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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
 Posted - 01 Mar 2011 : 12:24:13
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A problem caused by Africans here is a view which blames someone other than past colonial powers.
http://www.foroyaa.gm/modules/news/article.php?storyid=6263
AT THE WORLD SOCIAL FORUM “CRISIS IN AFRICA IS CAUSED BY AFRICANS” say participants
By Abubacarr Saidykhan on 28-02-11
Abubacarr Saidykhan,Dakar- Senegal
On the 11th Edition of the World social Forum in Dakar, at a conference organised by the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) at the Cheikh Anta Diop University on the 10th of February 2011, participants from diverse cultural background all agreed that the current crisis in Africa, and off course the one that had already passed were all caused by Africans themselves.
The discussion was focused on the theme of the world forum, ‘A Better World is Possible’ and also for Africa to think and act for herself.
A professor from Malaysia, Dr. Hari Singh of APISA, who was one of the panelists, said that the whole issue of Democracy is a social process. He asked; the democracy that people are asking is for whom? He said we have to process the whole idea of democracy, whether it is for politicians, or for justice and equality. He said the people are like dogs to be kept by kings and ministers and noted that whatever is said by those kings and ministers should be respected by the people?
Mr. Singh asked: when people talk about democratization, is it that we are talking about justice and equality? He asked. He told the gathering that in Singapore the had of state is considered a tyrant but people are given the opportunity to do public debate on social reforms on democratization process. He asked, what is democracy in the context of poverty? He also asked how the international system helps democracy. He asked: why is it that when social reformers are offered the democratic space, they do not do well?
Aminata Diaw of CODESRIA said we need to get out of the framework that we currently have regarding democracy. She said democracy under the current framework has its own limitations. She said there is an idea of what is happening in Egypt, Tunisia, and Ivory Coast; adding that she is not going to speak on politics. She said the youths of those countries have leaders that are not responding to needs and aspirations of their people. She said they lack political ownership; noting that this is what people lack and is through this that people can say whatever they feel about their government, in order to avoid dictatorship.
In responding to some of the questions and doubts raised by participants regarding his comment that the Masses are dogs, Dr. Singh said he does not mean to offend anyone’s intelligence in that forum. He said his analysis regarding people as dogs was just an example that he uses to explain how dictators maltreat their own people as subjects. He said if the floor is saying that they are disappointed that some of the intellectuals fail to give solutions but more of asking questions, then the challenge is for all of them; adding that they should not be blaming each other in a forum like this.
In response, Aminata Diaw said the floor is right when they said the crises in Africa are caused by Africans themselves. She said it is not right when the participants said there were no solutions offered by some of the intellectuals. She said there should be a new democratic and human rights process in Africa, etc. She said if all these are attained, then Africa will surely move in the right direction.
Halifa Sallah, a sociologist, said governing in a sovereign Republic is a social contract. He said each sovereign person should take the problem of one’s country and the world as one’s own . He said the fact that all the participants are raising questions and are expecting clear answers confirms that each is trying to have a mind of one’s which is the beginning of building a better world. He said we are a sovereign people who must try to eradicate all ethno-linguistic, narrow nationalist and sectarian loyalties and strive to build sovereign Republics where the people are sovereign and where an environment is created to ensure the realisation of the civil, political, economic, social, cultural and ecological rights of the people. He said that once that is done, all these crises in Africa and of course the world will be a thing of the past.
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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