20071128 18:11:00 redazione-IT<\/p>\n
ANNO 5, NUMERO 17, 28 NOVEMBRE 2007<\/p>\n
VERSO LA MORTE DELLA PENA DI MORTE
\nMILIBAND PARLA DEL FUTURO DELL\u2019EUROPA
\nPIANO D\u2019AZIONE SU SCIENZA E TECNOLOGIA IN AFRICA
\nPETROLIO AFRICANO: NERO PER MOLTI, DORATO PER POCHI
\nMASTER IN SVILUPPO UMANO LOCALE, CULTURA DI PACE E
\nCOOPERAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE
\nSEGNALAZIONE LIBRO DI GABRIELLA GHERMANDI
\nAGENDA
\nCHI HA SCRITTO QUESTA NEWSLETTER?<\/p>\n
ANNO 5, NUMERO 17, 28 NOVEMBRE 2007
\nNUOVA NEWSLETTER 1
\nVERSO LA MORTE DELLA PENA DI MORTE 1
\nMILIBAND PARLA DEL FUTURO DELL\u2019EUROPA 6
\nPIANO D\u2019AZIONE SU SCIENZA E TECNOLOGIA IN AFRICA 8
\nPETROLIO AFRICANO: NERO PER MOLTI, DORATO PER POCHI 11
\nMASTER IN SVILUPPO UMANO LOCALE, CULTURA DI PACE E
\nCOOPERAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE 13
\nSEGNALAZIONE LIBRO DI GABRIELLA GHERMANDI 14
\nAGENDA 14
\nCHI HA SCRITTO QUESTA NEWSLETTER? 15
\nNEWSLETTER DEL CENTRO DI DOCUMENTAZIONE
\nE RICERCA PER LA CITTADINANZA ATTIVA<\/p>\n
Il Centro di Documentazione e Ricerca per la Cittadinanza
\nAttiva di Ancona \u00e8 aperto il Marted\u00ec e Gioved\u00ec dalle 10 alle 13.00 e dalle 15.00 alle
\n18.00. Se avete libri da proporre cos\u00ec che noi possiamo acquistarli fatecelo
\nsapere! Se state facendo una tesi di laurea o ricerche sull’immigrazione, sull’economia
\npolitica, o su temi riguardanti il terzo settore, etc. presso il nostro Centro potete
\nottenere informazioni ad hoc previa prenotazione telefonica.
\nPer contatti ed eventuali prenotazioni 071\/2072585
\nCircolo Culturale Africa – sito web: www.circoloafrica.eu – email: segreteria@circoloafrica.org<\/p>\n
NUOVA NEWSLETTER
\nGabriele Sospiro<\/p>\n
Arrivati quasi al nostro sesto anno di vita abbiamo deciso di cambiare qualcosa della
\nnostra newsletter sia sotto il profilo dei contenuti e sia del contenitore. I contenuti
\ncercheranno di approfondire i nostri temi tradizionali ossia l\u2019immigrazione, la
\ncooperazione allo sviluppo, l\u2019Africa, il rapporto fra un nord del mondo rapace e un sud
\nsfruttato fino alla fame. Approfondimento che si avvarr\u00e0 non solo, come si dice, del
\ncontributo dei media mainstream, ma anche di contributi meno strutturati come possono
\nessere quelli che arrivano, tanto per fare un esempio, dai bloggers pi\u00f9 militanti. Come
\npotete vedere anche il contenitore \u00e8 cambiato. Per tanti anni una scarnissima email
\nconteneva tutto il nostro materiale. Abbiamo invece deciso di cambiare il nostro formato
\narricchendolo di foto (certo quelle nostre, oddio!!) e immagini che, alcune volte,
\ncomunicano in modo pi\u00f9 immediato e incisivo un pensiero che invece richiederebbe molte
\npagine. Ci saranno anche due nuove sezioni. La prima, riguarder\u00e0 direttamente voi lettori
\ne consister\u00e0 nella pubblicazione di alcune vostre email (e dunque vi invitiamo a scriverci).
\nLa seconda, invece, sar\u00e0 una bacheca dove troverete alcuni degli appuntamenti che ci
\nvengono segnalati. Certo. Era una cosa che facevamo anche prima. Ma ora ve la
\nvorremmo, come dire, consegnare un po\u2019 pi\u00f9 strutturata (e dunque fateci sapere che eventi
\norganizzate, quale campagna state promuovendo ora, quale corso di formazione state
\npianificando, ecc.)
\nInsomma, arrivati al sesto anno \u00e8 normale passare dall\u2019asilo alle scuole elementari. Vi
\nchiediamo di farci sapere se abbiamo meritato questa promozione.<\/p>\n
VERSO LA MORTE DELLA PENA DI MORTE
\nTobias Gehring<\/p>\n
Le Nazioni Unite hanno aperto la porta per una risoluzione contro la pena di morte. A
\nragione, giacch\u00e9 le esecuzioni violano diritti umani e non sono affatto necessarie.
