construction, we have seen a fall off in employment.> AdjustmentWe have implemented a tax amnesty: a complete waiver of the interests and penalty charges for those who pay the full amount of what they owe the government. We have also embarked on some short-term construction projects; renovating government buildings, especially those in the health and education sectors. We have intensified work on the road maintenance programme. Our target is to keep employment up. We are about to start another programme that will provide income support for farmers. This also enhances food security. A review of the key medium and long-term capital projects should be undertaken. We could identify the ones to which we will give priority, and which ones we can undertake by way of joint private/public sector partner ships, or pursue by concessional lending or borrowing, or through bilateral cooperation programmes. H.G. KeywordsGrenada; Hegel Goutier; Financial crisis; Nazim Burke; Minister of Finance.Grenada Port authority, St George’s, 2009. Hegel GoutierCecile la Grenade, manager, ‘De La Grenade Industries’, 2009. Hegel Goutier

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What are the main concerns of the opposition vis--vis the new government in power? You need as much unity and coming together of ideas at all levels as possible, and more so in times of financial problems. My government laid a solid foundation for this. When the new government came in, they simply had to build on this. In fact, they have done the complete opposite and proceeded to witch-hunt their opponents and victimise the supporters of the last government. The current government only won by 1,800 votes. Almost all the major projects have stopped. You are talking about hundreds of millions of dollars of investment. Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, whose father is Grenadian, was interested in making an investment here but the opposition [at the time] proceeded to say there was corruption between himself, the government [then NNP] and the former Governor-General. Some argue that investments are suspended due to the global financial crisis? The government clearly has to put its own spin on things but the facts are there. They attack peoples’ characters; that’s the issue. Despite the international context you would have seen a lot more activity and a lot of projects would have been going on. By smearing, you are not only attacking the politician but are endangering the possibility of investment. Why do you not sue the government in the Court? I have about 20 court cases for slander. I have judgements in my favour but the system is rolling so slowly. What’s your opinion of CARICOM? It seems to becoming weaker. The need for stronger economic and political ties among small nations in the region is becoming more and more critical if they are to survive in this global village. My own feeling is that the pace of integration is too slow but economic development of small states is becoming more and more difficult without an integrated approach. Every time decisions are made at CARICOM level to work cooperatively, somebody, or groups of persons tend to undermine the system and CARICOM organs are not strong enough to force people to operate within the framework of which decisions are made. There is a need to strengthen CARICOM institutions. It has become very bureaucratic in its approach to a number of issues. There needs to be a deeper sense of political integration but this will not come overnight. How can hope be passed on to young people in these challenging times? If young people are left without hope they feel a sense of marginali sation and can find themselves in positions where their actions have permanent damage on themselves. There’s a sense of hopelessness at ground level in the country. We had a transportation scheme for chil dren whose parents could not afford to pay the bus fare and a uniform allowance for pupils but these and other programmes have been cut by the government. H.G. The new Government has lost millions in investment for Grenada, alleges the oppositionN. 11 N.E. – MAY JUNE 2009 49 Report Grenada Keith Mitchell was Prime Minister of Grenada for 13 years (1995-2008). His New National Party (NNP) was defeated in the 2008 General Election and has four seats in the country’s House of Representatives. Now, as Leader of the Opposition, he tells us the government is responsible for alienating potential investors. KeywordsHegel Goutier; Keith Mitchell; NNP; CARICOM; Lewis Hamilton; Grenada. Hegel Goutier

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GRENADA’S DECISIONSOver the last few years, EC aid to Grenada has been focused on reconstruction following the devastating hurricanes of 2004 and 2005, as well as improving water and sanitation infrastructure. These services often dated back to the British era and had been further damaged in the storms. International aid has been all the more effective as Grenada embarked on the country’s reconstruction with great determination according to Ambassador Valeriano Diaz, Head of the EC delegation for the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States. ReportGrenadaEC-Grenada Cooperation KeywordsHegel Goutier; EC-Grenada Cooperation; Valeriano Diaz; Crispin Ferederick; World Bank; Stabex; CDE; PROINVEST. 50 Wager on GRENADA’S DECISIONS The hurricane of 2004 left 39 people dead and caused damage estimated at 250 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. In 2007, the European Commission, given Grenada’s particular needs following the ravages of the hurricanes, added M to the sum originally allocated under the 9th European Development Fund (EDF), 2000-2007, to support its macro-economic reform for poverty reduction. This additional aid was set up as budgetary support, as is also the case for the best part of the M allocated under the 10th EDF (2008-2013). . The European Commission also responded favourably to several changes to aid donations proposed by the Grenada government after the storms. So, for example, instead of the tourist project to restore two historic forts, the resources planned by the World Bank (WB) and the EC went to rebuilding destroyed schools. As for rehousing populations that had previously been living in unfit or precarious areas, dialogue between the EC and the government made it possible to adopt suitable measures to “build better,” where they could do most good. With regard to reconstructing the schools destroyed by hurricane Ivan in December 2004, the 29 secondary schools, for example, came under the Post Emergency School Rehabilitation Project, which was practi cally complete at the time of The Courier’s visit, apart from two sites in the process of completion. Project coordinator, Crispin Frederick, was delighted the reconstruction makes available facilities to meet certain provisions, such as school meals. Moreover, all the rehabilitated sites now meet new hurricane construction standards. EC aid for this project amounted to .3M and is one of the largest EC programmes in Grenada, with budgetary support of .7M and water infrastructure improvement of .7M. Among the other EC funds used in its cooperation with the Grenada government, is the remainder of the former STABEX fund (to stabilise the export earnings of ACP countries) which came to .2M at the beginning of 2008, to be used to promote private investment in the agricultural sector. There is also the Special Framework Assistance,support, Centre for the Development of Enterprise (CDE) in the private sector, and PROINVEST to encourage investments between the Caribbean and Europe. Grenada also benefits from funds under the Caribbean Regional Integration Programme; M will be disbursed under the 10th EDF regional programme to promote regional integration and implementation of the Economic Partnership Agreement signed on 15 October 2008. H.G. Hegel Goutier

