Phase One Network

Welcome to the first issue of The Networker, which is the latest addition to the Phase One Network family. The core motive behind the creation of this newsletter is to further strengthen Phase One Network‟s sense of community. We want to provide more avenues for members to get involved and support each other. It is only by sharing ideas, advice and support that as a network of people we can move forward together.

In regard to the content, we are trying to provide some-thing of interest for our en-tire diverse networking group. There is a focus on the network itself and it‟s members, charity work, City life, and aspiring profes-sionals. However, essen-tially we are interested in anything our members are interested in, so it is impor-tant that you engage in the publication by reading it, providing feedback or sub-mitting articles. If you think it is rubbish, then tell me! Although constructive feed-back is always nice! If you think it is brilliant, then buy me a drink at the next event

(or two). My hope is to im-prove this publication every quarter and make it an inte-gral part of Phase One Net-work but I will need your support to achieve this. One feature of the Net-worker I am keen to push is the promotion of members‟ achievements and projects. So, for example, if you have started up a company, then tell us how you did it and what you do because I would like to help promote it and share your achieve-ment as a source of inspira-

tion for others.

Finally, I think that getting the first publication out is always the hardest and thus I would like to thank everyone who contributed articles or advice for this issue. I have endeavoured to include everyone in this edition and look forward to more contributions in the future from our pioneer reporters! Thank you and hope you enjoy this issue.

Volume 1 , Issue 1

W E L C O M E T O T H E F I R S T I S S U E O F T H E N E T W O R K E R B Y K E V I N P E A R S O N

13/12/2011

Special points of inter-

est:

• Joy Raore uncovers the

acclaimed book, Dead Aid.

• Top tips for aspiring pro-

fessionals, check out the Gradwire.

• Check out what is in the

PIPELINE for Phase One Network.

• Bobby Kensah explains

why networking is so im-portant.

• What is an E-table?

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

Dead Aid 2

Gradwire 3

In the Pipeline 4

Why Network? 6

Out and About 7

Member’s projects 7

THE NETWORKER

E V E N T R E V I E W E R : 1 4 T H O C T O B E R

Thank you to everyone who attended our last network-ing event at Tuli Restaurant on Tooley Street. It was a fantastic event and a spe-cial thank you must go to our guest speaker, Francis William‟s, for her wonderful

presentation about her new book, inspirational stories. Congratulations must also go to our prize winners, Jack Palmer, Olufemi Duduyemi and Sabrina Clarke.

We hope you all enjoyed

the night and the cupcakes!

We appreciate any feed-

back on events, so please

drop us an email if you

have any suggestions or

comments on how we can

improve our meet ups.

Phase One Committee with guest speaker for October event, Francis William’s

“Connecting Careers”

Dambisa Moyo‟s Dead Aid is the sort of book that deserves a reserved spot on your

bookshelf. At least you can be sure that it won‟t take you as much time to complete it as you would a Classic. Yet its brevity does not make it any less compelling or powerful. Indeed Moyo‟s prose is truly comprehensive yet at the same time easily digestable.

In it Moyo begins by dis-secting the Western aid agenda that has moti-vated systematic aid giv-ing in Africa over the last 60 years. The motives are clearly explained and they include the belief that aid was thought to be neces-sary for economic growth following the Bretton

Wood conference and the successful Mar-shall Plan. Furthermore, the use of aid as a poverty reduction tool in the 1960s and 70s, the unfair trade-off between aid and the forced acceptance of one-sided free trade agreements or Structural Adjustment pro-grammes pushed by international monetary institutions, the use of aid to secure interna-tional influence during the Cold War to the most recent glamorisation of aid heralded by celebrity figures like Bono and Geldof who have encouraged Western donors to give even more aid to assist with Africa‟s devel-opment. Moyo states, “the way was paved for the army of moral campaigners...to carve out niches for themselves, as they took on the fight for more, not less, aid to be sent to Africa, even after billions of debt were can-celled-in essence cancelling debt on the one hand, and replacing it with a swathe of new aid and thus the prospect of fresh debt all over again...”. Sadly enough, the justifica-tions that have propelled over US$1 trillion of aid into Africa since the 1940s have all failed to bring about Africa‟s development but have rather created more debt and locked Africa in a cycle of dependence. According to Moyo, it‟s not just this failure that is significant, rather aid continues to be the dominant factor behind Africa‟s eco-nomic impasse. It has slowed economic growth (“over the past thirty years, the most aid-dependent countries have exhibited growth rates averaging minus 0.2 per cent

per annum”) where real per capita in-come is lower than it was in the 1970s and it is because of aid that millions in sub-saharan Africa have remained poor (“between 1970s and 1998 when aid flows to Africa were at their peak, pov-erty in Africa rose from 11 percent to a staggering 66 percent”). Contrary to popular notions, aid and development do not go hand in hand. With this in mind Moyo draws distinction with coun-tries that have not relied on aid and exhibited positive economic growth.

