Letters to the Editor

Kelvin Sondifu of Self Help Column
 

My name is Gloria Opoku. I'm 17 yrs old. I live in Holland (Nederland). I'm a student and a regular reader of The African Bulletin, especially Personal Development & Self Help Column. 
     

First, I want you to know that you are doing a great work for The African Bulletin. You have a very great job and I'm sure you are an intelligent man. I think you are a psychologist also. You write about Personal Development & Self Help in the newspaper which deals with life and success and I really appreciate that. May God richly bless you for your good work!
      

Second, I would like to know if it is possible for you to be my (life) adviser for instance on education, behaviour, following the right path etc. I will be very glad if that is possible.

I hope to hearing from you soon
 

Gloria Opoku,
Amsterdam

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Western Protectionism

I really enjoyed The African Bulletin (Vol. 4, Number 040); especially the write-ups on Islam (questions and answers) and the stuff on African/western debt relief....Aid issue.

No matter how perfect western intellectuals may pretend to be, they still make fundamental errors by impoverishing (inadvertently or intentional) Africans or the third world with their economic guides (protectionism and so forth).

Some ten years ago, I told a friend of mine who had master’s degree in Economics, that the western economy or so-called developed economies would sooner or later falter if 'the not so important' among the third world is impoverished. He was against my notion which in part was that there is a diminishing value in self sufficiency.

For instance, when the U.S. can no more import from Japan, or Britain cannot import from Africa except her raw materials, then global market would shrink and glut would arise even in domestic productions.

Unemployment (as it is) would heighten and migration to favourable lands would be inevitable.

The intellectuals are very much aware of these facts but both they and the governments whom they advise are too greedy to think beyond self. You want to buy my iron ore for ten euro and sell machinery to me at a thousand; buy my barrel of oil for ten euro and export its derived products at more than fifty euro!

G. Badmus,
Amsterdam