Good ... Bad ... or Ugly .... Development Games ....

I met with an old prof of mine from HSPH a couple of nights ago ... who was telling me about a dinner he'd had the night before with a colleague in Rwanda .... somewhat lubricated they embarked on the sort of game that you could never have in more politically correct company .... a sort of development rock- paper - scissors ... only this was "fucked - hopeful - either way" for the countries of the continent ....

Some of course were easy .... Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, DRC, Congo, Chad .... i'm betting no soothsayers or forecasters are putting any money on them ....

Others were deemed hopeful but only with a string of ifs and buts .... eg Botswana (if it can start to control its HIV crisis), Zambia (if the ghost of Kaunda's benevolent socialism policies can be exorcised), Tanzania .... interestingly - they included Zimbabwe on this list ... if of course anyone can ever get rid of Mugabe ...

The either way countries were also interesting .... South Africa (if the ANC can realise they are no longer a protest party ... and if they realise they belong to the test of africa) .... Kenya (if electoral corruption and tribalism can be controlled), Uganda,

My mates and I been geekily entranced by this game ever since .... with hot and heavy arguments with much wine over the fate of the continent .... but according to the NYT (see below) .... rather worryingly many Africans don't share our concerns ....