Dead Aid is a book that I should have picked up a while ago. A friend had told me about it soon after it was published. I am glad I have now read Dead Aid as it has shed some more light on why Africa, a resource rich continent, is so screwed up. Sure escaping Africa‟s endemic poverty is a topic frequently visited by many in the diaspora and indeed non- Africans too. It‟s a topic that creeps up when a familiar face mentions the latest corruption scandal. Do you not find yourself asking whether Africa‟s economic prosperity is a mere pipe dream? Even when “just thirty years ago Malawi, Burundi and Burkina Faso were economically ahead of China on a per capita income basis”. Dead Aid is as much about providing a detailed insight into Africa‟s develop-mental woes as it is about providing alternative growth solutions. Here is a book about Africa written by an African. A woman at that and most importantly an individual who has achieved the perfect combination of knowledge and experience.

Moyo‟s narrative is at times blunt and her views can be controversial. For example she states, “In a perfect world, what poor countries at the lowest rungs of economic development need is not a multi-party democracy, but in fact a decisive benevolent dictator to push through the reforms required to get the economy moving...” She also states, “Africa is addicted to aid......Like any addict it needs and depends on its regular fix....In Africa, the West has found its perfect client to deal to.”

Controversial or not, evident in Moyo‟s narrative is her frustrations that al-

Page 2

D A M B I S A M O Y O ‘ D E A D A I D – W H Y A I D I S N O T W O R K I N G A N D H O W T H E R E I S A N O T H E R W A Y F O R A F R I C A ’ ! B O O K R E V I E W B Y J O Y R A O R E

“aid continues to

be the dominant

factor behind

Africa’s economic

impasse”

Volume 1 , Issue 1 Quarterly

The Networker

though donors and their advisors are fully aware that the various aid strategies have not been conducive to growth, they are still adamant on giving more aid. It therefore be-comes apparent that whether deliberate or not, donors have been complicit in the de-mise of Africa‟s economy. One criticism against aid is that it is easy to steal. It has encouraged corruption and helped support corrupt governments. Many a times money intended for various public services has ended up earning interest in a Swiss bank account. Moyo demonstrates how aid has interacted with corruption leading to the crea-tion of a vicious cycle of aid. She states, “These corrupt governments interfere with the rule of law, the establishment of transpar-ent civil institutions and the protection of civil liberties, making both domestic and foreign investments in poor countries unattractive”. Because investment is scarce, few jobs are created and poverty rises. This, Moyo states, then leads to donors to give even more aid.

Of course there are moral motivations to giv-ing aid. It also allows governments to appear charitable to their citizens and score some votes because of it. However, Moyo is not chastising donors for their generosity, but because they are championing something which has created so many problems in Af-rica. The irony is that donors have more of a desire to giving aid, than the intended recipi-ents have in receiving it. Indeed, Moyo dem-onstrates that there is a pressure to lend. Apparently, “for most developmental organi-zations, successful lending is measured al-most entirely by the size of the donor’s lend-ing portfolio, and not by how much of the aid is actually used for its intended purpose”.

In this economic climate, where many of Af-rica‟s biggest donors are concerned about the sizes of their own public purses thus re-

sulting in a decrease of the amount of aid being sent to the continent, African governments ought not to rely on aid to provide a guaranteed income flow. Moyo argues, “Aid engenders laziness on the part of the African policymakers. This may in part explain why, among African leaders, there prevails a kind of insouciance, a lack of urgency, in reme-dying Africa’s critical woes”. They ought to start taking responsibility for the growth of their own economies and give the solutions proposed in Dead Aid some serious thought. Thankfully some of them have!

The Dead Aid solutions are not neces-sarily novel. They are mostly market based so have been tried and tested. Though they are unique in the sense that due to aid they have hitherto been unable to reach their full potential in Africa. Examples of Dead Aid solutions include borrowing from the international capital markets and gradually halting the reliance on government to govern-ment loans or grants, the development of trade particularly with China and within the continent itself.

Dead Aid is available on Amazon from under £8 at time of writing.

preferred networking plat-

form for young and aspiring

professionals in and around

Phase One Network is in

the process of approaching

potential sponsors for fu-

ture events and publica-

tions.

Our aim is to be able to

provide more benefits to

our membership and move

towards our goal of estab-

lishing Phase One as the

London.

