Nigeria’s Women’s Bobsled Team Qualifies for 2018 Olympics, Country’s 1st Ever Winter Olympians
Next Cassava Tuesday, we will discuss the challenges facing the brand of Nigeria. The success of power and influence of a country is based on a country’s reputation regionally and globally. What happens, when a country is in the green economically(ON PAPER) but in the red with reputation?
We will discuss next Cassava Tuesday
This is an oldie but goodie in explaining Water Security.
In the beginning of the month, we touched on just how close Cape Town, SA was to Day Zero of having no water supply. The imbalance in distribution of water across the region including weak water policies have contributed to the water shortage in Cape Town. Other issues such as failing waste water plants and poor water system infrastructure to treat sewage that needed a major upgrade also made this situation worse. South Africa is the largest food producer for Southern Africa, the agriculture sector consumes about 60% of all water use in the country. This water shortage crisis in Cape Town will result to water stress towards neighboring countries that will also lead to Food, Water, and Energy security towards the entire region.
Cape Town has officially announced that each person in the city will be given an allowance of 25 liters a day (6 gallons) of water. Yet the public has heard no immediate solutions from the government on making sure this catastrophe does not repeat itself years later. Cape Town has failed to look at the other dangers that come with hygiene and water access.
This is repeated so often in discussions with water access and challenges that face women in global south spaces, Menstrual Hygiene. The inadequate access to water, sanitation and hygiene for women brings more challenges than solutions and should never be gambled or minimized.
Put aside that poor menstrual hygiene leads to a host of health issues such as: UTI’s (ask any woman in your life just how great this feels), Constipation and a Range of infections.
What do you think school attendance will look like for girls attending school in the region compared to boys?
“Do you know that washing your hands can prevent over half of the water borne related illnesses? Granted the WATER IS CLEAN.
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Inadequate W.A.S.H(Water Sanitation and Hygiene) affects Public Health, Waterborne Diseases, Vector-Born Diseases, Nutrition, Gender, Education, and Disaster Management. Inadequate W.A.S.H(Water Sanitation and Hygiene) affects Public Health, Waterborne Diseases, Vector-Born Diseases, Nutrition, Gender, Education, and Disaster Management. The Cape Town government has been reactive and not proactive even at this moment. While Citizens are being asked to sacrifice their health and wellness, the government is still not working on the real issues.
The city recommends people take no more than 2 showers a week
The city also encourages using the ocean for washing. However, if people cannot flush often, care to guess how quickly Open Defecation might be an issue?
How much water do you use daily? Try this Water Calculator out!
It is reported that numbers of tourists are cancelling their trips to Cape Town. You can imagine tourists might not be okay with one flush a day, personal hygiene in the ocean or showering twice a week.
Cape Town Food Designers, are making the best of no water in Cape Town, by making sure to use only salt tolerant vegetables. This is the type of unique ingenuity expected from Chefs of the “Rainbow Cuisine”. Rainbow Cuisine is the term used to describe South African Gastronomy. This ingenuity makes South African chefs, cooks, and food designers important players in the overall narrative of African Gastronomy. This is also a tool that can be used for their niche Gastrodiplomacy in interacting with other countries that are experiencing similar water shortage issues.
Want to know more about his products?
See you next Mulday
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Have some tea or coffee! Let's talk Kenyan....(Yes, people actually ask Kenyans "Do you speak Kenyan?")
Now you know!!
Flag and Map of Kenya
Capital: Nairobi
Population: + 48 million people
Official Language Spoken: Swahili (KiSwahili) and English
Religion: Diverse Religions are practiced from Christianity, Islam, Baha'i, Buddhism, Hinduism and Judiasim
Currency: Shilling
President: Uhuru Kenyatta
Vice President: William Ruto
Kenyan Currency-Shilling
“Soft Power must be a fluid relationship, “I find you attractive and the other person says, me too!””
Both countries have experienced the brutality of colonialism. There are opinions, that view Japan to South Korea vs. Great Britain to Kenya as "different". This kind of thinking, which places hierarchy in the experiences of the severity in colonialism as “countries above the equator line” very bad but “countries below the equator line” it was not really….
