Posted in: Foreign Nations
The poor performance of African economies and economies where the people are of colour other than whites have prompted people to ask whether poverty is a black or a colour thing.
This question about poverty being a black thing has gained credence in many circles. This question is also asked about Africa because it is the poorest continent on earth. It is a continent where for 30 years there has not been any concrete economic development compared to the rest of the world. It lags behind all the other continents in terms of economic and social development. Most if not all the countries African continent have similar economic problems namely high unemployment, high inflation, higher deficits, poor state of economic and social infrastructures including roads, harbours, education, airports, telecommunication, health and sanitation and rail system. Africa is a continent where people die for lack of food, water, and against common preventable diseases. It is a continent full of misery, desperation and hopelessness. It is a continent where very few children under the age of five survive the menace of the six killer diseases. It is a continent where people have no access to basic necessities of life. It is a continent where people walk several miles for water and children have no access to education and medical services. It is a continent where rural life is nothing but a condemnation to abject poverty. It is a place where people live in mud/thatched houses with bamboo/raffia leaves as roofing sheets. It is a continent full of wars and armed conflicts. It is a continent of dictators and kleptocrats, a continent where corruption is rewarded and achievement is shunned, a continent where entry into public life/service is seen as a means to acquiring wealth and a means of getting top positions. It is a continent where life expectancy is low and corruption very high.
So is it a colour or race thing? I must say that I do not agree or subscribe to the notion that poverty has any colour inferring in it and that the underdevelopment and impoverishment which is prevalent on the African continent is deeply rooted in centuries of slavery and colonialism, coups, armed conflicts, brain drain, endemic corruption and mismanagement, dictatorial rule, Kleptocracy, foreign interventions and the fight for control of the natural resources.
Slavery and Colonialism
Centuries of slavery and colonialism deprived the continent of her able human and economic resources. The able men and women were carried away to work in the plantations of the Americas (in all about 30 – 40 million people) and they helped to make America and Europe what they are today. Millions of young Africans were forced to abandon the continent of their origin and were transported several thousands of miles away unto a land where they had no historical attachment with. They travelled in very deplorable conditions, without adequate food, water and air. When they reached the so called new worlds they were made to work from morning till sun set the only time they had on their own was Sundays in which they had to everything that they needed on their own such planting their crops, repairing their homes. It was a very nasty experience having to work for ours without pay. Some even worked till they dropped dead. The slave trade deprived the continent of her energetic men and women a vital resource in any development process and sunk the continent into intellectual wilderness.
Looting of Resources
About the same time that slavery was being vigorously pursued, the natural resources including timber, gold, diamond, tin ore, ivory and many more were looted in large quantities by the European countries namely Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain and Italy. After slavery was abolished the looting of the natural resources continued. The irony is that virtually all the income from these resources was used to finance the economic and the infrastructural development of the European countries with little or nothing at all being used to develop the various countries where these resources came from. A clear example is the case of Democratic Republic of Congo where King Leopold II of Belgium enslaved the Africans, forced them to work without pay, killed about 10 million and looted the country of her resources and virtually nothing was used to invest in the country except guns which the Belgium army used to terrorise and kill the Africans. When the DRC was transferred from Leopold II to the Belgium state the looting and killing continued till DRC gained her independence in the 1960s. In fact DRC (Congo Free State) was the main supplier of rubber a vital raw material for the tyre industry and all the money from the sale of the rubber went to Belgium. King Leopold II was able to transform Belgium as one of the poorest countries in Europe into one of the wealthiest courtesy the enslavement and looting of Africans and their resources.
Belgium was not alone in what she did to the continent. Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany and Italy all looted Africa of her gold, diamond, ivory, timber, cobalt, coltan, tin ore, bauxite, manganese and all the minerals you can think of. The Africans who resisted the illegal activities were killed in their millions as happened in South West Africa (now Namibia) where the Germans in 1904 to 1907 committed the first genocide of the 20th Century by killing the Herero and the Namaqua people. While Europe became richer Africa became poorer and the trend continued till the 1950s when the African countries started to gain their ‘independence’ beginning with Libya in 1951, Sudan, Morocco, Tunisia all in 1956 and Ghana in 1957.
With little or no investment in the continent the various post colonial governments inherited countries with practically no infrastructure: roads, rails, harbours, telecommunications, education, health and sanitation and airports. The only areas which saw some few infrastructure investments during the colonial days were those where raw materials were heavily extracted. The attainment of independence did not come on silver Plata. Algeria, Zimbabwe, Angola, Kenya, Namibia and to some extent South Africa all attained their independence from their colonial masters through arm struggles and in most cases the few infrastructures that existed were destroyed due to the conflicts.
Foreign Involvement
As if slavery, colonialism and the looting of the continent’s resources were not enough the continent became a battle ground during the Cold War as the two super powers and their allies battled for influence and control on the continent mainly for her resources. As a result many African governments who were deem to be pro-Russia or America were overthrown using the military. A case in point was the overthrow of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana on February 24th, 1966. Another example is the overthrow and assassination of Patrice Lumumba of Congo on January 17th 1961.Other leaders such as Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for either advocating for independence or improvement of conditions of Africans. CIA and the western intelligence community have been implicated for engineering the assassinations and overthrow of elected leaders of Africa. For example Larry Devlin, the CIA Station Chief in Congo during Patrice Lumumba’s days spoke to Washington Post in December 2008 saying he refused an order to assassinate Patrice Lumumba but his refusal did not stop the CIA and the Belgium government from overthrowing and assassinating him. The assassination attempt on Gamal Nasser of Egypt on 24th October 1954 and the assassination of President Anwar Sadat in 1981 were alleged to be the work of Britain’s M16 due to their refusal to hand over the administration of the Suez Canal to the British.
The CIA, KGB and their allies encouraged and financed wars and political instabilities throughout the continent. Angola became the battle ground for the CIA, KGB and the Chinese as each tried to gain control over the country, her people and resources. The civil war that engulfed Angola in 1975 only ended in 1991 after 26 years of conflict. When the war ended the few infrastructures that remained after the war of independence (1961-1974) were gone.
