<<May 28, 2008>>

<<May 28, 2008>>
Archived distributions can be retrieved at;
<http://preview.tinyurl.com/35zedj>
This archive includes a html version of this list distribution and its MS/WORD version with its filename as “month-date-year.doc.” You can also access all of its attachments, if any.

Patrick R. D. Hayford <hayford@un.org>

Dr. Thomas Mensah <gaaerosp55@aol.com>

Salah H. Mandil, Ph.D. <salah.mandil@bluewin.ch>

Muriel Glasgow, MPH <muriella@gmail.com>

Bruce Lincoln <bruce_lincoln@yahoo.com>

Dear E-Colleagues:

(1) In the past list distributions, I often mentioned about the following conference;

The Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV):
Toward a Vibrant Africa: A Continent of Hope and Opportunity
From 28 to 30 May, 2008, Yokohama, Japan
<http://www.ticad.net/index.shtml>
<http://tinyurl.com/5yj8nw>

(2) Additional info about it are as follows;

(a) NGOs struggle for a voice in policies to help Africa grow
Asahi.com (May 26,2008)
<http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200805260057.html>

(b) Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) Sets Agenda for Hope and Opportunity
Japan’s Corporate News (May 26, 2008)
<http://www.japancorp.net/Article.Asp?Art_ID=18341>

(c) Fukuda to promise aid, loan package for Africa
Daily Yomiuri Online (May 25, 2008)
<http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20080525TDY01304.htm>

(3) You may also enjoy reading the opening speech by the Japanese Prime Minister, Mr. Fukuda, in ATTACHMENT I and II below.

As you see in them, he pledged US$ 4 billion for the construction of transportation infrastructure (i.e., super highway) connecting various African countries.

BTW, Mr. Kuroda, President of the Asian Development Bank pledged US$ 18 billion for the construction of transportation highways in the Central Asia;

$18 Billion Plan to Build New 'Silk Roads' through Central Asia
http://www.adb.org/Media/Articles/2007/12241-central-asian-roads-transports/default.asp

This project is to construct a modern-day equivalent of the ancient Silk Road as connecting 8 countries in the Central Asia.

As I said before in my previous list distributions, this will be the best opportunity to deploy ultra high-speed (say, 2 Tera bps) optical fiber network along the highway — see the list of our previous list distributions about this idea in ATTACHMENT II of the following list distribution;

(05/24/08) 5000 Ph.D. in 10 yrs Program at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia
<http://tinyurl.com/6q355b>

Dear Pat:

(4) We would greatly appreciate it if you can inform us about your experience with the TICA-IV when you attended it. Did anyone discussed about the idea of bundling the projects of Information Highway with the one for the Transportation Highway?

(04/24/08) (1) UN University seminar and (2) Respectfully requesting support to African Information Superhighway
<http://tinyurl.com/57u8bj>

Dear Tom:

(5) Referring to my following list distribution, I would like to know if you can form a team for our idea of having the ultra high-speed optical fiber network along with the Trans-African transportation highway;

(05/20/08) Follow-up on the Idea for Trans-Africa Ultra High Speed Optical Fiber Network
http://tinyurl.com/42trqx

Dear Salah

(6) Many thanks for your recent msg indicating your strong willingness to participate in technical and strategic planning of this project of Trans-Africa Ultra High Speed Optical Fiber Network.

Your WHO experiences in many African countries would be very valuable for socio-economic development with this project in Africa.

Dear Muriel:

(7) Many thanks for your recent msg indicating your wish to participate in this project.

Dear Bruce:

(8) Many thanks for your msg (ATTACHMENT III) -- yes, I remember you well.

Dear Salah, Muriel and Bruce:

(9) Pls send me a half (or 2/3) page length of your brief descriptive bio — see Tom’s as an example in Attachment I of;

(02/14/08) Idea for Trans-Africa Ultra High Speed Optical Fiber Network
<http://tinyurl.com/3x4roy>

(10) It would be most desirable to have the deployment of the telecom infrastructure meet with the vision of content delivery, i.e., e-learning, e-healthcare/telemedicine, and of course, including e-government, e-commerce, etc., etc.

