LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Mali
built 642 days ago
Mali's formal economy is dominated by three commodities, gold, cotton and livestock, making it extremely vulnerable to price fluctuations and unrest in the region. The current instability in Côte d'Ivoire, Mali's biggest trading partner and a major source of remittances, continues to weigh heavily on the economy. The cost of transportation has increased by 20-30%, despite recent improvements in rail and road routes notably via Senegal and Guinea, and diversification of trade through Ghana and Togo. Steadily rising international petroleum prices have ... negatively affected landlocked Mali's trade and imposed a significant cost on the domestic economy. The GDP growth rate for 2004 is now expected to be 1.5% compared to an initial projection of 4.7% and 7.1% realized in 2003. Mali's commitment to a market-based economy is widely acknowledged: it has removed price controls on most goods except for cotton, electricity, water and telecommunications; lifted tariff and non-tariff trade barriers, simplified the regulatory regime and harmonized business laws with neighbors; privatized state-owned firms and liberalized the financial sector.
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Until the mid-1960s, Mali was self-sufficient in grains--millet, sorghum, rice, and corn. Diminished harvests during bad years, a growing population, changing dietary habits, and, most importantly, policy constraints on agricultural production resulted in grain deficits almost every year from 1965 to 1986. Production has rebounded since 1987... thanks to agricultural policy reforms undertaken by the government and supported by the Western donor nations. Liberalization of producer prices and an open cereals market have created incentives to production. These reforms, combined with adequate rainfall, successful integrated rural agriculture programs in the south, and improved management of the Office du Niger, have led to surplus cereal production over the past 5 years. Except for 2002 and 2004, annual rainfall, critical for Mali's agriculture, has been at or above average since 1993.
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In the late nineteenth century, Mali became a French colony, from which it gained independence in 1960. Three post-independence eras followed: Modibo Keita’s socialist regime (1960-68), Moussa Traore’s military rule (1968-91), and the current multi-party democratic era (1991-today).
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Knowledge sharing initiatives are spearheaded by TOGUNET, Mali's first officially recognized ICT4D knowledge sharing platform. Established in 2003, ToguNet is the National ICT for Development Network in Mali. ToguNet is a multi-stakeholder (member-based) network, led by a Coordinating Committee. The network is currently focussing on awareness creation activities, and further developing lobbying and advocacy activities. ToguNet has established an ICT for Development website Mali-NTIC, a discussion list, and a newsletter (E-kunafoni).
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The first major use of Uniject™ for tetanus immunizations will be in two remote districts in Mali - Bla and Bougoni - from July 25 to July 31. The Ministry of Health is carrying out the campaign with support from UNICEF, BASICS and Save the Children (U.S.). A total of 118,000 women of childbearing age (14-45) will be vaccinated during this period. The use of Uniject will be extended later in the year to other districts in Mali and to other developing countries where maternal and neonatal tetanus is still claiming the lives of thousands of children and their mothers.
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Mali [mah-lee]woods began learning how to play the piano just after she learned to walk. Accomplishing a high level of classical piano sonatas at an early age. She was enrolled at MacPhael School of Arts in Downtown Minneapolis where she competed in music competitions. Straying away from classical environment, at fourteen she started teaching herself guitar and formed an all girl Alternative grunge group called "The Basils" inspired by Nirvana, Blind Melon and That Dog.
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Mali