The “Africa Forward” in Sustained Economics & Community Development Public Private Partnership - For Information, Attention and sharing
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc., Aims and Objectives for “African Forward” before and after African Leadership Summit in August 2014:
While the fulfillment of commitment of Kennedy’s project to Africa’s Peace Corp were inaugurated at the White House in August 1961, so the African Leadership Summit is going to take place in the same month of August.
Through the Peace Corps, President John F. Kennedy sought to encourage mutual understanding between Americans and people of other nations and cultures. It is historically significant that, within the same month of August, US is in the process of formalizing Public Private Partnership investment cooperation with Africa through the African Diaspora connection. This is expected to provide a more permanent lasting relationship that which provide an improved relationship which will stop the adverse effect of Corporate hegemony, where the social, cultural, ideological, and economic influence exerted by a dominant group where some few corporate business interest in Africa, contributed to extreme poverty which caused a lot of pain and sufferings to Africa people. These can be realized in such instances of Structural Adjustments and the privatization of public corporations.
We
as African Diaspora have fundamental concerns that are attached to historical
values with cultural heritage viewpoints in anticipation prior to the meeting,
and would like to present our position in regards to African Leadership
forthcoming summit in the USA. This we
would like to present to President Obama with his team, the role and place of
African Diaspora in this important historical event, which the Summit will
require full attention where with African Diaspora investment interest in
Africa, America have better opportunity and stands to gain in economic
balancing in the leverage the Chinese have put on the ground in Africa in the
scramble to Africa as follows:
1) Land Grabbing which is turning catastrophic and
deadly, destroying African livelihood and making many Africans homeless by
displacing them from their homes and instead ending up on the streets as
homeless.
2) Destruction of Natural Habitat such like in Congo where
threats to Virunga, Africa’s oldest park is under attack and there is need for
it to be protected by habitat instead of it being exploited by Corporate
business interest
3) The conflict in the Niger Delta
river arose in the early 1990s over tensions between foreign oil corporations
and a number of the Niger Delta's minority ethnic groups who feel they were
being exploited, particularly the Ogoni and the Ijaw.
4) Mining sector by corporate
business interest is robbing Africa huge sums of money without leaving behind
monitory value or paying taxes from the same
5) The Corporate Business sector
do not involve and incorporate the local community after they have been forced
out of their land for a balance of shared responsibilities as stakeholders
6) Foreign
Direction Investments by African Diaspora Remittances to Africa holds
good credit bargain to qualify Africa to join in the Global Market-Place
for better bargain of Africa's wealth and resources
7) The
Dominion Farms by Calvin
Burgess who have displaced people from their homes in Siaya and also
directed
Dykes of water that killed many people and drove people away from their
homes
with airplane spraying that has caused sickness and with many deaths.
It is sad that, in the long run, peoples interest, cultural heritage,
traditional foods, land, health and security will be compromised lacking
value for their shared responsibility as stakeholders. A better
negotiation for shared interest in Partnership with stakeholders would
be a more better deal instead.
8)
Africa's Labour-force is marginalized and are driven out of business,
job creation including sustainable employment opportunity, and in their
place, an example of Chinese with imported workers take African place
instead. This is unacceptable and it is time to do things differently.
9)
Tribalism and discrimination in Kenya is causing
disharmony and this kind of situation falls short of constitutional
mandate for compliance. It is about time the Civil Society engage the
Judicial Courts to address these issues of illegitimacy of Governance.
10)
Political, Social and Economic Business must be engaged differently
where PPP - Private Public Partnership with African Diaspora who will
bring greater opportunity for changes towards Progressive Development
done differently with core value in honoring fundamental basic Human
Rights.
It is my desired interest that all political leaders, the business community, the Local NGOs, the Local Community Social Welfare groups, network together shall engage in creating viable opportunities that will bring peace and harmony in Africa moving forward.
It is my desired interest that all political leaders, the business community, the Local NGOs, the Local Community Social Welfare groups, network together shall engage in creating viable opportunities that will bring peace and harmony in Africa moving forward.