On March 7, 2004 Simon Mann a British citizen, a veteran mercenary and former officer of Britain’s elite Special Forces (SAS), and 69 other mercenaries were arrested at a military airfield outside Harare, Zimbabwe .Their destination was Equatorial Guinea in West Africa. Their mission was to overthrow Teodoro Obiang Nguema, president of oil-rich Equatorial Guinea, a nation of 600,000 people. During his defence he mentioned some powerful members of the British establishment as his financiers and backers including Jack Straw UK Justice Minister, Peter Mandelson former European Union Trade Commissioner and now Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise &Regulatory Reform, Sir Mark Thatcher a businessman and son of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Jeffrey Archer a key Tory member who was convicted for perjury and Ely Smelly Calil a Lebanese oil trader accused of bankrolling the plot. Mark Thatcher was arrested in South Africa and charged with supplying the aircraft that carried Simon Mann to Harare. Mr. Thatcher pleaded guilty in South Africa and was later made to pay 300,000 pounds in exchange for a prison sentence. The coup plotters were to put Severo Moto, an opposition leader living in Spain in charge of the country. The coup was to give both the plotters and their backers unquestionable free access to the oil resource in the nation. If the coup had succeeded Mann and his cronies would have turned Equatorial Guinea into one of the usual sad stories in Africa- bloodshed, corruption, mismanagement, poverty and what have you. The governments of Spain, South Africa and others in the west were seriously implicated for being privy to the plot. Thanks to the vigilance of the Robert Mugabe regime the coup was nip in the bud. Unfortunately, most resource rich countries on the continent have not been all that lucky.
Among those mercenaries who sought to return Africa to their former colonial masters was Bob Denard. In fact, Simon Mann is just a small fish compared to Bob Denard, a French who made a career as a mercenary overthrowing leaders in Africa. When Bob Denard died in 2007, he had more than a dozen of coups to his credit. Four of those coups took place in Comoros Island alone. French author Jean Guisner, who has followed Denard’s career and written extensively about the French government, says Denard did nothing that was contrary to French interests – and he allegedly acted in close cooperation with intelligence services. Denard’s mercenary career took place between the 1950s and the 1980s. During that period, he is reported to have been involved in post independence Nigeria, Benin in 1977, Angola, Zaire – now DRC and the former Rhodesia – which is now Zimbabwe. Registering their frustration and lack of justice for the Comorians, Mr. Abdou Soule Elbak, former president of Grande Comoro said “This man sullied our history”, referring to Denard. “I regret he was not made to answer to all the crimes he committed in our country, the murders and the torture which he was guilty of,” said Moustoifa Said Sheikh, leader of the Democratic Front Party. All these mercenary activities took place on the continent because of the natural resources.
The product of all these were the political instabilities and the wanting destruction of lives and property that have bedevilled Africa till today. As the elected leaders of the continent were assassinated, overthrown and subjected to all forms of cold war tactics including bribery, arm twisting and blackmail the continent degenerated and faulted on all aspects of human endeavour. The new crop of leaders who replaced the post colonial independence leaders and who were largely puppets of the European and American governments became increasingly authoritarian and corrupt. Joseph Mobutu Sese Seko who became the choice of the Americans after they help to assassinate Lumumba ruled Congo for 32 years and in those years the country became poorer as Mobutu and his cronies got richer and the western countries notably USA and her allies had free hand looting the mineral resources most importantly cobalt a very important mineral needed for missile development. Little development activities was carried out by Mobutu. As a result Congo today can only be accessed by boats and canoes mainly through the River Congo.
As tyrants and dictators gained the support of western governments and did whatever they wanted with their economies without questions their people became poorer and hopelessness and desperation were the hallmarks of their lives. As the little money that came into government coffers were taken by corrupt government officials and civil servants there were almost no money to carry out infrastructural development and the poverty deepened. Poverty, desperation and hopelessness visited the people and coupled with their inability to change their leaders democratically, dissents were sowed among the population which serve as breeding grounds for more coups, civil wars and civil disturbances. This was evidence in Ghana, Nigeria, Niger, Ivory Coast, The Gambia, Liberia, Mauritania, Algeria, Gabon, Togo, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Central Africa Republic, Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda and Sierra Leone all experienced coups in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and even in the early 1990s. These waves of coups were followed by civil wars that hit Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Congo, Chad, CAR, Somalia, Uganda, Sudan, Angola, Niger and Guinea. These wars apart from it human cost also contributed to the destruction of roads, harbours, airports, rail lines, telecommunications, hospitals, schools and the livelihoods of the people. With the absence of infrastructures the countries have been unable to make any headway in terms of economic development.
World Bank, IMF & the Role of Foreign Corporations
The World Bank and the IMF (Bretton Wood Institutions) and foreign companies have also played their part in making poverty endemic on the continent. Most African countries incurred billions of debt through loans contracted from the Bank and IMF. Most of these conditional loans were used to service debts already owned by these poor countries. The loans were also used to pay foreign expatriates who came to the continent as ‘technical experts’.
Some of these loans were also used to undertake projects and programmes that benefited only the rich. Again part of the loan was also siphoned away by corrupt politicians and civil servants.
The structural adjustment programme (SAP) forced on the poor African countries by the Bank and the IMF forced the various governments to abandon their support for the public sector with serious consequences. The withdrawal of farm subsidies in particular has made it difficult for farmers to compete with their Western counterparts who receive millions of dollars of government subsidies every year. The unrests and disturbances over food shortage and high food prices that occurred in Egypt, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mauritania, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Somalia and Sierra Leone in 2008 were the direct result of the Bank and IMF bitter pills prescribed to these poor countries.
Due to SAP and other policies of the Bank and IMF investment in education, health, transportation and other sectors of the economy declined considerably. The governments were also forced to privatise state owned companies. The sad aspect of this exercise was that almost all the companies went to foreigners and the proceeds used to settle debts already owned by these poor nations. Unable to pay their debts and more cash trapped these poor countries turned to the bank and IMF for more loans and the Bank response was open up your markets for foreign goods and accept globalisation. As a result the continent has become a dumping ground for foreign goods. Unable to compete with the influx of cheap foreign goods most local firms have no choice but to close down, laying off several millions of workers and devastating many families. Mr. John Jenkins the author of the ‘Confessions of an Economic Hit Man’ has written extensively about how the Bank, IMF and the various big cartels and corporations conspired to keep Africans and the developing world in the state in which they are today. Please watch John Jenkins on youtube as he tells his extraordinary story on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTbdnNgqfs8
The presence of companies such as Shell, Mobil, Chevron, BP, Total, Rio Tinto, Texaco, BHP Billiton, Anglo-American and others have contributed to the high poverty levels on the continent. These companies who are mostly resource extraction in nature have destroyed the once rich soils of Africa, forcing many farmers to abandon their farms and loosing their livelihoods. Rivers, wells and streams used by the people for their everyday activities such as washing and drinking have been polluted by these profit making companies. Fishing in most mining and oil drilling communities has ceased as pollution has killed fish stocks in these rivers and lagoons rendering the fishermen unemployed. Communities which were once beaming with life are now ghost communities as land, rivers, lagoons and wells have been destroyed. Respiration, nausea and other mining related diseases are on the increase in many communities where mining and oil drilling are taking place but these profit making companies have abandon their corporate social responsibilities which they owe to the people. In August 2006 a Dutch company called Trafigura dumped highly toxic waste in Abidjan, Ivory Coast killing 17 people and sickening thousands. Such inhumane acts byTrafigura is just a tip of the iceberg.
