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2011 Asia and Africa today

 

INDIA: ON THE WAY TO THE STATUS OF A GLOBAL POWER

FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITIES: AMBITIONS AND PROBLEMS by F.Yu.Yurlov, Dr.Sc. (History)
Keywords: India, China, the USA, Russia, the United Nations
In the beginning of the XXI c. India has taken place among the largest powers of the world. Annual economic growth for the last few years keeps on a level of 8-9 % and even more. In the nearest future India is planning to become one of the biggest world economies. Delhi is actively strengthening its economic and political potential, making its powerful armed forces even more powerful. The country possesses the nuclear weapon and other modern military armaments. India is persistently striving for getting the permanent membership in the UN Security Council.
The author analyzes the character and the dynamics of Delhi’s relations with the most influential world powers - the USA, the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation.

THE POPULATION OF INDIA IS GROWING AT RECORD RATE by S.A.Gorokhov, PhD (Geography), R.V.Dmitriev, Post-graduate student
Keywords: India, census of the population
India is rapidly overcoming China in population and soon may become the most populated country in the world. The article analyzes the first results of India population census hold in 2011. The territorial imbalances of the birth, death and literacy rates, sex and age pattern of population are considered in detail. Much attention is given to detection of contemporary trends in India population’s demographic indices change.

INDIA AS A NEW FINANCIAL DONOR by N.V.Galishcheva, PhD (Economy)
Keywords : India, an aid to development, Southern Asia, Africa
Last two decades new large countries-creditors (in particular, China and Brazil) have come to the world financial market. A rather significant role among them is played by India.
Due to competent liberal economic reforms India has turned from being the recipient of foreign aid to a serious financial donor. As a result, India now is one of the largest donors of Afghanistan, an important source of aid for such neighbors in the region as Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and also for the states of Africa.

DIASPORA AS THE ENGINE OF CHINESE «ECONOMIC MIRACLE» IN SEARCH OF THE EFFECTIVE UTILIZATION OF DIASPORA by A.A.Sergeeva. Part 1
Keywords: People’s Republic of China, diaspora, cultural expansion
The article is devoted to the problem of effective use of potential of Chinese numerous foreign diaspora. Peking has developed special programs of interaction with the ethnic Chinese living abroad. The support of foreign compatriots has become an important part of the foreign policy of China.
The leaders of the People’s Republic of China are rather successively using enormous material, scientific and technical and cultural potential of foreign compatriots.

HOW THE FOREIGN CHINESE HELP THEIR MOTHER-COUNTRY by A.V.Afonasyeva, Post- graduate student
Keywords: China, investments, the investment legislation
The population of the People’s Republic of China makes today about 1,33 billion people. Nearly 40 million Chinese live in 154 foreign countries. It is less than 3% of the population of China. Nevertheless, the role of the foreign Chinese for fast emerging developing economy of China is really great. Annually they invest to various industries and to an agriculture of their “land of descent” tens of billion dollars
- i.e. more than 50% of a total sum of annual foreign investments into economy of China.

ELECTIONS IN NIGERIA: TIME OF POLITICAL PARADOXES by L.V.Geveling, Dr.Sc. (Political)
Keywords: Nigeria, elections, political parties, democracy, violence
Professor L.V.Geveling has conducted a study to determine how general elections affect the behavior of power elites, counter-elites and common people in the most populated country of Africa. The article provides an analysis and evaluation of the current and prospective problems of stability and of democracy, its dissemination and its significance for the social development of modern Nigeria. It is well-known, that this country has been hobbled by unpopular military regimes, poor and unaccountable governance, bribery and corruption, overdependence on the oil sector, inadequate economic and social infrastructures. Free, fair and credible elections had to get Nigeria back to the road of democratic changes and legitimate high expectations of the electorate that socio-economic development would be accelerated.
The election for the presidency, state governorships and legislators took place in April 2011. It was a critical turning point in the history of the Fourth Republic. The contest for the election was a fight between the long-ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the main opposition political organizations. Despite some violence and malpractices poll was well-conducted. The standard-bearer of PDP president Goodluck Jonathan was declared the winner on 19 April. Although the social future of Nigeria remains uncertain, the
2011 election demonstrated that this country was creating its own model of power and a new system of political interconnections between elites and masses.

JAPAN AND THE CENTRAL ASIA: IN SEARCHE OF OIL AND STATUS by O.A.Dobrinskaya, PhD (History)
Keywords: Japan, the postsoviet Central Asia, «Diplomacy of the Silk Track»
The post Soviet Central Asia is playing an important role in plans of Tokyo aimed at providing energy security of Japan and at increase of its role in the regional and world politics. The author investigates, what particular factors influence to the greatest degree the policy of Tokyo in this region. First of all, it is a rivalry with China. Secondly, it is economic aid to the antiterrorist coalition in Afghanistan headed by the military and political ally of Japan - the United States.

