Pan African Civil Society Statement

(Press Release)--We, representatives of African civil society and social movements meeting in Nairobi, Kenya for the Pan-African Preparatory meeting to the IV International Forum on Democracy and Cooperation from 15 to 16 May 2008 examined gaps in international democracy and cooperation with an aim to develop innovative concepts and models that will lead to a Southern driven paradigm shift in global development.

Despite the fact that some states have been independent for more than 40 years, democracy has not yet been effectively established on the African continent. Instead, organizations, institutions and movements claiming to fight for democracy have exacerbated conflict in some cases.

We note that half of Africa’s population is constituted by women, youth, the rural, and pastoral population; yet they are the most marginalized constituencies in Africa. We further note with concern that the dominant economic systems in Africa largely cater for external markets rather than respond to the needs of the continent’s citizens.

We reiterate that the projected international development targeted through the efforts to eradicate poverty and secure global equitable and sustainable development did not provide the expected results, despite the immense international cooperation resources and paradigms majority of which are determined and driven by the North. It is evident that the North will not provide the answers for the global development that both the North and South seek.

We accentuate, international cooperation is essentially a lopsided power relationship that empowers the developed northern and western powers while disempowering the developing South to a status of permanent dependency through trade regimes, neo- liberalization, aid and related donations. The current practice promoted in the North generally leads to dependency rather than autonomy and sovereignty on the part of the recipient. While this asymmetry predominantly affects relations between governments, the same inequalities are also reproduced in the civil society sectors and at the local community levels.

We condemn in the strongest terms possible, the exclusion of African civil society by African Governments, African Unity and the African regional bodies in decision making as well as the Neo-liberalism and the globalization agenda that weakens attempts to address the poverty cycle.

1. Africa’s sustainable development

We note that the existing African states are failing to fulfil their developmental role and their greatest failure in this regard is evident by their inability to nurture the agricultural sector for example where policies have undermined autonomous domestic demand driven growth and promoted export orientation exacerbating food insecurity.

We affirm the principles of food sovereignty must govern Africa’s long term agricultural policies which must address existing unfair landholding practices through appropriate and equitable land reform policies in order to achieve food sovereignty in Africa.

We denounce the lack of prioritisation of citizens’ basic human rights, such as right to food and security as well as the use of food crops to produce bio-fuel when millions of Africans are dying. We further denounce the huge military budgetary allocation and the promotion of conflicts in Africa by private militia, international influences and powers at the expense of basic needs.

2. Pan Africanism and Africa’s current governance

We are interrogating the fundamental basis and notion of the modern state which is perpetuating a colonial heritage and perpetual imperfections. We draw attention to how the modern state’s so-called democratic systems and tools are manipulated by those in power to create enclaves of privileges for the ruling elite. In relation to social and economic justice, we reinforce the view that states must serve people and restrain market forces from ruling the people. There can be no peace without accountability. The rural population must reap the benefits of its labour and fully participate in the democratic processes as their exclusion leads to conflict. Women and youth do bring strength and wealth to social transformation. The involvement of youth and women’s participation in our democracies must be ascertained.

We assert, African states have failed to achieve financial and political autonomy which are essential ingredients for building sustainable development and regional institutions.

We call upon African governments to adopt practices that will define better forms of democracy that substantially go beyond the search for multi partism and must be anchored on meaningful Pan African notions of participation, regional cooperation and citizenship.

We challenge ourselves to reinforce Pan African platforms to promote common agendas, engage with African governments and governance stakeholders at all levels especially in Regional Economic Communities and the African Union.

3. International Cooperation

We emphasize the fact that international cooperation in its current form does not stem from individual and actor interests. We are concerned that the U.S.A, European Union and China are continuously proposing deals to Africa yet Africa herself neither creates nor proposes her own Agenda. We reiterate that international cooperation must be built on Africa’s interests such as the fulfilment of her basic needs and not external interests.

We demand African governments to re-examine their cooperation and fulfill their rightful responsibility to protect their citizens’ human rights and sovereignty, to promote a meaningful peace for the continent.

4. African Union and Civil Society Partners

We call upon African Union to defend and protect the real interests of African citizens by ensuring effective civil society participation such as further democratizing ECOSOCC.

We invite our southern and northern partners to support and amplify the civil society efforts driven by Pan African interests.

5. African citizens and African Diaspora

Considering that most government institutions still do not have significant youth representation, we reaffirm that youth hold the key to regeneration and measures must be taken to ensure that youth innovativeness, vigor and potential is harnessed to the optimum, if Africa is to have sustainable growth.

We call upon the African Diaspora, women, youth, farmers, trade unions to fulfill their obligations as citizens to come together and create the much needed continental change.

We appeal upon African citizens and the Diaspora not to shy away from this debate and urge All African people to nurture progressive and radical positions based on the principles of pan-Africanism.

6. African Civil Society

We urge African civil society to practice what we preach by democratizing our internal structures and ensuring accountability to our constituencies.

We encourage African civil society partners to spearhead the development of a Pan African development paradigm and model driven by Africans based on collective action in order to effect the transformational change we seek. We highlight successful south-south experiences of cooperation such as Via Campesina and Jubilee 2000.

We strongly appeal for the recommitment of African civil society to collaborate rather than compete in order to create a unified Pan African platform and critical mass for transformative change on the Continent.

The complete statement at: <http://www.acordinternational.org/var/uploads/File/
Panafrican_meeting_nairobi_may_08.pdf

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