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2013 Asia and Africa today

WORLD CRISIS:  PROBLEMS OF RECOVERY

WILL  THE «BRICKS» SURVIVE: INDIA IN BRICS AFTER  THE CRISIS by A.V.Akimov, Dr.Sc. (Economy)

Keywords:    India,    BRICS,    Amartya    Sen,    Human Development Index, «pressure of population on land»

The  global  financial  and  economic  crisis  has  been  a serious challenge for all the countries of the world, but it had a different impact on the BRICS countries. China and India - the   largest   economies   in  the   group   of  developing   and transition countries - comparatively easily went through the crisis. This has become a serious claim to world leadership. Moreover,   in  2010,  China   was  recognized   as  the  second largest economy in the world after the U.S.A.

HOW THE  WORLD HELPS AFRICA TO OVERCOME CRISIS AND TO INCREASE THE RATES OF   ECONOMIC  DEVELOPMENT  by  A.P.Kovalchuk, PhD (Economy)

Keywords: world financial and economic crisis, African states, official development assistance, monitoring of aid effectiveness

This paper examines influence  of financial and economic crisis on development of the  African  states.  The  opinion  of expert   community  on  impact   of  world  crisis  on  African economy and the role of Official Development Assistance (ODA) during the period 2008-2011 are analyzed. Aid effectiveness research in 2006-2010 not only showed certain progress of all ODA main operations, but also revealed many unresolved problems.

PROCESSES OF DIFFERENTIATION OF DEVELOPING CUNTIRES: CURRENCY AND FINANCIAL ASPECTS by L.L.Fituni, Dr.Sc. (Economy). Article 2. Part  1

Keywords:     global    economy,    development   models, developing countries, BRICS, multipolarity, catch-up theories of development

The  article  is one  of the  first  attempts to  analyze  the BRICS  phenomenon as a unique  case of global leadership in catch-up development and to place it into  the framework  of existing mainstream theories  of global growth  and transformation of the existing models of global economic development. It   is   an   analysis    of   the    dialectics of multipolarity and polycentricism of the modern system of international relations  and the existing world order.

REVOLT IN THE ARABIAN WORLD: CROPS  AND SHOOTS HAS  THE  «ARAB  SPRING» REALY  HAPPENED? by N.Z.Fakhrutdinova

Keywords:  democratic freedom,  Islam,  political  culture and civil society

The Arabs have a wonderful saying: bush bloomed, but spring  has not  come. It means that  there  is something  you have long dreamed of and hoped for has not realized. The so-called «Arab Spring», which assumed economic growth  and the rise of living standards failed to bring the expected results. To understand this phenomenon one should consider the characteristics of the political culture of the Arabs.

THE ARAB LEAGUE AND THE MIDDLE EAST CRISIS by L.M.Isayev

Keywords: the Arab League, «Arab Spring», Syria, Libya, Amr Mohammed  Moussa

Since the beginning of the social and political upheaval in the Arab world, the Middle East and North Africa has experienced  a series of political transformations. Some countries - Libya and Syria - plunged into a state of civil war, others  -  Egypt  and  Yemen  -  are  in  a  state  of permanent political and legal crisis, etc. All this has become a test for the League of Arab States  (LAS), one of the oldest international organizations in the world.

ENERGY: PRESENT AND FUTURE RUSSIAN OIL BUSINESS IN IRAQ  by E.O.Kasayev

Keywords: Iraq, oil, Russian business, Lukoil Overseas, Gazprom Neft, Bashneft, Rosneft

The  article   analyzes  the   status   and  prospects   of  the Russian oil companies in Iraq. Considering the existing experience  of Lukoil Overseas,  Gazprom  Neft and Bashneft, as well as future  plans of Rosneft, the author comes to conclusion  that  the  strengthening of the  current position  of Russian  business will directly  depend  on the strategy it will chose. In the pursuit of profitable  contracts it is necessary to take into account not only the economic dimension, but also ethno-confessional factors.