THE CONFLICT IN GUINEA: RISK FACTORS by V.R.Filippov, Dr.Sc. (History)
Keywords: Guinea, conflict, intertribal strife
In clause the modern political conflict in Guinea is investigated. The author underlines that the conflict potential in Guinea will remain or even become worse as long as the situation in the Western Africa as a whole remains unstable.
Mosaic tribal pattern, conditional character of frontiers, periodic flashes of violence between the tribes, practically uncontrollable migratory exchange - all this bears in itself a threat of scale conflicts in all Western Africa.

WHETHER IT IS POSSIBLE TO MAKE UP A DEFICIENCY IN THE WORLD CULTURE? by S.N.Grinyaev
Keywords: museum values, Cairo, cultural heritage of Iraq, archeological excavations
Spontaneous revolts of broad masses in any country results as a rule in losses of cultural values, plunder of museum treasures and of personal collections. Developments taking place in the beginning of this year the Arabian East have been not an exception to this rule.
The author is extremely concerned about the preservation of the richest cultural and historical heritage in the region. In his opinion, destruction of monuments of history and culture in Egypt, Iraq and other states should be qualified not as a»vandalism» but as a real humanitarian catastrophe.

WHAT IS «SOCIALISM WITH THE CHINESE SPECIFICITY»? by E.P.Pivovarova, Dr.Sc. (Economy)
Keywords: Chinese socialism, «three-step-by-step» strategy of modernization, social justice
The author analyzes the path the People’s Republic of China has traveled during the years of reforms. She speaks of the “mixed economy” created in the country as result of «socialism with the Chinese specificity».

PSYCHOLOGY OF POLITICAL CORRECTNESS by A.A.Neduva (Israel)
Keywords: Israel, political correctness, problems of safety
«Problems of war and peace in the Near East» - that was the theme of the scientific conference hold in Israel at the end of November, 2010.
We are publishing the text of one of the reports made at the conference by professor A.Neduva, Dr.Sc. (Medicine), the former Russian citizen, who has investigated a phenomenon of the modern concept of political correctness. Professor has come to conclusion, that in certain cases, especially when you deal with the enemies of Israel, the application of this concept is inadmissible.

RUSSIANS AND NATIVES OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE INDEPENDENT STATES (CIS) COUNTRIES IN AFRICA: SOCIALL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PORTRAIT by M.L.Butovckaya, Dr.Sc. (History), V.N.Burkova, R.O.Butovski, Dr.Sc. (Biology)
Keywords: Africa, Russian speaking diaspora, Russian culture, adaptation of migrants
In clause some results of field research “Russian and Russian culture as factors of social adaptation-psychological of Russian migrants and their descendants in Africa” are presented. The project was carried out in three countries of East Africa (Tanzania, Ruanda, Uganda) and one in Southern Africa (Zambia).

THE HOLIDAY OF WORSHIP OF ANCESTORS by V.P.Nemchenko (Ghana)
Keywords: Ghana, holiday of worship of ancestors, ritual ceremonies
People of Ghana have various rituals for all the important cases of life. All the people get together on significant annual or seasonal holidays which they call festivals.
There are two types of festivals: holidays of crops and holidays which are devoted to memory of ancestors and leaders. The article describes the festival «adaye» of the “Akan” tribe. People of the tribe believe that their died relatives stay with them even after their death. So during the festival those who are alive address to those who joined the silent majority asking their help, endowing them with food and drinks.

RUSSIA-TURKEY: 90 YEARS OF COOPERATION by A.A.Koritsky
91 years have passed since the diplomatic relations between RSFSR and Turkey have been established in June1920. And on March 16th, 2011 the other date has been marked - the 90 anniversary of signing of the Friendship and Brotherhood Treaty between the Soviet Russia and Turkey.
During the celebration of this anniversary the presentation of the book by Aleksandr Kolesnikov Ataturk donemi Turk-Rus iliskileri: Turk-Sovyet iliskilerinin kurulusunun 90. yili. Ankara, AKDTYK Ataturk Arastirma Merkezi, 2010, 161 with. (Alexandr Kolesnikov. «Russian- Turkish Relations during the Ataturk’s Years») has taken place.
Its author - professor A.A.Kolesnikov, Dr.Sc. - has worked for many years as the councellor of the Russian Embassy in Turkey.

ETHIOPIA. IN THE LIGHT OF TIME by A.A.Tkachenko, PhD (Economy)
The review of E.S.Lvova’s book «Those numerous faces of Ethiopia. Sketches on history, culture, ethnographies» (2009, 332 p.). This edition continues the old Russian tradition of studying of little-known pages of history, culture, ethnographic features of the countries of Black continent.

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