By Sunday Oyinloye, West Africa Editor. Africa commonly referred to as the cradle of civilization has its own challenges just like other continents. In the face of these challenges however are the continent’s rich cultural heritage and fashion which literally are hidden treasures. The continent has a lot to offer the world, but the problems confronting Africa seem to have over-shadowed its potentials. To many who are not familiar with the continent, the story of Africa is all about war, famine, disease, crime, illiteracy, corruption and underdevelopment. Yes Africa is faced with these challenges but great things are also coming from the continent many of which are not reported or under-reported. The birth of what is today known of Africa Fashion Week Amsterdam (AFWA) could be traced to a conscious effort to correct misconception about the continent and also showcase her brand in the fashion world in a manner that will appeal to the rest of the world. Behind this is Diana Tambe Blackpearl, award-winning fashion designer, model, stylist who Fashion Tv has named “The blackpearl of the fashion world”. In 2011 Diana Tambe launched her first Red carpet clothing line under the label Blackpearrl’s Secrets. In the same year, she introduced the first and sole Africa Fashion Week Amsterdam because of her dream to create a platform for Africa and African inspired fashion, culture and art in the Netherlands and Diaspora. This she did because she believes there is always room for new talents and innovative minds. She designs high-end designs mostly for celebrities but occasionally also designs for the general public and retailers. Turning dream into reality, Diana Tambe and her team organized the first Africa Fashion Week, Amsterdam in 2014 at the World Fashion Centre which was hosted by a foremost African Actor, Ramsey Nouah. Since then the 26 year old who became a model at the age of 16 has never looked back as she successfully organized the second edition of Africa Fashion Week, Amsterdam in 2015 while preparation is in top gear for the third edition. The Cameroon born Diana who has lived in the Netherlands since 2004 spoke with Diplomat Magazine about her motivation as well as what should be expected at this years Africa Fashion Week, Amsterdam. According to her AFWA is an event focused on exhibiting the beauty of African couture, art and fashion to a European and global audience. AFWA is helping fashion designers at every stage of their career to showcase their creativity and talent on a global stage, thereby boosting the intercultural exchange between Africa and the Dutch She explains further: “it strives to support designers, primarily through event management of fashion shows, catwalk displays, workshops and network meetings. It allows designers to express their creativity within a professionally produced event environment.” “Like the previous fashion weeks we had in 2014 and 2015, the 2016 edition of Africa Fashion Week Amsterdam will bring together African designers, models, stylists and stake holders in the African fashion industry in and outside Europe to showcase the best that Africa has to offer in the fashion industry.” “Visitors and media can expect to see a multi-cultural and talent rich celebration of African lifestyle and talent. From networking events and press days to over twenty-two fashion shows, the 2016 Fashion Week will culminate with an interactive award ceremony which will celebrate new talents and launch Africa Fashion Week Amsterdam’s affiliated magazine publication.” She disclosed that the event will contribute a percentage of its profit towards her foundation known as The Diana Tambe Foundation, a charitable body seeking to promote, maintain and improve levels of healthcare, education, training and provision of facilities within the African community. The Chief Executive Officer of Africa Fashion Week Amsterdam believes it is time for Africa to showcase whatever she has to the rest of the world in order to “correct many negative thoughts about the continent” Diana’s dream and efforts may be the right step in the right direction. The reason for this is simple .The image of Africa needs to be showcased in a positive way and the best people to make this happen are the youth ,under which category this model and designer falls. For now, the world continues to wait for a new and emerging Africa.  

