America All Set To Reduce Military Aid To African Nations

June 7, 2011 By
A San (Bushman) who gave us an exhibition of t...

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America is contemplating a reduction in military aid to its African allies. In fact, the proposal covers allies all over the world in a bid to reduce the military budget of the country. However, this move has come in for criticism considering the fact that American aid of more than a billion dollars to Egypt for the past thirty years also has helped get a play an important role in the peaceful settlement of the Egyptian crisis.

The Egyptian military stayed out of the crisis and retained the respect of the masses. America stayed in contact with Egyptian military and participated in behind the scene talks to bring an end to the crisis.

In such a scenario, the reduction in debt is only going to reduce the leveraging capacity of the American government. It is also going to affect the ability of the African nations to combat internal security issues and narcotics trade.

Another factor that will affect the decision is the growing influence of China in the continent. Africa is set to become the next big global market and China has been investing a lot of money in the Sub Saharan region. Its economic contribution is also helping made maintain political clout.

Considering this, it is only expected that American aid to the military will reduce. The aid to governments for development will continue. A reduction in the total contribution is only going to increase the influence of China in the continent. Unlike America, China does not allow democratic ideals to affect its operations in foreign countries. This is going to make it difficult for peaceful revolutions in other African countries to occur.

 

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Filed Under: Government, International Affiars Tagged With: , ,

Help to End Malaria in Africa

May 21, 2011 By
Rick Reilly 

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In 2006, Sports Illustrated reporter Rick Reilly wrote a column describing the devastation that malaria brings to Africa—and just how simple it is to curb malaria’s influence. Specifically, Reilly reports that nearly 3,000 children die per day of malaria in Africa. While malaria remains the deadliest disease on the African continent, it’s also one of the easiest to prevent. Malaria deaths could be reduced by a staggering 60 percent through the aid of inexpensive mosquito nets. These nets are coated with insecticide and prevent children from being bitten by mosquitoes in their sleep. They cost about $10 to purchase, ship and install.

Reilly’s article opened people’s eyes and spurred a movement. From his words, the grassroots Nothing But Nets campaign. The campaign simply asks donors to contribute $10 to provide a child with a mosquito net. The funds covers the money for the net, and distributors help to educate communities on the use of the net. In 2009, three years after the campaign had been started, Nothing But Nets had raised $30 million and had distributed three million nets. The campaign is well on the way to achieving its primary goal of ending malaria deaths by 2015.

You don’t have to stop simply by making a donation. You can also sign up as a NET-Raiser to recruit friends, family members and co-workers to donate money, or you could spread the great things the campaign does on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

While it’s difficult with some non-profits to know exactly where your donation is going, Nothing But Nets assures donors that they’re money will go directly to a net for a child so that they can rest a bit easier.

 

Filed Under: Government, International Affiars Tagged With: , ,

How USAID is Helping Africa

May 8, 2011 By

Everyday, USAID works to provide assistance in dozens of African countries. The organization, which also provides assistance in Latin America, Asia and the Middle East, aims to help African countries through regional missions, each with a goal to build sustained states that can respond to the need of their people and reduce widespread poverty. USAID works with African governments and institutions to develop strategies to improve health, the environment, economic growth, agriculture and education.

USAID is involved with many different initiatives on the African continent. One such initiative is the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. The largest facet of the United States’ Global Health Initiative, PEPFAR‘s goal is to transition AIDS relief from an emergency response to a sustainable program that governments can have in place to prevent the spread of the disease. PEPFAR also aims to expand the prevention and treatment of AIDS and integrate HIV/AIDS programs into more schools and institutions in Africa to foster a better awareness of the illnesses among children and young adults.

Another USAID initiative is the Congo Basin Forest Partnership. The Congo Basin covers six countries and 700,000 square miles, making it the second largest contiguous tropical forest in the world. While the forest is largely intact, it still faces a variety of threats, including unsustainable timber and mineral extraction and land clearing for agriculture. On top of that, there is not a strong government system in place to protect the forest. The Congo Basin Forest Partnership is working to improve forest governance and to create financial mechanisms to support the forest preservation.