It also promotes a form of “rationalize and marginalize” in the discussions of colonialism that allows for this space of the imaginary grey, I will call memory of the colonized. This colonized memory must also go through the process of decolonization otherwise it will just handicap and agitate the “modernization, growth and security” of these unique spaces as they interact with each other and the “global north spaces” promoters of “globalization, human rights and democracy”.
Education in South Korea just like working is 빨리빨리. This phrase in Korea makes up the very cells that hold this country together. It means more than hurry, like your very next breath depends on you carrying out the task at hand. Students in Korea have a school schedule that resembles an overworked professional in the country. It is beyond 8 hours and there is no such thing as paid overtime or after school extracurricular activities. This rigorous approach to education and competitiveness in getting into fields of technology and sciences play a huge factor to the differences between South Korea and Kenya.
In the case of Kenya there is no Kwa Haraka on the conversations of developing the brilliant young minds of Kenya. For so long similar regional or tribal backgrounds were the only qualifiers needed for employment. This blatant oversight will cripple Kenya and starve the growth and development of a country that as many other countries in Africa, suffers from brain drain.
South Korea is also driven with sticking to certain cliques, that if young graduates are not from the S.K.Y universities, it is extremely difficult or impossible to work for certain companies.
Seoul National University
Korea University
Yonsei University
Despite such rapid development in many sectors of society, South Korea still struggles with diversity inclusion. In the conversations of Africa & South Korea, it is also the responsibility of African states to promote their brand and educate the Korean public.
Sidebar: This is why ESE & SEGYE is greatly needed, like the chili paste to the 떡볶이 떡 (Tteok-bokki)
“Just explaining, the story of two students that attended the same primary and secondary school. Their approach to higher education, saw one working 40+ hours, interning 20 hours, and graduating on time! This allowed for the enjoyment of their fruits of hard labor, after graduation. The other underestimated such a rigorous schedule and now must work thrice as hard to enjoy the fruits of their labor.”
“Did you know: Kenya had a higher GDP than South Korea in 1962. In 1963, Kenya gave out a $10,000 loan and relief food to South Korea.”
Both countries have strong economies but lack career opportunities for the younger generation. Current President Kenyatta and Moon have expressed passionate pleas to change this dilemma. We shall all see!
However, this 빨리빨리 mentality of Koreans, has propelled a poor G-77 country to the incredible nation that is the Republic of South Korea. The R.O.K is a member of G-20, N-11, OECD and APEC. This 빨리빨리 mentality will introduce the world to Kimchi Diplomacy!.
This is Ugali- This also means love.
Soft Power has many faces, for the country of Kenya it is stable economic policies. It is clear from our videos below, Korea loves ugali! Kenya keeps hegemony throughout the East Africa Region and plays the role of peace promoter and advocate for open markets.
Kenya is a major player in regional bodies such as: Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), East Africa Community(EAC), WTO (World Trade Organization) and so many other organizations that contribute to shaping out ugali economics soft power.
Kenya could teach a thing or two to African leaders that enjoy the glory of visiting foreign nations and those foreign leaders visiting their countries but does nothing for their image.
“July 2015, Kenya played host to U.S President Barack Obama(Superpower state) during the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) in Nairobi. ”
To understand more on the importancec of the Global Entreprenuership Summit:
You must always lend a helping hand to those that have nothing, this is middle power state diplomacy at work, notice Kenya is the only African country on the list. I told you Ugali is love!
Rand Merchant Bank’s (RMB) seventh edition of Where to Invest in Africa was released September of this year and Kenya was #6.
Kenya fails in the section of branding towards South Korea and for that matter Asia! I mean Koreans drink Kenyan coffee and that is it. I am afraid Kenya underestimates the power of a brand and the role it can play in preserving "ugali soft power".
Here are some soft power tools available for Kenya towards Korea.
1. Tusker Beer
The beer's slogan is "Bia yangu, Nchi yangu" means "My beer, My country" in Kiswahili. Look at you, reading it in Kiswahili!
Easy promotion with this here, you don't even have to try! The way Koreans enjoy a beer, I think this could even be used as a bridge to build on inter-cultural relationships between the two.
Did you know: You can buy Tusker in the U.K. Yup at Sainsbury's, I swear you can honestly find anything at a local Sainsbury's
Kenyan Beer-Tusker
It would be criminal not to post this very famous Tusker commerical! Don't you just want to get on a Kenyan Airways flight?
