Gumisai Mutume writes about the need to renew emphasis on manufacturing:
"...Building -- or rebuilding -- African industry is a major challenge. Across the developing world, countries that have successfully shifted from producing raw materials into manufacturing have done so in stages. They started by moving into the processing of primary commodities, a process known as vertical diversification. Some African countries, for instance, are now exporting leather instead of just hides, textiles in place of cotton, or paper, plywood or furniture instead of logs. Côte d'Ivoire, now a major fish- and wood- processing country, has managed to do this. So has Senegal, which also shifted from simply selling raw fish into processing and packaging its produce."Our entrepreneurs," says Botswana's President Festus Mogae, "should look for technology from partners to enable them to process their products and sell value-added goods abroad."..."
Manufacturing and Diversification
Building up Agro-processing
Ali Mohamed Shein (VP of Tanzania) lays emphasis on Agro-processing:
He said the participating countries needed to change the current habit of exporting raw commodities.Citing Tanzania as an an example, he said that currently 98 per cent of cashew nut production was being exported in raw state, which was also the case with 80 per cent of the cotton, and various other commodities.
"But in order to achieve greater employment and wealth creation in Tanzania, and within the SADC region in general, we must develop greater competency and scale in agro-processing and valued addition,"
When Should DC Terminated Teachers File An EEOC Complaint ?
Many of DC's terminated teachers have asked whether they should file a complaint with EEOC. I think that if you are uncertain, you definitely should consult with an EEOC office near to you. Discrimination is defined broadly and also includes retaliation. If you believe that you have been the victim of retaliation , then certainly you should file with EEOC. Keep in mind that there are timelines that must be be followed. I have posted EEOC's guidelines for complaints as well as their toll free telephone number @ 1-800-669-4000.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Headquarters and Washington Field Office (WFO) moved in November 2008 to 131 M Street, NE., Fourth Floor, Suite 4NWO2F, Washington, DC 20507-0100
The Wash. Field Office is responsible for processing charges of discrimination against private, state and local government employers in the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia, and for administering hearings regarding complaints against federal government employers in these geographic areas. Additional information about the WFO, including contact info, hours of operation and directions, can be found at http://www.eeoc.gov/washington/.
Charges may be filed in person, by mail or by telephone by contacting the nearest EEOC office. To avoid delay, call or write before hand if you need special assistance, such as an interpreter, to file a charge.
There are strict time frames in which charges of employment discrimination must be filed. To preserve the ability of EEOC to act on your behalf and to protect your right to file a private lawsuit, should you ultimately need to, adhere to the following guidelines when filing a charge.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (Title VII) charges must be filed with EEOC within 180 days of the alleged discriminatory act. However, in states or localities where there is an anti=discrimination law and an agency authorized to grant or seek relief, a charge must be presented to that state or local agency. Furthermore, in such jurisdictions, you may file charges with EEOC within 300 days of the discriminatory act, or 30 days after receiving notice that the state or local agency has terminated its processing of the charge, whichever is earlier. It is best to contact EEOC promptly when discrimination is suspected. When charges or complaints are filed beyond these time frames, you may not be able to obtain any remedy.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) - The time requirements for filing a charge are the same as those for Title VII charges. (within 180 days)
Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) - The time requirements for filing a charge are the same as those for Title VII and the ADA. (within 180 days)
Equal Pay Act (EPA) - Individuals are not required to file an EPA charge with EEOC before filing a private lawsuit. However, charges may be filed with EEOC and some cases of wage discrimination also may be violations of Title VII. If an EPA charge is filed with EEOC, the procedure for filing is the same as for charges brought under Title VII. However, the time limits for filing in court are different under the EPA, thus, it is advisable to file a charge as soon as you become aware the EPA may have been violated.
Posted by The Washington Teacher
Creative Thinking
Andy Khumbanyiwa at African Path writes:
African economies in general export raw materials to the international markets. These include coffee, tea, cocoa, cotton, unprocessed minerals and crude oil among many others. The importing countries, mainly in Europe, America, India and China invest in a wide variety of processing facilities. Such processing facilities create millions of jobs. In turn finished products from such industries are exported back to Africa at exorbitant prices. The heavy consumption of imported goods and services coupled with our reluctance to innovate, add-value and export processed products robs us of jobs and wealth. It is evident that if we continue on this developmental route we will remain poor. If we do not change we will spiral deeper into the abyss of extreme poverty.