Brain Drain
The poverty on the continent has also come about as result of serious brain drain that has hit the continent in recent times. The flight of doctors, engineers, architects, lawyers, judges, bankers, accountants, teachers, nurses, planners, agricultural experts and others have limited our ability to implement development projects and programmes. The flight of these intellectuals has rendered many government agencies very weak. In some communities there are hospitals without doctors and nurses. In others there are universities and colleges without lecturers and teachers. Countries like Malawi, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ghana, and Liberia have lost so much of their professionals to the very rich countries of Europe and America so much so that many of their sectors have resorted to hiring foreign expertise in order to cope. For example there are more Malawi doctors in Manchester City alone than the whole of Malawi combined. The irony is that governments use scarce resources to train these intellectuals only for them to leave the country for greener pastures abroad. Britain and the US are major recipient of these brain drain and even though they are aware of the tremendous negative effect it is having on these poor developing countries, they have done nothing to discourage it, in most cases they have encouraged it.
Corruption and Mismanagement
Corruption is another cancer that has tragically made the continent very poor. From South Africa to Egypt there is no country where corruption is not endemic. According to the Africa Union (AU) around $148 billion are stolen from the continent by its leaders and civil servants. In 2006 Forbes’ list of most corrupt nations had 9 out of the first 16 countries coming from Africa. Since oil was first discovered in Nigeria about 50 years ago, several billions of dollars have been realised from its but today the whole population continue to live in abject poverty and the country has nothing to show for it. As a result able men and women are battling dangerous seas just to enter Europe and try their luck. Others have resulted to 419 a popular scam used to trick people into given out their money and valuables. Those who seem to have benefited from the oil are corrupt politicians, civil servants and the big oil corporations such as Shell, Mobil, BP and their American counterparts. In fact Nigeria has consistently featured in the top 1% of the most corrupt nation on the planet. Between 2005 and 2007 several state governors and their immediate families were arrested by Scotlandyard in London on corruption and money laundering charges. Among them are James Ibori of oil rich Delta State and his wife Theresa who had their 35 million dollar asset frozen by the English court. Mr. Ibori earns about a thousand dollars a month but during his eight years as a state governor he managed to acquire wealth to the tune of $35m and was a key financial contributor to the campaign of the current president of Nigeria. He owns a private jet and lavish London home. Another corrupt governor is Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, governor of oil-rich state of Bayelsa who was also arrested in London for money laundering charges. Mr. Alamieyeseigha broke his bail conditions and evaded capture in Britain by dressing up as a woman. When Police conducted a search in his London home they discovered one million pounds worth of cash in his home. Another governor who was arrested in England was Joshua Dariye of Plateau State. He was arrested in a London hotel for stealing money meant for development of his state. In South Africa Jacob Zuma is still battling it out with the court for his part in the multi-billion arms deal in 2001 in South Africa. He was forced to resign as Deputy President of South Africa. The late Mobutu in his 32 years as President of Zaire, now DR Congo amassed several billions of dollars belonging to the Congo people. In 2006 former president of Malawi Bakili Muluzi was arrested for pocketing $12m donated to his poor country by foreign governments. Again former Zambia president Frederick Chiluba was arrested together with two business men Aaron Chungu and Faustin Kabwe and charged with 11 counts of stealing money meant for the Zambia’s development. In Equatorial Guinea where oil export has earned the country billions of dollars, the 600,000 people living in the country continue to live in poverty while Teodoro Obiang Nguema and his cronies continue to siphon the oil revenue with no accountability. Gabon and Angola both Oil exporting countries are no different. In fact, the governments in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea can best be described as Kleptocracy that is government by thieves. In countries such as Nigeria, Egypt, Cameroon, The Gambia, Sudan, Uganda, Libya, Tunisia a Kleptocracy class of people have replaced anything democracy. In these countries very few people continue to remain in power and the people have no say in the way their country is govern or run. For example Gaddafi of Libya has been in power for 39 years now. Omar Bongo of Gabon 31 years, Teodoro Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea 28 years, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe 28 years, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt 27 years, Paul Biya of Cameroon 26 years, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda 22 years, Omar Al Bashir of Sudan 19 years, Iddriss Derby of Chad 17 years, Yahya Jammeh of Gambia 14 years, and the list is unending. What is clear is that these unelected leaders continue to amass wealth at the expense of their poor countries and continue to mismanage whatever remains of their corrupt acts. Because most of the leaders are former military officers or former rebels with no grasp of economics and management, they are unable to formulate any good economic policies that will make their economies grow hence poverty has become a part of the people but their leaders know not what poverty is. A visit to the Niger Delta region of Nigeria shows that majority of the people are unemployed. Years of oil spills have made the soil unfit for any agricultural activity. Their streams and wells are polluted and the people have no access to basic necessities of life even though billions of dollars is realised from the sale of oil from that region every year. In the 1990s economic hardship, abject poverty, and destruction of the environment forced the people of Ogoniland to demand a say in which Shell operates but the military regime led by Gen. Sani Abacha arrested the environmentalists led by Ken Sorowiwa and executed them. It is these monies meant for the development of the states that these state governors were caught trying to bank away in Europe. Every effort to get the Nigeria government to develop the oil rich areas fell on death ears until the unemployed youth took up arms against the federal state. They kidnapped foreign oil workers and demanded ransom before their victims were released. They disrupted the oil production forcing the oil companies to move several miles offshore for their own safety but they were not safe either. Eventually, the companies had to reduce their output by 25% in 2007-8. These disruptions affected supply of oil in the world market forcing the price to skyrocket to $140 a barrel in the summer of 2008.
In DR Congo it is estimated that gold and diamond deposits alone could fetch the country 23 trillion dollars not to mention the abundance of timber and other several minerals that are found in large quantities such as columbo-tantalite (coltan) and cassiterite (tin ore) yet years of corruption, mismanagement, conflicts and foreign involvement have made this resource rich nation one of the poorest in the world. Coltan for example is used in every mobile phone and a number of electronic devices in the world. Cassiterite used in electronic circuit boards is the most traded metal on the London Stock Exchange. It is often said that western nations cannot maintain their current level of lifestyle without Congo and most corporations in the west can easily go bust without Congo. The question is if Congo is the blood line of the west and the west is rich because of Congo then why is Congo so poor? And where are the billions of dollars from the sale of these minerals? The answer lies in the history of the nation which is corruption, slavery, colonialism, assassinations, armed conflicts and foreign involvements. Since her independence from Belgium in 1960 there has not been peace in the country. Several millions of Congolese have died about 4 million of them in the last eight years alone and most of the dead are civilians. The conflict in Congo is largely about who controls the vast resources in he country. The huge size of the country has made its administration very difficult. And the problem is exacerbated by weak, ill-trained, undisciplined and very corrupt Congolese army who abduct, terrorise, rape and murder the people instead of protecting them.