Installation of the so-called “connectivity” to provide Internet access is very important first step, but it is not sufficient. Namely, there ought to be serious consideration on the vision and direction how to effectively utilize such basic social infrastructure. The latter should direct the former, because the deployment of broadband Internet requires huge investment, and yet, the basic principle of Internet enables “sharing” to bring drastic cost reduction — only if stakeholders are ganged up together. But, alas to my dismay, this has often been ignored or forgotten, especially by the Japanese government so that many of their taxpayers’ money has been wasted.

“The interdependency of application and network development required for successful deployment of distributed information systems is all too often overlooked by ICT professionals.” -- quoted from <http://www.ait.gr/acadPrograms/course_dis.asp#div10> of Athens Information Technology.

I once mentioned of this to Mr. Chikaraishi at the headquarters of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Tokyo several years ago.

The above was quoted from Item (5) of;
(09/13/05) Triple Play=Convergence of Telecom and Broadcasting and Mini-workshop in Cambodia next February
<http://tinyurl.com/58e4j6>

Subsequently, the purpose of this project team is to provide suggestive advices from users’ viewpoints to properly guide the policy-makers and vendors who would engage in its deployment.

Keep in touch.

Best, Tak

ATTACHMENT I

Fukuda offers $4 billion for African development
05/28/2008
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
<http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200805280235.html>

YOKOHAMA--Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, in a speech Wednesday opening a conference on African development, announced Japan's aid to Africa, including $4 billion (420 billion yen) in yen-based loans to build infrastructure.

"A new page in 'the century of African development' is about to be opened. Africa will become a powerful engine for the world's growth in the future," Fukuda said at the start of the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV).

The prime minister stressed Japan's resolve to support Africa, which has started to show signs of economic growth based on surging prices of natural resources.

Fukuda said improving infrastructure is the most important measure to accelerate economic growth.

Tokyo will provide up to $4 billion in loans for the construction of transportation infrastructure and other facilities over five years.

Japan will also double new yen loans and grants in official development assistance (ODA) to Africa to a scale worth around 200 billion yen by 2012.

Fukuda also expressed deep concerns about rising food prices and promised to direct to Africa a considerable part of the $100 million in emergency aid that Japan announced in April to deal with the crisis.

He also said Japan will help to double rice production in Africa in 10 years.

As for global warming, which will be a key topic at the Group of Eight summit at Lake Toyako, Hokkaido, in July, the Japanese government has already established a $10-billion funding mechanism to help developing countries reduce climate-changing gas emissions.

Fukuda said he wants to see the mechanism, called Cool Earth Partnership, promoted in all parts of Africa.

He also emphasized the need to reform the United Nations so that Japan can play a more effective role in maintaining peace in the international community, including Africa. He called for support in Tokyo's bid to become a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council.

Leaders and officials of 52 African nations and international organizations are represented at the conference, which closes Friday.(IHT/Asahi: May 28,2008)

ATTACHMENT II

Japan pledges to double aid to Africa by 2012 to spur growth and attract investment
May 28, 2:29 AM EDT
Daily Yomiuri Online
<http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_GEN_JAPAN_AFRICA_AID_ASOL-?SITE=YOMIURI&SECTION=HOSTED_ASIA&TEMPLATE=ap_national.html>

By TOMOKO A. HOSAKA
Associated Press Writer

AP Photo/KATSUMI KASAHARA

YOKOHAMA, Japan (AP) -- Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda pledged Wednesday to double Tokyo's aid to Africa by 2012 to spur growth and attract private investment, as it looks to exert greater influence over the continent and its resources.

In particular, Japan will provide up to US$4 billion (€2.5 billion) in flexible, low-interest "soft loans" to Africa over the next five years for infrastructure projects, Fukuda said at the start of the three-day Tokyo International Conference on African Development.

"In order to boost the momentum for African growth, the most important thing is the development of infrastructure," Fukuda said. "In particular, the experiences of Japan and other Asian countries tell us that improvements to transportation infrastructure play a critical role in attracting private investment."

Aiming to double Japanese private investment in Africa, the country will also offer US$2.5 billion (€1.6 billion) in financial assistance through the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, Fukuda said.

Tokyo currently provides 100 billion yen (US$1 billion; €630 million) to Africa in official development assistance.

Although Japan was the world's top donor in the early 1990s, its generosity has steadily fallen since then.

Japan's net official development assistance in 2007 was US$7.7 billion (€4.9 billion) - down 30 percent from the previous year - dropping the country to fifth place among foreign aid donors, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Its latest move to inject more aid into Africa comes as rival China expands its presence on the continent through massive aid and oil-linked investment.

