Film Director Hubert Saupers

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Film Director Hubert Saupers
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Lake Victoria

• Lake waters shared by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda
• Lake Victoria is the worlds largest tropical
  lake
• about the size of Ireland
• but relatively shallow

• Economic history
• early 20th century, cash crop plantations
• 1960s, Nile Perch introduced
• value of annual catch in 1996, 3-4 billion

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Tanzania

• Colonial history
• German possession from 1880s to 1919
• Under British Mandate from 1919 to 1961
• Governance
• Post-independence, one-party rule from 1961 to
  1995
• Julius Nyerere promoted social investments and
  land reform
• Since 1995, multiparty democracy
• Key challenges
• Developing its natural resources
• Protecting the environment as a resource
• Improving governance/reducing corruption

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Economics, Environment and Conflict

• Development of commercial industry encouraged
  in-migration and displaced local fishing
  communities
• Environmental impacts
• extinction of 100s of native Cichlid species
• depletion of oxygen for lower regions
• expansion of water hyacinth beds
• increased pollution and disruption of lake
  ecosystem
• Rapid population growth, among the highest in the
  world,
• increased conflict over use of natural resources
• decreased quality of life for indigenous
  populations

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Darwins Nightmare

• Documentary
• Director Hubert Sauper
• Location Lake Victoria, Tanzania
• Released 2004
• Class Discussion
• Write a brief synopsis of the film
• In small groups, consider the discussion
  questions
• Prepare and submit a group response to the final
  question

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Discussion Questions for Darwins Nightmare

• On trade and the international monetary system
• Consider the trade aspect.
• What was going in and out of the country?
• Does this conform to our understanding of the
  benefits of comparative advantage and free trade?
• Consider the visit by the European Union
  officials at the conference on Nile Perch.
• How does this contribute to our understanding of
  the institutions that manage the international
  monetary system?
• Did they have a good grasp of the situation?
  Were they helpful?

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Discussion Questions for Darwins Nightmare

• Firm-level questions
• On corporate strategy
• What international strategy are the firms in the
  film pursuing (domestic, international,
  multidomestic, global)?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of this
  strategy?
• On corporate social responsibility and business
  ethics
• What are the long-term consequencespositive
  negativefor the society, the environment, and
  even firm success of the actions of the foreign
  firms in the film?
• Are these firms being good global citizens?
  What can business do to help create a better
  business environment?

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Discussion Questions for Darwins Nightmare

• Answer this question in your group paper
• What can business do to help create a better
  business environment?

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Final Thoughts

• Business cannot succeed in the 21st century
• if the world fails
• Dupont corporate executive
• Let us choose to unite the power of markets with
  the strength of universal ideals
• - Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary General
• Business has tremendous power in todays
  globalizing economy, power that can be used to
  benefit society as well as cause harm. What
  should business do with that power?