We are looking to form a

mutually beneficial relation-

ship with an organisation

which shares similar values.

If anyone is able to assist us

in this matter, then please

get in touch with a member

of the Phase One Network

Team.

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I N T E R E S T E D I N S P O N S O R I N G P H A S E O N E N E T W O R K ? B Y E D W I N D U A H

“establishing

Phase One as the

preferred

networking

platform”

India, China, New Zealand and Costa Rica are all des-tinations which can make

anyone begrudge their de-cision to never venture off the conveyor belt from nursery school to a training contract. However with more people forfeiting gap years in order to get into University before the new tuition fee regime, will more of us suffer from itchy feet?

I took four gap years be-fore starting University and am currently taking an-other one between my degree and training con-tract, so you could call me a gap year expert. My ad-vice is that if you plan to take a gap year then make it phenomenal. This will not only fill you with satis-faction but make it easier to stand out in interviews. In my first gap year I walked the entire length of the 2174 mile Appalachian Trail. I carried everything I needed in my backpack and was hiking continu-ously from April through to September! Ever since taking that gap year, I spend half of any interview talking about my experi-ences on the trail and it makes me stand out.

Hiking is not for everyone, but teaching English in Laos or studying a foreign language abroad is equally as impressive. I have de-cided with my final gap year to study Mandarin and travel in China, and after outlining this intention to my future colleagues at a drinks evening, I dare not to start my training contract without being able to say more than ni hao.

My parting advice therefore

is that there is more to life

than work and law, and if a

gap year is planned prop-

erly it can be a landmark

experience in your life and

also impress future employ-

ers.

academic achievements. The point is to emphasise

that no one else shares that skill or understanding you have.

Firms need a reason to invest thousands of pounds

As I embarked on that dreadful process of applying for train-ing contacts I can honestly say I was clueless. It was not until I understood the term „Unique Selling Point‟ that I really grasped what was required. Put simply, I just had to consider what I had that other people did-n‟t, what made me stand out from other applicants.

For me, I focused on my ability to speak fluent Man-darin Chinese, but there are many ways in which you can demonstrate that you are unique. Experi-ences distinguish people as much as both personal and

in your training. It took me a while to realise, however it is now my understanding that us aspiring lawyers are es-sentially a commodity and we need to market ourselves just like any other product. We all know the competitive climate each graduate now faces and this means that there is further pressure to set ourselves apart from other applicants. But it is more than that. If you really want a career in law, you have to start viewing yourself as a business asset. You need to inspire the recruiters.

So ask yourself, what's so special about you and go sell it.

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ITC H Y FEET B Y K E V I N P E A R S O N

F I N D I N G A U S P B Y E L I Z A B E T H M C A R T H U R

“My advice is that

if you plan to take

a gap year then

make it

phenomenal“

Hiking in Israel (Me)

Volume 1 , Issue 1

What makes you standout?

“ask yourself,

what's so special

about you and go

sell it. “

The Networker

Based on the information provided below, does this case constitute a miscar-riage of justice?

An off duty police officer is shot whilst running to the aid of a homeless man who purports to have been har-assed and physically as-saulted; the police officer dies right there in the car park near a burger king with several people within the vicinity.

A man at the scene of the crime is accused of the murder, he is identified by many eye witnesses. It later transpires that some wit-nesses were identifying him in dim lighting and from a great distance, but having signed the sworn state-ments and been interro-gated by the police the man is ultimately convicted and sentenced to death by a jury.

The gun was never recov-ered, ballistic evidence was weak, and the accused was regarded as the prime sus-pect on flyers before the interviewing of witnesses occurred. Police conduct has been questioned, and seven out of nine witnesses recant their testimonies in sworn affidavits.

Past execution dates have been aborted, due to uncer-tainty, another man also at the scene at the time is identified by some wit-nesses as the shooter, and the accused maintains his innocence throughout his incarceration. Yet none of these factors cause closer scrutiny of the evidence and possible alternative suspects. Witnesses have come forward to recant earlier testimonies but are not taken seriously by the criminal justice system.

There is of course huge pressure to catch the perpetrator and restore faith in the police de-partment and equi-librium in the local community but would these facts compel you to come to a verdict of guilty beyond reasonable doubt? Even by civil stan-dards of proof, on a bal-ance of probabilities, is this defendant in all likelihood guilty or innocent?

The above series of events are based on the case of Troy Davis who was exe-cuted in Georgia.