Check and see attachments:
Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
ATTACHMENTS:
PRESS
RELEASE IN RESPONSE TO MEL FOOTE POSTING ON AFRICAN PRESIDENTIAL SUMMIT IN USA
DURING THE MONTH OF AUGUST 2014
This
memo is in response to the Press Release by Melvin P Foote, President of The
Constituency for Africa, posted on 19th May 2014 on AllAfrica and
the Executive post.
Diaspora
members from the group of “African Forward” share many points of convergences
between Mel Foote associates on one hand, with members of our committee on the
other. We observe that, there are
crucial African opinions that need to be addressed and attitudes that have been
expressed towards the forthcoming White House African Presidential Summit. As Advocates for “Africa Forward”, we are
obligated to share with Mr. Mel Foote and his colleagues the following points
of convergence:
1. Considering
the historical significance of this summit, and since President Barak Hussein
Obama is the first from African descent to serve as U.S. President, it is
certainly necessary and mostly significant for him to organize a rare summit of
its own kind. Historically speaking, it was President John Fitzgerald Kennedy
who took the initiative to invite the leaders of the emerging African countries
soon after Ghana’s independence. President Kwame Nkrumah’s first visit to the
United States of America with President Kennedy, was historically significant
to the African people. Because of this meeting, President Kennedy benefitted
from his pre-presidential contacts with the emerging leaders of Africa who went
to Ghana during the early times of Africa’s independence from their colonial
masters. It should be noted also that, Vice President Richard Nixon
representing U.S.A at that moment, gave the Kennedys opportunity to make
friends in Africa and as well influence people. Consequently, at that first
African conference of national liberation movement for African leaders, the
Kennedys’ sought African cooperation as a result, their overtures proved
beneficial in their Africa policy. Mr. Tom
Mboya of Kenya, who chaired that meeting in Accra in 1958, later spoke to
Senator Kennedy before his election and inauguration. The relevance of that historical moment is evident
in the Late Tom Mboya memoirs contained in his now widely quoted book, Freedom and after (1964). As we now
speak of a new deal between the United States of America and the African
continent, it is appropriate to remind our readers about the now forgotten call
for a Marshall Plan for Africa by
Tom Mboya. Not only did he cooperate with the Kennedys in the implementation of
the Great Airlift for Kenyan students, but he himself also contributed a
personal check of five thousand dollars at the time from his family
foundation. The Joseph P. Kennedy
Foundation contributed $100,000 for that venture. In connecting the dots, it is
definitely relevant to state it here and categorically that, when the late
Senator Ted Kennedy is now celebrated as the Last Lion of the Kennedy Family
who endorsed Senator Obama at American University to run for the US Presidency,
history was again running full circle. This White House Summit on Africa Leadership
to USA, is another indispensable history in the making between USA with Africa
and where, history between USA with Africa shall present intrinsic phenomenon
to both Mel Foote with us standing together on familiar ground that which is
related to Africa’s progressive values.
2. Taking historical values into perspectives,
diversity of opinions are truly healthy and in principle; we hold dear to
historical consideration that gives direction from where we are coming to where
we are going, giving capacity meaning to real virtue of African lifestyle. For example, if we take into consideration
how the Late Tom Mboya politically collaborated with African Freedom fighters
and engaged internationally to bring Independence to Africa and Kenya. It is
significant that he planted seeds of continuity. It all started sometimes in
1958 at All-Africa Peoples Conference convened by Kwame Nkurumah of Ghana. Tom Mboya was elected as the Conference
Chairman at an early age of 28. When
Kenya got independence in 1963, Tom Mboya became the Minister of Justice and
Constitutional Affairs, a position he utilized to shape the future of
Independent Kenya. In 1964, Kenya became
Independent with Tom Mboya being appointed the Minister of Economic Planning
and Development. Because of Tom Mboya, Kenya presently has a remarkable
American school known as “Kenya Starehe Centre” which is instrumental for
positive change and development in the Kenya/American Partnership which also
followed with National Youth Services in Kenya.