Accelerate your career with this online diplomacy programme, offered by DiploFoundation and the University of Malta. Join experienced practitioners, working diplomats, and other international relations professionals to learn about the theoretical and practical building blocks of diplomacy, with a focus on contemporary issues and challenges. How the programme works First, you attend a 10-day residential workshop in Malta. Here you will get a clear overview of the programme, meet your classmates and some of the faculty members, and develop skills in critical areas of diplomacy including negotiation, protocol, and language. Next, you participate in five online courses, each lasting ten weeks. You select your courses from our extensive catalogue which includes Bilateral Diplomacy, Multilateral Diplomacy, E-Diplomacy, Development Diplomacy, Language and Diplomacy, Diplomacy of Small States, and more. Courses are kept up-to-date and relevant through discussion of current events and trends. Online study involves reading and discussing lecture texts with course lecturers and fellow participants, completing learning activities and assignments, and joining online meetings. Once you have completed these courses, you are eligible to receive a Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy awarded by the University of Malta. You can get a head start by attending one or two of your online courses in 2016 – read more about this option below. If you continue to the Master’s degree, the final part of the programme is writing your dissertation under the personal guidance of a faculty member. On successful completion, you will receive a Master in Contemporary Diplomacy awarded by the University of Malta. Faculty members include practising and retired diplomats and academics with both theoretical expertise and practical experience in the field. Online learning takes place in small groups and is highly interactive, drawing on the experience and knowledge of participants as well as lecturers. Course work is flexible: within a weekly schedule, you decide when and where to study. The programme requires 7-10 hours of study per week. The Master in Contemporary Diplomacy is recognised worldwide and has European postgraduate accreditation through the Faculty of Arts at the University of Malta. Graduates of the Master programme work in ministries of foreign affairs around the world, as well as other government bodies and international organisations. Who should apply Practising diplomats, civil servants and international relations professionals, postgraduate students, journalists, and staff of international and non-governmental organisations hoping to gain deeper insight into the world of diplomacy. How to apply The next programme begins on 1 February 2017. Apply by 1 October 2016 (international applicants); 15 November 2016 (Maltese applicants) For further details and application instructions, please visit the programme website or contact admissions@diplomacy.edu Scholarships covering 20% – 50% of Postgraduate Diploma fee available to applicants from small and developing states. Get a head start Enrol in an online course during summer and autumn 2016 for academic credit towards the 2017 Master in Contemporary Diplomacy. Available courses include:   Summer 21st Century Diplomacy Diplomatic Law: Privileges and Immunities Multilateral Diplomacy Autumn Consular and Diaspora Diplomacy Development Diplomacy Language and Diplomacy Economic Diplomacy For additional information: http://www.um.edu.mt/arts/int-relations/diplo

A new musical composition for the Peace Justice and Security Foundation The Hague. In the summer of 2015 composer, artist and writer Dario Poli, received a communication from Florence Olara of The Hague Justice Portal introducing herself to him and inquiring if he could be interested in writing a new musical composition, especially for the Peace Justice and Security Foundation. Her friendly, warm but professional manner of conversing with him, created a good impression and an immediate friendly bond was established. She informed him that the Foundation planned a number of events and activities to create and promote awareness about peace, justice and security across all age groups and communities. After hearing the details of what she was trying to achieve, and realising it was truly an ambitious plan to create awareness, Dario accepted the challenge and readily agreed. Florence asked if the new song could be ready to be presented publicly at one of the Foundation events sometime in the future and wrote, “I therefore write to invite you to write an original song which captures the essence of The Hague as a city of peace, justice and security and for the need for peace justice and security to be applied uniformly and globally for all.”

