Globalization of Democracy in Africa - Book Report/Review Example

7 February 2008 Globalization of Democracy in Africa Grant, Andrew;Ian Taylor "Global governance and conflict diamonds: the Kimberley Process and the quest for clean gems" The Round Table, Volume 93,Number 375, July 2004 , pp. 385-401(17) Routledge. 5 February 2008 < http://www.iss.co.za/pubs/ASR/13No2/AWPearce.htm> The diamond industry spans throughout Africa, as does civil war and political upheaval. Angola has been through civil war in the past three decades, and the gruesome events in Angola and Sierra Leone had catastrophic consequences for the people living in the region. The notion of 'blood diamonds' or 'conflict diamonds' resulted from media exposure to these events and prompted the United Nations and the international community to find mechanisms to exclude from international commerce any diamonds traced to rebel movements. The Kimberley Process was devised through a series of meetings and consultations among representatives from government, civil society, and the diamond industry to develop a framework that aims to end the conflict diamond trade. This article assesses the challenges and accomplishments related to the regulatory framework regarding the 'chain of warranties' upheld by wholesalers and retailers. The authors consider conflict diamonds to be a pressing human security concern in international politics, and trace the evolution of the Kimberly Process in shaping 'global governance and multi-track diplomacy'. DeBeers and Endiama are diamond companies working in Africa, and both follow the Kimberly Process to insure there diamonds are not traced to rebel groups or conflict. Endiama is the national diamond company of Angola, while DeBeers is multinational and collaborates with many different governments including Botswana. The Kimberly Process is part of their core business strategy to avoid aiding war and human rights abuses. Lewis III, Loyd R. "Angola Diamond Mining and War" Trade and Enviroment Database, American University (June 14, 1997). 5 February 2008. The history of the war in Angola is discussed in this article, including the role of the diamond industry. During the civil conflict, Endiama and DeBeers were competing to mine the diamonds in Angola, and each company had alliances with different factions of the war. This article was written in 1997, before the Kimberly Process was developed and while conflict was ongoing. There is a strong bias in this article against the multinational companies operating in Angola during this time, but it provides a greater understanding of why steps had to be taken by DeBeers and Endiama to reconcile the their role in the strife. "The nation's key diamond producer is leading Angola to a brighter future" Summit Communications report. 5 Feb 2008 This webpage promotes Endiama as the country's major player in the diamond industry that "sees Angola's progress as a cause that runs parallel to its commercial objectives, which are the prospecting, research, extraction, cutting, and marketing of diamonds." This is a report from an independent communications company which analyses issues important to the business and financial communities of the United States. It states that Endiama is deeply committed to its social programs, and excels in the health sector. While this is not a scholarly source, it demonstrates areas in which Endiama is reaching out to the community. Social Responsibility. Endiama- National Diamond Company of Angola- Company website. 5 February 2008 < http://www.endiama.co.ao/eng/dsview.phpid=5> This page lays out eight recommendation that the company should take to establish social and community responsibility. An example recommendation is "ENDIAMA and Companies of the Group should establish partnerships with the provincial Governments, with the aim of defining the programmes to be executed in the economic and social sectors, paying special attention to the sectors of education, community health, basic services (water and electricity), sports, culture and housing" The company does not provide examples or case studies to demonstrate that their principles have been carried out in the Angolan community. This website is useful to understand the direction Endiama is moving in, but sheds limited light on what steps what already been taken to improve social conditions in the country. Pearce, Justin. WAR, PEACE AND DIAMONDS IN ANGOLA: Popular perceptions of the diamond industry in the Lundas. Published in African Security Review Vol 13 No 2, 2004. 5 February 2008 < http://www.iss.co.za/pubs/ASR/13No2/AWPearce.htm> This article gives background information on administrative entities that have operated in Angola beginning with the Portuguese colonial administration, which had a secondary role in developing the region and providing services. The authors content that there is currently "the perception that the mining companies, rather than the state, are responsible for the welfare of the population". People believe that the government and the mining companies share the same interests, and are benefiting from each other, therefore share responsibility for building infrastructure and providing services. This article contends that "while many of the foreign corporations that work in partnership with Endiama profess to have social responsibility programmes, there is little evidence of any recent social investment in the areas where these corporations are most active.". The authors further criticize Endiama's internal dealings and its business with its partners, because they are conducted in an atmosphere of secrecy. In fact "there is no clear data available to facilitate comparison between Endiama's revenues and its contributions to the treasury." The argument and evidence provided here present a critical viewpoint of the operations of Endiama, and further call into question the company's history of improving the communities they are involved in. Ethics: Poverty Elimination. DeBeers Group webpage. 