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51 N. 11 N.E. – MAY JUNE 2009If it were a fruit, Grenada would have to be a pomegranate, bright red on the outside and bursting with a myriad of little red jewels on the inside, just like all that flamboyance that decorates the villages for the day. All those colonial-style houses: small, pink, red, richly coloured and lined up along the narrow village streets, grand in the centres of larger towns or hugging the steep slopes for the large houses. Colours with the same sparkle as the infectious smiling faces. A day trip has to begin in the capital, St George’s, which wakes up in the arms of its bay, adorned with the bluish misty colours of morning. Not to be missed is the arrival of the cruise ships, often bringing young couples for their weddings to be celebrated a day or two later in the idyllic setting of Port Louis on St George’s former harbourside. Port Louis has no other ambition than “to embrace the more charming elements of St-Tropez, Costa Smeralda, Portofino and St Bart’s under the distinct influence and umbrella of Grenada” From the seafront, you can admire the City on the Hill’s many hills which hug the bay, on top of which are sites to visit such as Fort Friederick and Fort Matthew to the east. To the north is Fort George Fort Matthew, which was used as a hospice for the certified mentally ill, was bombed by mistake by the American air force in 1983, killing a number of its occupants. To the north and south of St. George’s on the south-west of the island stretch endless beach es, the most typical of which is Grand Anse. It is the busiest tourist spot. A little further along the beach, not to be missed, has to be Morne Rouge with the whitest possible sand on the edges of the most crystal-clear sea. The pretty little town set in a virgin countryside has few inhabitants, barely ten thousand, and very few tourists. But the island has plenty of beaches. Among the pretty little coves is La Sagesse to the south-east, symbolic as the setting for an historical event. When the then owner of the adjacent house wanted to block access to it, the militant Bishop organised a major demonstration there, which led the state to guarantee public access to beaches as a basic right. The current tenant, Mike Meranski, who has tastefully transformed it into an original hotel restaurant, La Sagesse Nature Center, has other concerns as he explained to The Courier: due to the current crisis, the decreased number of visitors and also the shortened length of their stay. Other coastal towns to visit are Greenville on the east coast, the second largest and probably the country’s liveliest and Sauteur in the historical north; the Caribs, when conquered by the French, committed suicide by throwing themselves into the sea from its 130-foot-high rock. Inland, it is the flowers and fruits that glow red; bunches of cashew apples, of which the nut is only the outer seed, and the cardinal red nutmeg, embossed with black-stylised patterns reminiscent of the delicate work of an artist. It is the country's symbol. To the west, between St. George’s to the south and Gouyave more to the north, stretches Grand Etang Forest Reserve with the must-see Grand Etang Lake, so calm in a restful landscape and, not far away, the many waterfalls of Concord Falls along the length of the Concord river. There just remains Carriacou, with its population of nine thousand, ten times less than the island of Grenada, and Petite Martinique with just a thousand. Are they just as surprising? H.G. Bright Red GRENADAIf you had to choose a particular day to explore the island of Grenada, then Easter Sunday would be an excellent choice. In every town and village there are crowds, street parties, gatherings and the visitor is invited to join in. The beaches are busy and everywhere there are drinks and dishes to enjoy. This country is truly open to celebrations and gatherings. KeywordsHegel Goutier; Grenada; Carriacou; Petite Martinique; Fort Friederick; Fort Matthew; Fort George; Port Louis; Morne Rouge; Grand Anse; Greenville; Sauteur; Grand Etang Forest Reserve; Caribbean; La Sagesse Nature Center. Report GrenadaExploreTop to bottom: Murals / S George’s St George’s bay Street market Hegel Goutier

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Art. HEART ATTACK 52While being grateful for the tribute his country has paid to him, renowned artist Oliver Benoit notes with some bitterness: “In my country, people consider I am not doing Caribbean art”. This is because his work is abstract. Yet who is closer to the concerns of the ordinary people of Grenada than Benoit? Everything seen, made out and interpreted in his work, beneath the surface abstraction, touches on daily life. And so he invites everyone to look more keenly, in order to see more than is visible at first glance. To get involved, because he wants to prompt and provoke questions, at the same time as making the act of viewing a pleasure. “I want to let people who look at it (his art) get involved, be engaged in the piece I focus now on the role of politics, the way people are affected by it”. One of the paintings in the ‘Outbursts’ series depicts bank notes bearing the image of Uncle Sam, and is entitled 'Dollar is my soul'. In this he expresses his pain on hearing about the allegations of corruption concerning a former leading politician. Regarding ‘Heart Attack’, he says, “This is political. The symbol of the new government is the heart”. He explains that, in the current national and international environment, the government, every citizen and the entire system are at risk of a heart attack. At the Agora Gallery in New York, which displays his work, and in his virtual gallery at www.oliverbenoit.com, visitors can view his works under six themes: ‘Disasters and Emotions’, one of which is ‘Heart Attack’, ‘Love’, ‘After Ivan’ (hurricane Ivan), ‘Men without Head’, ‘Carving out an Identity’ and ‘Outbursts’. H.G. KeywordsGrenada; Hegel Goutier; art; Olivier Benoit. ReportGrenadaOliver Benoit, 2009. Hegel Goutier