The various militia groups operating in the east of the country have made life very difficult and unbearable for the civilian population. These armed groups with backing from Rwanda and Uganda have largely operated in the region with impunity – abducting, raping, massacring and stealing from the poor people. Jean Pierre Bemba who is now facing war crimes in The Hague was a notorious warlord whose activities have not escaped the international criminal court (ICC). Another notorious warlord who is still operating with impunity is Laurent Nkunda. A visit to Walikale town in the east of the country explains in vivid terms why the people are so tragically poor. People have abandoned their farms and moved to the mines but whatever is made from the mining is taken away from them by the Congolese army and the ever present predators i.e. the armed groups. These armed groups force the people to mine the minerals without pay. Unable to farm and not paid for their toil, most of them have to credit food in order to survive. Everyday in Walikale about 16 aircraft fly out of the city with loads of minerals bound for Rwanda. These stolen minerals further find their way in the western mineral market in London and Switzerland. The proceeds are shared by the warlords in Congo, the Generals, politicians and the businessmen in Rwanda and the rest is used to acquire weapons that are used to terrorise the people and prolong the war. Please click the link below to watch a video of Congo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io8c81xHLmw
Recommendations and Conclusion
It is clear that several forces within and outside the continent have contributed to making the continent the poorest on earth. But there is no time to look back but a time to look forward and get our acts together, organise ourselves and start doing something. The progress that has been made by China, India, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia the Gulf countries including Bahrain, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates Saudi Arabia and Qatar over the last 30 to 50 years shows that poverty has got nothing to do with colour or race. Nations become poor because their leaders fail to formulate policies and programmes that address their problems.
To reverse the negative impact of centuries of slavery and colonialism on one hand and decades of coups, civil wars, corruption, mismanagement and foreign interventions on the other hand, the governments should focus their attention on reforming their democratic institutions and allow free and fair elections to be organised. They should do more to fight corruption and mismanagement, establish independent corruption watchdogs, strengthen the judiciary, and be accountable to the people.
They should curtail the power of the army and embark on concrete, sound and result driven policies and provide more incentives to discourage brain drain.
The governments should embark on building social and economic infrastructures – schools, hospitals, roads, rail lines, telecommunications, airports, harbours, markets, that will lay the foundation for economic and social development. They should establish research institutions to find out how best to use the various natural resources to benefit the people. As the saying goes ‘resources are not but they become’ that is to say you may have all the natural resources in the world but if you do not have the ability to convert them into useful commodities/ consumables to benefit the people they are nothing.
The AU should be more concerned about fighting poverty than just been a talking shop for corrupt, kleptocrats and dictators.
Lord Aikins Adusei
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Posted in: Community Level
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Posted in: Foreign Nations
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Prior to 1990, nearly all of the real estate located in Romania was owned by the state. This real estate was owned either directly by the government or by state owned entities. With the overthrow of the Communist regime in that country, there has been a slow and somewhat plodding liberalization of the real estate laws within the country.
The years under dictatorial control left Romanian in worse economic shape that any other Eastern European nation. In addition, unlike some other countries from the Soviet Bloc, Romania has been slow in digging out for years of repression and economic mismanagement. With that said, there is some light at the end of the tunnel that likely will result in more foreign nationals taking a second look at investing in Romania.
In 2007, Romania will join the European Union. It is expected that when this occurs, the real estate laws within Romania will move in a direction to make them more in line with the real estate laws in other EU nations
Investment Property in Romania
At the present time, individual foreign nationals cannot buy and own real estate in the country. In point of fact, foreign nationals cannot even inherit and then take title to real estate situated in that country. The only manner in which a foreign national can invest in real estate in Romania is through a duly established corporation or limited liability company that is established under the statutes and regulations of Romania.
Residential Real Estate in Romania – Single Family Properties
For the most part, there is no foreign ownership of single family dwellings in Romania at this point in time. Because the only manner in which foreign nationals can take title to and own real estate in Romania is through a corporation or limited liability company, there are very few enterprises that have been established for the purpose of purchasing and taking title to single family dwellings.
In addition, although Romania has been working to establish a more stable market economy in recent years, due to the amount of time that it was under the yolk of a dictatorial regime, the real estate market is shaky. The demand for single family residents is spotty throughout the country. A good share of the more recently built single family residences are not necessarily constructed in a particularly sound manner. In addition, many older properties are in a state of disrepair.
Residential Real Estate in Romania – Apartments
A significant portion of the Romanian population currently dwell in apartments. There has been some movement by foreign nationals to become involved in commercial enterprises — within the parameters established by the Romanian Constitution and related laws — that own apartment buildings or complexes in the country. At this juncture, most investors in such real estate ventures have not made exceptional profits in these ventures. However, there is hope (reasonably placed for the most part) that when Romania is integrated into the EU, the Romanian economy overall and the real estate market specifically will experience growth.
Holiday Property in Romania
tourism in Romania is not, as of this juncture, a significant industry. Therefore, when it comes to the real estate market involving vacation or holiday properties, there is not a significant amount of activity at this juncture. Up until 1990, foreigners were barely allowed into the country in the country. And, any foreigners that were permitted into the country certainly were not allowed to visit most areas in the country. Up until the 21st century, vacation and holiday travel into Romania almost was unheard of.
In reality, Romania is not without its points of interest when it comes to tourism. However, there remains much to be done in regard to reinvigorating the infrastructure of the country before there can be much of a market in tourism. The government is working on these matters at the present time. Once again, when Romania enters into the EU, there is a high probability that there will be an increase in the number of visitors to the country in the future.
Specific steps to buying real estate property in Romania
At the present time, the Constitution of Romania prohibits a foreign national from directly owning real estate in Romania. Even if a foreign national inherits real estate, that foreign national simply cannot take possession and ownership of inherited real estate in that country. This Constitutional provision — and companion statutes and regulations enacted by the government of Romania since 1990 — is not in step with what is in place in other countries that comprise the European Union. Thus, it is fairly to safe to assume that there will be fairly significant pressure on the Romanian government to liberalize its real estate laws to at least permit ownership of real estate in Romania by foreign nationals who reside in one or another of the other EU nations.