\n\u201cPer creare la relazione giusta, la pena di morte dovrebbe essere inflitta a un delinquente
\nche avverte la sua vittima che l\u2019uccider\u00e0 in una maniera terribile un giorno specifico e chi,
\na partire da questo momento, la tiene in prigione sotto controllo per mesi. E\u2019 difficile
\ntrovare un tale mostro nella sfera privata.\u201d Adesso, anche il Terzo Comitato
\ndell\u2019Assemblea Generale delle Nazioni Unite \u00e8 arrivato alla stessa conclusione di Albert
\nCamus e \u201cchiede una moratoria globale per le esecuzioni [\u2026] Si aspetta che l\u2019Assemblea
\nGenerale appogger\u00e0 la decisione in una sessione plenaria in Dicembre.\u201d Una tale
\nrisoluzione, sebbene non impegnativa, sarebbe un segno forte contro una pena che viola
\ngli articoli 3 e 5 della Dichiarazione Universale dei Diritti Umani e di cui \u201calmeno 1.591
\npersone\u201d cadevano vittime nel 2006. Dati di fatto ed etici supportano gli opponenti della
\npena di morte e aiutano di confutare importanti argomentazioni a favore di essa. L\u2019argomento corrente che solo la fortissima punizione disponibile sia abbastanza per
\nintimidire omicidi non resiste a un\u2019occhiata alla
\nrealt\u00e0; a mo\u2019 d\u2019esempio, l\u2019abolizione temporanea
\ndella pena di morte negli USA fra il 1972 e il 1976
\nnon ha avuto come conseguenza una salita
\nstraordinaria degli omicidi, come si pu\u00f2 vedere
\ndal grafico. E l\u2019argomento di intimidazione si
\nfonda sull\u2019idea che la gente assassina con la
\nsupposizione di essere condannato pi\u00f9 tardi, ma
\nspesso gli omicidi avvengono spontaneamente o
\nsono progettati cosi bene che l\u2019omicida crede che
\nnon sar\u00e0 preso. In oltre, uno Stato che uccide
\ncriminali dice ai suoi cittadini che in certi casi
\nuccidere \u00e8 una soluzione giusta. Precisamente
\ncome la mentalit\u00e0 di \u201cocchio per occhio\u201d del
\nvecchio testamento, che forma la base
\ndell\u2019argomento che la morte sia una \u201cpunizione giusta\u201d per gli assassini, un tale modo di
\npensare \u00e8 piuttosto capace d\u2019alzare la predisposizione alla violenza della popolazione se
\nentra nel suo modo di pensare.
\nL\u2019argomento della \u201cpunizione giusta\u201d chiarisce anche che la pena di morte \u00e8
\nincompatibile con l\u2019interpretazione moderna della legge nella quale gli obiettivi principali
\ndelle sentenze sono la protezione della societ\u00e0 e la risocializzazione del delinquente. Come
\nabbiamo visto, la pena di morte non \u00e8 un metodo migliore dell\u2019ergastolo per la protezione
\ndella societ\u00e0 e, provando il suo arcaismo, manca interamente della componente di
\nrisocializzazione perch\u00e9 cadaveri non possono migliorarsi e, di fatto, l\u2019obiettivo della pena
\ndi morte \u00e8 semplicemente trasformare delinquenti in cadaveri invece che in uomini
\nmigliori. Per\u00f2 questo pu\u00f2 anche capitare a cittadini onesti come Juan Melendez che,
\nritenuto un omicida, ha passato 17 anni nel braccio della morte. Adesso, dopo la sua
\nfortunata liberazione, viaggia in tutto il mondo informando sulla pena di morte e
\nimpegnandosi in prima persona per la sua abolizione globale. Ogni anno, tuttavia,
\ncompagni di sventura meno fortunati di Melendez vengono uccisi del Stato per delitti che
\nnon hanno mai commesso. Se prove dell\u2019innocenza emergono dopo l\u2019esecuzione di gente
\ninnocente, \u00e8 troppo tardi per alcuna \u201ccompensazione\u201d, mentre agli innocenti in ergastolo ,
\nalmeno pu\u00f2 essere data la libert\u00e0 per gli anni restanti fino allo loro morte naturale.
\nParecchi sostenitori della pena di morte rispondono con la richiesta che la gente solo sia
\ncondannata a morte se la sua colpa \u00e8 provata senza alcuno dubbio, per\u00f2 conforme alla
\nmassime \u201cin dubio pro reo\u201d, \u00e8 gia pratica prescritta negli Stati di diritto che nessuna
\npunizione pu\u00f2 essere inflitta ad accusati se ci sono dubbi riguardo alla loro colpa. La
\nfallibilit\u00e0 umana insegna che errori giudiziari sono sempre possibili, e per questa ragione
\nin Stati di diritto con la pena di morte, come gli USA o il Giappone, i carcerati passano
\nmolti anni nella prigione prima della loro esecuzione, nei quali, normalmente, hanno
\nluogo molteplici processi per ottenere un\u2019assoluzione o una trasformazione della pena in
\nergastolo. In altri Stati come la Cina, in media passano due anni tra sentenza ed
\nesecuzione, che, naturalmente, fa salire il numero di gente uccisa innocentemente. Solo per
\ntali casi, l\u2019argomento \u00e8 effettivo che la pena di morte costa meno tasse ai contribuenti
\ndell\u2019ergastolo. Se un Stato intendesse portare il numero di esecuzioni di innocenti ad un
\nminimo, la pena di morte sarebbe di fatto persino pi\u00f9 cara dell\u2019ergastolo. Per esempio, il
\nDeath Penalty Information Center americano riferisce che \u201clo Stato di Kansas concludeva
\nche casi capitali sono 70% pi\u00f9 cari che casi simili senza pena di morte.\u201d Inoltre,
\nl\u2019argomento stesso delle spese pu\u00f2 essere considerato antietico, perch\u00e9 attribuisce pi\u00f9 di
\nvalore ai soldi che all\u2019inviolabilit\u00e0 della vita umana.