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Stockholm is at the crossing point of the cobalt blue waters of the Mlaren Lake and the ink black waves of the Baltic Sea. Seven centuries ago, Stockholm was erected here, spreading out over 14 islands linked together by forty or so bridges. It was only in 1637 that the city became Sweden’s capital, dethroning Uppsala, which remains the university and ecclesiastic capital of the country. Stockholm, a feast for the eyes Each island – starting from the historic centre Gamla Stan, the “Old City” – presents a specific architectural ensemble with its very own charm. However, Stockholm would be nothing without the Stockholmers, who have always been somewhat more hurried than their rural neighbours. There are more than one million Stockholmers, a figure that doubles if we take into account the greater city, over a population of 9 million. They are more demanding in their egalitarian and democratic claims too. These claims go back to the Vikings, the conquering people that, in the 10th century, went to the East and established trading relations with Byzantium and Arab kingdoms. The Swedes – and all other Scandinavians – are proud to evoke their ancestors. Historian Astrid Helle explains: “It is not so much for the military victories and conquests that the heirs of the Vikings enjoy evoking that page of their history. Rather, they find in the Viking civilisation – an entrepre neurial people with an original culture – the roots of what they so enjoy in today’s society: a lively democracy in a deeply egalitarian society. Women enjoyed much consideration and a legal status that could have been the envy of many other Europeans. Viking women could marry the men they wanted even without their fathers’ consent. They were entitled to bear some weapons and could also become poets, a trade that was synonymous with great social recognition.” Astrid Lindgren must have thought of this when she wrote Pippi Longstocking Traders, egalitarians and poets To this list of assets, we shall add pragmatism (a corollary of commere it is true) and openness to modernity, innovation, and to the world, to the countries wounded by this very same modernity. Two areas – innovation and cooperation – where Sweden comes in first place. Paradox? Like so many others in Sweden. KeywordsMarie-Martine Buckens; Stockholm; Sweden; Astrid Helle. 53 N. 11 N.E. – MAY JUNE 2009 Marie-Martine Buckens D iscovering Europe TheSwedish paradoxSwedish paradoxA report by Marie-Martine Buckens Marie-Martine Buckens

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54 With its unrivalled percentage of 0.98% of the GNI dedicated to development aid, Sweden is a long way ahead of other industrialised countries (0,42% on average for the EU, 0,25% for G7 countries), exceeding the 0,7% of the GNI objective that most industrialised countries piously set themselves for 2012. It is perhaps because the Swedes envisage their relations on an equali tarian basis that cooperation is based on a true partnership, the ultimate goal being of making partner countries truly independent.> “Another development”Henning Melber, executive director of the Dag Hammarskjld Foundation immediately tells us: “Our aim is to fill the North / South divide by creating global alliances with persons who share the same values of democracy, human rights and security.” The foundation (http://www.dhf.uu.se/Default.html), situated in the university city of Uppsala, forty miles to the north of Stockholm, bears the name of the Swede who was Secretary General to the United Nations from 1953 to 1961 when he died in a plane crash on his way to a peace mission in Katanga. That same year, he was posthumously awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. His interventions in the Suez crisis in 1956 and in the Jordan crisis of 1958 earned him a solid reputation of peace defender. Dag Hammarskjld’s spirit impregnates every action that the foundation leads today. First, there are the seminars and publications, among which the “Development Dialogue” publication, which regroups analysis by authors from different backgrounds and whose latest edition is an attack on neoliberalism. Henning Melber continues “Our greatest asset is the very name of Dag Hammarskjld, who was very respected, particularly in South countries. And we use it to gather people who would not otherwise do so”, like for example the meetings initiated since last February between Chinese, African and Swedish representatives to discuss Africa-China relations. ‘China is very present in Africa. Amongst other things, it sits on the United Nations Security Council. However, its experts are not up to date on the social realities in Africa, which results in growing frictions with some African countries”, and he pursues: “We use this tradition for dialogue in other areas too, particularly in agricultural issues. Thus, many believe that Kofi Annan’s Green Sometimes considered with suspicion, always with envy, the ‘Swedish Model’ of a welfare state – and especially of egalitarian State – leaves its mark on every policy. Starting with development cooperation. In terms of percentage of its gross national income, Stockholm is rightly proud of being the most generous city with South countries. At work, we find the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and a myriad of foundations. We meet with one of them, Dag Hammarskjld. Stockholm Discovering EuropeUpsaala, 2009. Marie-Martine Buckens A model of OPENNESS A model of OPENNESS

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N. 11 N.E. – MAY JUNE 2009 Discovering Europe "Since the 1950s, the social dimension includes international solidarity”, continues Henning Melber, “even if it has deteriorated these past few years”. Thus, Stockholm welcomed many people who, after the various African independence bouts, suffered the attacks of neo-colonial groups. “Sweden also welcomed American soldiers who refused to fight in Vietnam and opponents to Pinochet’s dictatorial regime in Chile”.> A suppler immigration Amidst the current economic recession, Sweden has decided to make its labour immigration regulations more flexible. “We are at the cutting edge in this domain and our action comes at the right time”, declared Tobias Billstrm, Minister for immigration and asylum policy in December 2008, soon after the regulation was adopted. “It is a good thing to know that we already had this debate whereas it has not even started in some countries. In the coming years, labour competition will become increasingly harder, and when the economy takes off again, we will be in a better position”. Swedish pragmatism helping, this position responds to the demand of companies who are in desperate need of IT staff, engineers, welders, and healthcare staff and who anticipate a penury of workforce before 2011 due to a great wave of retirements. M.M.B. MIGRATION: a characteristically Swedish sensitivityThe Swedes still remember the great floods of emigration of the second half of the 19th century when, forced by hunger, around one and a half million people migrated to the United States. “This long tradition of immigration justifies why the Swedes are very connected to the rest of the world”, explains Henning Melber, executive director of the Dag Hammarskjld foundation. After 1950, Sweden, a country of emigration, became a country of immigration. KeywordsMigration; immigration; Henning Melber; Dawit Isaak; MarieMartine Buckens. KeywordsSIDA; SAREC; Dag Hammarskjld; Henning Melber; Swedish cooperation; research.Stockholm RESEARCH, A PRIORITYThe important place occupied by cooperation for research is another particularity of Swedish cooperation. In 1975, the Swedish Agency for Research Cooperation with Developing Countries (SAREC) was created. Throughout the years, the agency has become one of the largest departments of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). The SAREC does not solely finance Swedish universities and research institutes conducting research programmes relative to development. In actual fact, its first mission is to finance institutes in countries of the South with one objec tive in mind: making these countries viable, little by little, without outside aid. For the time being, SAREC enjoys bilateral relations with a dozen other countries, including Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. Revolution for Africa, supported by philanthropic agencies, will mainly benefit large agro food companies, particularly those specialising in GMOs. We want to organise a seminar on the issue next November, during the European Development Days. The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala will be one of the participants.” Since Sweden will then preside over the European Union, Stockholm will host the Development Days. Finally, the most recent – albeit not the least – undertaking: setting up an office of the foundation in New York, where the United Nations is in session. “Our objective is to put pressure to truly democratize the UN system, reinforc ing the forces that truly want peace and security”, adds Henning Melber. M.M.B. 55