With that said, there is not specific proposal on the block at this time to liberalize the real estate laws even for foreign nationals from EU member nations. However, and again, the main underpinnings of the EU involve free commerce between the countries that comprise the EU. Such free commercial activity would be significantly impaired in regard to Romania and other EU nations should the laws (and Constitutional provisions) in Romania remain so stringent (and strident) when it comes to the issue of foreign ownership of real estate in Romania.
With this said, a Romanian company may own real estate in the country even if that company is owned 100% by a foreign national. Obviously, foreign nationals who have an expressed interest in owning real estate in Romania, either for investment purposes or as part of a business enterprise, are establishing companies — corporations or limited liability companies — within Romania.
The process for creating these entities is not that difficult. Generally, foreign nationals are retaining legal counsel in Romania to assist them in establishing these entities. There are lawyers in Romania that now specialize in this type of legal affair.
Provided that a foreign national or group of foreign nationals have duly established a bona fide corporation or limited liability company in Romania, the process for purchasing real estate within the country is not particularly complex on the surface and in and or itself. The process commences with the execution of a preliminary contract for sale. Via this document, the purchase price is established and a deposit is made by the buyer. In most instances, the deposit is set at an amount equal to 10% of the overall purchase price of the subject real estate.
During the interim between the execution of the preliminary or initial sales agreement and the date of the signing of the final agreement conveying ownership of the real estate to the buyer, the purchaser is obliged to obtain any necessary financing that he or she will need to effect the purchase of the real estate. (Again, in the case of a foreign national, the financing arrangements will need to be made by and the mortgage loan issued in favor of a duly established Romanian legal enterprise in the form of a corporation or limited liability company.
At this juncture it is important to keep in mind that Romania is a country fraught with problems when it comes to the title to real estate. The process of checking title to real estate in Romania is convoluted and difficult. Efforts have been made by the Romania government in recent years to clarify this entire process, and to clean up titles to real estate. But, the work and effort in this arena is far, far from complete.
The Romanian government has created a national property registry office. But, the office has been slow in dealing with the myriad of issues pertaining to title to real estate in the country.
Another problem pertaining to real estate in Romania centers on the fact that in many instances that real estate cannot be used as collateral for a loan. In this regard, unlike in nearly every other country in the world, the real estate that is the subject of a sale and for which financing is being obtained, in many instances will not be able to be used as collateral for a loan. In other words, if a person (or company) wants to buy real estate in Romania and needs a loan to do so, that person or company will need to use some other form of collateral for the loan beyond the real estate that is being purchased.
Once again, and has been noted, it is likely that there will be changes to the real estate laws on the books in Romania. Indeed, those changes will need to reach the Romanian Constitution as well. The entry of Romania into the EU in 2007 will be the primary reason that the Romanian government is likely to set upon a course to liberalize the real estate laws (and Constitutional provisions).
Property Abroad always recommends using a Solicitor or Lawyer.
Les Calvert
Posted in: Community Level
Shoes continue to hit the headlines, whether it is an angry journalist firing his shoe at a president, or the red sexy high-heels worn by a running-mate of a would-be presidential candidate.
In Tikrit, Iraq, Saddam’s home town, a statue of a copper and fiberglass shoe, the size of a lounge suite, with a plant growing out of it, has been erected to the journalist who flung his size 10 shoe at President George W. Bush. Bush received more than he had anticipated on his unexpected visit to Iraq when an agitated journalist bellowed from the crowd, “This is for the widows and orphans and all those killed in Iraq”. He then flung the shoe, having called the president “a dog”. Bush later joked about the episode, particularly as he had successfully managed to stoop out of the line of fire.
A poem, in honour of Muntadhar al-Zeidi, the Iraqi shoe-throwing journalist, has been etched on the statue. In a community where even displaying the bottom of your shoe to somebody is a sign extreme dislike, throwing the entire shoe is the greatest form of insult.
Quick thinking Iranian students saw the incident as a once in lifetime opportunity and developed a shoe-throwing challenge on campus. Arabs around the world are applauding the episode and fast thinking IT programmers promptly produced a series of online games. Game participants are able to connect the shoe with Bush, where the journalist failed.
The shoe company, which is laying claim to being the producer of the now celebrated shoe, also saw this as a once in life-time, life-revising Blue Moon Opportunity. Their sales have skyrocketed.
Grandmother of one and mother of five, Sarah Palin, the running mate for the would-be president in the recent presidential election campaign, was known for being an avid fashion devotee. Sarah wore a pair of bright red, 10 cm sexy high heels, Mussa by Apepazza, when a family photograph was taken. These were recently put up for sale on eBay by her niece, for a cool $2,025.
Creating New Jobs by Investing in High-Speed Rail
“Aunt Sarah gave me the shoes after I mentioned that I thought they were neat. They weren’t a very good fit for me, so I made up my mind to let somebody else get some fun out of them”, said Palin’s niece. “These are the very high heels that hit made the news”.
The eBay ad said the buyer would receive Authentic Red Naughty Monkey Heels, size 7.5 worn/owned by Sarah Palin and an autographed picture of her in the heels. The buyer would also be given the choice to have the shoes autographed by Palin.
A custom Sharpie Pen was made specifically for Palin for autographing, while on the Presidential Campaign. This pen will be the one used to sign the high heels if the buyer requests it.
One can only guess where the next shoe of fame will come from. Will it be the shoe the miracle girl, Sunday Rose, Nicole Kidman’s daughter, wears when she takes her first step, or the shoe Kate Middleton flings at Prince William as she finally leaves the royal courts? Middleton has been courted by the prince for five long heartbreaking years.
Once in a lifetime, life changing Blue Moon Opportunities are all around you, even in a world reeling in financial crises. You just need to keep your eyes and ears open and make the most of every opportunity that comes your way. At Win A Resort we have a Blue Moon Opportunity for you, that could change your life. Take a few minutes to check it out.
Wendy Stenberg-Tendys
Posted in: Community Level
Director of the White House Office on Health Reform Nancy-Ann deparle, Tina Tchen, and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius host a stakeholder discussion on disparities in health care for minorities and low-income Americans. June 9, 2009. (Public domain)
A nurse is a health care professional who is engaged in the practice of nursing. Nurses are men and women who are responsible (along with other health care professionals) for the treatment, safety and recovery of acutely or chronically ill or injured people, health maintenance of the healthy, and treatment of life-threatening emergencies in a wide range of health care settings. Nurses may also be involved in medical and nursing research and perform a wide range of non-clinical functions necessary to the delivery of health care.
