DEFENCE EXPENDITURE vs POVERTY IN AFRICA

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has released a report on Global Defense Expenditure in 2005.....Any guesses..ITS $1 TRILLION...

The top 15 countries spend 85% of total expenditure....

US tops the list, followed by UK, France, Japan, China.....India, Russia r also part of this 15 elite group....

US spends $ 478.2 Billion

UK spends $48.3 Billion

India spends $ 20 Billion.....

Irony is total debt of Africa is $300 Billion....(Image shown - refugee camp in Somalia)

G-8 industrialised countries recently gave $40 Billion aid to Africa after a decade long deliberations...

If developed and developing countries can take the lead from the front in not only writing off debt but also in intervening into overall socio-economic development of Africa, half of mankind's misery might come to end....

GLOBAL WARMING....Impact on Africa..

Global warming is the most hotly debated concept around the world....Everyone knows that we are not heading in the right direction but steps needed to overcome global warming is rather moving at a sluggish pace....

With the signing of Kyoto Protocol, many countries have set targets to reduce green house gas emmisions...But not many are on target to achieve this....With US and Australia refusing to join the Kyoto signatories and India, China given exemptions because of their developing economies the protocol has come under sharp criticism....

Global warming is going to have a serious impact on Africa....But nobody is bothered...Africa comprise 14% of global population and contribute 3% of global green house gas emissions where as Austrlia, US and Canada put together constitue 5% of global population and contribute 25% of global green house gas emissions....

Africa - comprising 57 nations where most of the inhabitants depend heavily on Agriculture for their survival and thus environment becomes all the more critical for thei sustenence...The world famous Mount Kilimanjaro (shown in picture) in Tanzania would be extinct in another decade as more than 80% of its Ice has disappeared in the last 90 years with almost 33% disappearing in the last decade itself....

The least the developed world could do is to emphatise with the African ecology, knowing very well how critical it is for their survival...To keep up their own industrial growth at the cost of such under developed economies is nothing less than the new world hegemony....

Tatas vs Left vs Mamata - WHO IS RIGHT

The proposed plan to set up a 1 lakh car manufacturing unit at Singur, West Bengal has run into trouble....The left have supported the plan where as Mamata Banerjee has opposed it tooth and nail....She concluded her 25 days fasting recently....

Now the question arises WHO IS RIGHT??????

There are diverse opinions on this....

Lets start with Tatas...1 lakh car...big project....Many have questioned the feasibility of developing 1 lakh car but Tatas have stuck to their stand....Auto experts believe that producing a 1 lakh car is next to impossible....Leaving aside this debate now the question arises Why they have chosen SINGUR??? Singur is a fertile land....Tatas have been granted 900 acres at a throw away price....Compensation provided to farmers is inadequate....Any car plant need not be located in a fertile land....singur is around 40 kms from Kolkata....The plant can easily be based at a location around Kolkata which is benefitial to all concerned...

Left....with Buddhadeb heading the show , the capitalists are having a good time in Bengal....Nothing wrong in it as long as it does justice to everyone concerned...He should be open to suggestions....and bury is ego in his duel with Mamata....

Mamata Banerjee...fierry leader is trying to have her own base after recent setbacks in elections....She has stood behind the farmers....

Whats the solution? Set up an expert committee...Is Singur the only option....If yes look into the compensation package paid to the farmers....Make sure its upto the market standards....All 3 of them should bury their egos and settle it out amicably...