She arranged for Dario to attend the 70th anniversary of the founding of the UN held at the Peace Palace in The Hague, where he was introduced to officials and personalities and heard numerous speeches that evening. As it was such an important task, Dario decided that for this special gala event, he would bring in the best professionals he knew to help create the new song. He firstly wrote the music and experimented with text. But for the lyrics he invited the talented Scottish musician David Mairs, the co–author with Dario, of “Amsterdam the Musical” and his favourite lyric writer, who after hearing Dario’s new music, penned a brilliant lyric to match the music that eloquently evokes the spirit of the song and the inspiration of the Foundation titled “Ever Changing World.” Dario at this point decided that new song for the foundation would require a different level of musical expression, with vocals in English and recording standards that would be better achieved in the UK. So he contacted his long-time friend and renowned British musical director David Redston whose association goes back to the 1970s, when David worked with Dario as his musical director, conductor and arranger. Their careers took them in different directions for many years, until they reunited to collaborate on “Diana – the Musical” in the 1990s. David Redston has had a long and illustrious career in music, working non-stop as a composer, arranger, and conductor with major projects. When approached by Dario to work on the Justice Peace and Security Foundation project, David jumped at the opportunity to work with his old friend once more. When “Ever Changing World” was written, David was a natural choice as his vast experience and theatrical flair enabled him to combine many different influences into one fantastically dramatic song. As David explains: “When I first heard the song, I knew I wanted to work on the project. It is such an inspiring and uplifting piece of Music, that we feel truly reflects the values and aspirations of the Gala.” On Learning that the Foundation was also looking for an original painting Dario contacted two of most creative talents in Andalucía, Mugge Fischer from Denmark and Ose del Sol a Spanish painter from Marbella, the joint owners of Grupo Artenovum, a highly regarded design company. Mugge contacted Florence and an agreement was reached for the two flamboyant artists to produce the painting and create a CD cover for the song “Ever Changing World” when the song is eventually released the following year. They wrote. “For many years we have worked closely together with Dario Poli on many projects, and most recently “Amsterdam the Musical”. The world is ever changing and moving, and so are we. And we are so pleased to have been asked to be a part of yet another project together with Dario. This time for something that we all dream for: Peace, Justice and Security. So when we were contacted by Florence Olara from The Peace, Justice and Security Foundation who asked us to be part of the process, in our field – ART, we took about 1 second to say…”Yes Dear Florence…off course we will”. So we are right now working on a painting, which is going to be a magnificent work of art, for a great cause in which we are proud to be participating…peace, justice and security in an ever changing world”. Mugge & Ose. Dario Poli, David Mairs, David and Joe Redston, Mugge Fischer, Ose del Sol are now looking forward to arriving in the beautiful city of The Hague and present their creative efforts to a very special audience that Florence Olara and her dedicated team have gathered for the inaugural gala to help promote the Peace Justice and Security Foundation’s ambitions, to make this world a better place.   Brief biographical Information. Florence Olara is the Chair and Co-Founder of the Peace, Justice and Security Foundation and the Strategic Director of The Hague Justice Portal. Dario Poli is a composer, writer and artist. David Mairs is an experienced Scottish musician, performer and song writer, working in the genre of popular music with such famous bands as The Searchers, The Easy beats, the Tremelos, Love Affair, Edison Lighthouse and many more and has collaborated with composer Dario Poli on numerous projects including the Marbella campaign. David Redston has had a long and illustrious career in music, working non-stop as a composer, arranger, conductor and has worked on feature films including “Rambo: First Blood” with the legendary Jerry Goldsmith, and “Priest of Love” with Sir Ian McKellen. He has conducted the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios, and worked on the illustrious Royal Tournament. In theatre, David has worked on countless musicals in the West End and beyond, featuring such luminaries as Michael Ball, Michael Crawford, Elaine Paige and up-and-coming starlet, Laura Michelle Kelly and much more. Mugge Fischer from Denmark and Ose del Sol a Spanish painter from Marbella, are the joint owners of Grupo Artenovum, a highly regarded design company in Marbella Spain and well known for their successful “Donna’s del Mundo” art series.                    

By Marion Verboom. On the 9th of September 2016, the second National Entrepreneurs’ Day will take place at the  Plein, in The Hague. The main topics will be International Entrepreneurship and Tomorrow’s Economy. One of the goals of the day is to make the match between Dutch entrepreneurs and representatives of different countries from all over the world. The day will start at 8:00 AM with the opening by H.E. Lilianne Ploumen Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Coordination during an International Breakfast with ambassadors, diplomats from trade and economic departments, entrepreneurs and international organisations. During the day we will have masterclasses about Tomorrow’s Entrepreneurial Economy, workshops with themes like How to do  business with Aruba or How to do  business with Belgium, and many more. Prime Minister Mark Rutte will participate in a debate about the economy with Hans Biesheuvel, founder of ONL;  members of parliament will also attend for discussions about the economy. At the end of the day, we will announce the National Entrepreneur of the year 2016, and will finish the day with a networking reception. What’s in it for you:

• Meet ambitious Dutch entrepreneurs who are ready to grow, invest and export.
• Exchange information with entrepreneurs .
• Discover what Dutch entrepreneurs need.
• Learn how to organise a successful trade mission to the Netherlands.
• The opportunity to visit the National Entrepreneurs’ Day with a trade mission.
• Promote your country among the most ambitious entrepreneurs of The Netherlands.
• Meet several international partners like RVO, WTC, KvK, various banks, the municipalities, etc.
• ONL offers a stage for countries to present themselves.
• The possibility to meet, greet and talk to commercial attachés from various embassies in The Hague.

