4 conferences for drafting a new path towards development
By
Collectif
(Alliance pour Refonder la Gouvernance en Afrique)
October 2011
Africa is now at a turning point in its political, economic and social history. Despite mixed results in State- and society-building, which clearly show how far the continent still has to go in terms of economic, political and social development, Africa does have what it takes to meet the needs of its peoples and play a more important role in the world. Democracy, strengthened by decentralisation and by civil society’s contributions to improving State governance, is slowly but surely becoming consolidated; immense reserves of natural resources remain unused; rapid population growth is making the continent a promising market; regional integration processes are contributing to good governance and the creation of shared markets, and changes in international economic relations, with the emergence of new powers, are giving Africa more room to manoeuvre on world markets and providing opportunities to renew and regulate international relations.
And what if Africa took control of its destiny?
To turn these advantages into factors that truly contribute to its success, Africa needs a collective jump-start; it has to stop “sleeping on other people’s mats” in the words of the well-known African historian Joseph Ki Zerbo. Across the globe, the construction of modern nations and the definition of development strategies have always taken time. Africa is no exception. Yet Africa is not a hopeless continent. It has energetic young people and the natural, cultural and intellectual resources it needs to emerge in the 21st century with its own world view, its own conception of governance and its own path for development.
This is what the Africa Horizon 2060 Initiative is all about.