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Africa urgently needs its own Age of
Enlightenment
By James Shikwati,
August 13, 2008
"The majority of Africans today are poorer than those who lived
in the Stone Age Era," Prof. Gregory Clark tore into our
presentation. A Sydney based think tank, The Center for
Independent Studies (CIS) introduced Africa to leading
Australian business people and politicians. In a forum dubbed
'Where to Africa,' delegates sought to know why a continent rich
in every imaginable mineral, with people full of aspirations is
lagging in progress.
CIS President Greg Lindsay included Africa on the agenda of his
organization's annual brainstorming forum popularly referred to
as the Consilium as part of a strategy to initiate dialogue
between Africa and Australia. The ongoing scramble for Africa's
resources by Europe, U.S.A, China, India, and Turkey among
others clearly calls for Africans sobering up and seeking
positive ways to make the continent a hub of business.
Comparing African history to that of Europe, one can clearly see
the need to initiate continent's own Age of Enlightenment.
Obviously no single individual drove the European enlightenment
but historians do point out the fact that the quest to have
reason as a primary source and basis for authority created a new
order in Europe. According to Prof. Clark, the majority of the
English as late as 1813 were in conditions no better than their
ancestors in Africa. Europeans in London were ... a filthy
people who squatted above their own feces, stored in the
basement cesspits.
European history is dotted with tribalism, ethnicity,
superstition, extreme religious beliefs, repressive kingdoms and
wars, but that ought not to be an excuse for Africans to
celebrate. The lesson Europe offers however, is that the
exploitation of an inquiring mind, a mind that was willing to be
rebellious and give reason the power to shape people's lives is
what gave birth to Europe as we know it today.
Africans ought to drive their own age of enlightenment by asking
such basic questions as to why a continent rich in minerals is
perceived to be poorer than the rest of the World. Why must a
rich continent be AID dependent? Why is it that ethnicity in
Africa is perceived to be the core to conflicts on the
continent? What prevents African leaders from developing a long
term vision for their own people? How can we fuse cultural
beliefs and legal systems with the larger global systems in
order to surface Africa's predominantly underground economy?
Should Africans simply agree with Prof. Clark's assertions that
no real development is taking place in Africa simply because
population growth outstrips economic growth and that the quality
of labor output in Africa is below standard? (Here I recommend
that Africans read pessimistic arguments from Prof. Gregory
Clark in his book "A Farewell to Alms" published by Princeton
University Press)
Zimbabwe's Shadow Justice Minister; David Coltart and Ugandan
journalist and Documentary maker; Mr. Andrew Mwenda who were
also present emerged as optimists on the future of Africa; the
general thread of our argument was that Africa is in transition,
whatever the developed countries view as negative is actually
positive. The Western investors were reminded to shun a narrow
minded approach to Africa; Andrew gave an example where a
leading cell phone company MTN could not secure credit from
Western financiers simply because they believed that Africa is a
continent where nothing good can be achieved. Ten years later,
MTN now a leading cell phone company in Uganda, has Western
financing institutions literally begging it to take their funds.
For David, Zimbabwe has a bright future, investors should not
treat Zimbabwe as if it were some static entity; what the
international community ought to do is to focus on long term.
To the Western World, the riots that rocked Kenya after the
bungled presidential elections was a sign of retrogression - but
analyzed critically, it was a positive sign that Africans can no
longer let their freedoms to be trampled upon by dictators. In
other words, when Africans protest against repressive regimes
the Western media perceives the same to be a sign of
retrogression. For Kenya, the post election violence pointed out
the fact that people in the East African region are
interdependent.
Political stupidity in Kenya hurts Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi,
Southern Sudan, Eastern Congo, and even Somalia. In other words,
the cost of stupidity in Africa is going up...Kenya no longer
belongs to itself - a positive sign on growing regional
interdependence that will eventually drive Africa to a one
market sphere.
At the Inter Region Economic Network, we host our own version of
the Consilium, referred to as the African Resource Bank (ARB).
Now in its 6th year, the November 9 - 12, 2008 ARB will give
African delegates an opportunity to discuss how to commercialize
African resources to raise standards of living on the continent.
Africa urgently needs its own age of enlightenment to ensure
prosperity for all!
James Shikwati is the Founder President of the Inter Region
Economic Network and CEO of The African Executive an online
business magazine. Mr. Shikwati was named a 2008 Young Global
Leader by the World Economic Forum. james@irenkenya.org
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