Tusker Beer
2. The Giraffe Manor
You are welcome!
Giraffe Manor, Gogo Falls Road, Nairobi, Kenya
3. Gastrodiplomacy
Perharps a Kenyan Pub that offers Nyamachoma in Seoul?
Nyamachoma- Very popular dish in Kenya (roasted beef)
Mandazi, you have not tried this? Poor you. (Pub Food and everyday food here)
4. Beach Tourism
5. Safari Tourism
Partnering up with local universities... Nah, that is why you should contact our mother company, ESE & SEGYE.
6.Kenyan Airways
Unfortunately, Kenya has still not grasped the power in this tool
Considering visiting Kenya? Only one way to fly!
See you next Cassava Tuesday!
Ambrosia of ancient Greece gave immortality to the Gods which allowed them to govern mankind. The Golden Apples in Norse Mythology that allows the Nordic Gods to stay alive and immortal to rule mankind. Peaches of Immortality in Ancient China, Yams for the Igbo Tribe(Nigeria) is used to honor the Earth goddess Ala. In the Abrahamic faiths, food is used as a form of governance with foods considered "unholy" and "holy", there is even a particular way to prepare food and animals. Humans, who do not prescribe to such governance, negatively affect their chance to enter heaven.
Food is a material and symbolic representation of culture; it allows people to communicate values, attitudes and identities. Delicate and Rare cuisine is associated with high social ranks in society. Cooking and Hospitality create opportunities for dialogue and often the first step towards diplomacy. .
Gastrodiplomacy is an edible soft power, unlike other soft power examples; you can drink, eat, touch and smell it. The new diplomatic language of the 21st century diplomat is- Does the world speak and understand your country’s cultural diplomacy? In addition, how does your country use cultural diplomacy as a national brand tool?
Examples of Countries that appreciate Food in the conversation of Diplomacy: South Korea "Global Hansik"or Kimchi Diplomacy, Malaysia Kitchen, Global Thai (Thailand), Peru Mucho Gusto (Peru), Have you checked out the Nordic Movement in Food? Nordic Food Diplomacy (Norway/Sweden/Denmark)
Peru
Nordic Gastronomy -New Nordic Kitchen New Nordic Cuisine
CASSAVA DIPLOMACY: GASTRODIPLOMACY
The identity of Africa is often painted with negative representation through the many forms of media. This negative representation is portrayed in western spaces and spaces in the east such as South Korea, China and Japan. Africa is always portrayed as primitive, chaos and one disaster waiting to happen form the last previous disaster still happening. These images and narratives make it extremely difficult to picture a vibrant food culture of Africa. It makes it close to impossible to believe that food from Africa is tasty, delicious or appealing. Africa is home to tropical cuisine with a diversity in vegetables, fruits and spices like no other continent. It is home to rich succulent tomato based dishes, spicy stews, fluffy grains, sweet savory fried plantains, steamed sweet savory fresh corn tamales(Koki Corn), grilled beefs and chicken dishes with spices that dance in your mouth and so much more. Food is just one of many branding tools in Cassava Diplomacy available for African countries.
Roasted Plantains
May this picture allow you to taste sweet savory tomatoes on the roof of your mouth, spices dance on your tongue, succulent pieces of chicken and meat that hold on to the egusi swimming in peanut oil.
Egusi are grounded melon seeds :)
ESE & SEGYE will launch a Cameroonian-fusion restaurant, Keeka & Lisu in Seoul, South Korea with the goal of using food to promote dialogue and promote overall Bantu culture. We are still in the very early stages of planning.
Until next time,
Silk Road Thursdays because the Silk Road was the most powerful display of cultural interaction between Africa and Asia. Both cultures were present in each other spaces through the exchanges of commerce, culture, religion, arts, theology, food, technologies, sciences, textiles and so much more! The cultural diplomacy between the two occurred via land and sea routes connecting both civilizations for thousands of years.
The countries of South Korea, Japan and China have practiced varieties of Soft Power with Africa for quite some time now.
This cloud map is a nod to just about everything that made up the Silk Road. However my focus will be on the big three and as always I will touch on any interesting practices, I observe by Southeast Asia or even Central Asia.
Shah Abbasi Caravanserai - Meybod, Iran
Caravanserais were extremely popular for travelers along the silk route, they were inns found in desert regions.