Strengthening Africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Strengthening Africa - Essay Example Professor Frank Flatters from the Department of Economics of Queen's University, Canada, argues in favor of national policymaking as follows: "There are many tracks for pursuing trade policies aimed at effective global participation, the most important of which are the multilateral WTO processes, regional arrangements, and special bilateral or plurilateral preferential agreements. For each of these avenues, however, the key to success is domestic policies." (Flatters, 2003). In this context, the Ministry of Trade and Development of Ethiopia has to face the fact of taking drastic measures at a national level in order to be more competitive both locally and globally. ILMI aims at a widespread use of Information and Communications Technologies as well as assuming a new kind of leadership and management all across the nation taking as examples new paradigms for change. Globalization is a very challenging endeavor, especially for a very poor country. It seems paradoxical to recommend the implementation of Information and Communication Technologies to one of the least developed countries in the world, but ICT are unavoidable in order to achieve a successful integration. With the creation of ILMI there will be real benefits in relation to international trade and national companies will be much more competitive. E-Commerce and Outsourcing will be available to a wider range of individuals. A telecommuting work force will be created through the use of ICT enhanced with new ways of leadership and management. Ethiopia's Ministry of Trade and Development has to take advantage of the globalization efforts of many international organizations and developed countries in favor of the least developed countries. 3.- Globalization and Development in Africa. The United Nations have taken the initiative of helping the least developed countries through the Millennium Development Goals. These goals are the following: Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women Goal 4: Reduce child mortality Goal 5: Improve maternal health Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development (United Nations, 2000). The UN Millennium Project is clear about the issue of underdevelopment: "Whatever one's motivation for attacking the crisis of extreme poverty -human rights, religious values, security, fiscal prudence, ideology- the solutions are the same. All that is needed is action." (UN Millennium Project, 2005). In this context, the UN Millennium Project has suggested ten key recommendations: "1.- Developing country governments should