From: shemlon@occlusal.rutgers.edu (Shiyghan Shemlon)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: Re: AFRICA'S BLEAK FUTURE
Summary: RE: AFRICA'S BLEAK FUTURE
Keywords: Africa's future
Date: 22 Nov 92 22:13:37 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

I POSTED THE ARTICLE ON "AFRICA'S BLEAK FUTURE". THE FOLLOWING REPLY
WAS SENT TO ME AND I FELT I SHOULD SHARE IT WITH YOU. I SHALL BE
POSTING MY REFLECTIONS ON IT SHORTLY.


From peterson@scorpion.ac.cowan.edu.au Sat Nov 21 01:17:38 1992
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From: P.TENGENDE@cowan.edu.au
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To: shemlon@occlusal.rutgers.edu
Subject: Re: AFRICA'S BLEAK FUTURE
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Status: R

In soc.culture.african you write:


>This article had been posted earlier, but it received little or no
>attention perhaps because it was hidden in the IPS news postings. So I
>am reposting the article to re-open the discussion.


>This is the height of irresponsibility. I think idiotic African
>leaders like Moi and their chronies should all be judged and condemned
>for TREASON and then sentenced to prison for the rest of their days,
>under VERY HARD LABOUR. You find the same thing happening in Zaire,
>Cameroon, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Ghana,.........., in fact any African
>country and it is high time we Africans woke up to reality.

Emotion can cloud good ideas, and before you try to ask other people
to "wake up to reality", I think you have to stop being simplistic in
your perception of "Africa's Problems". Surely you can't expect Africans
to take anybody seriosly who says Africa must take responsibility for its
current situation, when we know that Africa has never enjoyed a level
playing field, e.g. the media coverage of the continent, reluctance of 
investors to engage in projects that also benefits Africa, rather than
simply produce huge profit margins to be redirected for research inthe
country the investor hails from. We cannot deny that the so-called developed
countries had a lot to do with why Africa is relatively underdeveloped, and 
for us to simply say OKAY its history now - lets look forward is over-
simplifying matters.

------------------------------------------------

>As an African who has been thinking hard about our problems for the
>past five years with a couple of friends, I think it is high time we
>faced reality and accepted that our situation has collapsed. It is
>only this acceptance that will spur us into thinking about ways of
>raising ourselves up. Our leaders have betrayed us (yes, very often
-----------------------------------------------

There is a tendency to lose touch with reality if one has to rely on
press reports all the time - and I wonder when last you were in Africa because
not many people share your view that " our situation has collapsed". Maybe
it is not much to you, but in Zambia last year, the opposition party managed
to defeat the ruling party in the first multi-party elections since 1963 (?),
Ghana has just held multi-party elections, and the fact that Jerry Rawlings 
won should not overshadow the importance of such a multi-party election anyway
(Just look at some of the East European new democracies which are still
voting for basically communist governments in their new democracies.) As for
Kenya, the opposition is splitting up, and unfortunately, (depending on which
way we look at it ), this can only strengthen Moi's position in that country's
first ever Multi-party elections (are they still on 27 dec ?).

I think in the fledgling democracies in Africa, it really is the opposition
parties that are letting the people down. Save for Chiluba in Zambia, the
opposition parties are not coming up with real programmes of action if they
are elected into power. We can all criticize, but not all of us are able to
offer real alternatives. Look at the case in Zimbabwe where, even though
multi-party elections have been held regularly since 1980, it is usually the
opposition that is on the defensive rather than the government. Basically, I
think our opposition parties should be better politicians than what they are
right now because ultimately they stand to blame for not offering alternatives
and for not putting pressure on the Governments on real issues.

-----------------------------------------------------------


>fall of our last strong empire, more than 600 years ago. If we keep on
>sleeping we shall be RECOLONIZED in the next century. This time not
>only politically, but economically and militarily too. Europe, North
>America and Asia, repectively will be the political, military and
>Economic  super powers of tomorrow, and what do you think we shall be
>if we don't shape up?  Well, THEIR "SLAVES" and Africa will become the
>world's economic, political and military dumping ground.

----------------------------------------------------------

I earnestly believe what Africa needs more is access to trade rather
than insignificant aid programs that merely are propaganda tools for the
developed countries to their gullible populations who genuinely believe
Africa Survives On Handouts.

We do have lots of exploitable natural resourses in Africa which if fully
developed with co-operation from the developed countries, would result in
Africa retaining its expertise for its own development. The current state
of affairs whereby Multi-national companies prefer to bring expertise from 
abroad, without engaging on a definite program that sees local expertise
being developed is undesirable.

--------------------------------------------------


>I believe most Africans who have access to this news group have enough
>education to contribute to the debate I am proposing. It is time to
>start thinking about a new African leadership. One that will have the
>economic, political, social, and security interests of their countries
>in mind. It is time to start thinking strongly about uniting Africa
>into a single country because that is the only way we can guarantee
>our survival in the world of the 21st century. The tiny little
>non-functional countries of today are definitely not the solution.
>Nkrumah, Olympio, Lumumba, Cabral, ...... are dead, but their vision
>and ideas are still alive. Let's get to work and start discussing in
>THIS FORUM, useful ideas for the betterment of Africa's future. We
>must do it ourselves.  NO GOD FROM OUTER SPACE AND DEFINITELY NOT THE
>EUROPEAN, AMERICAN OR ASIAN FOR THAT MATTER WILL DO IT FOR US.
-----------------------------------------

Your belief that "most Africans who have access to this news group have
enough education to contribute..." is almost true.

I do have my reservations about the practicalities of a Union Of African States
(UAS). I believe some radical and bold steps do need to be taken, and I think
your general assumption that "our situation has collapsed", will not find a lot
of sympathisers on the group for the simple reason that we cannot be expected
to shoulder all the blame for our current state of affairs when we know that
those who are responsible for it in the first place are trying to walk away
Scott-free.

I believe that at the end of the day, education of the masses is what will
provide sustainable development. We need to instill , from grassroot levels
a sense of pride and confidence into our people. We need to basically develop
a philosophy that encourages everybody to play a part. Most people believe that
Japanese are hardworking people - but that was definitely not the general 
perception before WWII, so why should we not drill all Africans to work a few
more hours than previuosly ? 

On the political arena, while I am disgusted with some of the sub-par 
governments in office in Africa Today, I think opposition parties should learn
the importance of formulating a Policy of their own, because while
pin-pointing mistakes is good, the people do need to know the alternatives,
otherwise in most African countries, people are just going to say
"Better The Devil You Know".

--------------------------
>Topics:

>1. The new African Leader
>2. The African Confederation(s)
>3. African Infrastructure
>4. African Medicine and Health
>5. African Agriculture
>6. Future African Political and Economic Structures and Policies
>7. What to do with our present leadership
>8. The Education and Training of the next generation of Africans
>.........
>.........
>.........

>LET'S GET TO WORK.....................

>Shemlon wo wan wan Viban