Notations On Our World (Weekly Edition): Out & About in Our World....

It is the dawn of a new and yet busy week at the Daily Outsider.   The US Women's Soccer Team won the World Cup for the 4th Year in a Row.   We congratulate the team on its' momentous achievement.

We chose the headlines from our assessment around the Grid because of what we believe-a sense of hope in line with our mission to help change the conversation about our World.    Greece, for instance, decided on a profound change as it the leftist government was defeated and a new Prime Minister is slated to be sworn in tomorrow.   This is as we have also been assessing the change of leadership in Europe which will have a Notation on it later on this week.

Beyond Europe, there is the on-going challenges with Iran.  Iran's economy is teetring and our team released a special edition of Notations on it earlier.  In our view, the gamble by the Iranian authorities on Uranimum enrichment was captured brilliantly by a depicition by an Iranian Civics Organization:

Our team is working on a Notation on Iran for the week as we continue to assess the aftermath of two major declarations by leading Iranian dissidents on the call they've made to overthrow the Islamic Republic.  We understand from reports that a Tweetstorm will be forthcoming later on today in support of this.   

As we begin, we begin fy first and foremost extending a Happy Birthday to the Father of the Gaia Theory, James Lovelock as we note this admonition from him, "...If there were a billion people living on the planet, we could do whatever we please. But there are nearly seven billion. At this scale, life as we know it today is not sustainable. – How to Cool the Planet: Geoengineering and the Audacious Quest to Fix Earth’s Climate, 2010..." 

We were also saddened as we note the passing of the legendary Brazilian artists Joao Gilberto.  He passed away over the Week-End.   His legacy will live on as we hope all enjoy this selection we chose of a classic he did with the great Stan Getz:

RIP Joae Gilberto--Your legacy will live on!!

Notations On Our World (Special Edition): On Iran vs. The United States

As we went to press, Iran had reached out to France to intercede to try to negotiate a way out of the crisis that has seen oil markets--Iran's main source of revenue--cut off from the World.   An Iranian Tanker was seized by British Royal Marines which triggered strong reaction from the ruling clerics in Tehran.

Our team will continue to assess this over the ensuing days.     

Education Should Add To The Critical Employment Potential Of Countries; Of College graduates, 'Formal' And 'Informal' Sectors

College education adds to the critical employment potential of countries, so this should be an opportunity for education to create an entrepreneurial culture among graduates. 

Thanks +The Boston Globe of Sunday January 6th 2013. As a man recently from Africa, I have met graduates on the Streets of Lagos, Cape Town, Kampala, Nairobi, Dar-es-Salaam, Addis-Ababa and Brazzaville. I have also met non-graduates in various categories. These were functionally engaged in businesses termed as 'informal-sector'. They were the City backbone and had the best places for cheaper food, transport and businesses spaces. Many employed graduates. That is in Africa.

Education provides skills and gives many opportunities to get into the formal sector. Here they enjoy job security, salaries, trappings and means to improve on themselves further. They pursue their goals with confidence and command respect in society. Education gives one the possibility to earn sums of money commensurate to their levels of learning and skills.

The labour market: What is that? Careers? Buildings with offices? Larger storied buildings with big notices calling on applicants to fill in short and long term job contracts?

In Africa one meet graduates making life changing decisions such as taking up jobs in; artisanry, masonry, construction, manufacturing, sales, indigenous herb pharmaceuticals, transport, running video-music kiosks, second-hand trade, teaching, music, dance and drama and modelling. One is also seeing many staying at their parents' homes. 

In USA, we see many graduates taking up jobs as; waiters, waitresses, sales-persons, manufacturing, construction, internet-based businesses, car detailing and call center operatives even when they may be BA English Major or Chemical Engineers with Summa Cum Laude. There is a lesson to learn here. There is need to equip all students with entrepreneur skills so that they can adjust to the changes of life as well transition prevail within the existing market.

A quick look into who constitute this change and what degrees they carry reveals that science and liberal liberal Arts graduates need entrepreneur skills alike.

In Africa and other parts of the world, some advice is called for to craft these degrees to have a business/entrepreneurial component attached to them:

1. Governments have long promised loans to students but the loans are long coming.

2. Students should use their time at Universities to 'sandwich' into shorter certificate courses which teach targeted skills.

3. Cooperatives and Communities where members come together to engage in say, agricultural production should be promoted.

4. The idea of training young people (whether graduates or not) in job-related skills and Technical skills should also be a priority and an addition to all Degrees.

5. The Rural-City migration is following a pattern of social amenities which are better. Governments should make rural communities equally amenable. Jobs will follow this.