 

Filed Under: Government, International Affiars Tagged With: , ,

The Gift of the Nile: Why Egypt Continues to Mystify

April 8, 2011 By
Great Sphnix of Giza and the pyramid of Khafre

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Egypt has always arrested the attention of the world. The commotion of its politics may be in the forefront of every broadcast, but it is Egypt’s ancient past that captivates, and has done so, for centuries. From the Pyramids of Giza, King Tutankhamun, to Cleopatra, Africa’s northern country is an exotic land, tremulous in ways, but as mystifying as it was since King Menes unified it in 3150 BC.

The Last of the Seventh Wonders

The Pyramids of Giza are one of the most recognized creations in the world, the last remaining of the original Seven Wonders of the World. Egyptologists have dedicated their lives to the study of Ancient Egypt’s monuments, and amateurs have become experts without ever having set foot on the Nile’s shores. Even those with mild interest can’t help but marvel at the craftsmanship and lasting beauty of the Pyramids. Why? Because these monuments and their purposes are still mysteries to us. They still hold secrets of a civilization we have only come marginally closer to understanding.

The Modern Ancients

What makes Ancient Egyptians so fascinating is their ability to create the monuments they did with the technology they possessed at the time. Even now, modern tools are challenged in their

attempts to recreate what the Egyptians did thousands of years ago. How did they accomplish so much? Why did they create the things they did? These are secrets we are still drawn to reveal.

Political upheaval may now make it difficult to visit the wonders of Egypt, whose economy would benefit from tourism, but you can still wonder about the Pyramids and the ancients peoples who were Egypt’s grand past.

Filed Under: News, Travel Tagged With: , , ,

News Is A Source Of Information For Everyone

March 23, 2011 By

If you want to know what is happening around the globe in any field be it sports, entertainment, business, medical field or life in general, the source of information in all these fields is News. You may choose to read a newspaper, you may surf the News channels on your television set or you may even Google the date for which you need information and the information reaches you there and then.

A lot of people start their day by reading newspaper and a lot of them find it difficult to open their eyes without a cup of tea and a newspaper in their hand. It is because; the work of some people is related to news in the newspaper.

If a person is dealing with gold and silver, he needs to know the prices of these metals for the day as the prices of gold keep changing everyday and he has to go to his shop and sell the metals on those prices only. Thus he needs to read newspaper for this reason.

People, who are interested in the field of entertainment or are a part of it in some way or the other, open the pages of the newspaper to know which movie is going to release in a particular week and the movies that are going to be released very soon.

A lot of people want to keep themselves aware of happenings around the globe thus they flip through the pages of a newspaper in order to enhance their general knowledge and general awareness. Such is the source of information called News. Keep yourself abreast of all the happening around the globe!

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War Can Be Very Destructive

March 16, 2011 By

War can be really destructive in every sense of the word be it in terms of loss of property, manpower or resources. War does not solve any problem rather it becomes a cause of a number of problems faced by people. Let us try to understand the effects of war, in detail.

During wars, soldiers have to struggle a lot and have to live without food for hours at times due to the danger to their life and to the lives of their fellow soldiers. A lot of soldiers lose their lives during war and when soldiers are the only earning hand in the family, their families have to live on the mercy of others, after the death of that soldier. This makes the lives of their family quite miserable.

Not only this, civilians also have to face the consequences of war too as they can not continue their work in a proper manner. Daily wagers are the ones who get affected the most when the war is going on in their country because they are not able to earn their spare meals due to the unstable conditions.

The loss of property and resources of the country are also there in case of wars. The money and resources that should have been spent in the welfare of the people is spent on buying arms and ammunitions and to meet other expenses related to war. This makes the economy of the country quite unstable and everyone gets affected due to this. Having understood all the negative effects of war, all the countries should try to live in peace and harmony. May God save us from any war in future!

Filed Under: News Tagged With: ,

Ooty- The Enchanting Hill Station

March 8, 2011 By

Ooty is a hill station in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. It is one of the most charming places you can ever be to. The greenery and rich flora of the place combined with a cold weather that is not too chilly and not too hot would leave you completely happy and calm. There are a lot of places you can visit in this small place.

The actually name of Ooty is Ootacamund or Udagamandalam. You must note that this is considered as a town, unlike some hill stations which are not exactly developed. But Ooty is quite developed with all the amenities you can think of. It has a fair share of many popular companies and organizations working in it, and has a balance between nature and modern work.

Ooty is famous for chocolates. You would be able to see some popular chocolate factories when you get there. Also you can buy chocolates directly from the factory. Tea is another commodity that is grown and processed here. There are a lot of tea estates and gardens in the area where you can see acres of tea plants being grown. You can get different flavors of tea in this place.

