Who is defining Africa

[generat...@gmail.com]

Kenneth Kaunda
Julius Nyerere
Hosni Mubarak
Mamman Ghadafi
Mobutu Seseseku
Kabila
Eyiedema
Jomo Kenyatta
Jerry Rawlings
Paul Biya
Robert Mugabe

And many other men that ruled Africa, remained in office for at least
15 years. Others like Sani Abacha, Kwame Nkrumah, etc; declared
themselves live-presidents.

We have openly declared this act of African leaders desiring to
perpetuate themselves in power as a rape on democracy. But if we truly
believe that there is an African perspective to everything under the
sun, shouldn't we pay more attention to the African perspective to
politics and rulership (or democracy).

In Africa, kings do not rule for 4 years, but they rule for a life
time. Could this be what has been repeating itself in our existence as
a continent but we have been unable to address it properly, because we
are not paying attention to our history.

The UK paid attention to their history and that is why they have a
form of government called a constitutional monarchy where even though
the UK has a PM, they still do not disregard the office or powers of
the King and Queen of England (a legacy that has been in one family
for over 100 years)

Is this not possible in Africa?

Your comments will be most appreciated.

[Sammy Jacobs Abbey]

This is my response in an article I published sometime ago

WHEN THE AFRICAN PAST MEETS THE GLOBAL FUTURE
By Sammy Jacobs Abbey, Human Rights Activist International Centre for Conflict and Human Rights Analysis (ICCHRA)  <http://www.icchra.org>
 
General picture of Africa in the mid 1990s is that of a region full of enormous potential to be an economic giant in the world. It’s human and natural resources have barely been tapped. However, in the global arena, Africa still stands out as a continent engulfed in civil and political conflicts, poor economic performance and deepening poverty
 
We must increase global attention on the plight of African people! I wish I had the money and power to do so but we are obliged to what we can with what resources we have and I believe your passion combined with mine will do just that.
 
Too many people drag the past around with them as unnecessary excess baggage and too many others dream of a future they cannot find a way to make happen. The only time we really have to work with is the here and now. This is where we tear down the real or perceived barriers and replace them with bridges from the past to the future. We determine our own future by the choices and decisions we make in the present based on what we have learned from the past and our current situation.
 
It seems to me that in Africa, we must create a generation of Champions of Change from so many victims of circumstance. The young people are the hope and future of Africa. Our generation has it all wrong, waiting on the more developed countries to come to Africa's assistance. It hasn't worked. The cries of infants suffering and dying have fallen on deaf ears in the developed countries. I believe the media is the key. We must find ways to develop people from the inside out, determined to shape their own future while, at the same time, using the media to raise the awareness level of people in the more developed countries. Change will not come through governments or even international organizations. It will only come from people like us reaching out to each other as brothers and sisters
 
Reading the history of Asia, I have heard the "development" taking place there and there is a valuable lesson for the African people to be learned from the emerging Asian countries as they "modernize". That lesson is that we cannot afford to sacrifice the past for the future. We cannot afford to lose the traditional values and ways of any ethnic group in the interest of a few dollars. I see that happening Africa and it breaks my heart.
 
If Africa is to realize its incredible potential, it must not sell its culture and wonderful history in the process. That is to me, nothing less than moral prostitution and is totally unacceptable. We have a major, major crisis in Africa today. The total decimation of entire populations of adults has brought about a terrible situation. Where are the young people supposed to learn values and principles? You have so many young people left without parents, abused and used for selfish and greedy purposes. These are the real victims and Africa will take a long time to recover from the gap that has been create in recent years. To me, the moral wounds are more severe than the physical ones, though both are connected. Confucius once said that you cannot teach philosophy to a hungry man. This is something I agree with.
 
One of the problems here is that people in the West do not believe that peace is possible in Africa. Many Africans feel the same and no one could blame them for their lack of faith and hope based on what they have experienced and are seeing take place all round them today. As long as they believe that peace is not possible, it never will be. That's the first step. It is time for all African people to stop using weapons of war to destroy one another and begin using the mind and heart to form their own coalition to take control of their own destiny. You do not need Western governments and corporations coming in to lead the way down their path. That path is not what the African people need. It is a suicide run. What is taking place in the world today, which many refer to as globalization, is nothing more than economic colonialization. It is the subjugation of the poorer nations and their people, a stripping of their natural resources, and enslavement to none other than the almighty dollar. And that's the point. People have replaced God and spirituality with money. That's the philosophical side of things. This war on terrorism in which we are engaged is partly our own doing. We have to address the issues that created this intense hatred of America and the West while defending ourselves against those who would kill innocent civilians, women and children. It is a paradox and an irony that has most world leaders today baffled, but it is also reality. And so simple. It is we humans who are complicating it and this is the reason for so much frustration. People in the West tend to look at Africa and see so much that is overwhelming rather than seeing it as a continent of individual souls and human spirits connected not only to each other throughout history, but also with themselves. Until we all make, it none of us do!
 
On the practical side, we need to work with the current victims. We need to teach them how to eradicate the wars and poverty and sickness that is wiping out millions of people at such a rate that it is astounding. We need to put an end to the conflicts which no one wins in the end. We need to direct the power of the human mind towards taking care of those who cannot take care of themselves while building nations based on mutual trust and respect. That is how we end war, not with more guns and ammunition. It is true that violence breeds violence and never leads to peaceful resolution. History can teach us that if we but look at the truth and not the way it is recorded by the victors.
 
The Native American Indians learned that lesson the hard way. The more they tried to "become white" the more they lost in the process. Those who have survived the genocide that took place in many countries only managed to do so by holding onto the old ways while adapting to the evolving situations. Those who did not, perished. That is not to say that the West doesn't have something to offer, however, something the Middle Eastern terrorist groups have lost sight of. You don't have to take all that the West has to offer, just what you need to assist you in attaining your goals. You don't have to remake Africa in the likeness and image of country like America, but our principles of individual freedom and basic human rights are something that you need to instill in African people everywhere. That's what's missing, a basic understanding of and appreciation for the true gift of life, the human spirit.




++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sammy Jacobs Abbey
Director
International Centre for Conflict & Human Rights Analysis
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E: sama...@icchra.org
 
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[Joseph Junior Foray]

Though this is an issue long overdue, I still which to comment...

Africans have the right to decide the type of governments we want and the tenure of our presidents in office. The issue is quite a complex one for most African states. The United states and the West are not abruptly imposing their will on Africans.

When you allow your country to get hooked up in debt that you cannot pay back, when you sign trade agreements that ultimately enslave African economies and impoverish her people, when prices of our precious commodities are not determined by ourselves; food for survival is mostly imported....

Then you realize why someone else will calls the shots when it matters most. In order to become powerful, we need to sit and honestly set our priorities right. Let's address the main issues facing us. Such as the right kind of education for all Africans that improves our societies; the use of our vast and rich Agricultural lands and employ the right techniques and equipment to feed the continent, let us stop wasting and abusing resources (time and money) and cultivate the habit of saving and investing for a better future for us and our children.

These basics empower a people to stand up for their rights and the world will ultimately listen. We can go on and on but without ACTION, just Talk and complain won't take us anywhere.