INDIAN WOMEN.  TRADITIONS  AND MODERNITY by E.S.Yurlova, Dr.Sc. (History). Part  2 (Part 1 in «Asia and Africa today», 2013,   № 4)

Keywords: India, gender, caste, family, gender asymmetry, female infanticide

Indian  experience  demonstrates that,  in spite of 65 years of independent development, adoption of a number  of laws aimed  at  the  emancipation of women, in reality  women  are still one of the  most vulnerable  parts  of society. Traditional submission about roles and identities of women in the family, in caste and in community promote  gender inequality. The  caste  system  is largely  based  on  religious  precepts which enshrine inequality between men and women. Through moral and ethical imperative  of religion Brahmin  priests supported reproduction of the caste system for centuries and through generations, because  they  saw in it an effective mechanism of power and conservation of inequality. Lately struggle between democratic community and traditionalists on the situation of women deteriorated sharply.

«SEVEN REPUBLICS» OF  NIGER by V.R.Filippov, Dr.Sc. (History). Part  1

Keywords:   Niger,  coup,  the   Tuareg   people,  conflict, military  regime

On the territory of Niger there  is a variety  of conglomeration of languages, cultures,  religions, ways of life. That’s why  this  country has never  been  a harmonious and peaceful one. In the post-colonial period the people of Niger failed to create an effective state.

ELECTIONS IN GHANA: THE COUNTRY GOT A NEW PRESIDENT by V.P.Nemchenko

Keywords: Ghana, elections, constitution, political parties, John Dramani  Mahama

In December 2012 presidential and parliamentary elections  were held in Ghana. Contrary to the predictions of European and  American  experts,  they  were held  peacefully without any excesses. Thus,  these  elections  proved  that  the first president of independent Ghana,  Kwame Nkrumah  was right when he stated that «the black man is able to manage his own affairs».

FROM SUN TSU TO JOZEPH NYE: INTERNAF TIONAL  RELATIONS THEORY WITH CHINESE CHARACTERISTICS by O.A.Arin, Dr.Sc. (History)

Keywords: China, international relations  theory, comprehensive national  power, «soft power»

After  self-destruction  of  the   Soviet   Union   and  the breakup  of the  bipolar  system  of international relations,  the West  theorists intensified  efforts aimed at developing new approaches  to study the world affairs. The conceptions of old schools are revised, and new are created.  From the beginning of  1990’s,  China   is  actively   engaged   in  the  process  of formation  of new theories  of international relations,  as well. The article  discusses the impact of Western theories  of international relations  on the traditional Chinese outlook  on the world in general and on the place and role of China in the world in particular.

LANGUAGE PLAY IN ADVERTISING (IN SWAHILI LANGUAGE) by M.O.Dorokhina
Кeywords: advertising, Swahili, language play

The article  covers various techniques of language play in advertising in East  Africa, analyzes  the  levels of phonetics, morphology and graphics. The  research   is  based  on  various  advertising texts   in Swahili. The main focus is outdoor advertising.

TALES  OF  BALI:  VICTIMS OF  PATRIARCHY by M.V.Frolova

Keywords: Indonesia,  folklore, Rangda, Calon Arang, modern Indonesian writers

Javanese  and  Balinese  people  share  belief  in  a  wicked witch named Calon Arang, who is also known as Rangda (literary “the widow”). The malicious female character might originate  from once existing  prototype, while the historical background has strong  connections with  the  folk tale about black magic Calon Arang used in wrath, causing plague and innumerable victims. The article gives three different literary examples  by  well-known   modern  Indonesian writers   who exploit  creative  techniques of the  present  to  transform the ancient  image.

FORMULA FOR SUCCESS by S.I.Kapelush

V.G.Solodovnikov is a well known scholar and diplomat. Particular significant  contribution he has made to establishment of the Soviet/Russian African studies. For 12 years V.G.Solodovnikov directed the Institute of African Studies  of the Russian  Academy of Sciences (RAS), which in  the   meantime   has  become  a  major  center   for scientific  researchers   of  the  African  continent. For  many years he headed the Soviet Association of Friendship with the Peoples of Africa. In  1970  V.G.Solodovnikov published  the  book  "Africa: the struggle for independence", which was awarded the international "Lion Award" for "best work on Africa, written by non-African". V.G.Solodovnikov is the author of 12 books and over 300 articles in national  and foreign periodicals.

RHODES AND VICINITY by I.I.Filatova, Dr.Sc. (History)

Keywords: South  Africa, Durban, Cecil Rhodes, Transkei, Drakensberg Mountains

This is a story about one of the areas lost in the mountains of South  Africa, manners  and customs of the people who live there.  The author speaks of her adventures in South  Africa’s outback,  its inhabitants, distant and recent  past of this  area and as well as how it is changing today.

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