Kenya Starehe Center was founded in 1959 by an American called Geoffrey
William Griffin and Patrick David Shaw “The Crime Buster”, “Teaching Beyond
Teaching”. The late Tom Mboya became an African philanthropist hero from his Charismatic
Pan-Africanist, Freedom Fighter, A Trade Unionist, Politician and the Greatest
President Kenya Never had. The late Tom
Mboya was instrumental with the help of JF Kennedy in the Air Lift of the first
US students from Kenya to America, where Obama Snr. Was amongst those students
airlifted to USA. This is
African/American history President Obama became part of, which in our opinion
is a historical value for African Diaspora.
3. The
other point of convergence is the common realization of the changed climate of
opinions in the world, no longer is overwhelmed by the dictates of the Cold
War, but are seriously challenged by the demands of the time, e.g. fight
against poverty, against famine, safety and security which includes, Social, Political and Economic collapse with
insecurity. It is therefore critical for
Africa and United States to come up with
new ideas that have meaningful purpose which are necessary to provide
meaningful cooperation in the 21st. century. Together, it is imperative for all of us to
press for a new dialogue, between African leaders and their counterparts in the
United States of America. Such a dialogue can only take place when we start
with what we know and build on what we have. Both Michael Foote and the
advocates for Africa Forward agree
on the urgency for a new deal on American-African relations. Unlike the old
order dictated by the thoughts and practices of the Cold War, those of us who
call for a new day must identify the new building blocks for social and
economic change in Africa. What are these stones for the creation of an African
edifice? They are the peoples of the 47 countries invited to the White House
Summit on Africa. Being represented at the United Nations and other specialized
agencies, and being very serious about their claims for sovereignty, the leaders
of the African Union and the specialized regional entities must look at the
political geography of the continent and the historical demands from members of
their Diasporas. This turn of events in world history is the result of the new
processes of modernization and globalization. If Africa is to play a more
effective role in world affairs, her leaders as well as her citizens abroad
must construct the structures of peace-making at home and the development of
engagement strategies between their peoples and others in the world.
4. The fourth
point of convergence centers on the urgency for dialogue between the leaders of
the African countries and their African Diaspora. Not only must they bring
better results from their continental and regional ties, but they must also
draw from the tools of modernity and globalization to feed on the benefits of
social media and the creativities of their young people. Here the role and
place of labor and finances in the service of Africa comes to play. Again, the
role and place of the women beg for attention. But while focusing on the points of
convergence between the Constituency for Africa and those of us advocating for
Africa Forward, we should simultaneously underscore the points of divergence
between us that calls for immediate attention as follows:
a)
First of all, let us remind Mr. Foote and his
colleagues that the New Climate of
Global Opinions tells us not to overplay our Americanism at the expense of
American diplomatic engagement with Africans and others beyond. By playing politics with the Map of Africa and
by wrapping it under the shadows of the American Flag; we unconsciously expose
ourselves to ridicule and political jingoism from radical African nationalists
who are most likely vulnerable to the ideological propaganda of the emerging
foes of America in these new days of economic and political rivalry. Remember,
South Africa is a part of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South
Africa).
b)
The second point of divergence between us and
Mr. Foote rests on his call for a dialogue with the members of the Cooperate
Council for Africa. The Diaspora must be
involved in setting up these things, as presently the Bloomberg and Chamber of
Commerce are not involving African Diaspora
in what they are doing. There is nothing
wrong with such advocacy, but rather, we feel the proposition is inadequate
because it is not collectively inclusive with all leadership of African
Diaspora. It is dangerous and unwise to
call for their participation without making definite arrangements for members
of the continental African business communities. There are African counterparts of the members
of the Corporate Council for Africa. In order to do justice to the members of
the African Chambers of Commerce, it is imperative for all of us to create room
for the wider African Diaspora groups. Time is running fast and without
deliberate acts on our part, the summons of history will be missed.