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I N T H E P I P E L I N E B Y E D W I N D U A H

A M I S C A R R I AG E O F J U S T I C E ? B Y P E L E N A C O S M E

Since the creation of our website on the 4th May 2011 we have received 2,897 visits and host 290 members. We would like to thank all our members for helping to make this another suc-cessful year for Phase One Network and contributing to our growth. The successes of 2011 have helped lay the foundations for what is to come for Phase One Network in 2012. Please find below what is upcoming for Phase One Network and its members:

Networking Events – We aim to add to our networking events and cater for the needs of

our members. We want more feedback in regards to what our members want. Panel Discussions – Alongside our networking events we aim to introduce panel discus-

sions to help address some of the issues facing us in the community. Sponsorship – We are looking for potential sponsors for future events and publications.

Phase One Network will then be able to provide more benefits to our members. Community Projects – Giving back to the community is going to be at the forefront of a

lot of our work. We will be launching a networking programme to help support and nurture youth in becoming the next generation of future leaders.

Phase One Network Ball – This will launch at the end of next year and become our an-

nual ball celebrating the successes of our members and others in the community doing great things.

If anyone is able to assist us in this matter or has any feedback or suggestions, please email me at info@phaseonenetwork.co.uk.

“another

successful year for

Phase One

Network”

Lady Justice wants to hear your comments!!!!

Since one of Phase One‟s key aims is to provide a platform for professional people to network, I felt compelled to ask the ques-tion “what are the benefits

of networking?”

I could not think of anyone better to answer this ques-tion than the Founder of the Phase One Network, Bobby Kensah. Bobby is a suc-cessful corporate lawyer who works at a top city law firm and has won prestig-ious awards such as the Square Mile Young City Lawyer of the Year and BSN‟s Promising Young Lawyer of the Year. Bobby realised that effective net-working was vital to realis-ing his aspirations in the corporate world and was more than happy to answer a few questions which I put to him.

If you had to give one piece of advice to an as-piring professional, what

would it be?

It is a fact that you will face obstacles on your way to achieving your dream ca-reer. There will be times when you feel that you are not good enough, be it times when people may tell you this or when things seem out of reach and im-

possible to achieve. My advice therefore is to be-lieve that all things are pos-sible. You must strive and persevere in pursuit of your dreams regardless of what-

ever obstacles lay in your way. Just strive to achieve the best at every stage of your ca-reer, be it at the applica-tion stage or in the role itself.

How has networking

helped you?

I believe networking has been a key ingredient

contributing to my per-sonal growth and busi-ness development. I have

made many good friends through networking and built great relationships with great people from a cross section of fields.

Effective networking starts with building a shared com-mon interest and a friend-ship. Personally, I have been able to draw inspira-tion, energy and strength from my network of friends and associates. It is the law of attraction at work, sur-round yourself with people who share a similar ambi-tion and drive, and you are able to move forward as a group. It is one of those things, when everyone is engaged the magic starts to happen.

Law like any other business is about networking, build-ing relationships and taking action. When you do these things effectively, the return on your time invested will be quite positive.

We asked our members at the last event to stand up and tell us something unique or interesting about themselves, so it is only fair we put this ques-

tion to you?

One interesting or unique fact about me is the fact that I was born on an aero-plane from Ghana to the UK. I attribute this to be the root cause for my desire for adventure and to travel.

What are your experi-ences of networking in

Asia? Is it very different?

My interest in learning from different cultures and gain-ing international experience as a corporate lawyer led me undertake a profes-sional secondment in Hong Kong. My stay in the bus-tling city of Hong Kong saw me socialising and network-ing regularly with diverse groups of people including other secondees and expa-triate professionals from a variety of London law firms. We often met up with locals for meals or for trips around the region. The opportunity to live and work for these few months with people from different cultures and origins in such a cosmopoli-tan place contributed sig-nificantly to my learning curve.

The final word...

So there we have it, if you want to work in a people based business, then net-working is an essential tool to possess. Phase One Network is about creating a platform to allow people to share ideas, increase confi-dence in networking and most importantly to create a group of individuals who can move forward together. You can only benefit from a network if you engage with it thus we want to see more members attending the networking events.

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WH Y NETWO RK ? K E V I N P E A R S O N

I N T E R V I E W S B O B B Y K E N S A H

“surround

yourself with

people who share

a similar ambition

and drive, and

you are able to

move forward as

a group”

(above) Bobby Kensah

Volume 1 , Issue 1

The Networker

Is there an area of our lives where technology has not intruded?

Going for a good old fash-ioned meal seemed to offer little scope for technological interaction, well until now. At Inamo in Soho, London, the table is carefully set with plates, cutlery and a touchpad.

