Noting the Nuances, Part 3.

Karl Fisch and Scott McLeod, in their updated version of the highly acclaimed video “Shift Happens” deliver a compelling presentation; outlining certain changes happening around the world that shape the way we live and will continue to do so for quite some time. In many ways, the presentation is a call to the younger generation as well as to educational institutions urging them to modify instructional models to prepare for the challenges of the future. As world economies inch steadily towards globalization, Africa’s position, or lack thereof, in the light of circumstances described in the presentation becomes even more uncertain. If we still struggle with the problems of poverty, disease, and war; how can we hope to thrive in a global arena?

In his book The World is Flat, Thomas Friedman outlines some basic necessities that nations must possess in order to have a comparative advantage with others. He mentions Governance, Infrastructure and Education and insightfully notes how the movement of capital/investment from developed to developing nations is driven by these factors. “…capital does not just move around the world looking for the cheapest labor….It is looking for the most productive labor at the cheapest price, and that requires you to get those three basics right.” As the problem of governance remains a huge part of the African predicament, many have turned to private initiatives as it seems African leaders lack the will or wherewithal to brings us out of our present state.