c)
The Constituency for Africa and the advocates
for Africa Forward are not clear in the inclusion of the African Diaspora participation
and dialogue. Our proposal here is historical and we feel it should not be left
behind to be forgotten. Not only do we join all interested parties in making
this event success, but we look forward to the post Obama era. By thinking
carefully and critically, we may be able to point to new directions for what we
are beginning to call Obama’s New Ark. Like the Prophet Noah, who save his
people and believing in generations of his humankind, our President metaphorically
could begin to lay the foundations of re-inventing African Recovery from self-denegation, self-humiliation through the chains of
economic poverty and political slavery, and self-denial from crass materialism,
political instability and the lack of good governance and transparency.
d)
By avoiding the burning issues that confront
the African leadership, and by not bringing these issues to the attention of
the American people and their leaders, those of us now calling for a New Deal
between America and Africa must now talk
about African resources and African humanity. With respect to African
resources we must pay close attention to what is happening to these African
assets and what African leaders are doing with them. Caught in the growing
rivalry between developed and the undeveloped nations of the world, it is
important for us to give meaning to this summit by reminding each other how
African resources constitute major bones of contention at the summit. Water,
Energy, Agriculture, Health, Education, Security, Innovation and
Industrialization transfers are important items in our list. Africa could play
a big role in this day and age. For
example, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) could become the trillion
dollar nation with respect to water. Water and Energy, should be the new
mantra for those who think and feel New Africa require a facelift. President
Obama and his team must bring about the spirit of the African Diaspora to heart
with the thinking how advocates shall provide for green consciousness in
America/Africa relations and beyond.
Through this new consciousness, the people of the DRC and the rest of
the continent will make adequate use of their resources such as water falling
from the heavens and the mineral resources that keep our air force over the
earth and the forests that give the Japanese their tooth –pick. These obvious
examples which beg for immediate attention.
e)
Another bone of contention between us and the
rest in this debate revolves around the role and place of remittances in this
whole equation. In our view, Africa is caught in a paradoxical situation. How
is this so? Truth be told, the African
Diaspora, according to World Bank figures, contribute more than the total
direct foreign investment on the continent. As a result of these statistics, it
is imperative for the advocates for Africa Forward to include the ideas about
remittances at the table. By urging the leaders of the African Union as well as
the leaders of the numerous non-governmental organization from across the
continent to think about new strategies for the making greater uses of
remittances in Africa. Through such a summit and through future planning on the
part of the President and his supporters later after his presidency, the New
Ark of the Obama era should mobilize Americans in the engagement of African
leaders for social and economic changes on the continent. Water is a new demand and President Obama
could play a big role in educating Americans, Africans and other human
communities the imperatives for better water treatment to humanity …….that,
Water is Life…...
In
light of this analysis, I conclude this analysis by urging you and the other
members of our group to read these thoughts carefully and critically. After you
have done so, please kindly pass it on to the President and his team.
Sincerely,
Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
========================
“Africa
Forward” in Sustained Economics & Community Development
Confederation Council
Foundation for Africa Inc., is a Non-Profit making for Social, Political and
Economic development undertaking in Africa for sustainability in a conducive
environment. The organization strives to
create awareness on educational information with cultural social heritage
values and virtues and provides voice of reason social media and through
advocacy for the Refugee and Displaced persons.
Our intervention is not limited, but goes beyond to offer meditation for
rehabilitation to realize Economics advantage with Community Development programs
that motivates peace. We engage in promoting increased prosperity and economic
security for all African oriented communities, individuals and families, small
farmers and also, ranchers, entrepreneurs’ traders, and consumers across the
People of African Descent. Working together with African America Diasporas with
University Professors and gives us an edge to provide leadership securely.
We wish to collaborate with
Government staff to assist in facilitating our organizational team to realize
preparation for the coming meeting in August 2014, where we expect to formalize
areas of interests for research, education, capacity building and in extending
our activities that shall help participants at the forum to be prepared and
engage effectively incorporating sound collaborative strategies that will make
African Leadership Forum a success story.