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Issues within the field of development are expected to be highlighted during the Presidency since the biggest event of the entire 6 months will be European Development Days. Within just a few editions, European Development Days has become a landmark event of the international agenda that hosts over 4,000 visitors representing 1,500 organisations and 125 countries worldwide. This year the overarching theme of the event will be Citizenship and Development with a special focus on Climate change and the Economic crisis. The event will take place at Stockholm International Fair from 22-24 of October. Gunilla Carlsson underlines her strong belief in EU cooperation mat ters concerning development; “I firmly believe that one of the strongest contributions the EU can make to equitable and sustainable global development is to tap the full potential of the PCD agenda. The EU must make better and more coherent use of all its policies and instruments. All the pressing issues on the international agenda at the moment – e.g. the global economic recession, the climate change challenge, the food security issue – clearly confirm this need.” Gunilla Carlsson also expresses her delight in welcoming people to European Development Days in Stockholm. The aim is to bring forth a discussion on what drives development and, in this financial crisis, how we can live up to aid commitments already made. European Development Days is a unique forum where big ideas meet. It is an open platform for debating global issues rather than negotiations behind closed doors. Everyone has a voice – campaigners and experts alongside parliamentarians and government ministers. Gunilla Carlsson highlights the importance of engaging with civil society, business and academia in these matters. For info : www.eudevdays.euDEVELOPMENT DAYS 2009: Stockholm 22 to 24 OctoberThe following text is a communication by the European Commission (Directorate-General for Development)With the Swedish Presidency of the European Union fast approaching, Gunilla Carlsson, the Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation is already keen to set the Swedish priority areas during the Presidency within the area of development. Democracy building, policy coherence for development (PCD), aid effectiveness and climate changes are in focus. In the area of climate change, Gunilla Carlsson also chaired the International Commission on Climate and Development. Discovering Europe Stockholm 56 Gunilla Carlsson. SIDAVIEW POINTS

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N. 11 N.E. – MAY JUNE 2009INNOVATION at all costs INNOVATION at all costs KeywordsKista; ICT; innovation; Sweden; Mats Hedenstrm; Marie-Martine Buckens. Marie-Martine Buckens CHAMPIONEvery year the “Innovation Scoreboards” published by the European Commission confirm the fact: Sweden is beating the records when it comes to innovation, even if in 2009 it was overtaken by Switzerland. It is followed in the ranking by Denmark, Finland, Germany and Japan. Among other things, the Swedes are champions of continuous training, with a participation rate of 35 per cent compared to a European average of 11 per cent (2007 figures). Another strong point is the priority awarded to higher education and investment in research and development. As a percentage of GDP, Sweden invests more in R&D than any of the other OECD countries. Discovering Europe StockholmThe Kista Science City, home to more than 4,700 businesses and including big names such as Ericsson, in itself symbolises Swedish-style inventiveness. The allround champion when it comes to innovation – beating even Japan and the United States – Sweden owes this status to a judicious mix of pragmatism and daring. “Kista is a Viking name meaning coffin!” explains Mats Hedenstrm, head of international relations at the Kista Science City, by way of introduction. Kista’s origins date back to 1976 when SRA, Svenska Radiobolaget and Ericsson set up at the site, followed two years later by IBM. “It is true that there are some who would indeed like to see us in a coffin”, continues Mats Hedenstrm. “This is due to the importance Kista has assumed since 1976. With almost 64,000 employees and a total of 4,731 businesses, including 70 set up in 2008, Kista is the leading innovation centre in terms of human density. This is a major asset, enabling people to meet easily in an environment that is also very international.” After IBM, other big names followed, such as Nokia, Intel and Microsoft. This is because Kista is first and foremost a centre for ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies). “We are one of the top five ICT clusters, after Silicon Valley and Boston in the United States”, continues Mats Hedenstrm. “In Europe, we cooperate closely with Sophia Antipolis, in the south of France, which is home to companies of the same kind.” Yet there are also differences. Sophia Antipolis has significantly more researchers than Kista (about 2,000), although the Swedish science city is home to Stockholm University and the Institute for Technological Research. “We operate in a different way, we are more business-oriented”, explains the head of international relations. “Kista is essentially a place where competitors can cooperate to achieve increased growth.” Better still, Kista is there to assist people who want to set up a business. With a public budget it invests in start-ups and is reimbursed if they prove successful. “About 100 new businesses set up in Kista every year, but not all survive. Last year the ‘losses’ were 30 per cent. We have a strong entrepreneurial tradition and nobody is ever condemned for going bankrupt.” A sign of the times? Many of these start-ups are specialised in environmental and multimedia technologies, fields in which Kista wants to expand. 57

