USA Africa Dialogue Series - Fw: Fwd: ARE WE JOINED AT THE HIP?--Re: Oxford Africa Conference 2015 - Early bird tickets for RAS members

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From: Michael Vickers <mvickers@mvickers.plus.com>

Date: Fri, 10 Apr 2015 12:49:55 -0500

To: Prof Ayo OLUKOTUN<ayo_olukotun@yahoo.com>

Subject: Fwd: ARE WE JOINED AT THE HIP?--Re: Oxford Africa Conference 2015 - Early bird tickets for RAS members 

Ayo, Missed you at Austin. 

Great gathering. 

Still things been a bit busy in Nigeria. 

You have an excuse. 

Ayo things not only go awry in Nigeria. 

In dear little old Brit, things not pretty. 

And this item below provides yet further evidence 

That, sadly, even the supposed "angels/ guardians" 

Are Not left out. 

Haloes badly tarnished. 

Ah me. 

I'm having big problems getting items out via my iPad, and while on the road. 

If you could insert this as a comment via your Listservs, including "USA Africa Dialogue," 

I'd be most grateful. 

All best,  Baba m ..."Deep in the Heart of Texas." 

Ohhh, yeah.

Yes sirree. 

Or words to that effect. 

Sent from my iPad

_____________________________________

Begin forwarded message:

From: Michael Vickers <mvickers@mvickers.plus.com>
Date: 10 April 2015 12:26:50 GMT-5
To: The Royal African Society <ras_events@soas.ac.uk>
Subject: ARE WE JOINED AT THE HIP?--Re: Oxford Africa Conference 2015 - Early bird tickets for RAS members 

My oh my .

Business again. 

RAS and Oxford, shouting the adds. 

My oh my. 

How low can we get .

Are we joined at the hip? 

Please, let these wily/ greedy business folk get on 

With their own wheezes. 

Just finished a great AFRICA conference in Austin, Texas. 

Falola, as usual, at the helm. The usual tremendous success, 

As yet another gathering of the AFRICA continent's very top scholars/ 

AFRICA patriots extended and deepened the range of knowledge, 

That in turn extends understanding; and all hugely assisting AFRICA folk 

in being restored to themselves and much-strengthened. 

Twas about AFRICA, 

ITS PROBLEMS AND ITS PEOPLES. 

One of the main problems? 

Brits--amongst others--and expanding Neo-Colonialism; and in increasingly 

Outrageous/ profoundly damaging and disreputable forms; 

Land grabs and special deals with AFRICA oligarchs and their friends. 

My oh my. Not nice. 

And certainly not making things any better for AFRICA's 98ers, 

In fact a lot worse. 

What is a poor man, now dis-possessed of age-old family land, 

Supposed to do? 

How are he/ his brothers and sisters/ his Elders/ other poor relations 

Supposed to find food and shelter? 

What new form of cruelty is this? 

And RAS enthusiastically embraces/ supports the quests of these modern brigands?

Please; yet again my plea:  leave these slippery, greedy business folk 

To find their OWN way. 

RAS is still a "Prestige Brand"; ostensibly selling Help to AFRICA'S PEOPLES/ in form of SCHOLASTIC STUDIES/ with past, present and future referents; the object being to HELP AFRICA'S 98ers, NOT TO ASSIST HER OLIGARCHS TO CONTINUE/ PROLONG/ EXTEND THEIR RECORD OF THEFT AND SAVAGE EXPLOITATION. 

Again I repeat, there are serious matters/ vital issues

--education/ health/ housing/ employment/ political-constructional-economic-- 

To be confronted and wrangled with--as they say here in Texas. 

PLEASE:  just because most Africa oligarchs are participants in endemic corruption, and indeed most of our own--as they insist on regularly demonstrating via repeat Inquiries and other gravely distressing revelations--does this really mean we must scrap OUR RAS rulebook and join this repugnant bazaar of shady commerce?

I joined RAS nearly 50 years ago. 

It has of course always been an Agent of the State, 

Just as all such bodies are that may provide information of use. 

RAS now openly/ blatantly trumpets its business/ commercial PR/ engagement. 

This most certainly is NOT what RAS is about.

Suggestion:  let these business folk form their OWN GROUP:  perhaps "Africa for Business", or maybe, "Project for a New Africa Future", etc. 

What these business folk seek is the opposite of what RAS is supposed to stand for. 

Please; No more of these RAS business promotions. 

Temp here at Huntville, Texas, a bit chilly today. 

Has only hit the low-90s. 

Have a blessed day, as they say hereabouts in the Bible Belt.

I am taking a little time to de-compress, travel round in the South, 

Visit with old friends, and make a few new ones. 

I call it Elder Time. 

And most enjoyable it is. 

Best,  Baba Mike

Sent from my iPad

On 9 Apr 2015, at 11:29, The Royal African Society <ras_events@soas.ac.uk> wrote:

The Oxford Africa Conference - 22nd & 23rd May 2015 - Early bird tickets View this email in your browser The Royal African Society is proud to announce our partnership with the Oxford Africa Conference. The Oxford Africa Conference is one of the largest and most globally recognized African conferences of its type organized by the long-established Oxford Africa Society in close partnership with the Oxford Africa Business network.  The event is a solely student-led initiative that convenes ~500 delegates and ~60 speakers on an annual basis. The upcoming conference will take place on 22nd and 23rd of May 2015 focusing on Africa as "A Continent on the Move: People, Politics and Business across borders". It is aimed to provide a vibrant platform for new thinking about an international Africa across all disciplines – politics, business, arts, technology and academia – connecting intergenerational leaders from around the world to shape an integrated and innovative perspective on African issues. Our conference will be opened by His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana, this year. Further speakers include:  • Tony Elumelu, Chairman of Heirs Holdings • Nkozana Moyo, Executive Chairman, Mandela Institute for Development Studies • Vera Songwe, Country Director for the World Bank • Keorapetse Kogsitsile, National Poet Laureate of the Republic of South Africa • Ashish Thakkar, CEO of Mara Group As well as the RAS director Richard Dowden charing one of the panels. ...and many more! Buy a ticket before April 15th and get an early-bird discount: Follow us on: Twitter -  @OxAfricaCon Facebook –  Oxford Africa Conference Please do not reply to this email - to register for the event, please follow the link above.  Best Regards, Royal African Society Copyright © 2015 RoyalAfricanSociety  All rights reserved Our mailing address  Royal African Society, 36 Gordon Square, London, WC1H 0PD, London, UK unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences Please note unsubscribing from this list will stop all events updates from the RAS

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