Continued degradation and backwardness in one part of the globe will surely, as day follows night, affect the rich nations themselves. The nature of human relations is such that the massive difficulties in Africa and elsewhere in the developing world will steadily filter into the lives of developed nations. In the current global order of things, no one can pretend to sit in a perch outside the problems of humanity. The African Century can and should become a reality because the politics of the past, based on patronage, dictated to by ideology, has lost its glitter. It is becoming more and more difficult to sustain support for corrupt dictators.
Humanity requires and deserves democratic and transparent forms of government.
Africa's rebirth will become a reality because we have reached the stage where we can define ourselves in our own image. Gone are the days when mere reference to colonial relations would suffice to explain our woes. Ladies and Gentlemen, There is a spirit abroad in the corridors of power across the continent, that we should improve the way we do things. There is a call for us to challenge dictatorship and corruption ourselves, rather than plead for the continent to be measured by a smaller and different yardstick. The African Renaissance is therefore not a matter of choice, nor should it be a mere expression of brilliant foresight by the elite.