Asia and Africa in the Global Economy
Julius Court and Toru Yanagihara suggest strategy alternatives for African countries in a world of globalisation "...Most countries in Africa are small and poor, making an inward looking strategy unattractive. Significant advances in economic development in Africa in the future will depend in no small part on the success with which countries can exploit the opportunities and avoid the risks presented by globalisation. A viable outward oriented strategy for countries in Africa will have to reflect the structure of the economy and endowments relative to other parts of the world. On the first point, the primary sector dominates most economies in Africa. On the second, Africa has low levels of human capital in comparison to other regions. The familiar proposition seems to hold – for most countries in Africa comparative advantage lies in primary production and unskilled labour-intensive primary processing...Given the long gestation period of investments in human capital, this is likely to remain the situation for many years to come..."
MEND morphs into a Mini-State
While the clueless 'leadership' in Nigeria fiddles, MEND lays the foundation for an independent state with its own revenue.The FT reports:
Now, inhabitants of the delta have started processing crude. In small, modular refineries they are producing kerosene and other fuel and selling to the local market from so-called mushroom enterprises in the creeks and swamps.More here
For related coverage read Niger Delta Solidarity
The role of women in informal trade in Africa
via The Prepaid Economy BlogWomen play a prominent role in informal trade, and in informal business activities in particular. These few figures are proof enough: four to five million women in West Africa are involved in collecting, processing and marketing shea nuts and butter, bringing in an estimated 80 per cent of their income (Plunked and Stryker, 2002). In Benin, women are 80 per cent of those involved in informal trade, and the figure rises to 95 per cent for informal marketing of unprocessed goods.
Image courtesy of parallelozero
Madam Tinubu’s fame has no doubt been surpassed by the rich merchant women of contemporary Togo, known as the “Nana-Benz.” While these women have followed varying routes to success, they share several characteristics. Then, as now, these women conduct their businesses on the regional, and even international, stage, drawing on a long history of trading experience as informal actors. This results in their economic success, rather than initiating it. The volume of trade that passes through their hands enables them to regularly increase their economic and social capital (Humarau, 1999) even if their absence from or minimal institutional representation in formal political decision-making tends to minimize the crucial role that they could play in the development of intra-African trade. The factors that bring them together also separate them from most of the small-scale West African traders operating daily, who barely succeed in breaking even with their investments. All these groups constitute the major trading agents of both the formal and informal sectors.
Discovering Anthills
Kwadwo Osseo-Asare writes: 
While I was on sabbatical at the University of Ghana this year, I used to walk to and from work at the Faculty of Engineering Sciences (Torto Chemistry Building) on the Legon campus. One of the things that struck me was the several huge ant hills along the way. I realized that I had no idea how they were constructed...At the same time, I was thinking about how to convey to my students some of the central concepts of materials science and engineering: processing/structure/properties/behavior. How do you teach the concept of microstructure in an environment without microscopes?
Eventually, I assigned my students a project...[continue reading]
The Rise of South-South Trade
David Wessel writes in the WSJ:
In his recent book, "Africa's Silk Road: China and India's New Economic Frontier," World Bank economist Harry Broadman argues, "China and India have a growing middle class, with increasing purchasing power and with an increasing appetite for imported goods" -- from Africa. The Asian giants offer Africa more than markets, though. He says Chinese and Indian companies are beginning to expand beyond oil and mining in Africa to telecommunications, food processing, textiles and construction...the importance of the explosion of South-South trade and investment goes far beyond this year's outlook. It could be the opening of a new epoch of globalization -- one in which the global economic might of big U.S. and European companies is challenged like never before, one in which the remarkable success of China and other Asian economies in lifting their people out of poverty is spread -- finally -- to other poor continents.
