These are heady times for Africa, as they stand at the crossroads of their future. More and more are focused on what the best mode is for them in the future - should they become autonomous, and shed the yoke of colonialism once and for all, or should they continue to be at the prey of private interest groups whose real agenda is to continue controlling Africa's vast resources, while under the guise of being her benefactors. This and more was the topic when Dr. Chika Onyeani, publisher of the African Sun Times sat down to an interview with Voice of America.
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| Dr. Chika Onyeani Publisher of The African Sun Times |
Not only does it make an interesting read, but it highlights several concerns about the involvement of African citizens themselves in the plans for Africa's future.
There is an opportunity to be a part of a massive conference call to discuss the future of Africa.
I will just say for the record that when I heard that the proposed progress for Africa was pushed to 50 years from 2013, I was totally appalled. Who came up with that idea as a workable goal? Does that mean that Africans will be so slow in their progress that it will take them 50 years to catch up to the rest of the world? And what of the people who are currently working towards that end - how many of us will be alive to witness such a victory? Also, why not incremental 5year and 10 year plans as other countries have done? And at what point does Africa reign in the internecine battles that are taking the lives of so many innocent people, and begin to either get them involved in nation building, or isolated from the rest of the people who want peace, progress, poise and prosperity for their posterity?
Personally, I have hopes for being part of a United Continent of Africa in my lifetime, having been involved with African brothers and sisters since my college days; having attended Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, a college that gave Africa two of their presidents - Nnamdi Azikewe of Nigeria, and Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana; and immersed myself in African studies. We should have long since resolved most of these problems. When Africa begins to look after her own self enlightened interest and development, as Ghanaian President Mahama has recommended, and not seek the approval of outsiders who are only looking after their own pocketbooks while exploiting her wealth and abundance, African people will begin to thrive, grow, and provide for themselves. Africa's leaders must begin putting the best interest of their people first, and bringing people to the table regardless of what their level of education is. It's time to bring our collective, eclectic cultural, intellectual, educational, technological, and political forces together to harvest the vast resources for ourselves that are being stolen right out from under our very noses.
It's time to teach those Africans at home who don't know, and employ those who do - in much the same way the Japanese did when they began to build their country into the creative, technological giant it has become. African has the capacity to do the same and then some.
I am interested in those of you who are reading this commentary and the article below providing your commentary, thoughts and recommendations for Africa's future development. Please feel free to email me at gloriadulanwilson@gmail.com
Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
www.gloriadulanwilson.blogspot.com/ECLECTICALLY BLACK NEWS
VOICE OF AMERICA: News / Africa
Africans Urged to Take Part in Global Agenda 2063 Conference Call
South
African Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma addresses the
media during the leaders meeting at the African Union (AU) in Addis
Ababa July 15, 2012.
March 11, 2014
On January 24th, African Union Commission Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma released her vision for Africa’s future.
The African Agenda 2063 seeks to rekindle the passion for Pan-Africanism. It calls for promotion of peace and stability, expansion of agricultural production, inclusive economic development and industrialization, and mainstreaming women and youth participation in African Union activities.
On Saturday (March 15), Africans worldwide are being invited to attend a conference call to discuss Dlamini-Zuma’s vision.
Chika Onyeani, publisher of the New York-based African Sun Times newspaper, and chairman of the Celebrate Africa Foundation, said this is the time for all Africans to make their voices heard.
“This conference call is not about intellectuals. We want every African to participate. For too long, this has been consigned to the intellectual class. We want business people to participate; we want the women to participate; we want the youth to participate in this discussion of the future of Africa,” he said.
Onyeani said Africans should stop depending on their leaders to always decide issues for them because most of those leaders have their own agendas.
“It is up to us, if we want to be the sixth region (of Africa) to be a legally constituted part of the African Union, it’s up to the Africans not only in the Diaspora but all over the world to say, ‘Yes,’ and this discussion should be part of how do we get our so-called sixth region to be a legally constituted part of the African Union,” he said.
Onyeani says the most important thing about the conference call is that the African Union does not have to spend a dime. He said the African Union did not ask him to organize the discussion.
Onyeani said, had ordinary Africans been involved in issues affecting their continent, perhaps the African Union would not have gotten money from China to build the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
“Can you imagine what would have happened if we had had this type of discussion before? Would Africans have agreed for the Chinese to bring a paltry $200 million to build our headquarters? It’s a total disgrace. People make fun of Africa because of that,” Onyeani said.