Nurses develop a plan of care, sometimes working collaboratively with physicians, therapists, the patient, the patient’s family and other team members. In the U.S. (and increasingly the United Kingdom), advanced practice nurses, such as clinical nurse specialists and nurse practitioners, diagnose health problems and prescribe medications and other therapies. Nurses may help coordinate the patient care performed by other members of a health care team such as therapists, medical practitioners, dietitians, etc. Nurses provide care both interdependently, for example, with physicians, and independently as nursing professionals.
According to the US Department of Labor’s revised Occupational Outlook Handbook (2000), “Registered nurses (R.N.s) work to promote health, prevent disease, and help patients cope with illness. They are advocates and health educators for patients, families, and communities. When providing direct patient care, they observe, assess, and record symptoms, responses, and progress; assist physicians during treatments and examinations; administer medications; and assist in convalescence and rehabilitation. R.N.s also develop and manage nursing care plans; instruct patients and their families in proper care; and help individuals and groups take steps to improve or maintain their health.”
The nursing career structure varies considerably throughout the world. Typically there are several distinct levels of nursing practitioner, distinguished by increasing education, responsibility and skills. The major distinction is between task-based nursing and professional nursing.
In various parts of the world, the educational background for nurses varies widely. In some parts of Eastern Europe, nurses are high school graduates with twelve to eighteen months of training. In contrast, Chile requires any Registered Nurse to have at least a bachelor’s degree.
At the top of the educational ladder is the doctoral-prepared nurse. Nurses may gain the PhD or another doctoral degree such as Doctor of Nursing Science (DNSc) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), specializing in research, clinical nursing, etc. These nurses practice nursing, teach nursing and carry out nursing research. As the science and art of nursing has advanced, so has the demand for doctoral-prepared nurses.
Registered Nurses generally receive their basic preparation through one of three basic avenues:
Graduation from an Associate of Science in Nursing degree-granting nursing program (two to three years of college level study with a strong emphasis on clinical knowledge and skills) earning the degree of ASN/AAS or ADN in Nursing.
Graduation with a three-year (Diploma in Nursing) certificate from a hospital-based school of nursing (non-degree). Few of these programs remain in the U.S. and the proportion of nurses practicing with a diploma is rapidly decreasing.
Graduation from a university with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (a four – five year program conferring the BSN/BN degree with enhanced emphasis on leadership and research as well as clinically-focused courses).
There are also special programs for “LPN to RN”, for people who hold undergraduate degrees in other disciplines, and for paramedics or military medics. Graduates of all programs, once licensed, are eligible for employment as entry-level staff nurses.
A typical course of study at any level typically includes such topics as:
Anatomy and physiology
Microbiology
Pharmacology and medication administration
Psychology
Nursing ethics
Nursing theory
Nursing practice
Legal issues in nursing practice
All pathways into practice require that the candidate undergo clinical training in nursing. Care is delivered by the student nurses under academic supervision in the hospital and in other practice settings. Clinical courses typically include:
Maternal-child nursing
Pediatric nursing
Adult medical-surgical nursing
Geriatric nursing
Psychiatric nursing
While in clinical training, student nurses are identified by a special uniform to distinguish them from licensed professionals.
In many nursing programs in the United States, a computerized exam is given before, during and upon completion to evaluate the student and nursing program outcomes. This exam upon completion of the nursing program is done to measure a student’s readiness for the NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN state board licensure exam. The exam identifies strengths and weaknesses and provides the need for remediation prior to taking the state board exam. This is not a requirement of all nursing programs in the United States, but has increased its usage in the past three to four years.
It is common for RNs to seek additional education to earn a Master of Science in Nursing or Doctor of Nursing Science to prepare for leadership or advanced practice roles within nursing. Management and teaching positions increasingly require candidates to hold an advanced degree in nursing. Many hospitals offer tuition reimbursement or assistance to nurses who want to continue their education beyond their basic preparation.
Many nurses pursue voluntary specialty certification through professional organizations and certifying bodies in order to demonstrate advanced knowledge and skills in their area of expertise.
All U.S. states and territories require RNs to graduate from an accredited nursing program which allows the candidate to sit for the NCLEX-RN, a standardized examination administered through the National Council of State Nursing Boards. Successful completion of the NCLEX-RN is required for state licensure as an RN.
Nurses from other countries are required to be proficient in English and have their educational credentials evaluated by an association known as the Council of Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools prior to being permitted to take the U.S. licensing exam.
Government regulates the profession of nursing to protect the public. In the U.S., the individual states have authority over nursing practice. The scope of practice is defined by legislative and regulatory laws which are administered by State Nursing Boards.
Many states have adopted the Model Nursing Practice Act and Model Nursing Administrative Rules created by the National Council of State Nursing Boards (NCSNB). In addition, many State Nursing Boards model their licensure requirements on the Uniform Core Licensure Requirements which set forth competency development and competency assessment principles.
Nurses may be licensed in more than one state, either by examination or endorsement of a license issued by another state. In addition, the states which have adopted the Nurse Licensure Compact allow nurses licensed in one of the states to practice in all of them through mutual recognition of licensure.
Josh Stone
Posted in: Foreign Nations
With the introduction of globalization and increase in Trade relations between nations, there has been an increase in import and export of goods between countries. This serves as a great way to expand businesses and open new markets for companies with an eye for opportunities. Globalization allows them to acquire market share in the global economy. It also serves as a catalyst for faster growth and brand building.
In this competitive world, advertising is critical. With globalization in place, you need to be more aggressive in your advertising as you are not only competing with local businesses but businesses across the world. This is nature of the import and export business. Those who are able to build a good global brand name will eventually become the market leader.
When discussing about import and export, let?s understand what it actually means. An import is any good or service brought into a country from another country in a fair and acceptable fashion, typically for use in trade. Imported goods or services introduce domestic consumers to newer things by foreign producers. In general, there are two basic types of imports: Industrial goods and consumer goods.
Companies usually import goods and services to supply to the domestic market at a cheaper price and provide goods that are superior compared to goods manufactured in the domestic market. But in total, there are 3 types of importers. First, there are those who import and sell products to the rest of the world. Second, there are those who import from foreign sources at low prices, and they sell to the domestic market only. And then there are those who import and sell products both to the foreign and domestic market.
An export is any specialized product, commodity or technology, shipped from one country to another country, typically for use in its domestic market. For example, India exports Darjeeling Tea to many other nations. Export of commercial goods normally requires trade agreements between two nations.
