As a continent, Africa remains at the margins of the world’s economy as it has for the last 1,000 years and more. Television and photographic images of Africa continue to be those of human misery, displacement, dirty surroundings and backwardness.

It contributes only two percent of global trade, has only two percent of the world’s Internet users, and is the poorest and least developed continent. There are more refugees and internally displaced people in Africa and more AIDS patients and victims than in any other part of the world.