\nInfine, anche l\u2019argomento che la pena di morte
\npreviene secondi delitti dell\u2019 omicida uscito deve
\nessere respinto. Innanzi tutto, come ci \u00e8 noto, la
\npena di morte non diminuisce il numero totali di
\nomicidi, e per un vittima non fa differenza se il suo
\nomicida \u00e8 o non \u00e8 un assassino seriale. Inoltre, gli
\neffetti abbruttenti dell\u2019uso della pena di morte che
\nabbiamo mostrato, aumentano la probabilit\u00e0 che la
\nprevenzione di secondi crimini porti con se
\nl\u2019aumento di primi crimini. Infine, anche una
\nrisocializzazione riuscita previene il crimine, e
\nquasi tutte le risocializzazioni sono riuscite, \u201cla
\nrecidivit\u00e0 a delitti di uccisione ammonta da uno a tre percento.\u201d E se la risocializzazione si
\ndimostrasse impossibile, lo Stato sempre pu\u00f2 incarcerare criminali per sempre e cos\u00ec
\nproteggere efficacemente la societ\u00e0 senza le esecuzioni.
\nI numerosi argomenti contro la pena di morte non sono stati ininfluenti rispetto alla
\npolitica; nel corso del 20\u00b0 secolo, un movimento globale per l\u2019abolizione della pena
\ncapitale ha portato al risultato che oggi la maggioranza dei Paesi del mondo ha pi\u00f9 o
\nmeno detto addio alla pena di morte, come si vede anche dal diagramma. Con la nuova
\nrisoluzione delle Nazioni Unite, un altro passo \u00e8 stato fatto sulla strada verso una morte
\nglobale della pena di morte.<\/p>\n
TOWARDS DEATH PENALTY\u2019S DEATH<\/p>\n
The United Nations have opened the door for a
\nresolution against the death penalty. Rightly, for
\nexecutions violate human rights and are not at all
\nnecessary.
\n\u201cTo create the right relation, the death penalty had to
\nbe imposed on a criminal who first warns his victim
\nthat he will kill it in a terrible way on a specific day
\nand who, from this moment on, detains it under his
\ncontrol for months. You won\u2019t find such a monster in
\nthe private domain.\u201d Now, also the UN General
\nAssembly\u2019s Third Committee has come to this
\nconclusion of Albert Camus and made \u201ca call [\u2026] for
\nDeath penalty in the world
\na global moratorium on executions [\u2026] The General Assembly is expected to endorse the
\ndecision in a plenary session in December.\u201d1 Such a resolution, though not binding, would
\nbe a strong sign against a penalty which violates articles 3 and 5 of the Universal
\nDeclaration of Human Rights2 and to which in 2006 \u201cat least 1,591 people\u201d3 fell victim.
\nFacts as well as ethics are thereby on the side of the death penalty\u2019s opponents and help to
\nrefute important pro-arguments. The common argument that only the strongest available
\npunishment would be enough to deter murderers doesn\u2019t bear up under a view on reality;
\ne.g., the temporary abolishment of the death penalty in the USA between 1972 and 1976
\ndidn\u2019t entail an unusual ascent of the murders, as you can see at the graph.4 And the
\ndeterrence argument is based upon the idea that people would murder on the assumption
\nof being sentenced later, yet most killings either happen spontaneously or are planned so
\nwell that the murderer believes he won\u2019t be caught. Furthermore, a state which kills
\ncriminals exemplifies to its citizens that under some circumstances killing is a right
\nsolution. Just as the Old Testament \u201can eye for an eye\u201d-thinking which forms the basis of
\nthe argument that death would be a \u201cjust punishment\u201d for murderers, such a pattern of
\nthoughts is rather able to increase the population\u2019s disposition for violence if it enters their
\nminds.
\nThe \u201cjust punishment\u201d argument also bespeaks that the death penalty is incompatible to
\nmodern judicial conception in which the main purposes of enforcement of sentences are
\nprotection of society and rehabilitation of the delinquent. As we have seen, the death
\npenalty is no better means of protection than life-long imprisonment and, in proof of its
\narchaism, completely lacks the re-socialisation component, since corpses can\u2019t ameliorate
\nand, in fact, the purpose of the death penalty simply is to turn criminals into corpses
\ninstead of into better human beings. Yet this can also befall fair citizens such as Juan
\nMelendez who, mistaken for a murderer, spent 17 years on death row. Now, after his
\nfortunate liberation, he tours the world informing about the death penalty and engaging
\nfor its global abolition. Every year until then, however, less lucky comrades in misery of
\nMelendez will be state-killed for crimes they never have committed. If proofs of innocence
\nappear after the execution of innocent people, it\u2019s too late for any \u201ccompensation\u201d, while
\ninnocent life-long prisoners can at least be given freedom for the remaining years until
\ntheir natural death.