David Wessel discusses this phenomenon:
The Poor and Mobile Phone Banking
Telecom companies aren't offering m-banking out of the kindness of their hearts. They like m-banking because it's a way for them to attract new customers by doing what they already do well—processing millions of tiny transactions. Banks aren't as interested, because they don't expect to profit from poor clients who won't be taking out a mortgage anytime soon. But the telecoms could start siphoning away bank customers who don't need all the bells and whistles.
Aiding the people
Aaron Stewart ponders bottom-up development:
It constantly amazed me that for a country that was so lacking in basic infrastructure the South Sudan government had quickly mastered the art of bloated bureaucracy. Within this there is corruption and lots of it, greasing the palms of officials might get you what you want but your credibility will not win out in the end if word gets around to other agencies and donors that you operate this way...These things have only strengthened my resolve that whenever possible, obviously if possible, grass roots aid and development directly with the people that will benefit will help keep money out of the hands that see it as a chance to profit. There are no easy answers to this and I'm not proposing any, just processing.
MEND morphs into a Mini-State
While the clueless 'leadership' in Nigeria fiddles, MEND lays the foundation for an independent state with its own revenue.The FT reports:
Now, inhabitants of the delta have started processing crude. In small, modular refineries they are producing kerosene and other fuel and selling to the local market from so-called mushroom enterprises in the creeks and swamps.More here
For related coverage read Niger Delta Solidarity
Growth? Its about Agriculture and Manufacturing
More hereThere's a not-unreasonable assumption, based mainly on the experience of east Asia, that building up low-skilled manufacturing industries, such as clothing or electronics, would create jobs that reduce poverty. And the creation of export-processing zones have often been recommended by donors to attract investors to these sectors. But, to reduce poverty, jobs in agriculture or services are just as important. In China, it was agricultural growth that really kick-started poverty reduction; manufacturing jobs actually contributed less. In many countries it's the services sector – providing haircuts, selling food, cleaning houses – that is the real growth area for jobs. The potential for expansion in any sector is finite, and too much focus on any one sector is almost certain to reach a dead end before too long. The key is a mix of sectors and the ability to move people and money easily between them.
A worker moves brass tubes at a factory in Zhuji, Zhejiang province. In China, it was agricultural growth that started to reduce poverty; manufacturing jobs actually contributed less. Image: AP
African Writing Online
"...African Writing is interested in the literary lives, literary work and thoughts of those who make writing happen in the African world, and in the organizations and circumstances which support or affect the processing, appreciation and study of their work...",Pambazuka.
Radio & Video: Tools for Agricultural Innovation
Africa News reports:
“Farmers innovations are often shaped by capital limitations and mainly rely on locally available resources, of which knowledge is a key one,” said Paul Van Mele, a scientist at the Africa Rice Center. “Video proved a powerful, low-cost medium for farmer-to-farmer extension and to expose rural communities to new ideas and practices.”...Innovation levels of 72 percent were recorded in villages where women were introduced to improved rice processing techniques by videos compared to 19 percent among farmers who had attended training workshops. When women who had attended training workshops watched the videos, the innovations recorded shot up to 92 percent.More here.
Manufacturing Challenges
Larry Elliot writes about Africa's manufacturing challenges:
Textiles and clothing account for one fifth of Africa's manufactured exports (and in a country such as Lesotho, well over 90%), but competition has intensified since the scrapping of the multi-fibre agreement (MFA) in 2005 removing the quotas that had limited China's exports..."Development studies experts state that"...scales [of production] are low in sub-Saharan African plants, and many producers suffer from poor bureaucratic and physical infrastructure. But there is pervasive evidence that many SSA plants suffer from low levels of productivity arising out of organisational procedures, low levels of skill and inadequate management within plants."
All these factors are evident in Mali, one of Africa's biggest producers of cotton, which - in theory - could turn the raw material into finished garments. Yet Mali is one of the poorest 10 countries in the world. At a ginning factory an hour's drive south of the capital, Bamako, 97% of the cotton is exported to be turned into clothes. Marks & Spencer arrives next week to look at the potential for sourcing organic cotton from Mali, but will almost certainly take the raw material out of the country for processing.
via YaleGlobal
Edu app news: apps, ebooks, and sites for your classroom #mlearning 12/30/2011
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Splashtop App Opens a Whole New World for me on my iPad – DEN Blog Network
DEN Educator Carolyn Stanley shares how she's using Splashtop to stream Discovery Streaming to her ipad and the other uses that she's finding. This is something that teachers using ipads need to know about and test in their classrooms.