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“We have drawn up a strategy for Stockholm to become the world’s greenest and safest capital within the next 20 years”, Deputy Mayor Ulla Hamilton immediately informs us. One of the major ambitions of the city council is to free Stockholm from its dependence on fossil fuels and reduce per capita CO2 emissions to 3 tonnes by 2050. This is a formidable challenge given that these CO2 emissions currently stand at 4 tonnes per capita per year, a figure already 25 per cent down on 1990 and a record compared to the 12 tonnes emitted by the Finnish and the 22 tonnes emitted by the Americans. Yet the average for Africa is just 1 tonne. It will require action on several fronts to achieve these goals. First the energy efficiency of buildings, where much remains to be done (see article below). Then there is heating. “Fortunately, Sweden has a lot of companies specialised in developing clean technologies”, continues Ulla Hamilton. These technologies have already made it possible to perfect a waste management system – waste sorting was first introduced in the 1960s – that has dispensed with the use of refuse collection vehicles by bringing the waste to the incinerators through a system of pipes. The incinerators – “our first one is over 100 years old!” announces the deputy mayor – play a key role in the city’s air-conditioning system: the hot water is used for heating and then, after it cools, to lower indoor temperatures in summer. Then there is the traffic. While bicycles and public transport are popular, most cars run on conventional fuel. The first objective is for the city’s own fleet of vehicles to run exclusively on clean fuels, initially biogas. Steps are also being taken to install sockets in apartments and at stations for the future wave of electric cars. Finally, and this has already been done in the Hammarby district, travel between Stockholm’s islands is to be by a (free) boat service, thereby avoiding the need to build new bridges. M.M.B. What a GREEN CITY!Integrated waste and water management, noise and traffic reduction, the creation of leisure areas: for more than a decade the Stockholm authorities have been engaged in sometimes monumental works to give the city a new look. These efforts have now been rewarded by the European Commission which has decided to honour the Swedish capital with its first Green Capital Award, for 2010. KeywordsGreen capital; Ulla Hamilton; urban heating; renewable energy; waste; Marie-Martine Buckens. 58 But Stockholm is also a city of green spaces, the largest of which is Skansen. This open-air museum covers a vast area dotted with farmsteads, windmills and traditional shops, plus an impressive wooden church. The park is home to about 160 constructions that have been transported from all over the country to create this testimony to a bygone age. There is also a zoo with moose, wolves, lynx and brown bears. Discovering Europe StockholmWhat a GREEN CITY! Ulla Hamilton with the Green Capital Award. Marie-Martine Buckens Popular market in Stockholm, 2009. Marie-Martine Buckens

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59 N. 11 N.E. – MAY JUNE 2009“From the very start, we wanted to transform this former polluted area into a model of ecological urbanism. At the time, Stockholm was trying to attract the Olympic Games and knew that Sydney had won because of its environmental performance. We lost to Athens, but the project developed”, explains Erik Freudenthal, welcoming us in GlashusEtt, Hammarby Sjstad’s environment information centre. “The original objective was to reduce the environmental impact of the future neighbourhood by half compared with some Stockholm buildings dating back to 1990. Every aspect was studied: noise, pollution, work, waste, etc.” Construction started in 1997, once the soil – 200 hectares – had been thoroughly decontaminated. Most of the industrial buildings were either razed to the ground or refurbished, like the diesel plant, which is now a cultural and sport centre. The works should be finished by 2016. “We want to build 11,000 apartments for around 28,000 people and allow 10,000 persons to work in the neighbourhood”, indicates Erik Freudenthal who continues: “for now, 8,500 apartments have been built, housing some 18,000 persons.” The buildings are never more than 5-storeys high and look out onto both a street and a park. This innovating planning brief is the result of cooperation between architects, town planners and engineers. The new neighbourhood is built on a virtually clear site, allowing the developers to crisscross it with public transport services and to propose car-sharing services. The ferry also offers free crossings between the neighbourhood and the Sdermalm Island, which is near the Stockholm city centre. Thus, 79 per cent of a route to work is either done by foot, bicycle or public transport. “This has reduced car use by more than 40 per cent, which would have been impossible if transportation – particularly the tramway – had been built at a later stage, when everybody would have already bought a car.” Hammarby Sjstad responds to an environmental programme that centres on six main lines: soil decontamination, use of alreadyconstructed soils, safe building materials, public transport, an upper noise limit of 45 dB and the optimisation of energy, water and waste services reflecting the counsellor’s objectives for the rest of the city (read article above). “It is the first time, worldwide, that we have succeeded in reducing the environmental impact by more than half for a surface area of this size. And yet, the objectives were set for 1990. Today, we could do much better.” In a short while, the project will be duplicated in two other run-down areas of Stockholm. The cost is equal to the objectives, and the city is prepared to invest bn. M.M.B. KeywordsErik Freudenthal; Hammarby Sjstad; environmental impact; Marie-Martine Buckens. Discovering Europe Stockholm HAMMARBY SJSTAD,a laboratory for sustainable towns HAMMARBY SJSTAD,a laboratory for sustainable towns In less than 15 years, the Hammarby neighbourhood, a former insalubrious harbour area, has become an example for sustainable living and is at the centre of the attention of the entire planet. We meet its tireless, smiling “spokesperson”, Erik Freudentahl. Erik Frudenthal, 2009. Marie-Martine Buckens View from a bridge on Hammarby neighbourhood, 2009. Marie-Martine Buckens