\nSome death penalty supporters react with the demand that people should only be
\nsentenced to death if their guilt is proved without any doubt; but commensurate with the
\nmaxim \u201cin dubio pro reo\u201d it\u2019s already prescribed practice in constitutional states that no
\nsentence may be imposed on detainees if there are doubts concerning their guilt. Human
\nfallibility guarantees that judicial errors are always possible, which is why in
\nconstitutional states with the death penalty like the USA or Japan, death row inmates
\nspend many years in prison before their execution, in which usually several revision
\nprocesses take place in order to sue out an acquittal or a transformation of the sentence
\ninto life-long custody. In other states like for example the global front-runner China,
\naveragely two years pass between judgement and execution, which of course makes the
\nnumber of innocently executed people increase. Only for those cases, the argument takes
\neffect that the death penalty would cost tax-payers less money than if criminals spend all
\ntheir days to come in prison. If a state aims at keeping executions of innocent people to a
\nminimum, the death penalty is in fact even more expensive than the life sentence. For
\ninstance, the American Death Penalty Information Center reports that \u201cthe State of Kansas
\nconcluded that capital cases are 70% more expensive than comparable non-death penalty
\ncases.\u201d5 Furthermore, the cost argument itself can be attacked as inhumane because it
\nattaches higher value to money than to the inviolableness of human life.
\nFinally, even the argument that the death penalty
\nprevents second offences by the killed murderer
\nshall be disapproved. First at all, as it\u2019s known to
\nus, the death penalty doesn\u2019t diminish the total
\nnumber of murders, and it makes no difference for
\na victim whether its murderer is a serial killer or
\nnot. Also the brutalizing effects of the death
\npenalty\u2019s use that have been pointed out, make it
\nlikely that the prevention of second offenders goes
\nalong with the creation of first offenders. And
\nultimately, also a successful rehabilitation prevents
\nfurther crimes of a person, and almost all rehabilitations are successful, \u201cthe recidivism
\nrate at killing delicts accounts for one to three percent.\u201d6 And if rehabilitation should proof
\nimpossible, the state can shut away criminals for ever and in this vein effectively protect
\nsociety without executions.
\nThe various arguments against the death penalty are not lost upon politics; over the course
\nof the 20th century, an ongoing global trend to abolish capital punishment has started
\nwith the result that nowadays the majority of the world\u2019s country\u2019s has more or less said
\ngood-bye to executions, see also the diagram. With the new UN resolution, another step is
\ndone on the way to a world-wide death of the death penalty.<\/p>\n
APPROFONDIMENTI:<\/p>\n
Hugo Adam Bedau et al., "Debating the Death Penalty: Should
\nAmerica Have Capital Punishment? The Experts on Both Sides
\nMake Their Case", Oxford University Press USA, 2005
\nAmnesty International, "Amnesty International Report 2007: The
\nState of the World’s Human Rights", Amnesty International, 2007
\n5 Death Penalty Information Center, \u201cCosts of the Death Penalty\u201d, deathpenaltyinfo.org
\n6 amnesty international, \u201cPro und Contra\u201d, amnesty.de, 05. 1998
\nThe graphs used for this article have been created by the author.<\/p>\n
MILIBAND PARLA DEL FUTURO DELL\u2019EUROPA<\/p>\n
Jiske van Loon<\/p>\n
Il 15 novembre il segretario degli affari esteri inglese, David Miliband, ha tenuto un
\ndiscorso al Collegio di Bruge (Belgio) sulle relazioni tra il Regno Unito e l\u2019Europa e sul
\nfuturo dell\u2019Unione Europea. Secondo lui l\u2019Europa del futuro dovrebbe essere un modello
\ndi riferimento per il resto del mondo, dedicata al mercato libero, all\u2019ambiente e alla lotta
\nagli estremismi. Dovrebbe occuparsi di temi globali e aprirsi ai paesi esterni agli attuali
\npaesi membri. A questo proposito, ha suggerito che l\u2019Unione Europea dovrebbe lavorare
\nal processo di inclusione della Russia e dei paesi dell\u2019Europa Orientale e Nord Africani,
\nma ci\u00f2 mi sembra poco realistico. Fa sorgere la domanda su cosa sia l\u2019Europa e la nostra
\ncomune identit\u00e0. Ti senti europeo? L\u2019Unione Europea significa qualcosa per te?<\/p>\n
MILIBAND ON THE FUTURE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION<\/p>\n
The 15th of Novembre the British Foreign Secretary David
\nMiliband held a speech at the College of Europe in Bruges
\n(Belgium) about the relationship between the United
\nKingdom and Europe. In this speech he reflected on the
\nexistence and future of the European Union and in my
\nopinion he said some interesting things about this. For
\nexample he suggested that the European Union should work
\ntowards including Russia, Middle Eastern and North
\nAfrican countries.
\nAt first Miliband was talking about superpowers. Under superpower he understands: "a
\ncountry that has the capacity to project dominating power and influence anywhere in the
\nworld…and so may plausibly attain the status of global hegemon." According to Miliband
\nthere is only one superpower and that are the United States. New superpowers like China
\nand India are coming up, but Miliband says that Europe will never be a superpower.
\nEconomically and demographically Europe will even be less important in the world of
\n2050 than it was in the world of 1950. However, Miliband sees Europe in the future as a
\nmodel power, a model of regional cooperation for the rest of the world.
\nIn his speech he summed up various treats that exist at this moment: protectionism,
\nreligious extremism, energy insecurity, rogue and failing states and climate changes.
