Happy new year everyone!!!! I do hope that 2012 has got off to a flying start for you all. It has to be said that 2011 was an eventful year to say the least. From the economic struggles in the Eurozone and the impact of that on its trading partners to the Arab Spring and the fragile democracies that are being birthed as a result; the Horn of Africa crisis and the Occupy Movement; some key events in 2011 had a lot of people on the edge of their seats for both economic and political reasons. That this wasn’t just about developing nations who historically are deemed ‘unable to get their act together’; but also about the instability of the markets and the attendant political dramas that unfolded in the developed world was a rare occurrence for all concerned.
As the dust has settled on the High Level Conference in Busan on Aid Effectiveness, it is an opportune time to realise that as the global economic landscape is changing dramatically so also will the way Aid is defined have to change. With most of the powerful nations struggling with crippling budget deficits and the political fallout of biting austerity measures within their own countries, it is inevitable that international development aid budgets will be slashed dramatically too. If ever there was a time for sub-Saharan Africa to pull itself up by the boots straps, this is it. Africa has to sort out its own problems not least because the nations and organisations holding the fat cheque books cannot afford to give as much as they used to and there’s no sugar-coating that fact. It goes without saying that the leadership issues in Africa represent the biggest obstacles to its sustainable development.
Some of the key issues or pertinent problems in 2011 and what they represent give a good indication of the challenges ahead. However, it hasn’t all been doom and gloom though as shown by success stories from World Bank blogs as well as NEPAD initiatives especially the one that is designed to address food insecurity (see a previous blog on sustainable development).
Here are some of those issues from 2011:
• Elections in Liberia, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo etc. The high tension, sense of danger and discontent that has often gone hand-in-hand with elections in sub-Saharan Africa has to be dealt with once and for all. Why should losers in elections make life difficult for their countries by holding them hostage to their insatiable quest to hold on to power at all costs? Without political stability, development becomes a moot point.
• The famine in the Horn of Africa – initiatives to tackle food insecurity have to go beyond knee-jerk responses to crisis; the local knowledge and technical know-how to solve these problems are there if only there is genuine political will and commitment to the cause
• The major security issues exacerbated by terrorist groups who appear to be more organised and deadly than the governments who are always playing catch with these agents of destruction. The case of the Boko Haram sect in Nigeria is a major concern not least because of the escalation of violence as a result of inefficient security services and the lack of political will to take a firm stance to deal with issues. The absence of effective leadership is the fertile breeding ground for organisations that are bent on causing damage and chaos that results in the loss of lives and carnage that Nigeria has seen in recent months.
• The birth of Africa’s youngest nation – Republic of South Sudan in July 2011 and the ongoing problems and conflict with Sudan. That state creation hasn’t brought calm to the situation – it is still early days so maybe the issues are teething problems that can be dealt with in due course
• The issue of foreign investors and human rights abuses of workers. Until governments start making the rights of their citizens a priority, the abuse of power by foreign corporations will continue unchecked. This might yet be one of the most devastating for Africa as its natural resources are being plundered for maximum foreign profit in a way that threatens the livelihoods of people struggling to eke out an existence. Governments need to realise that all that glitters is not gold and they should be more cautious about selling off their assets to the highest bidder.
If 2011 was any indication, 2012 will see some dramatic shifts in international development policy. Whether that is a positive or a negative thing remains to be seen.
Until the next time……………
No comments:
Post a Comment