Yeah, I realize that most of the news that comes from this part of the world is usually negative and makes people standoffish when it's brought up, but it's intriguing how some countries in Africa are going about improving their infrastructure now that telecommunication is easier to access.
While the telecommunications market in Africa is still in its early stages of development, it is also one of the fastest-growing in the world. In the 2000s, mobile telephony in Africa has been booming, and mobile telephony is now substantially more widespread than fixed line telephony. Telecommunication companies in Africa are looking at Broadband Wireless Access technologies as the key to make Internet available to the population at large. Projects are being completed that aim at the realization of Internet backbones that might help cut the cost of bandwidth in African countries.
It is widely recognized that increased availability of Internet technology in Africa would provide several key benefits. Specifically, some of the major issues of the continent might be tackled by applications of this technology, as demonstrated by some initiatives that have already been started and that proved successful.
The African telecommunication market is growing at a faster rate than in the rest of the world. In the 2000s this has especially been true for the mobile telephony market, that between 2004 and 2007 grew three times as fast as the world's average. In 2005, over 5 billion USD have been invested in Africa in telecommunication infrastructures. Internet in Africa is now growing even faster than mobile telephony. Between 2000 and 2008, Internet subscriptions have grown by 1030.2%, versus the world's average of 290.6%.
It will be something that I definitely follow as far as their continent being in the state that it is and how it's affected by something like distance education. I'm glad people are still rooting for Africa, because they will hopefully inspire other people to appreciate more in their life and be less anxious about trivial stuff. I'd go into an eccentric hippie diatribe about the world finally being fully connected leading to a techno-spiritual eutopia, but you get the gist.
Also
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GumpyThere is alwaysa greater powerRegistered Userregular
Hell, not going to complain about anything that gives us a bit more support on the defending human rights front
Nobody's suggesting people are on the other side of the issue
They're suggesting people aren't on either side. Right now, today, everybody is talking about Kony. Whether they're 100% in support of Invisible Children or think they're shady as fuck, they now know about Kony.
Yeah, I completely agree. There is this false dichotomy where people believe that spamming the e-mail folder of a senator is how you get stuff done. No, it's apparently going viral on a commercial site like facebook or twitter where you make it a popularity contest between people to look more humanitarian than the next person. It's sadly the only way to deal with the disconnect that exists between today's decision makers and the populace as a whole.
those of you who've been around awhile might understand the ramifications of what it means that I'm the one saying this
You sure are being a drama queen about this. No one's saying Kony is the good guy here. Pardon me for wondering how much Americans are going to care about the deeper issues in the region that Kony is pretty much a symptom of once he's out of the picture. Hell, seems like CD demonstrated that attitude pretty well in this thread as he pretty much ignored anything anyone said about the problems in Uganda that aren't specifically Kony and just kept repeating that as long as he's removed from the picture, that'll be a good thing. We have short attention spans, and as a nation we tend to prefer simple solutions to complex problems. And we prefer as a nation to ignore any negative ramifications of our quick and easy "solutions".
Like I said earlier, it really comes across more like it's about making ourselves feel like we've done something good. As opposed to understanding what's happening in the region on a deeper level and helping them solve those deeper issues instead of just going after the symptom we've decided to care about most. Or just venting about how terrible the world is as some sort of catharsis.
"OMG fuck Kony how can people let this happen? I hate the world!"
those of you who've been around awhile might understand the ramifications of what it means that I'm the one saying this
You sure are being a drama queen about this. No one's saying Kony is the good guy here. Pardon me for wondering how much Americans are going to care about the deeper issues in the region that Kony is pretty much a symptom of once he's out of the picture. Hell, seems like CD demonstrated that attitude pretty well in this thread as he pretty much ignored anything anyone said about the problems in Uganda that aren't specifically Kony and just kept repeating that as long as he's removed from the picture, that'll be a good thing. We have short attention spans, and as a nation we tend to prefer simple solutions to complex problems. And we prefer as a nation to ignore any negative ramifications of our quick and easy "solutions".
Like I said earlier, it really comes across more like it's about making ourselves feel like we've done something good. As opposed to understanding what's happening in the region on a deeper level and helping them solve those deeper issues instead of just going after the symptom we've decided to care about most. Or just venting about how terrible the world is as some sort of catharsis.
"OMG fuck Kony how can people let this happen? I hate the world!"
'raising awareness' about this one specific instance of how fucked africa is doesn't really do anything to address the underlying problems
you know, whatever those are
The thing is, this is also wrong. Africa is not inherently fucked. I have never argued that Africa or parts of Africa are beyond help, simply that if we're going to offer aid that it should be offered more intelligently and with a better understanding of what aid will help most. Our traditional approach to drought and starvation in Africa has been to simply send surplus grains and other staples such as water without really thinking too much about whether that's actually helping in the long term. Or thinking about what could work better.