The customer is greeted with an interactive table which allows you to browse the menu, change the am-bience of your surroundings and even spy on the kitchen through a webcam. One feature I really liked is the menu browsing func-tion, whereby you select a

meal and then find a representation being projected onto your plate along with additional information. The technol-ogy removes the need for waiters to take orders and it is claimed this E-table platform enables the restaurant to in-crease revenue and profit margins. The food falls into the Asian fusion category and a large dish can vary from £14-£20. I think the novelty of the experience makes it worthwhile but for me, peo-ple will continue to judge an establishment by one thing, the food.

This is a great place to try

out for something a bit dif-

ferent and who knows, this

could be the way we will

dine in the not so distant

future.

AfC wants to hear particu-larly from men, due to a huge shortage, from all walks of life, who can spend a few hours a month to befriend and support a young person who, through no fault of their own, has little or no contact with their birth family.

Action for Children‟s Lon-don Consortium of Inde-pendent Visitors would love

In response to a chronic shortage of Black, Asian, and other Ethnic minority volunteers, leading chil-dren‟s charity Action for Children is asking men and women within this ethnic group living in London over the age of 18 a simple question:

Can you spare some time to support a child/young person in care?

to hear from anyone inter-ested in becoming an Inde-pendent Visitor. Training for new Independent Visitors will be taking place in Feb and May 2012.

For more information:

Telephone 0207 254 9408

Email:femi.aiyebusi@actionforchildren.org.uk

Page 7

C A N YO U S PA R E S O M E T I M E F O R C H I L D R E N I N C A R E ? B Y F E M I A I Y E B U S I

OU T A N D ABO U T - TH E E-TA BLE EXP ERI EN CE B Y K E V I N P E A R S O N

globe, bringing you the fresh faces of tomorrow. The Evolution is here. Please support our mem-ber, Caroline Karanja by checking out Amani Media. Facebook/Twitter/ You-

Tube: @AmaniMedia amanimedia.net

Amani Media is a talent showcase of some of the best freestyles and slam poetry from the UK and the USA. Features include exclusive interviews with designers, artists, poets and other creative minds across the

“great place to try

out for something a

bit different “ Inamo, Soho London

“The Evolution is

here.”

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

EMAIL US AT:

info@phaseonenetwork.c

o.uk

You can f ind us on

across the world. These events help prepare ELSA members for their profes-sional life by giving them an international experience as well as providing them with the skills and tools neces-sary to be successful indi-viduals.

ELSA has a national group

within the United Kingdom

in which its members take

part in many local, national

and international events.

Our members have partici-

pated in traineeships with

the Council of Europe,

taken part in ELSA‟s moot

ELSA (The European Law Students' Association) is an international, independent, non-political, non-profit-making organisation run by and for students. It is the world‟s largest independent law students association represented in 42 countries in Europe consists of around 32,000 members. ELSA offers law students an opportunity to develop their exist-ing skills, acquire new skills and meet students and legal professionals throughout Europe.

Our activities consist of a large variety of academic and professional events. Moot court competitions, conferences and study vis-its abroad are just a few of the opportunities we pro-vide for our members. Our members also benefit from participating in traineeships

court competition on World

Trade Law and have been

sent as delegates to meet-

ings with the various

branches of the United Na-

tions.

In order to take part in ELSA events, you must be a member of ELSA. ELSA UK is always re-cruiting new members. If your law faculty already has a local group of ELSA then you can contact them to join the Network. If it does not, then through contacting us we can assist you in setting

up a local group of ELSA.

I hope you decide to join

us.

elsaukaa@gmail.com

http://uk.elsa.org/

http://elsa.org/

WH AT I S ELSA? B Y N A T A S H A S H O T U N D E -

V P O F A C A D E M I C A C T I V I T I E S

Phase One Network was launched in September 2004 to provide a meeting point and net-working framework for future leaders living, studying and working in the United Kingdom from various fields including Law, Business, Finance and Education who have an interest in meeting other like minded individuals and also making a difference in their community. Phase One Network is not your average business network but it goes further and is designed to bring the UK’s foremost future leaders who share a commitment to shaping the future to-gether with top policy and decision-makers as well as implementing viable solutions to major challenges facing the UK. The Network enables these future leaders to network with like-minded individuals and to pool resources for the optimum development of business opportunities both in the UK and abroad, as well as creating a platform for members to make a difference as a global citizen.

www.phaseonenet

work.co.uk

Friends of our Network

NUPE

The Rafiki Network

Urban Lawyer

ELSA UK

Network 121

EDITORIAL Info

Chief Editor– Kevin Pear-

son

Published on

13/12/2011 12:00AM

Thank you to everyone

who contributed.