Background
THE AFRICAN CONTINENT: Crises and Opportunities?
Background
At a time when conditions are improving for many people in the world, the hard–scrabble existence of many Africans seem to go on, despite sustained efforts by African Governments, civil society and international community. Of the 48 least developed countries in the world, 33 are in Africa. Today, 365 million Africans – roughly 50 per cent – live in absolute poverty, and Africa is the only region in the world where poverty is expected to increase during this decade.Africa's annual rate of population growth is the highest in the world, with serious implications for sustained economic growth and sustained development. The number of undernourished has risen to nearly 200 million, and the continent – once a net exporter of food – has become a net importer. An estimated 11 per cent of its total land area is at least moderately damaged by water or wind erosion, and more is threatened by desertification and other scourges – a cold confirmation that the continent is suffering from degradation of its natural resources base.
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The Challenge
Africa is in a critical point in its history – full of renewed promise but beleaguered by economic and social emergencies that continue to drain precious natural and human resources. Recognizing this challenge of global development is important for the successful and sustainable development of Africa. Now is the time to forge a new partnership for Africa that is designed to accelerate Africa's development. With this in mind – we at GREEN AFRICA believes that there is a need for a systems-wide Special Initiative (SI) on Africa. The special initiative should aim over the next decade to greatly expand basic education, healthcare services, promote peace and better governance, and improved utility services: energy, water and food security. Of these, energy is the most crucial. The various components of the special initiative can be divided into two types: those requiring substantial resource mobilization and implementation, and those calling mainly for strengthening and rationalizing existing efforts through use of indigenous-based local resources – human and natural resources.The Special Initiative (SI) should also try other ways of releasing funds for development and better management of funds, including deeper debt relief, enhancing South–South cooperation, expanding trade opportunities and moving private investment and new technology into Africa under a North–South cooperation. At the end of the day – every effort should be made to make sure that the Initiative would not fail, and its goals would become a reality, translated into concrete initiatives that would change the lives of those men and women of Africa in a sustainable way – and that is a commitment for us ALL to undertake.
The Special Initiative must further seek a concrete expression of commitment of all organizations of the system to enhance substantially their support for the development efforts of African countries. The critical sectors that needs special attention, and which could lead to rapid, significant and durable impact on the population are: basic education, basic healthcare services, governance, food security, and water security and sanitation, environment and ecosystems management, energy security, peace-building and informatics. Participation in the information society offers enormous opportunities for Africa to leap-frog over past development deficiencies and into the future. Being left out could mean being left behind.
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New Hope for the Upcoming Generation
A major thrust of the SI, and its largest resource commitment, is to greatly increase the provision of basic education and health care, in order to ensure that African children have vastly improved opportunities for productive and rewarding lives. Realizing these goals will also promote the empowerment of women, an effort that will have a clear impact on development through more manageable population growth rates and enhanced human welfare.While slow but steady progress towards education has been made in most regions of the world, Africa is the one outstanding exception, with downward trend in enrollment. A campaign to ensure a quality, basic education for all African children should place special emphasis on educating girls and women – as part of the effort to make Africa's education system equitable, accessible and relevant – this is a very important commitment in a continent where up to half of all adults are illiterate and lack the basic skills required for more rapid development.
The Initiative must also make an effort to increase the coverage, and access to quality primary healthcare services, as well as target the common preventable and/or treatable diseases, such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis and major childhood illnesses.
The major tool in reducing poverty is the promotion of employment and sustainable livelihoods. In Africa, the informal sector accounts for about 60 per cent of the labour force – the majority women – and 20 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP). Part of the initiative's strategy should aim at strengthening the informal sector in order to generate productive and remunerative jobs – with women as specific targets. In the finial analysis, and hence, successful and sustainable development of the African continent, the SI should endeavor to support increased access to technology, skills development, entrepreneurial training and micro-credit facilities. It will also promote a participatory approach to developing sustainable livelihoods in environmentally marginal areas, especially rural communities in arid and semi-arid agro-ecological zones, through building on indigenous-based local knowledge via community-based action networks.
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Strengthening the Capacity for Governance
Better governance can equip Africans to attain their political, economic and social aspirations. For this to be realized the continent's leaders must be urged to take steps in this direction. The major areas that must be tackle are: expansion on the capacities for transparency, responsible effective governance and strengthening Africa's civil service to better manage their local administrative systems – through making public administration more accountable, and increasing public information on development policies and programmes. By strengthening the capacity of civil society to participate in development – with special focus on women's organizations – public policies can be enriched, thereby leading to sustainable development of the entire continent of Africa. END.For further information contact:
Information Services Department
GREEN AFRICA
PO Box 58396, Nairobi, Kenya.
Tel/Fax: +254-2-717510
Email: Info@greenafrica.net
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