The Africa We Dream, Desire and Deserve
Presented by
Chukwuemeka B Eze
Program Director, WANEP
Introduction
•
Finding African Solutions to African Problems has become a mantra and no
longer a new ideology in discourse of this nature. Notable leaders like Kwame
Nkrumah in his book, I speak of Freedom, (1909-1972) observed that “Africans
must find an African solution to African problems, and that this can only be
found in African unity.
•
The myriad of African challenges of our time include but not limited to general lack
of development, gross human rights violations, inability to organize free and fair
elections, perennial armed conflicts and insurgencies, political instability,
unrelenting economic crises, financial corruption, wasteful spending, famine,
diseases and poverty, all of which have become trademarks of the African
continent.
•
We are very happy and appreciative of the AUC’s opportunity and space not just
to discuss these challenges but articulate our dream Africa which we surely desire
and deserve
The Fallacy of Integration and Economic
Development
The theory of “African Union” has
remained more on papers and
public discourse than in reality.
The
transformation
from
Organization of African Union to
African Union has become more of
name and regime change than the
intentions and purposes it was
meant to achieve
We desire and deserve an Africa
that is truly united in voice, in
actions and in structures
The Fallacy of Integration and Economic Development
•
Africans desire and deserve true
integration that is evident in the forms of
movement of goods and people in the
continent, in the form of visa acquisition,
treatments at the point of entry of
member states and in the working and
living standards of African Citizens in
Africa
•
The
resourcing
and
financial
independence of AUC to better
coordinate the RECs, provide leadership
in peace, security and governance
architectures of the continent is long over
due and need to move beyond formation
of
committees and reports of the
committees only to set up another
committee to review the report of the
committee.
Africa citizens want to see a Truly United
Africa and Africa Union
•
Participation
•
Exclusion hits at the nerve centre of
people’s identity because it bases itself
on discrimination. Exclusion happens
because of imbalances of power and
safeguarding one group ’ s control over
processes and resources that are seen as
essential for survival
Our desire is to participate in the affairs of
our continent. We want a true government
of the people, by the people and for the
people. This is the minimum democracy
provides and Africans desire it. We want
an AU of the peoples and not just of the
states. We want to be part of the
governance system of our continent and
to share in the designing and envisioning
processes of our various states not just as
onlookers but as key stakeholders
•
Common Vision and purpose brings unity,
Strong energy and alignment of dynamic
people
Good Governance/Visionary Leaders
•
The concept of Social Contract theory suggests
an understanding between the people and its
government: that the resources of the state is is
held in trust by the government for the good of
all of its citizens.
•
African governments needs to enhance
transparency, inclusion of affected communities
and judicious management of resources
including land, minerals and other natural
resources as well as the incomes derived from
them.
•
The deficit in leadership and good governance
is not for lack of competent citizens but rather
the space to receive the very finest
(manipulation of electoral process)
We desire and deserve the best of our
continent. In this regard, we desire democracy
and governance with a Human Security
Face which is key to dealing with
underlying
structural
factors/Relative
Deprivation
•
Free, Fair and Credible Elections
Africans desire and deserve elections that
meet the basic tenants of democracy and
international standards. The nexus between
legitimacy and free, fair and credible elections
cannot be over emphasised.
In order for an election to truly represent the
popular wish of the people, it has to meet four
basic conditions. First and foremost, it must
involve more than one political party or
candidate so that the people could make their
independent
choice
on
how
their
representatives should actually rule them.
The assumption here is that where the
election involves only one candidate, the
elected leader would have nobody to debate
state policies with or exchange ideas with in
order to move the country to greater heights.
Free, Fair and Credible Elections
The second condition for democracy is that the
competing political parties are given the
opportunity to canvass for vote by having the
freedom to hold meetings and to communicate
with voters about their policies. Where this is
impossible, new ideas and solutions will be
difficult to factor into the political system.
Thirdly, the electoral process must be governed
by well-known rules to be supervised by the
courts to ensure complaints are handled fairly.