All businesses require B2B websites in order to advertise their products to the global market. These websites are used by businesses for capturing and following up on buy sell requests from companies in foreign countries. There are various kinds of leads portals where a company requiring some goods or services can post its requirements. Usually, posting an advertisement on a B2B website only requires a small posting fee.
Companies operating in different nations can choose to join B2B web directories. Such activities automatically generate import and export business for all members of the directories. International buyers and sellers can post their contact information to facilitate buying and selling. As the B2B directories continue to grow, companies find that they can import and export a wide range of products and services. Product categories include for Automobiles, Garments, Furniture, and Electronics etc. Services may include Education, Healthcare, Architecture, BPO etc.
Of course, the primary goal of the company is to attain the best possible Return on Investment (ROI). This can be achieved by taking advantage of online tools such as B2B portals that will allow them to conduct International trade with ease.
Gen Wright
www.weforum.org 30.01.2010 The International Monetary Fund is forecasting positive growth in 2010; yet, it warns the pace of growth will be too sluggish to prevent further increases in unemployment across the global economy. What is the outlook for the global economy in 2010? Josef Ackermann, Chairman of the Management Board and the Group Executive Committee, Deutsche Bank, Germany;Member of the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum; Chair of the Governors Meeting for Financial Services 2010; Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2010 Montek S. Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, India Christine Lagarde, Minister of Economy, Industry and Employment of France; Member of the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Washington DC Lawrence H. Summers, Director, National Economic Council (NEC), Executive Office of the President, USA Zhu Min, Deputy Governor of the People’s Bank of China, People’s Republic of China; Global Agenda Council on the International Monetary System Chaired by Martin Wolf, Associate Editor and Chief Economics Commentator, Financial Times, United Kingdom; Global Agenda Council on Systemic Financial Risk
Posted in: Foreign Nations
Nations from all over the globe are fond off its richness in cultural values, economic development, industrial development and all time government authorities have maintained healthy relations of India at global level. On the ground of development in various sectors India have achieved high ranks, as a result nations from all over the world look India always as a hot platform for the commercial ventures.
According to intellectuals and experts for the last 10 years India has become hub for outsourcing the work from developed nations and multinational even medium and small level of companies are outsourcing the part of their work to India. Due to development of knowledge base mass and fast IT developments in India, boom of outsourcing to India took place in recent years. The favorite areas where worldwide nations found India is best for outsourcing are Web development, Business process, Knowledge process, Technical & non technical support from call centers, Billing services, HR hiring, Accounting, Tax processing, Biotech research, telesales/telemarketing, etc. Today IT software and web development services are primary demand of the outsourcing firms. With the gradual interest of developed nations and support of the Indian government Outsourcing revolution took place and results in creation of Offshore Development Centers in various parts of India. They had started rendering services like offshore software outsourcing to clients, offshore web development, website development and many other customized IT services.
Role of Indian government for the outsourcing revolution for the last many years
Conversations With History – Philip Bobbitt
From the early 1990s India has adopted the rule of globalization liberalization and privatization on the domestic front as well as international trade. On the ground of these liberal policies various sectors of Indian business took pace in the productive manner such as before 1994 Indian telecom sector was under government control, then in year 1999 new telecom policy encourage private participation. Establishment of EOUs (export oriented units), STPs (software technology parks) and FTZs (Free trade zones) by the government has encouraged FDIs (Foreign Direct investment) to India. On the ground of outsourcing, India had started with medical transcription and recently reached to business process and web development services to outsourcing firms.
<b>Role of IT developments in Outsourcing Revolution in India</b>
IT outsourcing revolution is also an integral part of the total outsourcing, for the last ten years high profile IT companies have established their offices in India and made India a hi-tech hub for IT & web development services. Some of the multinational firms are IBM, Motorola, Yahoo, HP, Oracle, and Microsoft who have increased opportunities for the Indian market. The powerful role of The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) also cannot be denied for the IT developments in India and ultimately helping hands for IT services to offshore outsourcing. There are more than 1000 registered Indian IT companies as member of NASSCOM are contributing in providing services outside the India.
Btucker
Posted in: Community Level
[First published on the Doing Things Differently blog - #61 - Tighten Our Belts]
http://www.doingthingsdifferently.blogspot.com/
I was the columnist in The London Paper last week, suggesting that the recession is a good thing. Readers vote on whether they want more of you… and 96% did. I also had many comments calling this point of view “refreshing” and “inspiring”. In this, I hear a whispered hope for a move away from ‘business as usual’ to a more enjoyable and equitable way of running our economy.
At its best, this shake-up wake-up call will prompt us to re-prioritise and re-allocate resources. It will make us more aware of where we use money as an excuse to see ourselves as separate from others. Instead of this isolation, we will find ways of leaning in to human energy as our most precious resource and recognise our interdependence.
A great example of this is Liftshare - an organisation that works to bring about sustainable change by encouraging individuals to do things together. There are now 290,000+ people registered and several inspirational stories have emerged.
Sandra from Clacton-on-Sea started car-sharing as a way of saving petrol and impact on the environment and found that “two people who led separate lives have now become great friends, with all the benefits and opportunities that new friendships offer”. They socialise regularly, found they had tons in common, and get to chat, laugh and sing along to 60s and 70s music on the way to and from work.
Similarly with Emma from Swindon, her initial motivations were financial and environmental and says “I have benefited in ways I never imagined, including socially. The company is great, we share ideas, and we exchange knowledge about the local area – where the best markets are, what’s on at the theatre. As I know we have to rely on each other at a particular time of day, I’m much more efficient at work. I can no longer stay late to get things finished so I don’t faff about any more, I just get it done.
And there are wider community benefits, as Clare from Herefordshire describes: “We also pick up and drop off a regular prescription for a friend who has retired and finds it difficult to get to the doctors”.
With lifshare, we see the Triple Bottom Line of a solid, sustainable venture – intending to bring about economic, environmental and societal/inter-personal benefits through its activities. As we tighten our belts and make changes economically, perhaps we’ll also tighten our belts as a community, finding afresh how fulfilling it is to need each other.
Do Things Differently
1) If you had one tenth of your current income, what would you do differently? Make a list. Then assess: in what ways would any of this be preferable? What could you gain as side-effects of these changes? Plato said “Necessity is the mother of invention”. In which ways would your decreased income increase your creativity and innovation?
2) Now return to your current level of income – but keep those new ways in place. What would you do with all that extra money?? Which deeply fulfilling lifestyle benefits would all that abundance bring you?