\nAccording to Miliband these treats provide a new reason for the EU to exist. The single
\nnation states of the EU are too small to deal on their own with these big problems, so that
\nis why the EU is important at this moment. It should be a leader and a pioneer: \u201cAs a club
\nthat countries want to join, it can persuade countries to play by the rules, and set global
\nstandards. In the way it dispenses its responsibilities around the world, it can be a role
\nmodel that others follow.\u201d
\nFor the last fifty years the EU was focussed on internal change, but Miliband says the
\nchallenges are now global instead of national. In the future wars within the borders of the
\nEU will not be the problem, but Europe will be struggling to cope with forces like religious
\nextremism, which are beyond its borders. He speaks about a world which in the future
\nwill be divided by religion, between countries and within countries. He mentions the clash
\nbetween the western world and the Islam, a growing inhospitality towards Europe and
\nthreats like rogue states and terrorists. Europe is build on shared values between the
\ndifferent nations states, so Miliband says that now the EU needs to find and express
\nshared values between Europe and it\u2019s Muslim neighbours. According to him we should
\nuse the power of shared institutions and shared activities to overcome religious, regional
\nand cultural divides. As example he gives the Erasmus programme, with which students
\ncan easily study abroad. According to Miliband one third of the Erasmus exchanges
\nshould be to countries beyond the borders of Europe, like Middle-Eastern and Northern
\nAfrican countries.
\nAlso in other ways he wants to bring Russia, Middle-
\nEastern and Northern African countries closer to Europe.
\nHe suggests a free trade area around the periphery of the
\ncurrent European Union. This would be a "version of the
\nEuropean Free Trade Association that could gradually
\nbring the countries of the Mahgreb, the Middle East and
\nEastern Europe in line with the single market, not as an
\nalternative to membership, but potentially as a step
\ntowards it". So with this sentence he suggests that maybe
\none day these countries will join the European Union.
\nAccording to him enlargement of the European Union is
\nthe most powerful tool for extending stability and
\nprosperity. The prospect of becoming part of the EU drives
\ncountries to democratisation and transformation and that\u2019s why Miliband says we should
\nkeep our doors open. Miliband says regarding to enlargement that it is important that we
\nkeep our promises to Turkey and the western Balkans. In the debate about the accession of
\nTurkey to the EU the United Kingdom, Sweden and Denmark are the most strong
\nproponents.7 Also Italy is positive about the accession of Turkey to the EU, but Sarkozy is
\nstrongly against it.
\nIn his speech Miliband also talks about migration and he links this with open trade. He
\nmakes a division between unwanted migration of people from the poorest countries and
\nwanted migration of \u201cthe world\u2019s best talent\u201d. According to him migration is necessary
\nbecause the European population is ageing and declining, but we Europe can\u2019t be \u201ca tent
\nof the world\u2019s poorest people\u201d. To diminish the unwanted migration, he says we should
\ntackle the problem at it\u2019s roots. According to him the root cause of migration is the poor
\neconomic prospects in neighbouring countries. To change this we should continue to open
\nup markets. Miliband wants more free trade and investments. He says that if we will hold
\nback on open trade, we will hold back the process of modernising our economies and
\nraising productivity and at the same time he thinks open trade will diminish the
\nunwanted migration.
\n7 Kloor, Robin van der. Sito web di Elsevier, 22 novembre 2007
\nhttp:\/\/www.elsevier.nl\/nieuws\/europese_unie\/artikel\/asp\/artnr\/180549\/rss\/true\/index.html<\/p>\n
So, according to Miliband Europe should in the future be a role model for the rest of the
\nworld, dedicated to free trade, the environment and tackling extremism. It has to deal with
\nglobal issues and should be open to countries around the current member countries. I
\nthink it is important and interesting to think about the current and future role and position
\nof the European Union in the world, because the world keeps changing and individual
\ncountries are often not able to deal with global issues. The problem of migration is an
\nexample of a global problem which should be dealt with on global level, because every
\nmember state can not have his own policy. However, the idea of an European Union with
\nRussia, North-African and Middle-Eastern countries sounds very strange to me. For me it
\ncalls up the question what is Europe? Do I as a citizen of the Netherlands at this moment
\nliving in Italy feel \u2018European\u2019? And does an inhabitant of for example Italy or England
\nhave the same image in mind of what is Europe? And when Morocco would join the
\nEuropean Union, how would this change the concept of Europe? I think this is not
\nrealistic. As being Europe we have a common history and shared values, but how far
\nshould we go with accepting more countries to join? Miliband is a proponent of
\nenlargement and wants to go very far with this, but in the end there will be no common
\nidentity any more. But what is the common identity of Europe and how strong is this? Is
\nthe European Union just a collection of neighbouring countries who try to work together
\non higher level, but does it have no meaning for individuals living in Europe? For me
\nEurope is important, but what does it mean for you?<\/p>\n
PIANO D\u2019AZIONE SU SCIENZA E TECNOLOGIA IN AFRICA<\/p>\n
Bengu Bayram<\/p>\n
Gli sforzi per sviluppare la scienza e la tecnologia hanno subito un\u2019accelerazione in Africa. A
\nquesto scopo, i capi Africani si sono riuniti per trasformare le universit\u00e0 in posti migliori, in cui
\nl\u2019insegnamento della scienza e della tecnologia possa avvenire su vasta scala. Questi capi, che
\nhanno dichiarato il 2007 come l\u2019anno della scienza e della tecnologia, hanno approvato un
\nprogramma che aprir\u00e0 la strada alla ricerca nelle biotecnologie. Questo progetto ha la finalit\u00e0 di
\ncreare un sistema nell\u2019agricoltura, ambiente, infrastrutture e nell\u2019educazione. Al suo interno
\ncontiene delle idee di sviluppo della tecnologia. Riconoscendo che la scienza pu\u00f2 contribuire a
\nrisolvere i problemi della mancanza di energia, le malattie e la penuria dell\u2019acqua, i capi africani
\nhanno cominciato a focalizzare l’attenzione della gente sull’importanza della scienza e della
\ntecnologia. Per questo motivo, tutti dovrebbero rendersene conto e pi\u00f9 gente dovrebbe essere
\nformata per aiutare a dare una spinta all\u2019economia Africana.<\/p>\n
AFRICA\u2019S SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CONSOLIDATED PLAN OF ACTION<\/p>\n
Efforts to develop science and technology have gained momentum in Africa. To this end,
\nAfrican leaders have unified in an attempt to make the universities in Africa much better
\nplaces where the teaching of science and technology can be promoted on a larger scale.
