Tom Palmer |
Why Freedom Matters |
Where do individuals get their rights from? Should humans be left alone to do as they please? Who determines the extent of these rights and what consequences are there for those who trample on the rights of others? Which would you prefer? To live in an authoritarian environment or in a country where all are allowed their freedoms to enjoy the fruits of their labour? In this discussion, Tom Palmer/ June Arunga will focus on the philosophy of freedom and trace the origins of rights. |
Robert Osei |
Why Africa should forget Foreign Aid |
In the run up to the G8 summit in Gleanagles in 2005, leaders of the rich countries made Africa a top agenda issue. In their estimation, the only way to make poverty history on the African continent was to give more aid. However, some observers became worried especially as the aid path has been travelled in the last fifty years without any significant results. At best, aid has helped in politicising life on the continent and its attendant corruption and high-handedness on the part of African leaders were replete in most part of the continent. Others on the other hand maintain that aid is necessary and should ostensibly be used to placate the evils of slavery and colonialism. Dr Robert Osei will help students explore whether the Whiteman today should carry the burden of africa ’s woes? Whether African leaders and Africans should take care of their own destiny with accountable governance rather than rely on crumbs that fall from the tables of rich countries. |
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How African Leaders impoverish their countries |
Africa has metamorphosed from being described as a dark continent to a continent of opportunity. However, do African leaders believe in the passion ordinary Africans have to build a continent of positive dreams and live life to the fullest? What makes the continent’s young and bright leave for greener pastures abroad? Why would educated Africans be running away from their governments? What practices of African leaders qualifies the continent to be described by some as the shackled continent? Why would African leaders want to impoverish their own and stash away billions in foreign bank accounts? Just how does one impoverish a country? June Arunga will help students answer these hard questions in a honest and non-face saving manner. |
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Tom Palmer |
Dr. Adarkwah Antwi
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The mystery of property: How property rights conquered poverty in rich countries |
The famous Peruvian Economist and three-time noble nominee has asked in his award winning book “The Mystery if Capital” “why [does] capitalism triumph in the West and fails everywhere else?”. His answer is simple. Sound, secure and divestible property rights made all the difference. Property rights is an honest acquisition of one’s property. In a rule-based society, one should be able to use property to secure a loan or a mortgage for further investment in the economy. The absence of property rights means that service (water, energy and market exchange) provision and delivery would be affected. Sadly, its absence in most of Africa was not the norm, but a complete reversal of pre-colonial culture of communal as well as individual land ownership by rent seeking independent African leaders, and sadly by present day leaders. Dr Adarkwah will explore why this basic concept of wealth creation eludes Africa and also make the distinction between tangible and intangible property or physical and intellectual property rights. |
Kofi Bentil |
Should wealth creation be left for governments to manage? |
Some scholars have argued that the proper role of any responsible governmmet is the protection of property and enforecement of laws. It has no business in managing the wealth of citizens. At best, it should through the rule of law, establish the basis for freedom to contract and freedom from contract, ensure sound monetary policy, relax business entry rules, reduce taxes and maintain a small number of ministries. Others believe that governments have the right to pool significant resources from the toil of every one and invest in areas it considers vulnerable and important. But others warn of the difficulty in asking the government to be accountable to the governed. Why won’t a decentralised management of power and resources be the panacea for people to manage their own affairs? How feasible is a truly representative government which leaves the business of wealth creation to ordinary citizens? Kofi Bentil has the onerous task of explaining to students why he latter should be. |
Robert Osei |
Is Trade a Fair or a Free concept? |
| Ordinarily trade is an exchange between a seller and a buyer. This voluntary exchange is supposed to be conducted freely and fairly so both parties come out winners. However, in the globalised scheme of things, developing countries believe they have been losers ab initio, whilst developed countries win all the time. What hurts is that developed countries have grown so sophisticated in their ‘cheating’ games that they either set the price of commodities or use non-monetary means such as bio safety or environmental concerns to refuse African agricultural produce from entering their markets. But then does knowing the game and playing along make one sincere in finding a solutio? Or is it a desperate situation, and are we confined in Africa to be farmers all our lives? Haven’t rich countries like Hong Kong developend without being agrarian? What about the trade barriers African erect amongst themselves? Why would Nigeria ban 96 Ghanaian products from reaching Nigerian consumers when they all belong to the regional trade bloc, ECOWAS? Will trade ever be fair, and is free trade not fair trade? Dr Robert Osei lead this discussion |
Kofi Bentil |
Entrepreneurship and the concept of creative destruction |
| It’s been said the entrepreneur is the one waiting in the corner to take advantage of an opportunity. But there are political and economic entrepreneurs. Economic entrepreneurs are those who strive to innovate and produce for the benefit of society. Political entrepreneurs can be said to be those who busily design laws to regulate economic entrepreneurs. How can regulations be offensive to the growth of business? What steps should bureaucrats take in order to make entrepreneurship an open entry and exit phenomena? Kofi Bentil would explore what is it that makes every one an entrepreneur and how a free enterprise system gives way to winners and losers without the dead hand playing a role. |
Franklin Cudjoe |
Multinationals and Poverty Reduction |
| Multinational Companies (MNCs) the world over have been seen as vestiges of colonialism with enormous power to even buy poor countries and engage in home politicking. They have been described as the messengers of greedy globalisation. But aren’t they just fulfilling Adam Smith’s theory of the invisible hand, by making goods and services available through voluntary exchange to people in need? What economic comparisons, if any, are there to be made between life before and after the advent of MNCs in any country? Do their actions and activities impoverish or make life better for people in their areas of operation? What role should recipient governments play in ensuring strict compliance with environmental standards and financial regulations? How should corporate social governance be harnessed to make sound investments in the communities MNCs operate? Franklin Cudjoe will discuss the pros and cons of MNCs |