The Ooty botanical gardens and lake are popular places of tourism. The visit to Ooty is incomplete without going to one of these places. The Ooty Lake has boating in which you can see the surrounding beautiful places while enjoying the boating. The Botanical gardens have rich flora and fauna that are rare and beautiful. If you are on a visit to south India, so try to visit this place as it is quite enchanting.

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The History Of Taj Mahal

March 1, 2011 By
Taj Mahal, Agra, India - foto con reflejo en e...

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Taj Mahal is one of the wonders of the world. It was built by the Indian emperor Shah Jahan as a tribute to the love of his life, Mumtaz Mahal who passed away during child birth. Their history is a very rich and interesting one which can keep you wanting to hear more till the very end. Their love has been made famous because of the structure that has enchanted the world with its beauty.

Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal got married at very young ages. They were very much in love with each other since the time of their betrothal. In fact, though Shah Jahan had other wives, which was a practice that was common for the emperors of that era and even an essential one at times, Mumtaz was the only one he loved truly.
They had fourteen or so children in the years they were together. Some of them died either in infancy or during child birth while others went on to become adults and lived a long life. His son Aurengazeb succeeded him as the king after he stepped down from the throne. It was during childbirth that Mumtaz Mahal passed away and Shah Jahan was a shattered man after the incident.

The Taj Mahal was built by the best workers of the time and it is rumored that the king cut off the palms of the people who worked on it so that they can never create anything as magnificent as it. It is only a rumor with little supporting evidence. What is confirmed is that it is the most heavenly and enchanting structure in world that would captivate you on first sight.

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The Beautiful Mysore

February 22, 2011 By
Tipu Sultan's summer palace at Srirangapatna, ...

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Mysore is a city in the state of Karnataka that is quite famous for its historical places. Karnataka is a state which has a lot of places to visit in terms of history. You can find a lot of places that have a lot of historical significance and the best part is that these places are taken care of and maintained in a very good manner by the government.

Mysore is almost synonymous with Tipu Sultan. He was one of the great emperors of India and was famous for the battles he fought. He was based in Mysore and so, you would get to see a lot of places connected to Tipu sultan. In fact, a lot of historical structures are connected to him in this place and there are many beautiful structures that you can see.
The first one would perhaps be the Mysore palace. This is a very interesting and magical palace which was a part of the royal family of Mysore. It is a huge place with such beauty that you won’t feel like leaving the place once you get in. it is to be noted that photography and videos are strictly prohibited in the area. Even cell phones are to be switched off.

The summer house of Tipu sultan is another place you would be happy to go to. This is a comparatively small place but has a lot of displays and artifacts that are quite charming. The burial place of the emperor and his armies are also significant and is located a few kilometers away from the summer palace. This is a place where you can feel the mystery and sadness in the air. Mysore has a lot of other places as well where you can go boating and do similar activities. There are zoos you can visit, and many other activities you can do.

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The Mysterious Saudi Arabia

February 16, 2011 By

Saudi Arabia is a place which is highly protected and closed to the outside world. The fact is that it is one of the most beautiful places you can ever see and a perfect example of how a place can be converted into an enchanting and charming one with proper dedication and planning. It has a plethora of places you could visit and enjoy.

Saudi Arabia is ruled by the monarchy. They have the traditional system of the king and counselors to rule the country. It is perhaps because of this system that there are very few and extremely rare conflicts when it comes to bringing a new innovation to the country. It is this attitude of the people as well which has made it possible to make the country this beautiful.

As you might know, Saudi Arabia is a desert. But when you get into a city, it is anything but desert-like. This is because the government has taken a lot of pains to make the place as beautiful and charming as they can, and you can be assured that you will be impressed by the beauty of the places. There are plenty of places where you can spend your time and relax.

Perhaps the most charming places in Saudi Arabia are the beaches and water bodies they have. Saudi is surrounded by the ocean, and the beaches that you find in the area are truly magnificent. There are some calm and serene places where you can have a very relaxing and lovely holiday. Also, they are beaches that can be crowded with amusement parks and similar entertainments.

You must note that Saudi Arabia is a very conservative place; it would require you to submit to their culture of wearing the veil system if you are a lady. Nevertheless, it is worth a visit to this beautiful place.

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