<div>That posting reveals some mind searching statistics. Being a product of the UNDP, an organisation whose track record at stymeing development projects in less developing countries, begs for some questions on its veracity. A friend of mine in latin America once wrote to me comcernig UNDP that '"I believe that they should just scrap this thing-UNDP out" My friend added that the local Director of UNDP was very reluctant in disbursing funds necessary for the smooth carrying out of the project the friend was carrying there - my friend did not say if the said Director needed bribe . "Aaron, do you know one thing, this Director will be the first and the last to leave during cocktails organized within the frame work of this programme, and you could see the person eating gorgeousely' and I will feel like snashing the plate and dumping it to the ground". That same UNDPstory can be told by many NGOs in less developing countries around the world. If you have a friend that has once handled a project funded through UNDP, do emquire.
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<div>On the other hand, the statistics claimimg that most of the poorest people in 2015 will be in Africa, is the true projection of the West ambivalent policies on African pilferers called 'Heads of States'. The West has been very silent when it comes to making strong policy pronouncement on monies stolen by African kleptocrats and stashed in Western havens. Of course, it is his same monies that is taken and reloaned to the poor African masses in terms of "aids".We cannot talk of fighting poverty when we perpetually keep others in the state of poverty. That is gimmicking.
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<div>The milllenium development goals can only be made if the West accepts to be transparent in her dealings with Africa.<br><br> </div>
<div><span class="gmail_quote">On 3/25/07, <b class="gmail_sendername">David Allen</b> <<a href="mailto:David_Allen_AB63@post.harvard.edu">David_Allen_AB63@post.harvard.edu</a>> wrote:</span>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">
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<blockquote><font face="Arial" color="#993300" size="-1"><b>Online Atlas of Millennium Development Goals</b></font></blockquote>
<blockquote><font face="Arial" color="#333399" size="-1"><b>The new World Bank</b></font> <a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://devdata.worldbank.org/atlas-mdg" target="_blank"><font face="Arial" color="#333399" size="-1">
<b>Online Atlas of the MDGs</b></font></a><font face="Arial" color="#333399" size="-1"><b> is a visualization of the Millennium Development Goals:</b></font></blockquote>
<blockquote><img height="7" alt="*" width="7"><font face="Times New Roman" color="#333399" size="-2"> <span></span> <span></span> </font><font face="Arial" color="#333399" size="-1"> - Explore maps of key indicators for each of the eight MDG goals. It is designed to make a wide range of data for over 200 economies easily accessible
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<blockquote><img height="7" alt="*" width="7"><font face="Times New Roman" color="#333399" size="-2"> <span></span> <span></span> </font><font face="Arial" color="#333399" size="-1"> - Resize countries to reflect comparative values.
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<blockquote><img height="7" alt="*" width="7"><font face="Times New Roman" color="#333399" size="-2"> <span></span> <span></span> </font><font face="Arial" color="#333399" size="-1"> - Zoom in on countries and pull up quick tables of supporting indicators
<br><br>Available in French and Spanish</font></blockquote>
<blockquote><font face="Arial" color="#333399" size="-1"> </font></blockquote>
<blockquote><font face="Arial" color="#333399" size="-1">Website:</font> <a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://devdata.worldbank.org/atlas-mdg/" target="_blank"><font face="Arial" color="#333399" size="-1">
http://devdata.worldbank.org/atlas-mdg/</font></a></blockquote></blockquote>
<div><font face="Arial" color="#333399" size="-1"><br></font></div></span>
<div>This, for me anyway, is a remarkable piece of work. Such visualizations are able to bring home realities that otherwise would be lost. Let me point at another, related achievement.</div>
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<div> <a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://www.gapminder.org/" target="_blank">http://www.gapminder.org/</a></div>
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<div>Hans Rosling and his team have been revolutionary as they make data accessible. Try either of the presentations there, also his own talks.</div>
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<div>(I believe it may have been a post to this list that, some time back, alerted me - if so, this is just a periodic update.)</div>
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<div>David</div></div></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Aaron Agien Nyangkwe<br>Journalist/Outcome Mapper<br>Special Assistant To The President<br>ASAFE<br>P.O.Box 5213<br>Douala-Cameroon<br>Tel. 237 337 50 22
<br>Fax. 237 342 29 70