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Evernote Sponsored Groups | Evernote Corporation
If you look at evernote for your school, you can have an evernote sponsored group. Here is the information on this. However, with the basic evernote being free, unless you want to share notebooks, etc. you may decide just to let everyone have the free account.
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Skitch for iPad! - Evernote User Forum
Skitch for the Ipad is here. This whiteboard drawing, mind mapping ipad tool saves to evernote. If you love evernote, this is a must download tool.
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Evernote for Students: The Ultimate Research Tool – Education Series « Evernote Blogcast
This blog gives ideas for how students can use evernote for research and collection of notes.
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Dabbleboard - Online whiteboard for drawing & team collaboration - Interactive whiteboard software
An online collaboration whiteboard. You can use it for free. Try using this for mindmapping and brainstorming between teams.
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Challenge #5 - Go Mobile! - Flat Classrooms
I love this post by Jessica Friday for one of her Flat Classroom 15 challenges. (She's in the Flat Classroom certified teacher program and has an advance draft of the book.)
She recommends the Pass the Past App, one developed to help students in Virginia master social studies including economics, geography, world history and Virginia history. It is going to be interesting to see how many states start releasing apps in lieu of textbook money.
She also recommends TapQuiz Maps to let users practice locating countries. -
Student Accounts: COPPA and Email Clarification - Outlook Live Answers
Interestingly, Microsoft will not provide services (according to this forum post I did in my research) to kids under 13. Additional parental approval is required to access some services. This doesn't like quite as smooth as perhaps Google's offering is.
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Microsoft Windows Live @ Edu facts, cost, information. How this is working. It is interesting to me that the way this is written demonstrates how people don't seem to trust Microsoft.
You can also give accounts to alumni and parents, however, all over 18 receive advertising. -
Dropbox Tips for Teachers: Why You Must Get Dropbox!
Dropbox tips for teachers.
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Dropbox - Students - Simplify your life
(Password protected page.) If you have dropbox and invite someone with a .edu account and they join dropbox, you get 1GB per person! It is a great service. You have to log into dropbox to get to this page.
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Cloud Wars: Apple's iCloud Versus Microsoft's SkyDrive | Mac|Life
A comparison of Skydrive and iCloud side by side. There's Google apps, Skydrive, and iCloud as the big three of online cloud-based word processing and since we do so much writing in schools, it is likely that your school would select one of the three. If you haven't selected any, then you have a big problem unless you've got a masterful way of syncing locally. This is how we work in the 21st century and it is time to get with the program.
- Microsoft gives all SkyDrive users 25GB of free storage space. That’s a whole lot of bang for absolutely no bucks.
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Cloud wars: Microsoft SkyDrive now native on Apple's iPad and iPhone | ZDNet
Microsoft Skydrive has come to the ipad. If you're using Office and their Skydrive service to share your files with students, this is the option for you. It also added PDF support to Skydrive as well. Remember that if you use onenote that it now has a fully supported iPad app, whereas Skydrive is not "optimized" for the ipad, it is a start.
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Google Apps update alerts: Additional Google+ integration with Gmail
As of December, Google+ is integrated with gmail if you have enabled the service. Remember that Google+ is only for people 18 and up.
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Google Apps Education Training Center
Free Google Apps training center. This will take you through the tools that are part of Google apps for education. Share this with your teachers and students.
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Google Apps for Education - Common Questions - Google Apps Help
Information on Google apps for education. It is advisable for schools to provide their own emails to students to that the students are able to use tools and services (if set up in a COPPA compliant way.)
