Two Seminars Reviewed
| Published date | 01 January 1968 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1002/j.1099-162X.1968.tb00322.x |
| Date | 01 January 1968 |
Two
Seminars Reviewed
(1) Seminar on Local Government Addis Ababa, September, 1966
by
Dr.
HEDLEY MARSHALL
Dr.
Marshall formerly City Treasurer at Coventry, has now joined the Depart-
ment of Local Government and Administration at Birmingham University.
(2) Seminar on Organization and Administration of Public Enterprises
by Professor A. H.
HANSON
Professor Hanson is Professor of Political Science at Leeds University.
(1)
THE Seminar on Local Government Finance held in Addis Ababa in Sept-
ember, 1966, composed of fifty-five participants from many countries
together with the inevitable advisers and consultants, followedfamiliar lines:
group discussions, plenary sessions, opening and closing flourishes. Its
distinctive feature, the presence of thirteen delegates of ministerial rank,
was made possible through the generosity of the German Foundation for
Developing Countries, who had co-operated with the Economic Commission
for Africa in sponsoring the Seminar.
The
ministers exercised a salutary
influence, for officials, gathered together in the splendid surroundings
of
Africa Hall, might have forgotten the gap between what they regarded as
desirable and what their ministers back home might think to be feasible.
Ministers, some of whom I suspect were, because of the whirligig of African
politics, relatively new to local government, no doubt learned a great deal,
while officials were kept close to the realities
of
political life. One might
hope that joint discussions at international level might also encourage closer
collaboration
of
councillor and official within individual countries.
It
is
surprising how many countries, including western countries, fail to make
use of the obvious advantages
of
joint conferences and joint courses for
councillors and officials.
The
training school at Sigtuna in Sweden is an
honourable exception.
The
conference was admirably organized, and conducted, and is faithfully
reflected in the
official
report, an informative document. It is a great pity
that the organizers had not been able to avoid the bane
of
international
conferences: so much time spent on opening and closing formalities; very
tedious they are to the restive Anglo-Saxon anxious to get to work. However,
their omission might be regarded as a discourtesy.
The
mere spectacle of countries coming together to take advantage of one
another's local government practices is a heartening experience. In this
Africa can well claimto be in the lead, for western countries have been slow
to develop the study
of
comparative local government, the good work of the
International Union of Local Authorities notwithstanding. What a lot there
is always to discuss! Local government carries such a burden of disparate
activities, spending in some countries on capital and revenue accounts
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