Last but not the least, the people must know
about the choices they have to make during the
elections: the candidates, how to vote, and why it
is important to vote.
It is only when all these four conditions are in
place that candidates are most likely to accept
the outcomes of the elections. This would also
make the other countries to see the government
so formed as being legitimate.
Infrastructures for Peace
We desire National Peace Structures and
mechanisms for conflict prevention.
Years of development and infrastructures
are usually marred by seconds of violent
conflicts.
There is need to Invest in conflict early
warning, prevention & comprehensive
and
robust
postconflict
reconstruction and development that
delivers on human security and
economic growth.
Socio-political
and
economic
transformation of a society depends on a
sufficient level of social cohesion. This is
a long term process requiring action and
engagement at different levels; to
mobilize the internal capacity of a nation
to build peace, strengthening self-reliance
and confidence in ability to own problems
Why Infrastructures for Peace?
Lasting peace requires
capacities and structures to
deal with the range of
conflicts and security threats
that most immediately affect
societies and communities.
Standing capacities
for conflict
management
Resilience and
long-term
sustainability
National and
local ownership
and
empowerment
Freedom from Want
Africa has been adjudged
as a continent that is rich
and yet the paradox is that
over 70% of our countries
are on the bottom level of
world’s poorest countries –
Paradox of poverty in the
Midst of plenty”
We desire and deserve
freedom from want
We all share the same needs and strive
for the same freedom
NEED
• Subsistence
• Protection
• Affection
• Understanding
• Participation
• Leisure
• Creation
• Identity
• Freedom
SATISFIER
Freedom from want
Freedom from fear and abuse
Freedom from hate and rejection
Freedom from ignorance and uncertainty
Freedom from exclusion
Freedom from stress and exhaustion
Freedom to design own future
Freedom to be proud of who you are
Freedom from coercion
Environmental Protection and Sincerity of Purpose on Climate Change
•
Climate change has raised a debate among
African countries, the main concern being how
to balance economic development and
environmental sustainability.
•
African countries have argued in many
environmental summits that developed
countries reached their level of development
at the expense of developing countries in what
was called the brown way of economic growth.
•
Africa desire a friendly environment it could
bequeath to its generations and NO
DEVELOPED
countries'
emission
and
environmental indiscipline should stand on its
way to achieving this
•
With the green economy concept likely to
dominate the sustainable development
agenda in future, African countries need to
rally together to influence the outcome of the
negotiations
Gender Equity and Equal Opportunities
•
•
•
Gender equality requires equal enjoyment by
women and men of socially-valued goods,
opportunities, resources and rewards. Gender
does not mean that men and women become
the same, but that their opportunities and life
chances are equal.
Equal opportunity is about having the same
life chances, possibilities and capabilities. It is
about
the
existence
of
conducive
environments and fair playing fields for
competing at the same level. It presupposes
the absence of undue barriers that block
opportunities and possibilities and capabilities
for reaching self-determined goals and for
realizing one’s potentials
We desire an Africa where men, women, girls,
boys, children and every body is not
discriminated upon and where fairness and
justice abound in the distribution of benefits
and responsibilities between and amongst all
segments of the society
In Lieu of Conclusion
Context
Needs
ACCEPTANCE
NEEDS
Recognition of
identity &
culture
CONTEXTUAL
BACKGROUND
e.g. colonial
legacy, multiethnicity,
historical social
formation
met
unmet
ACCESS NEEDS
e.g. political &
economic
participation
SECURITY
NEEDS
Nutrition,
Housing,
physical
security
Capacity Actors
Pattern of
international
economic /
political
linkages
supportive
exploitative
STATE ACTORS
accommodate
suppress
NATURE OF
CONFLICT
GOVERNANCE
& the STATE
legitimate
capacity
Illegitimacy
incapacity
Role of
MILITARY
civic
politics
militarised
politics
Conflict
constructive
COMMUNAL
GROUPS
confront
violent rebellion
destructive
THANK YOU