There are at least three postings all concerning economic prospects for African economies in the 21st century and all with a different slant. Take the one culled from the BBC, to which I have already replied. It makes dismal reading, the "gloom and doom" scenerio which, as those in the news media very well know, sells papers. Not that the figures are inaccurate but they have been selectively treated in isolation from the broader framework. Looking at it from a slightly different perspective, African economies in the past year have registered some encouraging performances despite the difficult economic climate characterised by natural and man-made calamities, including inappropriate policies. Several countries have registered GDP growth rates above 5 percentage points, well above their respective population growth rates-a prerequisite for poverty reduction. For example, Mozambique's economy grew by 9.7 percent, the highest in Africa, and was poised to register one of the highest growth rate in the world in 2000, had it not been for this year's floods which devastated its economic infrastructure. The economies of Botswana, Ghana, Mali, Gambia, Ethiopia, Cape Verde and over a dozen others grew by 4 percent or more in 1999. All this to say what? The African media should provide equal time and space to the bright spots in the African economic landscape. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------