\nThese leaders, who declared 2007 as the year of science and technology, have approved of
\na programme which will pave the way to research in biotechnology.
\n\u201cAfrica\u2019s Science and Technology
\nConsolidated Plan of Action\u201d is aimed at
\nconstructing a system on research into
\nagriculture, environment, infrastructure and
\neducation. With the help of this plan, new
\nways will be sought as to how biodiversity
\ncan be conserved and how biotechnology can
\nbe developed. The plan also includes ways in
\nwhich how drought and desertification can
\nbe tackled.
\nHowever, good and inspiring the plan may sound, the problem of how to finance the plan
\nhas not been settled yet by the leaders. The total cost of the plan is estimated to be $ 158m.
\nMosibudi Mangena, South African Science and Technology Minister has drawn on the
\nimportance of the plan by pointing out the gravity of the current situation in Africa and
\nadded that Africa has to benefit from the global economy if it is to get rid of poverty.
\nThe implementation of the plan is vital in that Africa is currently in need of viable science
\nand technology in order to encourage industrial and agricultural productivity, combat
\ndiseases and help people to gain access to clean water. Yet, there is a dearth of scientists in
\nAfrica as opposed to industrial nations in Europe. Because there is a wide gap between
\nAfrica and the rest of the world in terms of science and technology, Africa has always
\nfound itself in a position where it only made futile attempts to catch up with the rest of the
\nworld. Of the many reasons behind this gap are lack of funding, insufficient infrastructure
\nand brain drain.
\nHowever, the picture is not so frightening. There are signs of development in
\ntechnological terms. In Mali, villagers are using a device to shell groundnuts. Able to be
\noperated by a single person, this device can meet the needs of 2000 people in a village. The
\nlast few years have witnessed a rise in the interest in science and technology. Realizing
\nthat science can help solve the problems about energy deficiency, diseases and water
\nscarcity, African leaders have started to divert the people\u2019s attention to the importance of
\nscience and technology. For this reason, everyone is aware of the fact that many more
\npeople should be trained and employed in the realm of science to help give a boost to
\nAfrica\u2019s economy.
\nMany development planners are very
\nwell aware of the advantages of solar
\ntechnology, which can be an alternative
\nenergy source. However, many countries
\nhave so far been reluctant to adapt this
\ntechnology because of financial
\nconstraints. But, the fact remains that
\nover the next 20 years, Africa will lose
\nhalf of its water reserves and therefore it
\nis high time planners invested in ways in
\nwhich they can find a solution to the
\nproblems of conserving and distributing
\nwater.
\nThe UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs is helping Africa\u2019s less industrialized
\ncountries by running a project to encourage information and communication technologies,
\nbiotechnologies, nanotechnologies and fuel technologies.
\nAs part of this project, the UN and a number of African governments, private companies
\nand academics recommended setting up science and technology parks. Ghana and Senegal
\nwere chosen to begin work on such parks. When they are completed, there will be lots of
\ncompanies in Senegal which will be selling computer software and hardware. There will
\nalso be pharmaceutical centers in these parks. For all these to happen, education,
\nunsurprisingly, is a must. Countries that do not place the required attention on education
\nalways lag behind technologically forward countries.
\nAfter most African countries gained their independence in the 1960s, the number of
\nstudents in Africa soared to a record level as there was a demand for skilled workers.
\nAlthough the number of universities has grown exponentially since the 1960s, there has
\nalways been a lack of funding. Currently, many African universities are suffering from a
\ndeficiency of qualified staff. To overcome this problem, it was proposed in 2005 that Africa
\ncome together with other developing nations such as India and Brazil to acquaint its
\nstudents with science and technology so that brain drain can be prevented and more
\nqualified staff can be held in universities.<\/p>\n
PETROLIO AFRICANO: NERO PER MOLTI, DORATO PER POCHI<\/p>\n
Tobias Gehring<\/p>\n
Il prezzo del petrolio sale, la sua domanda resta alta. Cos\u00ec. il commercio col petrolio pu\u00f2
\nfruttare tanti soldi, anche per dittatori che dominano Paesi africani d\u2019esportazione del
\npetrolio come la Libia o l\u2019Angola. Con i petrodollari, i despoti assicurano la loro forza.
