Experiencing Development in

Africa

IDSA02H3 2014

Agenda

• Course objectives• History and purpose of the course• Learning expectations• Class format• Key activities• Evaluations• Student involvement

Course Objectives

• Understanding the complexity of economic, social, political, and organizational issues that act as barriers to development in African countries;

• The reality of working with partners in capacity building in a developing country setting;

• The skills - including research, proposal writing, presentations, collaboration, event planning, fund-raising - that are needed to move development projects forward.

History of the course

• Joint course with African Studies Program• An experiment with experiential learning at

the first year level• Student-centre and problem-based learning• Thematic approach • Partnership with CAABWA

http://www.caabwa.com/

Models of learning

• Traditional class-room based• Service learning– Community based– Travel abroad– Internship– “Voluntourism”

• Co-op• Life-long learning

Evaluation

Why Africa?

Myths and Perception

Which Africa?

“a continent of opportunity— the last emerging investment frontier” Kofi Annan

Kofi AnnanFormer Secretary General of the UN

“ Real GDP [in Africa] grew by nearly 5% annually between 2000 and 2008 – twice the level of the previous two decades; According to the African Development Bank, 6 African countries are forecast to enjoy growth this year above seven per cent; 15 countries above five per cent; and 27 countries above three per cent; Direct foreign investment has soared from $9 billion in 2000 to $52 billion in 2011; The IMF [predicts] the continent will have as many as seven of the ten fastest-growing economies in the world over the next decade.”

http://kofiannanfoundation.org/newsroom/speeches/2011/02/future-africa

Dambisa Moyo

French map of Africa c. 1911 with colonial claims. British possessions are in yellow; French possessions in pink; Belgian in orange; German in green; Portuguese in purple; Italian in striped pink; Spanish in striped orange; independent Ethiopia in brown

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scramble_for_Africa

http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/africa/africaa.htm

http://exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/teachers/curriculum/m5/activity5.php

http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/interactive/2011/jul/11/a-political-history-of-africa-interactive

http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story.html

Why NGOs?

http://theglobaljournal.net/top100NGOs/

Just 2.6% of articles on Wikipedia are about Africa despite the continent containing 14% of the world's population

http://geography.oii.ox.ac.uk/#information-imbalance-africa-on-wikipedia

Impact of powerful foundations?

A Rising Wave of Criticism?

Some iNGOs we will be visiting

http://www.savethechildren.ca/page.aspx?pid=469

http://plancanada.ca