| Make Books Cheaper
Your story about reading culture in Africa was true and on the mark. As a schoolteacher I watch the way children respond to books. They are always eager to learn new things from books and now from computers (when we have them). But my experience is that African children are much happier to listen to stories than to read for themselves. This obviously has something to do with the oral tradition of listening to elders telling stories. Many Africans, especially children, still believe that knowledge comes with age. In the Internet age that is obviously not true. But children still choose to learn from the seniors and through this method forgo the process of finding out for themselves. Many communities still regard children as showing lack of respect to challenge their elders on something. The wisdom that comes with age is held sacred.
But there are other reasons too. Policies on book sales need to be made more standard. Tax on books needs to be reduced, along with postal rates. If a book is expensive even those young people who want to read cannot afford to do so. Books are not only for fat wallet elites, but also are for all ordinary Africans. Make books affordable and change attitudes about children asking questions to elders and reading habits will change.
Frank Kawa, Liberia
Boost for Women
African gender inequality has always been an issue. It therefore makes me as woman very proud and happy to see Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has included 13 women into his new cabinet. It seems that 13 is not an unlucky number for these women. What is significant is that the appointments have not all been to low-key ministries. The key ministries of Finance, Education, State, Defense, and Niger Delta Affairs are all headed by women. The women now represent about 31 percent of the 42-member cabinet.
The number of women in Nigeria's cabinet is now in line with The United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing, China in September 1995, with a theme: Action for Equality, Development and Peace. So this is a big and positive step for Nigeria. In 50 years of Nigerian independence no other leader has taken this step of appointing so many women to prominent cabinet positions.
Sarah Chikwelu, Nigeria
To Read or Not to Read
We do not lack a reading culture but we lack reading habits. When Africans do read it is usually romance novels or gossip magazines and comics. Book publishers need to repackage their products to appeal to young people, who are more interested in parties and music. Internet also is not helping, as youth are more often reading trashy websites and not gaining any knowledge. The answer is to make books cheaper and widely available, and include interesting topics that people can relate to.
Bernard Kwaku , Ghana
Avoid Tribal Differences
We celebrate with you on the 90th anniversary of the Communist Party of China. I learned a lot about your Party reading your July issue of ChinAfrica. It is interesting to me that a Party can rule a country for so long without conflict, as we see in Africa. If we can compare the different ethnic groups in China with the many different tribes in Africa there are many similarities of many collectives making up a whole. Yet in Africa tribal differences have historically always been the one area that the continent has never managed to completely resolve. Unity can only come from a common vision and from the example shown of China's powerful economy. Africa really needs to put aside tribal divisions as was said in the speech by new South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit. He stressed that the cultural and ethnic diversity be a source of pride and strength, not parochialism and conflict and that while many tribes existed in the new country people need to remember that they are all South Sudanese first and tribespeople second.
Many happy returns to the Communist Party of China!
Ogwambi Pria, Uganda | 