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60 They have in common a certain kind of universalism. Some, the men – Strindberg the playwright and Ingmar Bergman the film director – sought to understand the motivations and behaviour of people. Others, the women – Astrid Lindgren and Selma Lgerlf – used words as weapons in the cause of peace, emancipation and pleasure!Who has never heard of Pippi Longstocking? This fiery little redhead, full name Pippilotta Delicatessa Windowhade Mackrelmint Ephraim’s Daughter Longstocking, is a rebel who for the past 64 years has continued to emancipate children all over the world. In her fabulous world she saved children from the rules of adults and the conformity of school. It is scarcely surprising therefore that the books were censored by certain conservative countries and dictatorships. Born of the imagination of Astrid Lindgren, initially to amuse her own children, the adventures of Pippi have since been translated into more than 60 languages, including Arabic and Zulu. Astrid Lindgren herself was a formidable woman. Until her death in 2002, at the age of 95, she campaigned tirelessly for the rights of the oppressed, whether children, adults or animals, for which she received numerous awards, including the Albert Schweitzer Medal. Politically active and regarded in Sweden as a legend in her own lifetime, she also instigated legislation in favour of the most disadvantaged members of society. Astrid Lindgren was preceded by another great lady of letters and humanity: Selma Lagerlf, author of the lyrical epic The Story of Gsta Berling and, above all, The Wonderful Adventures of Nils. This latter work, published in 1906, had in fact been commissioned to explain Sweden’s geography to schoolchildren. Three years later she was the first woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature and, in 1914, the first to be elected to the Swedish Academy. Later, at the start of the Second World War, she donated these two medals to Finland to help it in its efforts to raise funds to fight the Soviet Union. There are other more tortuous and introspective adventures. Such as those of August Strindberg, considered to be one of the fathers of modern theatre. Born in 1849, the author of Miss Julie was also one of the pioneers of European expressionism in painting as well as being active in photography, alchemy and telegraphy. A misogynist as well as being a socialist if not anarchist – earning him honours from the Soviet Union and Cuba – he renounced his socialism after meeting Nietzsche, subsequently becoming interested in mysticism. Psychological introspection is the theme that runs throughout the work of that giant of the cinema, Ingmar Bergman. Born in Uppsala in 1918, this theatre and film director, screenwriter and also actor at the start of his career, had directed 170 plays and 62 films at the time of his death in 2007. Among them, the metaphysical ‘Seventh Seal’, ‘the psychological drama Persona’, ‘Fanny and Alexander’ and ‘Scenes from a Marriage’ earned him the reputation of being one of the 20th century’s greatest film directors. Like Strindberg, who married three times, Bergman had a tumultu ous personal life, marrying five times and fathering nine children. M.M.B. LIGHT and DARK The vivacious Astrid Lindgren. Scanpix/reporters KeywordsPippi Longstocking; Astrid Lindgren; Selma Lagerlf; Strinberg; Ingmar Bergman; Marie-Martine Buckens. Discovering Europe StockholmLIGHT and DARK

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61 N. 11 N.E. – MAY JUNE 2009Nowadays there are publishers in almost all African countries, although publishing activity varies enormously from one country to another. The views of ACP publishers played an important role at the Culture and Development colloquium: organised by the European Commission in Brussels (1-3 April 2009), publishers, writers, associations and book fair organisers from ACP and EU countries discussed in specific workshops how the cultural industry should respond to both the requirements of the ACP public and to the interests of the public of the North. Recorded data on the economic strength of the publishing sector in ACP countries is scant. Schoolbooks are the publications with the biggest sales (between 55 per cent and 70 per cent of the total). They constitute the most profitable part of the sector, but are generally limited to a few specialist local and foreign publishers or their local branches. Everybody knows that with the exception of South Africa, Nigeria and Egypt the African book industry is weak; and because support funds are lacking, few publishers take financial risks. Thus, writers who seek to establish themselves on the global stage have to find a publisher from the North (in colonial languages: New York, London, Paris, Lisbon), where they can find income as well as distribution, promotion, prizes and festivals. Another problem is the simple lack of bookshops, hence a lost opportunity to sell books. For example, there are only 13 bookshops in Mali, 11 in Burkina Faso, 215 in Senegal of which 200 are small* – while in a country such as Italy there are 2,000. There is also a shortage of reading centres and libraries: even many large cities don’t have a library. At the Brussels colloquium, participants found that the biggest handicap to greater production and improved marketing of African books lies in the lack of public policies and the weight of customs duties which penalise the circulation of books and raw materials (paper, ink or printer materials). In fact, the Florence Agreement (1950) and the Nairobi protocol (1976) on the importation of educational, scientific and cultural materials have been signed by many countries but are not respected. Some publishing houses from the francophone parts of Africa are recognised on a global level for the strategic role they have played in literary development since independence: Le Centre d'dition et de diffusion africaine (CEDA, Cte d’Ivoire); Les ditions Cl (Cameroon), Les Nouvelles ditions africaines du Sngal (Nas) and the Nouvelles ditions ivoiriennes (NEI), Afrique-ditions, in Kinshasa. The new African publishers are more dynamic and open to creating networks as tools to foster the development of publishing across the continent. They take risks on the new generation promoting reading education through innovative projects and circulating publications by motorbike, by bus or by boat Together with editors from the North they produce co-editions available at cheaper prices to the public in the South: for example the collection Terres solidaires (with Le Serpent plumes and Actes Sud) that publishes African authors’ novels at the price of 2-3000 F CFA, or Global Issues, a “fair book” project of Ecosocit, a publisher from Quebec. Various networks are active in the publications sector such as the Sandra Federici and Andrea Marchesini Reggiani C reativity African publishers NETWORKING against invisibility NETWORKING against invisibility Coup de lune by Abla Ababou (September 2008) Serpent PlumesEl Hadj by Mamadou Mahmoud N’DONGO (August 2008) Serpent PlumesEn attendant que le bus explose by Thomt Ryam (February 2009) ditions du Rocher