(c) Corrina Gordon-Barnes, 2008
Corrina Gordon-Barnes
www.lucy-pinder.tv Quote: Lucy Pinder, Glamour Model “I’m really pleased to be involved with the Don’t Run The Risk campaign this year. The fact that people misuse level crossings and ignore warning signs is really surprising to me, especially when the consequences are so clear. This kind of campaign is really important to highlight the dangers of taking life-threatening risks to young men.” Quote: Mark Shaoul, Head of Marketing, Network Rail “Last year’s campaign had a noticeable effect on recorded incidents at our level crossings, which are one of the key safety points on the rail infrastructure. This year we have taken the campaign a step further, using data to identify specific level crossings for heavy weight local community activity. We’ve also stepped into new territory with a viral designed to reach those elusive 18-24 year old male drivers. All in all, our message is clear, if you run the risk at a level crossing, your chances of surviving if hit by a train is virtually zero” thenewsbureau.co.uk
Posted in: Foreign Nations
www.chinesewholesaler.com www.chinesewholesaler.com www.chinesewholesaler.com www.chinesewholesaler.comFashion wear and clothing, consumer electronics, furniture, office stationary and more. Feature China focus blog and global b2b trade lead directory. Chinesewholesaler.com is a manufacturer, export agent and B2B wholesale trade supplier with over 15 years trade experiences world wide. Chinese Wholesaler supply thousand of low cost wholesale products include arts, crafts, home garden decor, jewelry, beauty supply, nail art, nail jewelry, collectible arts, fashion wear and clothing, consumer electronics, furniture, office stationary and more. Feature China focus blog and global b2b trade lead directory. chinesewholesaler.com supply thousand of low cost wholesale products include arts, crafts, home garden decor, jewelry, beauty supply, nail art, nail jewelry, collectible arts, China, manufacturer, products, suppliers, trade, factory, jewelry, business, small business, shop, wholesale, clothing, fashion, import, export, b2b, China focus blog and global b2b trade lead directory. www.foodhealthdiet.com http www.canadapei.ca http www.leicestershireclassifieds.co.uk http www.wholesalesarong.com http www.labradornewfoundland.ca http www.departmentsfire.com
Increasing Trade relations between nations has led to increase in Import and export of goods between them. It serves as a great way to expand business and markets for their companies and allows them to take more impart part in the global economy. It also serves as a catalyst for faster growth and brand building.
An import is any good or service brought into a country from another country in a fair and acceptable fashion, typically for use in trade. Imported goods or services introduce domestic consumers to newer things by foreign producers. There are two basic types of imports: 1. Industrial and consumer goods.
2. Intermediate goods and services.
Companies usually imports goods and services to supply to the domestic market at a cheaper price and better quality than competing goods manufactured in the domestic market. Companies import products that are not available in the local market.
There are 3 broad types of importers:
1. One who import and sell products around the world
2. One who requires foreign source to get their products at lowest price.
3. Last type is the one using foreign source as part of their global supply chain.
An export is any specialized goods, commodity or technology, shipped from one country to another country typically for use in it’s domestic market for eg: India exports Darjeeling Tea to many other nations. Export of commercial quantities of goods normally requires trade agreements between both the nations. Import and export allow the Foreign Direct Investment flow in to the country. Exporting is a major component of international trade, and allows nations to go for specialization in certain domains of business. Every year the worldwide Import and Export trade of more than $2 trillion occurs, and it is slated to grow further in future.
Trade Lead is a means for capturing and follow-up a project. Trade Leads are means for capturing and following up a project of a company in one country by another in some other part of the world. There are various kinds of portals where a person requiring some goods or services will post about his requirements and the others following this trade lead will offer him to fulfill his need. This can also occur between consumers and companies operating in different nations thereby automatically generating import and export business. International buyers and sellers can post their trade leads to buy and sell, import and export a wide range of products and services. Product categories include for eg: Automobiles, Garments, Furniture, Electronics etc. Services may include for eg: Education, Healthcare, Architecture, BPO etc.
The job of the company is to attain the best possible Return on Investment (ROI) and take advantage of tools allowing them to do business.
Manu Vikram Singh
Posted in: Community Level
[First published on the Doing Things Differently blog - #61 - Tighten Our Belts]
http://www.doingthingsdifferently.blogspot.com/
I was the columnist in The London Paper last week, suggesting that the recession is a good thing. Readers vote on whether they want more of you… and 96% did. I also had many comments calling this point of view “refreshing” and “inspiring”. In this, I hear a whispered hope for a move away from ‘business as usual’ to a more enjoyable and equitable way of running our economy.
At its best, this shake-up wake-up call will prompt us to re-prioritise and re-allocate resources. It will make us more aware of where we use money as an excuse to see ourselves as separate from others. Instead of this isolation, we will find ways of leaning in to human energy as our most precious resource and recognise our interdependence.
A great example of this is Liftshare - an organisation that works to bring about sustainable change by encouraging individuals to do things together. There are now 290,000+ people registered and several inspirational stories have emerged.
Sandra from Clacton-on-Sea started car-sharing as a way of saving petrol and impact on the environment and found that “two people who led separate lives have now become great friends, with all the benefits and opportunities that new friendships offer”. They socialise regularly, found they had tons in common, and get to chat, laugh and sing along to 60s and 70s music on the way to and from work.
Similarly with Emma from Swindon, her initial motivations were financial and environmental and says “I have benefited in ways I never imagined, including socially. The company is great, we share ideas, and we exchange knowledge about the local area – where the best markets are, what’s on at the theatre. As I know we have to rely on each other at a particular time of day, I’m much more efficient at work. I can no longer stay late to get things finished so I don’t faff about any more, I just get it done.
And there are wider community benefits, as Clare from Herefordshire describes: “We also pick up and drop off a regular prescription for a friend who has retired and finds it difficult to get to the doctors”.
With lifshare, we see the Triple Bottom Line of a solid, sustainable venture – intending to bring about economic, environmental and societal/inter-personal benefits through its activities. As we tighten our belts and make changes economically, perhaps we’ll also tighten our belts as a community, finding afresh how fulfilling it is to need each other.
Do Things Differently
1) If you had one tenth of your current income, what would you do differently? Make a list. Then assess: in what ways would any of this be preferable? What could you gain as side-effects of these changes? Plato said “Necessity is the mother of invention”. In which ways would your decreased income increase your creativity and innovation?
2) Now return to your current level of income – but keep those new ways in place. What would you do with all that extra money?? Which deeply fulfilling lifestyle benefits would all that abundance bring you?
(c) Corrina Gordon-Barnes, 2008
Corrina Gordon-Barnes
LITTLE BIG PLANET Choose the adventure. Everything is built from scratch not a community level. I will create the story around the most popular comments or the most recurring. Check out my channel and sub if you like www.youtube.com FOR MORE MACHINIMA GOTO: www.youtube.com