Open Data for Africa, Youth Participation and Assessing Progress towards the MDGs

This blog, written by Ousmane Aly Diallo, is  part of the Wikiprogress focus on its Africa Network*.

 “African societies, like any other societies indeed, have to measure progress. But more importantly they have to define what is meant by progress. They have to hold a dialogue in a way that has not been done before.” - Pali Lehohla (Director General of Statistics South Africa).

Welcome to this week’s review of progress initiatives, articles and reports that focus on Africa. Here are the highlights from this week:

• The Global Humanitarian Assistance Report has been released. This year's report focuses on how international assistance has responded to humanitarian crisis, with sections on funding, recent emergencies and quick response to humanitarian crisis. The report sheds light on the growing role of non-traditional donors, the increasing levels of unmet humanitarian needs, as well as the importance of transparency and access to reliable information. 

• Abuja+12: Shaping the future of health in Africa. African Heads of Governments and States pledged during the AU Abuja Summit to eliminate pandemics, such as HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis, in Africa by 2030, as well as improve their national health systems and strengthen their pharmaceutical capacities. This summit helped to renew the commitments made during the Millennium Summit and the Abuja Summit in 2001.

• The Millennium Development Goals Report 2013 by UNDP, looks at the areas where action is needed most (i.a. hunger; maternal health; sanitation and environmental protection). This report also shows that the achievement of the MDGs has been uneven among and within countries.

• The Open Data for Africa initiative, hosted by AfDB, is now available for all 54 African countries. It is part of AfDB’s “Africa Information Highway” initiative, aiming to improve data collection, management, and dissemination in Africa. It will allow open access to the necessary data in order to manage and monitor development results in African countries, including tracking progress on the MDGs. (See video below.)

• The Economist devoted a special report on the Arab Spring, two years after its inception. The author Max Roedenbeck argues that the aspirations behind the movement are yet to be met and he proceeds to review what has been achieved so far. Duncan Green of Oxfam reviews the report and highlights its main points in this post.

• Malala Yousafzai spoke at the United Nations General Assembly this 12 July in defense of education for all, particularly for young girls. This blog, outlines three necessary steps to increase youth participation: listening, increasing involvement in decision-making as well as involvement in the implementation process.

We hope you enjoyed the week-in-review. Stay tuned the same time next week for another riveting read on the week that was.

 Yours in progress,

Ousmane Aly Diallo

* Wikiprogress Africa Network aims, to provide a platform for knowledge sharing on measuring progress in an Africa context.

The threat of youth unemployment in Africa

In his opening address at the OECD’s International Economic Forum on Africa, Olusegun Obsanjo warned that youth unemployment in Africa has reached a critical stage.

Speaking to the committee, the former President of Nigeria stipulated that with well over half of 15-24 year olds out of work, the potential for instability in the region had grown, as seen last year in the violent protests that erupted across North Africa and the Middle East.

In the last decade, Africa has experienced exponential economic growth. Going some way to shrug off the ‘Hopeless Continent’ tag tarred on it by The Economist, Africa created 73 million new jobs between 2000 and 2008 (All statistics in this article are taken from Promoting Youth Employment in Africa) and has more recently endured the financial crisis with many economies already growing at rates close to their pre-crisis averages. In line with these figures, six of the world’s ten fastest growing economies (2001-2010) were in sub-Saharan Africa.

On the surface this all seems promising, particulary the burgeoning job figures. However, these stats alone bely an underlying problem; only 10% of Africa’s job market is available to youths.

In almost adjacent fashion to Africa’s economic growth, Africa’s working age population grew rapidly in the last decade, between 2000 and 2008 it increased from 443 million to 550 million, an upsurge of 25%. 

If this trajectory continues then the continent’s labour force will reach 1 billion by 2040. With half of the continent’s population under the age of 20, Africa already has the youngest population in the world.

Despite improvements in education that will see 59% of 20-24 year olds with a secondary education by 2030, compared to 42% today, at present about 133 million young people (more than 50% of the of the youth population) are illiterate. Without the vital skills necessary for entering the labour market this group is marginalized.

Even for the educated youth problems could arise if Africa fails to implement an economic infrastructure that will provide sufficient employment opportunities for them.  Obsanjo emphasized the necessity for this support system, “If youth are given education and skill they will prosper...they must have financial support."

For Obsanjo, the prospect of a vast, under skilled and unemployed youth population is a serious concern – at the Forum he expressed that the disaffection felt by this generation could catalyze more Arab Spring-like revolts across Africa.