ONL voor Ondernemers (Entrepreneurial Netherlands) is firmly committed to a robust and decisive economy that is flexible, innovative and sustainable. ONL offers suggestions and recommendations to make this happen. We are the voice of the entrepreneurs and the bridge between entrepreneurs and politics. Together we will improve the business environment in The Netherlands. For more information, please contact: Marion Verboom, m.verboom@onl.nl, 06 52 888 144 ——— About the author: Marion Verboom, is manager external relations ONL  

By Sanmaya Rath. India is the fourth ranked country as far as the PPP is concerned. According to the U.S. report on Global Governance India can be considered as the third most powerful superpower around the globe after the United States and China. Foreign Capital can be considered as transmission of many capital resource from the hi tech nations to the upcoming countries to create a qualitative metamorphosis in different economic structures. FDI in Indian Market: A Glimpse Economic Reforms has moved on through two different phases. The First Phase: Initiation In order to give greater velocity to the private sector, a number of amendments in the policy were made in context to industrial licensing, EXIM policy, technology upliftment, fiscal policy,LPG and so on. All these changes were executed to create a congenial climate for private sector so that private sector investment would create rapid modernization and globalization. The New Economic Policy removed many obtacles behind new development. The Government took several steps to draw direct investment. The Second Phase: Reincarnation Economic reforms during the governance of Rajiv Gandhi Ji couldn’t yield the desired outcome. Subsequently the country also suffered from a serious BoP crisis. Of course the World Bank and the IMF came to help India during that point in time. The economy was back on track. The main objective behind the research is to examine the FDI inflow, its trend , growth & link up with GDP during the period of 2010-2016. Review of Literature Many a studies have been made in this particular field of research. Devajit (2012) made a study to trace out the repercussion of foreign direct investments on Indian economy and found out that Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is must for sustainable development in different sectors like healthcare, education, R&D. Sharma Reetu and Khurana Nikita (2013) made a critical study on the sector-wise distribution of FDI during post-liberalization period and enunciated the various negativities about the foreign direct investment and suggested many recommendations to combat them. National FDI Policy Framework FIPB approved 18 proposals of FDI worth Rs 5,000 crore (US$ 770 million) approximately. Some of the recent developments through GoI are illustrated below:

• Japan will construct India’s first superfast bullet train by offering a loan of US$ 8.11 billion for the same.
• Chinese cell phone manufacturer, Coolpad Group Ltd. will be investing US$ 300 million in order to start up a R&D centre India by 2017.
• Amazon India expanded its supply chain management system to more than 2,100 cities and towns in 2015.

The Indian government has redesigned the FDI policy related to infra and construction. India will provide most favored nations (MFN) treatment to 15 different countries which are in dialogue with us. Thus we can conclude that the nation will witness a smart format if FDI happens in many sectors especially in retail. ———– About the author:  Sanmaya Rath, Ph.D. (Honoris Causa from Corllins University, USA) Lead Trainer-Domain& Soft skills. Professor Rath is a  Lead Trainer, Black Panther Skills Trainer. Visiting Prof. of Indian Economic Problems, Fazlani Altius Business School, Bhubaneswar. Contact information: Pump Janla, Khurdha Road, Bhubaneswar-752054, Mail:sanmayrath1902@yahoo.com  Phone: 0764-2460260 / 0753-7933302

By  Aine O’Mahony and  Elodie Pichon. Following the recent abduction of five Hong Kong publishers, alleged to have edited books disclosing “inconvenient truths” about the Chinese government, thousands of people took to the streets of Hong Kong to protest and fight for their right to have Freedom of Expression, which had already been enshrined in the Fundamental Law of Hong Kong. The post 80 generation wants to defend civil liberties and young people are concerned by the fact that the Chinese grip on the media could be the potential starting point for the end of the “One country, two systems” policy, agreed on between China and Great Britain for the transfer of sovereignty over this territory. Is it reasonable to believe that this territory could become a simple reproduction of China, as feared by the younger generation? On the first of July, 1997, China resumed control of Hong Kong after 156 years of British colonial rule. The two countries had already agreed on the terms for the transfer of power back in 1984. Britain acquired Hong Kong Island in 1842, following the “Opium Wars” of the 19^th century. It took possession of Kowloon Peninsula in 1886 and obtained a lease on The New Territories for a period of 99 years beginning in 1898. Lawmakers, appointed by Beijing, took over power in 1997, but promised to honor China’s pledge to maintain the Hong Kong way of life for at least another fifty years.