Japan, which recently announced a US$100 million (€63.7 million) emergency food package, will direct much of those funds to Africa, Fukuda said. The prime minister also challenged Africa to double rice production to 14 million tons over the next 10 years, offering Japan's technical expertise to help reach the goal.

"We are deeply concerned by the fact that many African countries are in great difficulty as a result of the recent sharp rise in food prices," Fukuda said.

To address Africa's shortage of health care providers, Japan will train 100,000 people in Africa over the next five years as health care workers, Fukuda said.

He also promoted Japan's climate change initiative, through which it seeks to provide US$10 billion (€6.4 billion) over five years to help developing countries cut greenhouse gas emissions while boosting economic growth.

In a statement, anti-poverty group Oxfam International spokesman Takumo Yamada said Japan needs to reverse its falling overseas aid.

"What Prime Minister Fukuda decides this week will set the tone for this summer's G-8 summit where we expect action on the promises to Africa - not more rhetoric or fancy accounting," Yamada said, referring to the meeting of leaders of the Group of Eight top industrialized countries in July in Hokkaido, northern Japan.

Japan is hosting officials from major international organizations and about 40 African leaders for this week's meeting.

Tanzania President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete said Japan's focus on Africa's infrastructure "resonates very well" with the continent's leaders and people.

"You have captured the essence of what needs to be done to unlock Africa's development potential," he said of Fukuda's proposal.

But he said the Japanese government should do more to encourage trade and investment between Africa and Japan's private sector. Citing World Bank figures, Kikwete said that between 2002 and 2004, just 0.4 percent of Japan's US$108.5 billion (€69.1 billion) in foreign direct investment went to sub-Saharan Africa.

Kikwete said most of the perceived risks of doing business in Africa no longer existed.

"Africa is a safer, prospective and lucrative place to invest and do business," he said.

ATTACHMENT III

From: Bruce Lincoln <bruce_lincoln@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: <bruce_lincoln@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 27 May 2008 07:08:29 -0700 (PDT)
To: <utsumi@columbia.edu>

DR. Utsumi:

I'm Bruce Lincoln and I hope you remember me. I gave testimony to the Broadband Advisory Council in Queens. We are also associated through CITI where I am doing work in Ultrabroadband and Rural Broadband. I am also affiliated with a foundation called Nexus Mundi which is interested in deploying technology in Zambia. I'm writing to you because I am interested in the work to deploy a terabit network in Africa. I hope this finds you well and I look forward to your response. Thank you.

List of Distribution

Patrick R. D. Hayford
Director
Office of the Special Advisor on Africa
United Nations, Room S‑760M
New York, NY 10017
Tel: (212) 963‑3461
Fax: (212) 963‑3892
hayford@un.org

Dr. Thomas Mensah <gaaerosp55@aol.com>

Salah H. Mandil, Ph.D.
Senior Expert Consultant on eStrategies & eHealth,
to the ITU and WHO,
Vice President
eStrategies & eHealth,
WiseKey S.A.,
and,
Former Director,
Health Informatics & Telematics,
World Health Organisation,
29, Route de Prés-Bois,
1215 Geneva,
Switzerland.
tel: +41.22 929 5757
cel: +41 79 425 4742
+41 79 753 7301
fax: +41.22 929 5702
salah.mandil@bluewin.ch

Muriel Glasgow, MPH
Director, Sustainable Relationships
Genie Investments Global, Inc.
Your Business Wish is Our Command
New York, New York, 10022
212 826 9697
muriella@gmail.com
muriella@gigincglobal.com
Hubbie - Humanity Unites Brilliance <http://muriella.hubhub.org > -- Joyously give, joyously receive
http://genieinvestmentsglobal.com
www.superteaching.org
http://snipurl.com/superteach
http://unitednationsyak.com
Editor, Muriella's Corner, <http://muriellascorner.com/Subscribe> online newsletter on health and nutrition

Bruce Lincoln
Chief Design Scientist
Urban Cyberspace Company
143-45 West 116th Street, Suite 5B
New York, NY 10026-2573
347-993-5171
bruce_lincoln@yahoo.com

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* Takeshi Utsumi, Ph.D., P.E., Chairman, GLOSAS/USA                           *
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* http://www.friends-partners.org/GLOSAS/                                     *
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