According to the World Bank, one in two young people who join a rebel movement cites unemployment as the main reason for doing so. In countries like Liberia, a state that has suffered two civil wars since the late 80s, unemployment is seen as one of the major cause of instability. Even in South Africa, the most developed country in the continent, the effects of high youth unemployment have triggered an upsurge in protests over the last few years,  the AFP (see video below) reports that, “Demonstrations have intensified in poor areas of South Africa with the number of protests rising eight fold in the last seven years – peaking at 111 in 2010.” In a derisive article written for AllAfrica.com, Glenn Ashton focuses on the South African governments faltering attempts to incorporate its politically active and restless youth into the country’s labour force. While the piece is openly one sided, it does provide further insight into this particular matter.

The devastating consequences of violence are all to clear from the recent horrors taking place in Syria, however, the economic ramifications of civil unrest should not be overlooked. According to the Africa Economic Outlook survey, the Arab revolutions caused “North Africa’s Gross Domestic Product to decline by 3.6 percentage points to near stagnation in 2011.” It is arguable that support systems for jobless youths must be put in place, not only to avoid bloodshed, but to ensure the sustainability of economic development in Africa.

Obsanjo concluded his speech by reminding the committee of the resourcefulness and dynamism of young people, and the necessity of including them in plans for Africa’s economic future. He stressed the importance of maximising the potential of youth by creating policies that provide education and opportunities. He closed with, 

“Youths must see themselves as agents. They must have the right attitude. They must not give up.” 

  

Robbie Lawrence, Wikichild Coordinator

@robbielawrence1

The Arab Knowledge Report 2010/2011: Why focusing on Arab children and youth is necessary for the future of the region

The Arab Knowledge Report 2010/2011, carries on from the 2009 report of the same name and calls for the building of a knowledge society. The report emphasises the need to invest in the region’s youth, starting from early childhood, to enable them to build capacity, confront challenges and to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development throughout the region.

Children aged 15 years or less constitute 45% of the total population of the Arab region whilst young people aged 15-24 years, account for approximately 21%. In line with relevant literature, these figures indicate the potential for a future demographic dividend for the region which if capitalised upon, will further assist economic growth due to the improved ratio of productive workers to child dependents in the population (Ross J, 2004). Nevertheless, in order for a demographic dividend to materialize, the well-being of today’s children, tomorrow’s adults’ needs to be ensured. To become productive members of society individuals need a good start in life which includes, but is not limited to, effective social, emotional, mental and physical development, as well as access to education.

As documented by the report, not all of the necessary components required to achieve this end are present within the region resulting in the following issues for children and youth:

- The illiteracy rate amongst the Arab population aged 15 years and above was 29% in 2007 compared to 16% globally, 20% in developing countries, 9% in Latin America and 7% in East Asia.

- Coverage of children aged 0-6 in early childhood public childcare centres was an estimated 19% in 2010 compared to 41% globally.

- Child well-being, health status and child mortality indicators for the Arab region are far below developed country levels.

- The primary education enrolment rate was 84% in 2007, having increased from 78% in 1999, however net rates reduced in Jordan, Lebanon and Oman during the same period.

- Approximately 67% of young people are enrolled in secondary education in the region with females lagging males by an estimated 5%.
Source: Arab Knowledge Report 2010/2011

The Arab youth were key actors in the Arab Spring, the wave of popular protests that took place in 2010-2011 across the region, calling for change, political reform, social justice and an end to corruption. Their activism revealed deep frustrations as well as the power of this group and contributed to end the reign of long standing leaders in certain countries throughout the region.

In his address to the Global Colloquium of University Presidents at Columbia University, New York City (April 2, 2012), the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon stated, ‘When we talk about youth, we have to look beyond demographics to why young people are so powerful. Youth are often the first to stand against injustice. Youth is a time of idealism. Young people are a force for transformation’ (United Nations Secretary General, 2012).

The strategy proposed by the report of starting ‘from the ground up’ by building a new base of knowledge for children and youth and, creating foundations for the renewal of society’s knowledge base clearly acknowledges the force of the Arab youth for transformation and articulates the role they should play in the future of the region. In doing so it sets the region in good stead to convert its young demographic into a demographic dividend.

Additionally, it provides a strong guide for how the region may progress as well as a comprehensive methodology for measuring progress in the area of child well-being.