The drought and starvation and crushing poverty in many parts of Africa are not historically endemic to the region. Many of these problems are relatively recent symptoms with complex causes. Some of which are directly related to climate change and the lingering effects of colonialism.
ReginaldWhen I am Pres., I will createthe Department of ______Registered Userregular
I was not aware of Kony until I saw this movie. Now I am aware, and I am doing research into the subject to see how best I can help Uganda and dissolve the LRA.
I don't know if I am fully on board with Invisible Children (i.e. I am not sure posting a ton of placards on 4/20 about Kony will really do anything positive), but I am definitely now engaged with the issue. I'll probably start with a letter to my Congressman and Senator, and also try to get the word out in a non-vandal manner.
Kony and the LRA are pretty fucking awful, and the world would be a better place without them. Also, dissolving the LRA would require infrastructure improvements in Uganda, which I am all for.
We few who are Level 3 First Aid Attendants have a name for people who belittle and attack others attempts to help in a terrible situation. We call them the "Uh-oh" Brigade, or the "Oh Shit!" Brigade. Why? Because when an emergency situation occurs, there will usually be the same key players at every scene. There's the Patient (the person in need of help), the Emergency Responder (the first-aid attendant or paramedic), the helper (an untrained person who stands by, ready to offer an extra set of hands when needed, and they are needed) and then there's the uh-oh brigade.
The Uh-oh brigade are the useless tits who stand around with their thumbs up their asses when someone is bleeding to death in the streets. "Oh! We don't have medical training!" they cry or "The paramedics will be here soon, so I don't need to help!". So they stand around and do the only thing they seem to always do, which is say "Oh oh!" or in just as many cases, criticize the one helpful stranger who is doing the best he can to help the poor man bleeding to death, even if it means he's just putting pressure on the wound while he waits for more help to arrive. "You know, you should really wait for the ambulance" the "Oh shit!" brigade say, or "I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to touch the patient".
But eventually help does arrive and the emergency responder takes over the scene, doing whatever life-saving interventions are needed. And many times, the patient is packaged and transported to the next level of care, be it a hospital, or a transfer over to paramedics.
But sometimes, help doesn't arrive in time, and sometimes it's because so many of the "Uh oh!" brigade have come to stand around and do jack shit and they've actually blocked the first aid attendant from arriving on scene in time to preform critical interventions.
In the case of Uganda and the LRA, with Kony 2012 and all that has been said, we people, the ones who are taking part in Kony 2012, are not the first aid attendant. We are not even the helper who pushes past all others to lend a hand. No, we are the other person critical to saving a life. A person so often overlooked that I didn't even mention him in the beginning of this post. The person who calls for help. The person who runs into the first aid station to tell the first aid attendant that there's been an accident, and who's been hurt, and what exactly happened.
We are not trying to fix all of Africa's problems with this campaign. We are bringing this dire situation to the attention of people who know more than us, who have more training, and more resources than we might. We are the people calling for critical intervention, while organizations try to keep the patient alive. But they can't do it forever, and that is why we the people must rise up to help our fellow man.
So, to all you who stand on the side-line while another human being bleeds to death in the street. Either lend a hand, call for help, or shut the hell up and stay out of the way.
~A simple idea from a man who crawled under the bus to help a woman bleeding to death in the gutter while 12 people stood there and did nothing.
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FandyienBut Otto, what about us? Registered Userregular
Posts
I value everybody's opinions, and love everyone equally and think everybody is perfect, but goddamn.
20 people saying the same damn thing in the span of two hours can get on anybody's nerves.
Steam
y'all are some negative bastards
those of you who've been around awhile might understand the ramifications of what it means that I'm the one saying this
Welcome to The People's Fascist-Sexual Republic of Social Entropy++
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_in_Africa
There is also this story which is very heartwarming.
This won't do, this won't do at all.
Also
This image macro is fucking obnoxious.
Nobody's suggesting people are on the other side of the issue
They're suggesting people aren't on either side. Right now, today, everybody is talking about Kony. Whether they're 100% in support of Invisible Children or think they're shady as fuck, they now know about Kony.
And that is the whole point.