This will include discovering historical new economic opportunities for
Africa Moving Forward. It shall also
engage effectiveness of Energy/Water Proposal, develop successful agricultural
and nonagricultural enterprises cooperative enterprising and take advantage of
new and consumer-driven markets at both the local and international levels, and
understand the implications of public policy on these and other activities of
progressive development.
We take the opportunity of
the coming Summit as a necessary leverage and an advantage against our
competitors with example to China’s scramble to Africa.
I must reiterate and
emphasize that, in partnering with diverse African Diaspora in America, we
collaboration in consultations alongside other African NGO groups, Faith
Based and Community Leaders under “One
Stop Service Center Coordination” to make sure we avoid duplication of
work, we shall engage the local community in the affairs of their Social
Welfare Development towards fulfilling African historical values on “African Forward” where African
Diaspora have comparative advantage with more leverage.
Consequently, looking
forward to our US President's invitation of African Leaders Summit in August,
we anticipate great opportunity for his legacy with African Diaspora to
undertake serious involvement to make deliberations from the summit a success
story. I must reiterate and emphasize
that, in partnering with diverse African Diaspora in America, we
collaboration in consultations alongside other African NGO groups, Faith
Based and Community Leaders under “One
Stop Service Center Coordination” to make sure we avoid duplication of
work, we shall engage the local community in the affairs of their Social
Welfare Development towards fulfilling African historical values on “African Forward” where African
Diaspora have comparative advantage with more leverage.
We therefore want to be
fully involved in the US/Africa Partnership Development at the African
Presidential Summit so that we shall provide an economic booster with reliable
and sustainable better and improved prospects moving forward. The U.S.
President Obama's foreign policy for mutually fair and balanced economic development
provides a shared and balanced organized program that is suitable for
USA/Africa business and Social Welfare Partnership engagement capable of moving
“Africa forward”. The African Presidential Summit in August therefore, is
more promising with historical values that we cannot afford to be left behind
without capturing the essence for:
a)
Obama Legacy,
b)
The Obama Prestige on African Historical
values
c)
Post Obama Presidency
Our priorities therefore
shall be:
1)
Water and Energy
2)
Agriculture and land ownership
3)
Education, Science and Technology
4)
Foreign Direct Investment
5)
Transportation infrastructure linking Africa
Nations.
With the vast experience and
knowledge in Science, Engineering and Technology that America has shared with
other advanced European and Eastern blocks countries, the US African American
(Americans of African descent) shall be our bargain leverage investment with
Africa.
Preparing for the same, it
is crucially important and more fundamental to effectively prepare ourselves
sufficiently at the African Leadership Forum by visiting Senegal, Kenya,
Tanzania, DRC Congo, South Sudan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Guinea and South Africa in
advance of African Leadership Summit in order to fully provide good promises
for the Summit breakthrough in this August 2014.
Partnering with Social,
Economic and Political drivers as a team, we shall create a harmonious better
understanding of things with greater fundamental rewarding impact. We believe
and it has been tested that, the prospects can be made promising in a fast
turnover, as impacts are readily felt and realized, since the people are
involved in their business of participating, engaging and improving their own
lifestyle and economic development according to their own cultural values and
tradition and at the same time, the development process slowly adopts diversity
without negative force as has been the case. Together, we shall make good
inroad to a sustainable progressive development in economic security and
sufficiency and at the same time, improve on Environmental protection.
We must prepare to do
business differently that give people hope and are with good return and better
sustainable prospects, an engagement that provides competitive education
with good health and as well promotes local peasant cooperative agriculture
which is the prescription for income generating job creation, innovative
expansion with sustainable economic opportunities will nurture peace and
harmony for common good of all.
Participating and engaging
in Cooperative Partnership for development inclusively, we cannot go wrong in
Democratizing efficiency and supply vs. demand and at the same time, cushioning
the African Government Leadership to realize its development promise to its
Citizen and the larger business community in a shared effective fair manner
favorable to all thus:
1)
Energy/Water Supply and Management that shall
ease the burden of fetching water long distances and energy to provide
lighting, cooking and small industrial for economic prospects. Rural Community
Development with Related Stakeholders Input and Information
2)
Sustainable Cooperative Agriculture shall
provide with job creation, improved education with economic growth and
expansion with Social Welfare improvement from capacity of financial flow from
job creation with economic financial advantages.