However, today idealism is being replaced very quickly by pragmatism in Hong Kong where official statistics show that this special administrative region is becoming more and more politically and economically dependent on China. The Closer Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) set up in 2003 aims at facilitating commercial exchanges between the partners, thus forcing Hong Kong to become more politically integrated into China. Beijing has managed to achieve its goal, because the volume of trade between Hong Kong and mainland China has multiplied by three over the last ten years. In addition, in order to influence the elite of Hong Kong, China has invested extensively there, particularly in finance and real estate. Kai Dai of the United Front of the University of San Yat, of Canton stated that “the CEPA could enable China to use its economy as an axe to reinforce political communication on the two sides and to reconquer the population of Hong Kong”. Beijing relies on Hong Kong’s economic dependence on China to tighten its control over the territory, indicating that the “one country, two systems” principle is more theoretical than real. Back in 2012, in his luminary and farsighted policy paper ‘What China Wants for Asia?’ professor Anis H. Bajrektarevic accurately diagnoses: “To sustain itself as a single socio-political and formidably performing economic entity, the People’s Republic requires more energy and less external dependency. Domestically, the demographic-migratory pressures are huge, regional demands are high, and expectations are brewing… In effect, the forthcoming Chinese military buildup will only strengthen the existing, and open up new, bilateral security deals of neighboring countries, primarily with the US – as nowadays in Asia, no one wants to be a passive downloader.” “Ultimately, it may create a politico-military isolation (and financial burden) for China that would consequently justify and (politically and financially) cheapen the bolder reinforced American military presence in the Asia-Pacific, especially in the South and the East China Sea. It perfectly adds up to the intensified demonization of China in parts of influential Western media.” When speaking with some of residents of Hong Kong during our recent visit there, we realized that many had adopted a fatalistic attitude towards their situation because of their economic dependence on China and their fear of the political powers of Beijing. People feel that China has reneged on its promises and freedom of expression is becoming severely jeopardized. The principle of the two systems framework, regards Beijing as being responsible for the city’s defense and foreign affairs while Hong Kong should be able to enjoy limited self-governance and avail of civil liberties, including an independent judiciary and freedom of the press. China promised that Hong Kong could elect its leaders through universal suffrage, but this is far from reality today when China is slowly but systematically tightening its grip over the territory. The people’s hope for a change in the political system, which would allow democratic elections and civil liberties, is quickly vanishing. Ben, a very pragmatic businessman whom we met, acknowledges that Hong Kong does not have the economic capacity to count without China, but China is not willing to make any concessions. Hong Kong is in a deadlock situation and seems to be doomed under the influence of China. According to Ling, a young activist of the Umbrella Movement, “the Hong Kong population will only protest in the case of a mass violation of the freedom of expression”. Shortly after the transfer of power from Great Britain to Beijing, the post 80 generation could foresee that freedom of expression was going to be threatened. According to Mai Hai, a woman in her fifties, who is politically involved and very concerned about the lack of civil liberties in Hong Kong, “1997 was the beginning of a head-on confrontation with the CCP” and resistance to the government of Beijing has strengthened in Hong Kong. In 2005 Citizen Radio was launched in order to “bravely speak out” and defend the freedom of expression. However, the authorities of Hong Kong, under the command of Beijing, began acts of repression against the radio station. Szeto Wah, and seven of his colleagues were prosecuted for having dared to speak about the Tianamen Square protests on his radio program. Over recent years the situation regarding universal rights has not improved in Hong Kong. In 2014, the journalist, King Lau, was prosecuted for having sharply criticized Beijing. This created public indignation and outraged the newly politicized generation who began protests in Hong Kong to defend the freedom of the press and demand “true universal suffrage”. The Umbrella Revolution, a pro-democratic movement, began in 2014 when students boycotted class in order to protest outside city government headquarters in favor of the restoration of civil liberties. More and more Hong Kongers of all ages and backgrounds joined in these peaceful street protests, eventually paralyzing the city’s central business district for weeks and even months. The humble