Becoming a Local Food Content Activist
In my current status as a local food content activist and food processor, I have become a keen observer of the activities of restaurants, caterers and food processing companies. Sadly, my observations reinforce the Minister’s assertions – at least 60% and in some cases, up to 90% of the food on our shelves and in our tummies is imported. For example, I visited a local restaurant outside Lagos early in the month and decided to run the same test. I asked the chef for the sources of the different food being offered to the clients. What surprised me was that in a relatively “local” joint, owned by Nigerians and focused on catering to our local taste buds, the menu was tilted in the favor of imported products or products that were imported and repackaged in Nigeria. Interestingly, the chef did not seem to give much thought to the issue of the source of food. In her mind, she was looking for the most convenient and cost effective options. When I asked her why the restaurant used imported instead of local chicken, she simply said that “they purchased it in the local market.”
Image courtesy of Alhaji's Groove
Sustainable Fishing Villages
From Tradewinds:
Six thousand artisanal fishermen in Kayar, Senegal are fighting back against West Africa’s perilous trend toward depletion of fish and seafood stocks with an innovative system of community-based fisheries and environmental management. By establishing and enforcing catch limits, Kayar’s fisherman have increased profits, improved hygiene at landing and processing sites...[continue reading]For further information take a look at the work of WASSDA which supports the sustainable development of the West African fisheries and seafood sector
Wednesday And Thursday: Pink Slip Day For DC Teachers ?
Is this the face of Ms. Rhee's Plan B ?
Pink slip day is supposed to be Wednesday and Thursday. Will DCPS be able to hold to that schedule? One rumor suggests that processing all the CDLF forms would take longer than anticipated especially since litigation is expected.
DCPS Fact Checking:
Quoting Mayor Fenty From News Channel 8 and WJLA from Monday- 9/28/09:
See Video below
http://www.news8.net/news/stories/0909/663456.html
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0909/663456.html
Students chants were targeted at Rhee who hasn't publicly disclosed how many teachers will lose their jobs after the city council froze the school's budget forcing the cuts. The students also rallied against Mayor Fenty, who said he was impressed by their show of civic action and said their classrooms will remain untouched.
"What the chancellor's proposal does is it doesn't take any teachers out of the classroom," he said. Fenty said in order to run a school system you have to over-hire in the case of over-enrollment. He said in past years, the system could afford excess teachers on the payroll but can no longer do that with the cuts. The layoffs are expected to be announced on Sept. 30.
Is it true that "classrooms will remain untouched" per Mayor Fenty above?
Is the Mayor and Ms. Rhee on the same ("PR") page here? Why haven't we heard more?
Is it true that McKinley is RIFing a large number of teachers? Rumor was 40 to 60?
How can that not affect the classroom?
I read elsewhere that Mayor Fenty said the RIF will only affect "excessed" teachers. Is that true? Or is that mis-information or only part of the truth where the rest is withheld from the public or poorly communicated?
If we always over hire during the summer (for "over enrollment"), why are we always short of teachers?
Is this anyway to run a school district?
Isn't this a very expensive way to do it?
Don't most school districts vet prospects but don't offer contracts until the need if verified?
If we've "always" over hired in the past, is this pretty bad management?
Someone on The Washington Teacher blog said new hires were interviewed over the phone to not yet graduated college students and before the current teacher pool had a chance to interview for open positions. Is this true? Don't most districts add recent graduates to a common pool, but let all teachers vie for positions? How did DCPS do it?
Michelle Rhee and Mayor Fenty said the budget shortfall was between $30 million and $40million. Is that true? How much of that will be recouped through teacher RIFs? 150 excessed teachers (estimate) at $81,150 will recoup $12.1 million. The other $20 million to $30million is "left over right sizing expenses from closing schools". So how will that be recouped? (See equalization press release).
Where in the budget are the funds to support a new teacher and administration labor contract? Is the above budget balancing supposed to address this looming expense? Some have suggested so.
Where are the federal stimulus dollars being spent within the DCPS budget? Some transparency would appreciated! Can that be expected from this administration ?
We still have too many schools with too few students where the per pupil funding cannot support an adequate program? When will DCPS set school size guidelines and minimums? Isn't this a better way to manage the budget and the teacher pool ? For example, middle schools need at least 375 students to support a five period day properly. Ask around...is this true or not?...Is DCPS meeting this minimum? What is it costing us to have so many small schools? Is Ms. Rhee afraid to close more schools ?
Posted by The Washington Teacher featuring Candi Peterson, blogger in residence