5 Feb 2008 DeBeers has made a commitment to be active in addressing issues of poverty that are within its sphere. They suggest that diamonds have "provided significant economic and social benefits where DeBeers operates." They acknowledge that the Kimberly Process and the system of warranties does not cover all aspects of diamond collection, and developed an initiative to address "socio-economic deprivation affection small-scale informal diamond diggers.". DeBeers also launched a Diamond Task Force to provide skills to nations seeking to rebuild its diamond industry after a conflict. Todd Thompson "Bottling hope in Africa: Land O'Lakes providing boost to Ugandan dairy industry". Rural Cooperatives. May-June 2006. FindArticles.com. 05 Feb. 2008. This article describes the work of the international development division at Land O'Lakes. It discusses the development project in Uganda, and summarizes the technical assistance provided to the dairy industry. Smallholder farmers, milk-bulking cooperatives, processors of milk and value-added products were all recipients of Land O'Lakes development assistance. The company has worked to expand the dairy industry by making the process more efficient and by increasing consumption. They have raised income and profits for farmers and rural enterprises. This article was written by an employee of Land O'Lakes, and is not an objectively scholarly critique or analysis of the efficacy of the projects. However it demonstrates how the company is applying professional ethics to improve the community is operates in. "UGANDA USDA Food for Progress Program" Land O'Lakes International Development: 5 February 2008. The Land O'Lakes website describes its involvement in international development working to improve the efficiency of the dairy, crop and livestock production and marketing and in doing so improve the products and the member services. Agricultural development can promote economic progress, initiate trade opportunities, secure stability, reduce hunger and improve nutrition for women and children. The website lays out the various sectors company experts are working in and discusses specific examples of communities they have engaged in. This site is useful because it contains the corporation's values and business ethics as well as giving examples of how they have been implemented. A Ndambi, T Hemme and U Latacz-Lohmann. "Dairying in Africa- Status and recent developments". IFCNDairy Research Center at the Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Kiel, Germany. Livestock Research for Rural development 19 (8) 2007. 5 February 2008 This article reviews trends in the dairy sector in Africa from 1990 to 2004. It gives a general overview of milk production and consumption, concentrating on policies and trends that have impacted development. Data from the International Dairy Federation is analyzed to show that milk production and consumption has increased. The article calls for support services, sector policies, and organizational structures for dairy farms in order to strengthen the informal sector and encourage specialized small and large scale dairy production. The article mentions the milk marketing campaign in Uganda specifically, names Land O'Lakes as an international body that is developing strategies to promote milk production and consumption in Africa. Improvements in the dairy sector have led to improvements in the livelihoods of milk producers, as well as the nutritional status benefiting women and children. This article helps demonstrate that Land o'Lakes has improved the communities it works in through practicing a high standard of professional business ethics and following through on its stated corporate values. Obi, Cyril I. "Global and Environmental Conflict in Africa" African Association of Political Science. Vol. 4 No. 1, 40-62 (1999) 5 February 2008. http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/political%20science/volume4n1/ajps004001004.pdf This article focuses on the relationship between globalization and environmental conflict in the Niger delta. It examines the role of multinational oil companies in creating economic, political, and environmental crisis in the Niger Delta. The national and global context of the oil industry is considered in this critique. The relationship between the state and the oil companies is examined to understand how they share power and profits, and how this relationship makes it more difficult for the "social forces of local resistance" to influence and gain from the oil producing activities where they live. The author views the oil companies as a major contributor to environmental conflict, and uses the operation in the Niger Delta as a case study for how the oil industry created a scarcity of resources that provoked conflict. The rights of the populations in the oil producing regions were subjugated by the oil multinationals "and their partner the state" in their "quest for profit". The role of globalization in the local community is demonstrated by the changes brought by international players in the industry. This article provides a contrasting view to that of the oil companies, and draws from examples like the state execution of opposition leaders to show how the community has been negatively affected. It is relevant to my inquiry to demonstrate the viewpoints of stakeholders who have differing perspectives and needs. Responsible Employer: 2006 Corporate Citizenship Report. 2003-2008 Exxon Mobil Corporation. 5 Feb 2008 < http://www.exxonmobilafrica.com/Africa-English/PA/Responsibility/AF_CR_Responsible_Overview.asp> The Africa section of the corporate website states that "We are committed to promoting respect for human rights and to serving as a positive influence in the communities where we operate." It discusses the programs it has implemented to combat malaria and HIV/AIDS as well as other issues. Exxon Mobil follows Standards that "are consistent with the spirit and intent of the United Nations' (U.N.) Universal Declaration of Human Rights as it applies to private companies and with the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work of the 1998 International Labor Organization (ILO) Declaration. These policies support our commitment to human rights, freedom of association, elimination of forced or compulsory labor, abolition of child labor, and equal employment opportunity." The website describes the company policy for a number of the challenging situations present in the Niger Delta region, but does not highlight and specific examples. This information helps demonstrate the ideals of business ethics in the oil company, but does not provide much insight into how the ideals are carried out. Read More