3)
Community Welfare for Social Development will
engage preservation of Wild Life, Environment and great lakes protection from
adverse Industrial pollution with other mismanagement. The stakeholders and shareholders will have
opportunity to work closely in harmony together.
4)
Small-scale and peasant farming cooperative
entrepreneurship will provide sustainability of Development agenda with both
short and long-term diversity and expansion.
The Cooperative Partnership between USA and Africa and as well offer
training to both the Socially Disadvantaged African Farmers to realize economic
sustainability as well as built the capacity in social welfare agenda. This
will boost the financial Security Promoting Family and Small Farms into
Cooperative management through Social
Welfare Integration on sustainable agriculture
5)
Hospital and Schools (Health, Early School
Learning including Reading as well as Higher Education with Scholarships and
Internships) for Foreign Assistance to American Schools and Hospitals Abroad
(ASHA)
6)
Diversify Cultural Heritage Values and also
harmonize Exchange Network through Agriculture, Art and Sports (traditional
foods, music and physical sporting activities
As a result of the above, it
is crucial that we make advance feasible negotiation in order that we present
competitive Partnership proposal before the Forum hence the advance funding
request.
While we shall involve
Politicians in Africa to provide enabling environment with good policy and
security, we aim to strengthen expert and professional consultation to set
standardization for a secured progressive business complex in order to meet the
challenges of other existing business players at the Global Emerging Market
Place. The Diaspora Engagement in Public
Private Partnership for effective Development Management in Africa, shall
require expert design and implementation on standardized, effective and
efficient strategies of projects to promote Counties, National and Regional
cooperation. Its intended outcome is for civil servants effectiveness to public
Service Delivery and to apply the acquired knowledge, skills in the workplace with good policies
that shall protect and secure the success of business partnership capacity
development.
I am delighted that, as the
Executive Director for Confederation Council Foundation for Africa, I am
fortunate to have been endorsed by a group of Diaspora members to provide
leadership to make this program for Diaspora Project investment in Africa a
success. I look forward to building upon that African Union legacy for Diaspora
by focusing on key strategic issues of critical importance to Africa and to
US-Africa Diaspora relationship. This by
no means shall consolidate and expand our diverse engagement, and will elevate
Africans credentials that impact Africa business community with its social
welfare, a success. We shall engage to stimulate public engagement as
stakeholders and favorably share in the Partnership with shareholders in order
to improve the quality of life and increase prosperity in Africa, since vibrant
economies excite entrepreneurial initiatives in the business world platform.
AFRICA FORWARD AGENDA
“DOING BUSINESS DIFFERENTLY”
What Africa
needs is strong institutions and not strong men (Barak Obama in Ghana, 2009).
Introduction:
Africa has
contributed to and made the prosperity of the world, it is time for Africa to prosper
for her own sake in order to further and sustain the world prosperity. Since the colonial times, Africa has been and
continues to be the main provider of minerals, agricultural products, as well
as other resources needed to develop and support the industrialization and
wealth of the West. Africa is not poor
but it is made poor by design; hence the first US-Africa Summit marks the
beginning of a new story for Africa, America and the rest of the world. While
many Africans and others have expressed their disappointment in regard to the
list of invitees, we, at Africa Forward welcome this unique opportunity for the
President to make a long lasting contribution to the edification of strong
institutions in Africa by embracing wholeheartedly the Administration’s stated
position that none of the African constitutions should be changed to benefit
individuals whose mandates are ending.
The President could change the whole course of African politics and
governance by acting to further most African people’s wishes and put an end to
the autocracies, dictatorships and other undemocratic governments that have and
are thriving on corruption, violence, assassinations, imprisonments and
arbitrary detentions, and all sort of human rights abuses. Without good
governance, justice and security for all, nothing will work.