The Agenda 2063 foresees a fully functional African common market with free movement of people, goods, capital and services. It also calls for the establishment of a single domestic market, Pan-African Economic and Monetary Union, with a single African central bank, currency and parliament.
It also foresees a “transformed continent where economic growth is translated in wealth and employment creation, guided by sustainable environmental policies.”
The document would also “address the root causes of conflicts, including economic and social disparities, and address the plight of internally displaced persons and refugees.”
Agenda 2063 makes little or no mention of the ongoing fight against official corruption in Africa.
Onyeani said the fight against corruption would be one of the priorities under the new United States of Africa. But, he said Africans must get involved in determining the future of their continent.
“These are some of the issues that the people of Africa, through this discussion, would be able to talk about. Africans should make their voices heard about corruption,” Onyeani said.
He said Africans everywhere would be able to join the conference call on Saturday.
“On the east coast (of the US), it would be at 5 pm EDT; on the west coast, it would be at 2 pm and in the Central region, it will be at 4 pm. Of course, from Ghana, that would be at 9 pm; from South Africa that would be at 11 pm; from Nigeria at 10 pm; from Addis Ababa it would be at 12 am (Sunday)” Onyeani said.
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Africa for the Africans - At Home and Abroad - Marcus Garvey
Now that you know, what will you do?
Stay Blessed -
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
The African Agenda 2063 seeks to rekindle the passion for Pan-Africanism. It calls for promotion of peace and stability, expansion of agricultural production, inclusive economic development and industrialization, and mainstreaming women and youth participation in African Union activities.
On Saturday (March 15), Africans worldwide are being invited to attend a conference call to discuss Dlamini-Zuma’s vision.
Chika Onyeani, publisher of the New York-based African Sun Times newspaper, and chairman of the Celebrate Africa Foundation, said this is the time for all Africans to make their voices heard.
“This conference call is not about intellectuals. We want every African to participate. For too long, this has been consigned to the intellectual class. We want business people to participate; we want the women to participate; we want the youth to participate in this discussion of the future of Africa,” he said.
Onyeani said Africans should stop depending on their leaders to always decide issues for them because most of those leaders have their own agendas.
“It is up to us, if we want to be the sixth region (of Africa) to be a legally constituted part of the African Union, it’s up to the Africans not only in the Diaspora but all over the world to say, ‘Yes,’ and this discussion should be part of how do we get our so-called sixth region to be a legally constituted part of the African Union,” he said.
Onyeani says the most important thing about the conference call is that the African Union does not have to spend a dime. He said the African Union did not ask him to organize the discussion.
Onyeani said, had ordinary Africans been involved in issues affecting their continent, perhaps the African Union would not have gotten money from China to build the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
“Can you imagine what would have happened if we had had this type of discussion before? Would Africans have agreed for the Chinese to bring a paltry $200 million to build our headquarters? It’s a total disgrace. People make fun of Africa because of that,” Onyeani said.
The Agenda 2063 foresees a fully functional African common market with free movement of people, goods, capital and services. It also calls for the establishment of a single domestic market, Pan-African Economic and Monetary Union, with a single African central bank, currency and parliament.
It also foresees a “transformed continent where economic growth is translated in wealth and employment creation, guided by sustainable environmental policies.”
The document would also “address the root causes of conflicts, including economic and social disparities, and address the plight of internally displaced persons and refugees.”
Agenda 2063 makes little or no mention of the ongoing fight against official corruption in Africa.
Onyeani said the fight against corruption would be one of the priorities under the new United States of Africa. But, he said Africans must get involved in determining the future of their continent.
“These are some of the issues that the people of Africa, through this discussion, would be able to talk about. Africans should make their voices heard about corruption,” Onyeani said.
He said Africans everywhere would be able to join the conference call on Saturday.
“On the east coast (of the US), it would be at 5 pm EDT; on the west coast, it would be at 2 pm and in the Central region, it will be at 4 pm. Of course, from Ghana, that would be at 9 pm; from South Africa that would be at 11 pm; from Nigeria at 10 pm; from Addis Ababa it would be at 12 am (Sunday)” Onyeani said.
Butty interview with Onyeani
Africa for the Africans - At Home and Abroad - Marcus Garvey
Now that you know, what will you do?
Stay Blessed -
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
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