umbrella became the key symbol of this protest as it was used not only to protect demonstrators from the tear gas and pepper spray used by the police and as a shelter for the night but it was also a symbol of resistance. Unfortunately, it would be naïve to think that these protests, filmed by the cameras of the entire world would have been enough to frighten and threaten the Chinese government. Beijing went from strength to strength in its relentless repression and opposition to the movement. The Umbrella Revolution was no exception to Chinese severe censorship procedure. Lok Yee, one of the remaining protestors who still slept outside under his yellow umbrella several months later, explained how information was controlled and falsified by the authorities in Beijing. At first any “inconvenient truths” related to the Umbrella Movement were either deleted or modified. When this became impossible due to the huge influx of information the government decided to say  that Hong Kongers were only showing support for the CPC. When these first strategies failed they always found new methods of covering over, such as falsifying videos by cutting scenes where policemen launched tear gas. They even paid both Chinese and Hong Kong people to help boost the government’s popularity. These “soft warriors” also known as “50 cents” were paid fifty cents for each positive comment twitted about the government or for each comment against the demonstrators. They even received more money if they demonstrated against the Umbrella Movement. The ten-year judicial sentencing of Yiu Manting, a Hong Kong editor and the recent disappearance of five staff members of the Mighty Current Publishing House (known for frequently criticizing China) shows that Xi Jinping,  Secretary General  of the Communist Party of China,  President of the People’s Republic of China, and Chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, is more determined than ever. Opposing the government and defying censorship is becoming more and more dangerous in Hong Kong. Freedom of expression is severely jeopardized and journalists have no option but to rely on self-censorship in order to avoid retaliation. All types of communication including the state media and social media are strictly controlled on the mainland of China. A lot of information is censored or falsified or in many cases completely deleted if certain words such as ‘democracy’ are detected. The aim of the government is to try to hide information concerning its political policies and its methods of dealing with political dissidents or those who do not yield to the power of censorship. Baidu, the most popular search engine in China, has very limited resources on any subjects which are considered as sensitive by the Chinese authorities. Lence, a twenty-year-old student studying in Hong Kong, explained this to us and showed us that with a Chinese search engine it is impossible to find any facts about Liu Xiabo, the imprisoned human rights activist and Nobel Prize winner, who was absent from Oslo and unable to receive his award because he was kidnapped by the Chinese government. According to Lence, the Chinese government is more and more concerned about the fact that Hong Kong students could bring their “dangerous ideas” to the mainland of China. On his recent visit there, his newspapers and all his academic papers were confiscated at the Chinese border. However this severe treatment is nothing compared to that of some of the leaders of the movement. During demonstrations secret agents are sometimes sent by the Chinese government to follow and list the names of those who are prone to upset the stability of the communist regime. These activists are blacklisted and not allowed reach mainland China. There seems to be no hope today for a better future in Hong Kong, a sensation felt even among the younger generation. What will the implications be for the people who are being progressively denied their civil liberties? Will Hong Kong find democracy? Probably not, because Beijing fears that the election of any pro-democracy candidate could destabilize communist ideology and bring down the regime. A group of students from the University of Hong Kong, that we had the opportunity of speaking to, confessed that they did not think Beijing would change its attitude towards the people of Hong Kong nor loosen its control over the press. Is this fatalism definitive or could the situation in Taiwan bring hope to the people of Hong Kong? Thanks to Taiwanese activists the Umbrella Movement influenced the election of the pro-independent president, Tsai Ing-Wen. Could this in turn bring new energy to Hong Kong in its battle to continue its fight for fundamental rights? ————- About the authors: Aine O’Mahony has a bachelor in Law and Political Science at the Catholic Institute of Paris and is currently a master’s student of Leiden University in the International Studies programme.Contact: aine-claire.nini@hotmail.fr Elodie Pichon has a bachelor in Law and Political Science at the Catholic Institute of Paris and is currently doing a MA in Geopolitics, territory and Security at King’s College London. Contact : elodie.pichon@gmail.com