\nConflitti sul petrolio risultano inoltre svantaggiosi per la popolazione, per esempio
\ninquinamento ecologico, la distribuzione e l\u2019investimento ingiusto dei soldi. Quindi ci
\nsono scontri armati fra governo, imprese e ribelli. Ma se l\u2019Europa si ritirasse dal mercato
\nAfricano, la Cina supplirebbe. Perci\u00f2, il commercio continua ad essere un affare di winwin
\nper governi ed imprese mentre la popolazione soffre di povert\u00e0 e vengono violati i
\nloro diritti umani.<\/p>\n
AFRICA\u2019S PETROLEUM: BLACK FOR MANY, GOLDEN FOR FEW<\/p>\n
In petroleum exporting countries, global concerns and authoritarian regimes form unholy
\nalliances. The brunt has to borne by the men-in-the-street.
\nAt the beginning of this month, only 1.38 US-$ separated the price for one barrel of
\npetroleum from the 100 $ mark. A worldwide demand which has topically reached 86
\nmillion barrel per day, scantily exceeding the daily range, makes sure that this process
\ncontinues. \u201c80 up to 150 dollars [\u2026] would be possible within the next five years\u201d8,
\nforecasts German economist Otto Wiesmann.
\nPetroleum trade is a million dollar business, but not always, the opulences ambulate into
\nthe right cashes. Amongst the twenty most exporting countries of 2006 are Libya and
\nAngola, whose government is accused of \u201chuman rights violations [including] torture and
\nunlawful killings.\u201d9 The receipts of the oil export stand in good stead for those regimes
\nwho secure their power with the aid of petrodollars. \u201cStudies document that petroleum
\nexporting countries averagely spend more money for the construction of army and
\narmature than countries which are poor of resources.\u201d10
\nAlso in more democratic countries, petroleum is a constant apple of discord. The interests
\nof the multinationals often collide with those of indigenous people under whose territory
\npetroleum has been found. To protect themselves from eventual resistance on the part of
\nthe natives who don\u2019t want to put up with their environment becoming polluted or
\nthemselves having to leave it \u2013 often without compensation \u2013 the petroleum concerns
\n\u201cconclude contracts with army, police or private security corporations [who] don\u2019t shrink
\naway from rape, murder or torture.\u201d11
\nAnother source of conflict is that the monies the corporations and the states engage by the
\npetroleum trade don\u2019t trickle down to the population, and a just distribution is a distant
\nprospect, if any at all, due to corruption, a lack of transparency and governments and
\nconcerns who both often only have an eye for their particular interests, less for those of the
\ncountry. In states like Sudan or Kongo, for instance, there are strong separatist
\nmovements. The governments thus don\u2019t channel their gains into these regions, so that e.g.
\n\u201cambitious sky-scrapers, financed out of the petroleum business, emerge in [Khartoum],
\nwhile southern Sudan carries on living in absolute poverty and the reconstruction is a long
\ntime coming after decades of war\u201d13; and \u201cthe oil industry produces in insular economy
\nenclaves and doesn\u2019t arrange for growth and jobs in the local economy.\u201d14 The
\ncorporations, in fact, invest in infrastructure, but only in \u201ccommunes close to the
\npetroleum installations\u201d15, which shows that a main motivation for these arrangements is
\nthat the concerns want to use the
\ninfrastructure for their own purposes. In case
\nof doubt, thus, interests of the corporations
\noutweigh those of the local population. All
\nthis may explain phenomena like this one;
\nthat in Nigeria, while having \u201cgained 280
\nbillions US dollars by petroleum extraction
\nalone in the past 30 years[,] the bulk of the
\npopulation has to get by on less than one
\ndollar per capita a day.\u201d16 The fact that who
\ncontrols the petroleum trade acquires the
\nmoney as well as the power to decide what it
\nis used for makes it an attractive aim for rebel
\ngroups who either want to undertake control
\nover the installations or to destroy the
\npipelines. \u201cThe provisional force on the
\nresource becomes the most important
\ndomestic conflict in the countries of Africa
\nwhich are rich in petroleum\u201d17, thus
\nprognosticates amnesty international.
\nYet the conflict will also have an international component, for not only African states\u2019
\ngovernments and rebels, but also petroleum importing countries and global petroleum
\ncorporations have their interests concerning Africa\u2019s oil and will advance them. Following
\nthe labile Middle East and Europe plus the former Soviet Union, Africa possesses the
\nthird-biggest slice of the world\u2019s petroleum reserves. First at all, the Chinese develop this
\nmarket, thereby bringing Europe and America into a dodgy position, because China, the
\nsecond-biggest importer of petroleum in the world, doesn\u2019t care whether the countries it
\ntrades with violate human rights or other international standards and \u201cavoids every
\nembargo against African dictatorships.\u201d18 Offered the choice of trading with dictatorships
\nor yielding the market to the Chinese, Europe mostly decides to put human rights in the
\nrear. \u201cEspousal of human rights and democracy is privily seen as competitive
\ndisadvantage by many western politicians\u201d19 as well as by the economy. There is, for
\ninstance, the Global Compact, aiming to shape globalization in a more social way, yet of
\n77,000 transnational corporations, only 2,500 have signed the Compact, among which for
\nexample Exxon, in 2007 the world\u2019s second-biggest corporation on the basis of business
\nvolume20, can\u2019t be found21. Especially in non-constitutional states, the corporations, which
\nexert great influence around their African positions, are equipped with a charter to
\npenetrate their interests also by illicit means, as it happened for example in the Niger delta
\nregion, where the Joint Task Force, whose task is to abet the petroleum corporations, has
\n\u201ckilled, raped people, destroyed houses and villages.\u201d22 In such cases, the population has
\nno chance against syndicates of governments which allow the concerns to act in whatever
\nway seems fit to them and which encash the money for allowing the global players to use
\ntheir nation\u2019s petroleum, and corporations which extract the petroleum and briskly trade
\nwith it at the glutton world market.<\/p>\n
APPROFONDIMENTI:<\/p>\n
P. Le Billon, "The Geopolitics of Resource Wars", Routledge, 2005<\/p>\n
MASTER IN SVILUPPO UMANO LOCALE, CULTURA DI PACE E COOPERAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE<\/p>\n
Master di I livello in Sviluppo Umano Locale, Cultura di Pace e Cooperazione
\nInternazionale: teorie, metodi, esperienze interdisciplinari e buone pratiche tra saperi
\nlocali e saperi globali.