Hannah Chadwick
Wikichild Consultant

References:
Ross J, 2004, Understanding the Demographic Dividend, http://www.policyproject.com/pubs/generalreport/Demo_Div.pdf
United Nations Secretary General, New York, 2 April 2012 - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's keynote address to the Global Colloquium of University Presidents at Columbia University [as prepared for delivery] http://www.un.org/sg/statements/index.asp?nid=5971

The week in review

The week in review 09.02.2012

Hello, glad you could join us for the Wikiprogress week in review -- a handful of headlines that have caught our eyes over the last week. You can find all news articles and blog posts on the progress community in the  Wikiprogress Community Portal      

On subjective well-being

Bronwyn Bare, a nurse working in palliative care in Australia has recorded the most common regrets of the dying: first on her blog, Inspiration and Chai and more recently in her book: The Top Five Regrets of the Dying - A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing, (Balboa Press, 2011).  Her findings from conversations with people in their last 12 weeks of life have resonated strongly with current discussions on subjective well-being.

Read the Guardian article on the top five regrets of the dying. Read also, commentary from The World Bank Impact Evaluations blog and commentary by Nic Marks, well-being expert at the new economics foundation.

See more and contribute to the Wikiprogress article on Subjective Well-being

On peace
Measuring Peace in the Media (VOH 03.02.2012)
For the second year, the Institute for Economics & Peace and Media Tenor have jointly analysed global television networks coverage of peace and violence issues. The report found that the only two networks which were either 50% accurate or more were SABC News @ One and ABC World News with 56% and 50% accuracy, respectively.
See more and contribute to the Wikiprogress article on the Global Peace Index

On Revolution 2.0
Wael Ghonim on Egypt's uprising (The Economist 07.02.2012)
One of the most recognised faces of the Arab Spring, activist and Google executive Wael Ghonim, speaks to the Economist about the role the Internet played in bringing down the Mubarak regime and what the future holds for Egypt.
See more and contribute to the Wikiprogress article on the Arab Spring

On gender equality
Women, Girls and ICTs (Wikigender debate)
This week Wikigender hosted its first online discussion on the role that access to ICTs can play in promoting opportunities for women and girls.  Direct discussion comments and comments from Twitter all leaned towards the added value of social networks in empowering women and girls.
Have your say: contribute to the Wikigender online discussion until Friday 10 February! A summary of the discussion will then be posted on Wikigender.

Report releases:
Two report released this week caught our eye:
Multidimensional Poverty Analysis – Looking for a Middle Ground , February 2012, Francisco Ferreira and Maria Ana Lug, World Bank Development Research Group Poverty and Inequality Team & Latin American and the Caribbean Region, Office of the Chief Economist

Caribbean Human Development Report 2012 , February 2012, UNDP

We hope you will tune in the same time next week. In the meantime, if anything interesting passes your desk that you would like to see in the next Wikiprogress week in review, please tweet it to us  @Wikiprogress  or post it on our  Facebook page . 

The week in review

Hello, glad you could join us for the Wikiprogress week in review -- a handful of headlines that have caught our eyes over the last week. You can find all news articles and blog posts on the progress community in the  Wikiprogress Community Portal      

On the MDGs
Who's going to pay for the MDGs?  (Guardian Blog 23.01.2012)
OECD Development Centre publication 'Revisiting MDG Cost Estimates' estimates achieving the first six MDGs globally will require $120bn more to be spent every year on health, education and poverty reduction.
See more and contribute to the Wikiprogress article on the Millennium Development Goals


On gender equality
UN web portal launched: Girls in ICT (UN 24.01.2012)
The UN launched a web portal this week aimed at helping women access jobs, training and career advice in the information communication technology (ICT) sector. The Girls In ICT Portal aims to not only inspire young women to pursue careers in ICT but to develop a network of women working in a male-dominated industry.
See more and contribute to the Wikigender article on gender equality and ICTs

On WEF
Davos 2012 starts with worries about the Eurozone crisis (25.01.2012)
The Eurozone crisis is set to dominate the 42^nd World Economic Forum, with over 40 heads of government and 19 of the world’s 20 most influential central bankers. Other issues on the agenda include the rise of China, the Arab Spring aftermath and financial regulation
See more and contribute to the Wikiprogress article on economic growth

In the Spotlight:

Egypt, one year on
The uprising on January 25^th 2011 in Cairo’s Tahrir Square began a wave of protest that spread throughout Egypt and lead to the fall of the Mubarak regime. In honour of the one year anniversary, the Thomson Reuters Foundation has released a documentary on the Egyptian revolution.

See more and contribute to the Wikiprogress article on progress and the Arab Spring in Egypt


We hope you will tune in the same time next week. In the meantime, if anything interesting passes your desk that you would like to see in the next Wikiprogress week in review, please tweet it to us  @Wikiprogress  or post it on our  Facebook page

Yours in Progress,

Philippa Lysaght

The week in review

Hello, glad you could join us for the Wikiprogress week in review - a handful of headlines that have caught our eyes over the last week. You can find all news articles and blog posts on the progress community in the  Wikiprogress Community Portal .  