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Creativity National Associations of publishing companies, bookshop networks, and authors associations. We can cite Afrilivres, an association of Frenchlanguage African publishers based in Cotonou (Benin) which is trying to develop a more egalitarian relationship with the North by making its publications visible and available to northern markets; the African Book Collective, a non-profit Oxford-based distribution outlet with 116 independent African publishers from 19 countries; the network of the International Alliance of Independent Publishers, which groups the publishers of four linguistic networks in ACP and EU areas; and the African Publishers Network (APNET) an Accra-based (Ghana) — pan-African organisation, which brings together national publishers’ associations “to strengthen indigenous publishing throughout Africa”. International associations work towards facilitating the presence of ACP publications in book fairs in the North, but participation remains surprisingly low. When we flip through the catalogues of recent Italian book fairs: at the Children’s Book Fair of Bologna (23-26 March 2009), where 66 countries exhibited, it’s obvious that the African presence is very weak, represented by just South African, Tanzanian and Egyptian publishers. * APNET – ADEA, Study project on Intra African Book Trade.Igino Schraffl*Eco-and cultural TOURISM: a panacea for African tourism?Eco-and cultural TOURISM: a panacea for African tourism? Mali, surroundings of Segou: the chief village. Picture by Igino Schraffl. 62 KeywordsCulture and Development colloquium; Brussels; Florence Agreement; Nairobi Protocol; edition; publishers.

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KeywordsTourism; Africa.In recent decades, the tourism sector has climbed several notches on the ladder of development-aid interventions to the Third World. There are numerous reasons: the need for investment; reconversion from agricultural activities; increasing demand in Europe for exotic destinations. Although consultants and international organisations in the sector say the barometer is still set fair, will a focus on eco-tourism and culture avoid a predicted fall-off? The overall increase of the incoming flow on the African continent is exclusively due to a booming South African tourism. Tourism figures for Egypt are holding up since cultural tourism destinations always seem to pull in visitors. Other Northern and Central African countries are registering declining figures and if the “life-cycle” of an economic model is applied, many are facing even market saturation and saturation is generally followed by decline. Such forecasts are based on mathemati cal projections and statistical calculations. Future demographic increases, in poor countries will not generate huge flows of tourists, and ageing populations in rich countries do not bode well for exotic destinations since they are more likely to be put off by uncomfort able transport and frequent lack of high-quality accom modation, health dangers, poor sanitary facilities and risks to personal security. Furthermore, recent extensive market studies – using highly sophisticated tools and criteria, based on the new bio-economics or neuro-eco nomics, behavioural-motivational economics and neuro-sciences – reveal that the so-called “generation x” (people born between 1965 and 1980), following the “baby-boomers” genera tion (1950-1965), also show a leaning to cultural, nature and eco-tourism. Consequently, the market niche for exotic tourism is set to shrink even further – as the new classes of tourists display trends similar to those of the elderly as far as comfort, service and quality are concerned.> Rejecting the “obsolete”Moreover, they prefer what is trendy, fancy or glamorous, and reject the “obsolete”, classical or traditional. The new devotees to fitness and wellness have to be taken into account. They often have no interest in wildlife or movement and are wary of unchartered environments. Such tourists prefer the beach to mountaineer ing, and cultural tours are limited to a few trips to well-trodden tourist sites. Another factor is that only a few countries are in a position of being able to develop mass tourism, lessening incentives to develop the tourism sector. Unlike other sectors, tourism cannot take great advantage of the positive impact of Information and Technology. In abandoning the traditional approach of promoting a particular territory and adopting a new sophisticated concept based on the management of the destination system, what conclusions can be drawn to expand the market niche of tourism to exotic destinations? Under a new “management of destination” system, no factor can be overlooked: security, health and sanitation, access and transportation, currency and banking, regulatory enforcement, pricing, vocational training and monitoring. Tourist landmarks which raise revenue must be cared for through new management schemes. And finally, the whole undertaking should be based throughout on solid sustainability criteria to ensure long-term market stability. If the main economic aim is to reduce unemployment and poverty, one of the most viable solutions is promoting ecoand culture-friend ly small-scale tourism with special features, on the model of existing centres of sustainable tourism integrated in a rural develop ment scheme, i.e. an integral system including tourist activity, bio-agricultural production, renewable energy use, social assistance and educational faciliti es. * Professor of Public Choice at the Rome Lumsa University; a senior voluntary expert for the United Nations who is currently working as adviser to the Ministry of Tourism, Mali. 63 N. 11 N.E. – MAY JUNE 2009 Creativity The touristic centre of Teiya Bugu in Mali, a model of sustainable tourism that should be followed in all ACP countries. Picture by Igino Schraffl.Right: Mali, Mosque of Djenn, the largest mud brick building in the world. Picture by Igino Schraffl.

