Ashord International hotel: can funds for a school be raised in a single evening...?

To its credit the African Union has adopted a “no undemocratically elected leaders" policy.

I don’t understand this rigged election business.

If Robert Mugabe is the only candidate in the Zimbabwe elections how can he only get 85% of the vote?

Surely he’s disappointed he’s not even achieved 100% - talk about an open goal.

It seems at long last the UK is urging the African Union to unseat Mugabe “by whatever means”. 4,000 cholera deaths later.

This is a sharp contrast to the rather flat-footed policies in Burma where nearly 100,000 people died a year ago following Cyclone Nargis, due to no effective aid influx.

Three warships from USA, France and UK sat offshore with barely 3 helicopters providing aid.

With the return of the UN envoy to Burma to help develop democracy a further 2,100 political prisoners are jailed.

Even in North Korea we may be witnessing the first defrosting of relations with the USA as a rogue nuclear state following the destruction of the cooling towers at Yongbyong and Obama election.

Don’t hold your breath: North Korea always seems determined to make small concessions for food and fuel aid. No change there unless China exerts pressure,and the same pressure is required for Burma.

No-one would expect perfect human rights in China but Burma and North Korea are rogue states that only China can effectively remove.

Kofi Annan the former Secretary General of the UNH made the point absolutely clear: “The sovereignty of states must no longer be used as a shield for gross violation of human rights”.

Apt for a handful of Asian nations, a majority of African nations and perhaps all the more apt at the moment given the ICC requirement for Israeli generals to explain the shelling of civilians in Gaza and use of white phosphorous - a form of napalm.

Make no mistake greater democracy means both peace and wealth: South Korea lifted itself out of military dictatorship through the 1970’s with a GDP equal to Ghana and is now on a par with Portugal and one of the most advanced technological societies.

As with East Germany, the opening of North Korea and reunification across Korea will also impact on growth for but a few short years with China's, Japan's and South Korea's support.

For Africa, Zimbabwe is the first step for a freer and democratic Africa with Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea and Congo far smaller hurdles to peace and liberty.

Then the only issue will be how effectively can aid be provided against the UNMDG.

A very interesting report by the BBC on TV last night about the Central African Republic.

Known mainly for torture and the dictatorship of President Bokassa in the 1970's who built a cathedral larger than Notre Dame in the middle of the jungle and crowned himself Emperor.

With one third of that year's aid budget for the coronation alone.

The French military eventually helped depose him and gave him political asylum despite detailed accounts of torture, murder and cannibalism.

Bokassa along with Idi Amin represents perhaps the ultimate failure of the West in helping secure democracy and good governance in Africa in the last 30 years.

The last remnant of African dictators and war criminals is now President Obiang of Equatorial Guinea - the target of the "Wonga Coup" by Simon Mann and Mark Thatcher four years ago, and the Frederick Forsyth "Dogs of War" coup of the 1970's.

Equatorial Guinea produces one-third of Africa's oil.

And the TV show last night?

It showed French soldiers - or part of an EU training mission - helping train the Central African Republic soldiers.

Chad, CAR and Djibouti and parts of the Congo represent the bulk of French and EU military support.

And a road trip through CAR showed 30 miles of villages and houses burned and the people driven into the jungle by the military to prevent them falling into rebel control.

And schools?

The only permanent structure in each village was the school.

A simple breezeblock and concrete structure with blackboard, desks and benches.

Waiting for the return of the teachers and villagers.

And the protection of their army and France's.

The Nippon Foundation a large Japanese NGO has called for more action to eradicate the last few strains of leprosy in Brazil, India, Congo and Nigeria.

India has the most leprosy patients but has recently announced the historic eradication of any new leprosy cases.

A vaccine cure exists, free of charge, to cure existing leprosy patients.

The Nippon Foundation CEO Yohei Sasakawa forecasts that leprosy will be totally eradicated within three years.

The Nippon Foundation Leprosy campaign is supported by the Dalai Lama, Prince Hassan of Jordan, Archbishop Tutu and Chief Rabbi Metzger of Israel.

www.nippon-foundation.or.jp

A quick note following the shocking statistic on 16,500 kids dying from lack of food each day.

The local Co-op in-store radio had another shocking statistic: 1,500 children die from AIDS in Africa each day.

Very impressive the Co-op apart from their awful telephone system: I've never seen credit card terminals with a mini-voting system: "should plastic bags be charged for" etc. Very innovative.

And many thanks to Helen at Abbey School in Faversham for looking after a huge pile of old school uniforms to donate to their Mali school.

The Mother of all Jumble Sales apparently.