On progress in Australia
Australia's national statistician prefers a "dashboard" approach to well-being  (15.12.2011)
Imogen Wall from the Measures of Australia’s Progress team at the Australian Bureau of Statistics uses a dashboard metaphor to describe the importance of using a range of indicators for measuring well-being, “It is important, when driving, to have information not only about speed and distance travelled, but also about engine temperature and remaining petrol.”
See more and contribute to the Wikiprogress article on Measures of Australia’s Progress

On gender equality
An African Gender Statistics Group in the offing  (13.12.2011)
In an address to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the Ghana Statistical Service, Dr Grace Bediako announced plans for an African Gender Statistics Group that aims to mainstream gender into national and international statistics programmes.
See more and contribute to the Wikigender article on Gender Statistics



On the environment
Time for a Green Index  (13.12.2011)
Professor of Environmental Science Chuluun Togtokh argues that the UNDP Human Development Index ‘idolises’ some of the most environmentally damaging societies and suggests replacing the index with one that considers green technologies. He has found that per capita carbon emissions are a simple and quantifiable indicator, which is both strongly and positively, correlated with income.
See more and contribute to the Wikiprogress article on green growth

On employment
Jobs, or more precisely, the lack of jobs is now a global issue (World Bank 26.09.2011)
The World Bank blogs on a pressing global issue: unemployment. It is more than the 205 million people worldwide who are unemployed, it is that in today’s post-crisis world policy makers and practitioners do not know how to create jobs, let alone good jobs.
See more and contribute to the Wikiprogress article on unemployment rates


In the spotlight
TIME 2011 Person of the Year: The Protester:  Why I Protest: Ahmed Harara of Egypt (TIME 14.12.2011)

In announcing the 2011 person of the year as The Protester, TIME has profiled a series of protesters involved the the various uprisings of 2011. Ahmed Harara was protesting in Tahrir Square in January when he lost his eye to a rubber bullet; ten months later he returned to Tahrir Square only to lose the other eye in the same way.
See more and contribute to the Wikiprogress article on the Arab Spring


In the meantime, if anything interesting passes your desk that you would like to see in the next Wikiprogress week in review, please tweet it to us  @Wikiprogress or post it on our Facebook page .    

Yours in progress,


Philippa Lysaght

The week in review

Hello, glad you could join us for the Wikiprogress week in review - a handful of headlines that have caught our eyes over the last week. You can find all news articles and blog posts on the progress community in the Wikiprogress Community Portal. 

On data

Global corruption index reflects Arab Spring Unrest (Reuters 30.12.2011)

The 2011 Corruption Perceptions Index released this week found that levels of  awareness of corruption have risen significantly for Arab nations involved in the uprisings. One of the leading nations involved in the Arab Spring, Tunisia, fell to 73^rd place from 59^th last year.

See more and download the 2011 CPI

On happiness

Happiness Index: how happy are you - and David Cameron? (Guardian data blog 01.12.2011)

The Office of National Statistics in the UK has released findings of a national consultation established as part of  David Cameron’s Happiness Index. The findings show 76% of adults in Great Britain rated their own life satisfaction, with a score of 7 or more out of 10. 

See more and contribute to the Wikiprogress article on Happiness

On gender equality

Busan skirts gender equality (IPS 01.12.2011)

The 4^th High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness held in Busan this week has been criticised by gender champions from around the world for the lack of inclusion of key gender equality issues in the Forum’s outcomes document. Although a Joint Busan Action Plan on Gender Equality and Development is one of the outcomes of the conference, it is considered to be limited. 

See more highlights from the Busan conference in the Wikigender Community Portal

On progress in Australia

Measuring well-being is still in the too hard basket (Sydney Morning Herald 30.11.2011)

Over the past few years the global progress movement has gathered momentum as broader indicators of well-being has become an increasingly popular topic. In Australia, Measures of Australia’s Progress (MAP) is at the forefront of this movement with their work on measuring national well-being and determining whether or not life in Australia is getting better.

See more and contribute to the Wikiprogress article on Measures of Australia’s Progress

In the Spotlight:  4^th High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness

That’s all from us this week. We hope you tune in the same time next week. In the meantime, if anything interesting passes your desk that you would like to see in the next Wikiprogress week in review, please tweet it to us @Wikiprogress or post it on our Facebook page. 

Yours in Progress,

Publish Post

Philippa Lysaght