To further
President Obama initiative and pave the way to a true Africa’s Renaissance, we
propose the following course of actions:
1) Governance: one of the main action that the
African civil society is committed to do is to campaign for no change in the
African Constitutions and the President should be lend his support to this
campaign to help Africa to have her own Africa’s Spring. The fight for no change of constitution is a
fight for Africans to exercise their basic rights and consolidate the nascent
democracies. It is a fight against tyranny; it is a fight for the freedom to
choose our own leaders. The president
can make the case that changing constitutions in Africa does not secure long
lasting investments that Africa badly needs to create jobs and improve people’s
life; instead this fosters a culture of corruption and attract predators who
thrive on making quick returns while nurturing impunity and other abuses that
will lead to flights of capital. The
president has to overcome the stigma of the “Lame duck second presidency” that
has given some African presidents that they could challenge him and hang on to
power against the will of their people.
The president must show his resolve to give Africa a fair chance in
building its institutions as he has done it in other parts of the world that
have received and continue to receive US assistance to further democracy. Africans are questioning what will be the US
reaction if these presidents change their constitutions as many are trying to
justify their desires to stay in power.
If the president falters on this issue, he will be remembered as a
person wo failed to seize the opportunity to chance Africa for its people and his
legacy for Africa will be known as the African’s son who caved in to the
African dictators. His successor,
whoever it will be, will not be encouraged to change the situation since he who
could do it failed. The president has a
unique opportunity to live up the prophecy of Joseph in modern times and be the
Joseph not brought to Egypt as a prisoner and who blossomed in pharaoh’s court
to become his confident and therefore was able to help and assist his brothers
who sold him into slavery. Our Joseph is the pharaoh who is not only going to
help us but also assist us to build a stronger house. Will the president live
to be Joseph? That is his challenge to face and to overcome.
2) Human Rights: one of the evident consequences
resulting from the change of constitutions in Africa is the prevalence of human
rights abuses that have become a way of life and a weapon to discourage and
silence any opposition. We, at Africa
Forward, urge the president to push for a resolution to make any violence and
rapes used as a weapon a crime against humanity and it must be prosecuted to
the give justice to the victims and if local jurisdictions failed to do so, the
perpetrators must be prosecuted by an international court. We also urge the president to do the same for
those who enrolling young boys and girls as “child soldiers”; hence destroying
the future of our continent while creating a new breed of rapists and
killers. The president prestige can help
stop the impunity plight plaguing Africa and restore decency.
3) INVESTING IN THE FUTURE: It is our
understanding that most of the businesses in America could and can be
duplicated in Africa but they will need capital, management and technologies. To that avail, we propose the Creation of The
Africa Entrepreneurship Centers to train African in the Diaspora as well as
African Americans into creating, managing and developing businesses using US
knowhow, technologies to transform resources available in Africa. The Centers
will serve as incubators, financing facilitators and stakeholders in the growth
of the businesses created. Howard
University and other Black Colleges and Universities should be in the lead of
this effort and major universities will definitely be associated to this.
Tuskegee University could help and design a curriculum and strategies to
develop small peasantry farming to capitalize on the availability of labor
while settling people in the rural areas and villages into generating
activities that will better their lives.
Education:
Educating Africans in Africa while developing exchange programs must be at the
heart of the knowledge transfer that Africa needs. Programs must be built to help Africans to
develop and manage their resources while meeting the needs of their local
market, the American market and the rest of the world. Please elaborate more
Remittances: The main idea is to establish a structure that will leverage
the remittances to generate more funding i.e matching funds to invest in
infrastructure as well as into other productive projects. The structure
could be designed as an investment vehicle to facilitate investments in
activities that would not receive funding otherwise. When you looking
into the micro finance schemes now flooding Africa, you will find that the rate
of interest is still high even though per month it is low but at the end of the
year, the cumulative interest will amount almost to the borrowed capital and
these micro finance entities are again funded by western groups. The remittance
structure is an innovation that could give the diaspora a greater influence in
the development of our Continent while establishing a solid bridge with the
American investors that will invest in the project. It is not charity, it
is business but business that will engage all.
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