International Literacy Day 2011

Today September 8th is International Literacy Day and the main focus on the link between literacy and peace.  On International Literacy Day each year, UNESCO reminds the international community of the status of literacy and adult learning globally.   UNESCO has information about this special day on their website at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/education-building-blocks/literacy/advocacy/international-literacy-day/

Without literacy, international trade will not flourish and grow, so International Literacy Day deserves the support of all of us who are involved in international trade. UNESCO has organised what is called the E-9 Initiative for the nine most highly populated countries of the "South": Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria and Pakistan.  The E-9 Initiative is a forum for these nine high-population countries to discuss their experiences in education, exchange best practices and monitor progress on achieving Education for All (EFA). Since its launch in 1993, the E-9 network has also become a powerful lobby for EFA and South-South cooperation.

It is worth noting that this list also includes three of the BRIC nations which have fast growing economies  and also that New Zealand was one of the first of the so-called developed nations to negotiate a Free Trade Agreement with China and is currently involved in talks with India for an FTA.

A key question to be addressed in these India -NZ FTA negotiations  might be how we can help E-9 nations such as India to move out of this group with programmes that assist their efforts to achieve literacy.   Almost certainly the quality of the trade that ensues and the degree to which all involved can benefit from an FTA will be helped by basic literacy.   There is food for much thought here. 

Lanzatech

A company that is making news these days for the development and exporting of clean technology processes is New Zealand based Lanzatech.  It has won a number of recent awards and some of the key features of this company and its co-founder Sean Simpson are:

•          Its entrepreneurial spirit
•          New Zealand based company with offices in Shanghai and Illinois
•          Initial research was library based
•          Science and technology absolutely crucial to success
•          First demonstration unit at Bluescope Steelmill, Glenbrook
•          Contracts signed for plants in China, South Korea and India (NZ has FTA with China and negotiating FTAs with South Korea and India)
•          Partnership approach – exploring all possibilities
•          Compartmentalisation of IP
•          In NZ there is potential for usage of biomass and agricultural waste.

You can read more about this exciting cleantech firm by using the sources below or looking in Index New Zealand which has four references to articles about this company.  If you want to check them out but don’t know how to use this National Library service look at the free Pathfinder that you will find at: http://www.export.ac.nz/freedownloads.html

Sources:

Lanzatech company website: http://www.lanzatech.co.nz

Export Library & Information Service File Management System.  Case studies: Lanzatech.

McFadden, S. (2011) The scientist, the steel mill and the prima donna.   Unlimited magazine,  Feb-Mar.  pp.43-45.   Retrieved from:

http://www.lanzatech.co.nz/sites/default/files/imce_uploads/lanzatech_unlimited_mag.pdf

Smellie, P. (2011) Lanzatech looks to go global without leaving home. Dominion Post 16 March.  C4.    Retrieved from:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/small-business/4774809/Lanzatech-looks-to-go-global-without-leaving-home

FTA Exporter Survey Report - India and other countries

Photo: Delhi Conversation taken by Sushrutha Metikurke 2010.   Used with permission. http://sushrutha.blogspot.com/

India is one of the countries covered in this report from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.   15 countries are included and responses across a range of questions such as: Barriers in the market, Administrative procedures and red tape, institutional and domestic issues, are covered.   Exporters responses are of course very useful for other businesses considering these markets, but they also help to influence the negotiation process that New Zealand engages in during the FTA process.  Here is the link to the pdf document

http://www.mfat.govt.nz/downloads/trade/fta-exporter-survey-report-(public).pdf

This document is well worth looking at.

New Zealand India Free Trade Agreement

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is still keen to hear from any interested exporters with regard to the NZ-India FTA.   If you are keen to make a submission send it in by 15 March 2010.

You can use the form at: http://www.mfat.govt.nz/Trade-and-Economic-Relations/Trade-Agreements/India/index.php to make your submission.