Need some stuff designed or printed? I can help with that.
http://www.invisiblechildren.com.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/critiques.html
You sure are being a drama queen about this. No one's saying Kony is the good guy here. Pardon me for wondering how much Americans are going to care about the deeper issues in the region that Kony is pretty much a symptom of once he's out of the picture. Hell, seems like CD demonstrated that attitude pretty well in this thread as he pretty much ignored anything anyone said about the problems in Uganda that aren't specifically Kony and just kept repeating that as long as he's removed from the picture, that'll be a good thing. We have short attention spans, and as a nation we tend to prefer simple solutions to complex problems. And we prefer as a nation to ignore any negative ramifications of our quick and easy "solutions".
Like I said earlier, it really comes across more like it's about making ourselves feel like we've done something good. As opposed to understanding what's happening in the region on a deeper level and helping them solve those deeper issues instead of just going after the symptom we've decided to care about most. Or just venting about how terrible the world is as some sort of catharsis.
"OMG fuck Kony how can people let this happen? I hate the world!"
i want to attack the symptoms that i can see and therefore measure my success
like killing that guy
totally measurable.
Works for me.
'raising awareness' about this one specific instance of how fucked africa is doesn't really do anything to address the underlying problems
you know, whatever those are
p much this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slacktivism
but there's nothing new showing up on my tumblr feed
i think we've solved all the world's problem for now
that's nosense
so long as have Opinions about Things, there will always be problems for us to talk about
The thing is, this is also wrong. Africa is not inherently fucked. I have never argued that Africa or parts of Africa are beyond help, simply that if we're going to offer aid that it should be offered more intelligently and with a better understanding of what aid will help most. Our traditional approach to drought and starvation in Africa has been to simply send surplus grains and other staples such as water without really thinking too much about whether that's actually helping in the long term. Or thinking about what could work better.
The drought and starvation and crushing poverty in many parts of Africa are not historically endemic to the region. Many of these problems are relatively recent symptoms with complex causes. Some of which are directly related to climate change and the lingering effects of colonialism.
so
kill
everything??
also the solution to the whole africa problem is that they clearly don't have enough bootstraps
we need to send them bootstraps so they can pull themselves right up into the 1st world
Because that means you're the pedophile.
The perfect predator.
no matter how many times you say this, being born on a Leap Day does not make you actually 13
Give a man a bootstrap and has he really pulled himself up?
We need to let them make their own bootstraps, or we've not helped anyone
I don't know if I am fully on board with Invisible Children (i.e. I am not sure posting a ton of placards on 4/20 about Kony will really do anything positive), but I am definitely now engaged with the issue. I'll probably start with a letter to my Congressman and Senator, and also try to get the word out in a non-vandal manner.
Kony and the LRA are pretty fucking awful, and the world would be a better place without them. Also, dissolving the LRA would require infrastructure improvements in Uganda, which I am all for.
Third world should actually have betamax
not this thread, this entire phenomenon
The Uh-oh brigade are the useless tits who stand around with their thumbs up their asses when someone is bleeding to death in the streets. "Oh! We don't have medical training!" they cry or "The paramedics will be here soon, so I don't need to help!". So they stand around and do the only thing they seem to always do, which is say "Oh oh!" or in just as many cases, criticize the one helpful stranger who is doing the best he can to help the poor man bleeding to death, even if it means he's just putting pressure on the wound while he waits for more help to arrive. "You know, you should really wait for the ambulance" the "Oh shit!" brigade say, or "I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to touch the patient".
But eventually help does arrive and the emergency responder takes over the scene, doing whatever life-saving interventions are needed. And many times, the patient is packaged and transported to the next level of care, be it a hospital, or a transfer over to paramedics.
But sometimes, help doesn't arrive in time, and sometimes it's because so many of the "Uh oh!" brigade have come to stand around and do jack shit and they've actually blocked the first aid attendant from arriving on scene in time to preform critical interventions.
In the case of Uganda and the LRA, with Kony 2012 and all that has been said, we people, the ones who are taking part in Kony 2012, are not the first aid attendant. We are not even the helper who pushes past all others to lend a hand. No, we are the other person critical to saving a life. A person so often overlooked that I didn't even mention him in the beginning of this post. The person who calls for help. The person who runs into the first aid station to tell the first aid attendant that there's been an accident, and who's been hurt, and what exactly happened.
We are not trying to fix all of Africa's problems with this campaign. We are bringing this dire situation to the attention of people who know more than us, who have more training, and more resources than we might. We are the people calling for critical intervention, while organizations try to keep the patient alive. But they can't do it forever, and that is why we the people must rise up to help our fellow man.
So, to all you who stand on the side-line while another human being bleeds to death in the street. Either lend a hand, call for help, or shut the hell up and stay out of the way.
~A simple idea from a man who crawled under the bus to help a woman bleeding to death in the gutter while 12 people stood there and did nothing.
shoot from the hip
always
But he saved a life.