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In July 2005, millions of people filled stadiums for the Live 8 concerts in support of Africa’s people. It was also for ordinary citizens that African leaders traveled to Scotland to meet the G-8 heads of state that summer. It was for these same people that the Jubilee 2000 campaign for debt relief was carried out by many individuals and organizations all over the world. And in St. Petersberg in July 2006, the G-8 leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the ambitious goals they had set the year before, although they did not go further.
Nearly a year and a half on, there are signs of progress toward fulfilling the commitments to Africa’s development made by world leaders and committed campaigners. But it is fair to ask when a sustainable solution to Africa’s dehumanizing poverty will be found, not only by the G8 and the organizers of Live 8, but also by Africa’s leaders and people.
Africa is a paradox. It is one of the richest continents on the planet, endowed with oil, precious stones, forests, water, wildlife, soil, land, agricultural products, and millions of women and men. Yet most of Africa’s people remain impoverished. I continue to ask myself, “Why?”
One reason is that many Africans lack the knowledge, skills, tools, and the political will to create wealth from their resources. They are unable to add value to raw materials in order to sell processed goods in local and international markets and negotiate better prices and favorable trade rules. Another reason is that ordinary citizens suffer when debts are not cancelled, when financial assistance is not forthcoming, or when trade barriers are raised.
I have also seen the need for ordinary Africans to embrace a set of values, like service for the common good, and commitment, persistence, and patience until a goal is realized. We also need Africans who love Africa so much that they want to protect their countries – their land – from environmentally destructive processes. The transformation of grasslands into deserts due to deforestation, encroachment into forests for subsistence farming, overgrazing, and loss of biodiversity and soil threaten the entire continent.
Another value Africans must adopt is love and concern for young people. One of the most devastating experiences is to see youth wasting away because they are unemployed, even after they have completed secondary and tertiary education, or because their health has deteriorated. African governments should give priority to investments in technical education and HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, care, and support programs.
Without skills, people find themselves locked out of productive, rewarding economic activities, leaving them unable to meet their needs for housing, healthcare and nutrition. They get trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty and, sometimes, crime.
Africa needs to prepare for the opportunities and challenges to come by deliberately working for peace and security. Much of Africa’s poverty is fueled by conflicts. In the course of my work over the past 30 years, I have observed that whether it is at the national or regional level, most conflicts are over resources. Who will control and utilize them? Who will be included or excluded?
When resources are scarce, or so degraded that they can no longer sustain livelihoods, or inequitably distributed, conflict invariably ensues. In Africa, we need to manage our resources sustainably, accountably, and responsibly. And we need to share those resources equitably.
Otherwise, we will continue to invest in wars and conflicts, or in fighting crime and domestic instability, rather than in promoting development and thereby eliminating poverty. African leaders should govern and serve for the benefit of the people, not themselves.
But perhaps the most unrecognized problem in Africa, especially at the grassroots level, is the disempowerment of ordinary people. This is one of the main reasons why so many people are unable to take advantage of the many opportunities available in Africa.
Africa’s people must be allowed to gain confidence, dignity, and a sense of self-worth. They must also be empowered with knowledge, skills, and tools to take action. This is why debt relief is so important. It provides governments additional resources to invest in initiatives that can empower their people.
Despite the many challenges that remain, there has been much recent progress in Africa. There are indications of good governance in many countries. In many others, civil society continues to grow, supported by national governments, the African Union, and the international community. Many countries are resolving their conflicts and working for peace and stability. We must appreciate and encourage those who are making bold decisions.
But much must still be accomplished, by Africans and with Africa’s many friends around the world. As in the Bible story, when Peter and John said to a beggar, “rise up and walk,” Africans are called upon to walk away from ignorance, inertia, apathy, and fatalism. To walk towards economic and political freedom. To walk to an Africa free of poverty.
Wangari Maathai, the 2004 Nobel Peace Laureate, is a member of Kenya’s Parliament
This article has been published with the permission of Project Syndicate.
http://www.project-syndicate.org
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