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When Rokia Traor walks on stage everything around her begins to pulsate: as if that small body, only apparently thin, were manifesting an ancestral energy. Her musicians warm up and she immediately starts dancing. And then her vibrant voice, with its sensitive elegance, bewitches our ears. Rokia was born in Kolokani, in the north western part of Mali; as a child she had the fortune of travelling for a long time together with her father, a Malian diplomatic. The contact with the music of different countries, from the United States to Algeria, from Saudi Arabia to Belgium, gave her the stimulus to begin her musical adventure early on, but it was only upon returning to Mali that she was able to give a shape to the kind of music that charac terises her: “not pop, not jazz, not classical but something contemporary with traditional instruments” (ngoni, balafon and kora). Rokia invites us to revise our old prejudices about what African music should or shouldn't be. In 1997, when she was only 23, she won a Radio France Internationale prize as “African Discovery” of the year, an honour previously won by Mali's Habib Koit in 1993. Recording contracts and international tours followed, as Rokia continued to develop her musical ideas, delight audiences around the world and upset the more conservative world music devotees. The sculptural singer has released her new album Tchamantch, impressing the public with that kind of revolution that has been com pared to her previous works (Mouneissa, 1997, Wanita, 2000, Bowmboi, 2003). The sounds this time reveal more westernised features because of the use of European instruments (i.e. the Gretsch guitar) and because it was mixed by Phil Brown (who worked with artists like Bob Marley). Despite these considerations the whole album maintains purely African vibrations. The reason? We should quote Rokia once more: “because music depends on the person making it, and I am an African. But I’m from a new generation, with a new way of seeing Africa and our music.” As per usual the songs are sung in bambara, except for Aimer and The man I love, a remake of the famous piece interpreted by Billie Holiday; the texts touch on themes that speak of everyday life, but also of political and social realities, such as the tricky and dramat ic question of illegal immigration (Tounka). Dounia instead is a sort of appeal addressed to the people of Mali because they shouldn’t have to put their glorious past in a drawer (the video of the song is also very interesting). Dedicated to Ali Farka Tour, this new album is a perfect reflection of her cultural balanc ing act, as exemplified by the title, which in bambara means ‘balance’. Despite the spirit of evolution of this new album, Rokia’s music seems once again to embody a new African musical idiom, where terms such as ‘traditional’, ‘contemporary’ or ‘fusion’ all seem inadequate. Her voice has become more refined and her sound more blues-like, but she continues gently and inexorably upwards with an incredible strength. When AFRICA meets THE BLUES KeywordsRokia Traor; music; Africa; Mali; Ali Farka Tour.Elisabetta Degli Esposti Merli Creativity 64 Rokia Traor. Richard Dumas

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65 N. 11 N.E. – MAY JUNE 2009 F or younger readers SPORT AND DEVELOPMENT by POV** Cartoonist from Madagascar

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66 We are interested in your point of view and your reactions to the articles. So do tell us what you think. Address: The Courier 45, Rue de Trves 1040 Brussels (Belgium) email: info@acp-eucourier.info website: www.acp-eucourier.infoAGENDA About the article The ‘Carbon’ Price of Forests (Issue 9) In Angola, 80% of the population live in rural areas and use forests. Good results will be possible with small mini-hydric and solar energy projects and the distribution of butane gas in conjunction with projects for replanting forests. But these projects should be implemented by independent entities, not the State.Jos Flix de Caravalho Jnior (Brazil)The Courier is an invaluable work-tool for researchers interested in ACP-EU relations. I very much appreciated the article on 'the impact of the crisis on Africa as seen by African experts'. The analysis is realistic and the effects of the crisis described by the African specialists are indeed starting to be felt in countries such as ours. Kindest regards.ONANA NGA Ferdinand (Researcher Cameroon) Right of reply The ACP Secretariat requests a corrigendum to the information given by Mrs Charity Maruta in the article on page 7 of Issue 10 of ACP-EU Courier issue 10. She is quoted as saying: “ I did raise 150,000 from the EC from the ACP film fund for a feature film, but was unable to accept it because I couldn’t raise the remaining money.” This is incorrect information. The evaluation process is still in progress and is confidential. Not having been completed, it is impossible for anyone to have communicated anything at all to Mrs. Maruta regarding her project at the time she was speaking Words from Readers July 2009> 5-20 Panafrican Cultural Festival of Algiers 2009 Festival showcasing different arts, from theatre to cinema, from literature, to comics, from music to visual art, Algiers, Algeria Web: http://www.panafalger2009.dz > 6-8 World Conference on Higher Education (WCHE+10) UNESCO will host the “World Conference on Higher Education (WCHE+10)” to take stock of progress made since the first conference held in 1998, Paris, France. Website: www.cepes.ro/forum/wel come.htm> 22-02 30th Durban International Film Festival The festival will present over 200 screenings of films from around the world, with a special focus on films from South African and Africa, Durban, South Africa. Web: http://www.cca.ukzn.ac.za August > 3-6 Distance Education and Teacher Education (DETA), Cape Coast, Ghana. Web: http://www.deta.up.ac.za/> 31-04 World Climate Conference, Geneva, Switzerland September> 24-28 African Perspective 2009: the African City Centre (Re)sourced, Pretoria-Tswhane, South Africa. Web: http://architectafrica.com/ AFRICAN-PERSPECTIVES2009 http://www.africanperspectives.nl/ > 28-01 17th Session of the ACP Parliamentary Assembly and Inter-Sessional Meetings of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, Brussels, Belgium. July – September 2009

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and European Union countriesCARIBBEAN Antigua and Barbuda The Bahamas Barbados Belize Cuba Dominica Dominican Republic Grenada Guyana Haiti Jamaica Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Suriname Trinidad and Tobago PACIFIC Cook Islands Federated States of Micronesia Fiji Kiribati Marshall Islands Nauru Niue Palau Papua New Guinea Samoa Solomon Islands Timor Leste Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu AFRICA Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Congo (Rep. of) Cte d’Ivoire Democratic Republic of the Congo Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Kenya Lesotho Liberia Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda Sao Tome and Principe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa Sudan Swaziland Tanzania Togo Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe EUROPEAN UNION Austria Belgium Bulgaria Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden United Kingdom The lists of countries published by The Courier do not prejudice the status of these countries and territories now or in the future. The Courier uses maps from a variety of sources. Their use does not imply recognition of any particular boundaries nor prejudice the status of any state or territory.

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