\nL\u2019Universit\u00e0 di Firenze, insieme con il Programma Universitas dell\u2019Iniziativa ART, ha
\nsviluppato questo Programma postlauream, che si prefigge di contribuire alla qualit\u00e0 dei
\nProgrammi attuali e futuri di Cooperazione Internazionale per lo Sviluppo Umano
\nfornendo professionisti esperti dal Sud e dal Nord con il sapere e le competenze specifiche
\nrichieste per progettare, gestire e coordinare tali programmi.
\nIl Master si concentra su una nozione specifica di sviluppo umano e cooperazione
\ninternazionale in cui le comunit\u00e0 locali, con le proprie istituzioni e attori pubblici e privati,
\nsono i protagonisti di un processo di sviluppo endogeno. Un processo che \u00e8 tuttavia
\nstrettamente connesso alle politiche e ai programmi sia a livello nazionale sia
\ninternazionale.
\nPer ulteriori informazioni: http:\/\/www.scform.unifi.it\/mastersviluppo\/<\/p>\n
MASTER IN LOCAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, PEACE BUILDING
\nAND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION<\/p>\n
First Level Master in Local Human Development, Peace building and international
\ncooperation: theories, methods, interdisciplinary experiences and good practices between
\nlocal and global knowledges.
\nThe university of Florence, together with the Program Universitas of the ART Initiative,
\nhas developed this postlauream program, which aims to contribute to the quality of actual
\nand future International Cooperation for Human Developement programs, providing
\nprofessional expertises from North and South, with the knowledge and specific
\ncompetencies needed to project, handle and coordinate these programs.
\nThis Master focuses on a specific notion of human developing and international
\ncooperation in which local communities, with their own istitutions and public and private
\nactors, are the main actors of an internal development process. A process that is strictly
\nconnected with national and international politics and programs.<\/p>\n
For further informations: http:\/\/www.scform.unifi.it\/mastersviluppo\/<\/p>\n
SENGALAZIONE LIBRO DI GABRIELLA GHERMANDI<\/p>\n
Gabriele Sospiro<\/p>\n
Lo sentiamo un po\u2019 nostro questo libro di Gabriella Ghermandi
\nintitolato Regina di fiori e di perle, pubblicato per Donzelli ormai
\nqualche mese fa. L\u2019autrice, italo-etiope, racconta di una grande
\nfamiglia patriarcale di DebreZeit, a poca distanza da Addis Abeba.
\nUn lungo viaggio nel tempo e nello spazio, in cui scorrono la vita e
\nle vicissitudini di una famiglia etiope nel periodo della dittatura di
\nMengistu Hail\u00e8 Mariam, e nel decennio successivo
\ndell’emigrazione. Un libro intenso che l\u2019autrice presenter\u00e0 venerd\u00ec
\n30 novembre alle ore 18 presso la libreria Feltrinelli di Ancona.<\/p>\n
AGENDA Circolo Culturale Africa
\nAltri<\/p>\n
Gioved\u00ec 29 novembre alle ore 17.00 presso la sala del consiglio della facolt\u00e0 di
\neconomia dell\u2019Universit\u00e0 Politecnica delle Marche vi sar\u00e0 la presentazione del libro
\n\u201cDiscorso sulla decrescita\u201d di Maurizio Pallante (Ministero dell\u2019Ambiente) con la
\npartecipazione di Stefano Sylos Labini (ENEA). Vista l\u2019importanza del tema si
\nconsiglia la partecipazione.
\nVenerdi 30 Novembre alle ore 18:00 presentazione del libro \u201cRegina di fiori e di
\nperle\u201d di Gabriella Ghermanti presso la libreria Feltrinelli di Ancona.
\nGioved\u00ec 6 Dicembre alle ore 10.00 presso la Facolt\u00e0 di Scienze Politiche
\ndell\u2019Universit\u00e0 di Macerata sar\u00e0 presentato il rapporto sullo Sviluppo Umano
\ndell\u2019United Nation Development Program (UNDP) 2007 \u2013 2008. Si ricorda che dal 27
\nnovembre sar\u00e0 possibile \u201cscaricare\u201d gratuitamente (www.UNDP.gov) il rapporto del
\n2008 dal titolo \u201cFighting climate change: human solidarity in a divided world\u201d.
\nQuindi quest\u2019anno il rapporto si concentra sul tema dell\u2019ambiente e della relazione
\ntra quest\u2019ultimo e la povert\u00e0 e lo sviluppo umano.<\/p>\n
WWW.CIRCOLOAFRICA.EU<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
3986-newsletter-del-centro-di-documentazione-e-ricerca-per-la-cittadinanza-attiva<\/p>\n
4742<\/p>\n
EmiNews 2007<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"