Mr. Walker,
I have got news for you. Pan Africanism has long been dead. Further more, given the lack of democracy in Africa, and the brutality of African governments against their own citizens, it should stay dead.
The only way pan-Africanism could ever exist on the continent would be for the concept of federalism to take hold. African leaders are genetically incapable of sharing power, or so it seems. Other than Nigeria, no African government runs on a federal basis.
If you live to be 200 years, you will not see pan-Africanism in Africa. It is as simple as that.
You could spend your considerable energies more profitably by tacking real problems in Africa solutions of which will be meaningful to Africans and could make a difference in our lives.
For example, you could organise to used send books to an African country. You could ask you fellow revolutionaries to fund a clinic to provide basic medical care for village, or provide clean portable water to to a village, or provide solar panels to a rural village so villagers can for the first time since the Stone Age watch television, etc, etc.
Or you can continue with your nebulous pipe-dreams ad infinitum.
I'd rather you became a doer.
----Original Message Follows----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED],[EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED],[EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED],[EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: ugnet_: An Appeal to the Pan African Association
Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2003 13:51:57 EDT
In a recent article, Gamal Nkrumah praised the unity of the South at the
recent Cancun WTO summit. He observed that:
"One lesson stands out: unity and solidarity among the poor in international
fora is key to their success at the negotiating table. Acquiescence to the
demands of the wealthy nations must no longer be taken for granted. The will of
the rich and powerful cannot be imposed indefinitely on the poor and
powerless."
...
"There is a realisation that solidarity among the poor and powerless counts,
that unity works. To maintain momentum, that fusion of interests which is
indispensable to lending a voice to the developing world at international fora
must be upheld at all costs." Dr. Gamal Nkrumah, "Cantankerous in Cancun", Al
Ahram Weekly, http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/print/2003/656/in1.htm
Such declarations are very much in line with his father's (Kwame Nkrumah)
long time commitment to the ideas of tricontinental unity (that is unity of
Africa, Asia, South America/Carribean) and the non-alignment movement. Although
there is no longer a bipolar struggle similar to the Cold War period,
tricontinentalism and nonalignment is as vital to our progress as it was during that
era.
Even Pres. Wade of Senegal, a leading force behind the Nepad idea and entity,
is losing faith in the good will of the North, to wit:
"Senegalese President Abdulaye Wade said yesterday he had abandoned hope in
the World Trade Organization and called instead for direct talks between blocs
of countries aimed at boosting global commerce. "I want to say today that I
frankly do not believe in the WTO," Wade told a session of the European
Parliament here. He told MPs the Geneva-based WTO had become too broad in scope to be
able to find points of common interest among its members. "That is why I would
advocate a direct dialogue between continents and sub-continents ... such as
the European Union and the ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific nations) or
between the European Union and Africa." Wade — as have many other leaders from
developing countries — criticized subsidies accorded rich countries to certain
sectors such as agriculture that are widely seen as distorting trade and
harming the interests of farmers in poor nations."We are for free trade but fair
trade," he told representatives from the 15-member EU. "We are for free trade ...
but on condition that everyone plays by the rules. Unfortunately developed
countries, including yours, do not respect these rules." Wade was especially
harsh in his criticism of US and EU agricultural subsidies, which he said
amounted to a billion dollars a day. He added that he was not among those calling for
the immediate abolition of such aid but appealed for "financial compensation"
until they are eliminated. A WTO ministerial conference in Cancun, Mexico
ended in failure last month, largely reflecting exasperation on the part of
developing countries at their inability to secure pledges from rich countries to
cut agricultural export subsidies.
"Sengalese leader abandons faith in WTO"
http://www.vanguardngr.com/articles/2002/world/w222102003.html
Clearly the issue of trade (especially agriculture where the double standard
on the question of subsidies has angered broad segments of African society),
and related economic aspects of the present global structures is a key factor
for all of humanity. Thus, Pres. Wade's disappointment with the WTO process
does not come as too much of a surprise.
This new mood on the part of Africa, and the rest of the South bodes well for
all of us, no matter where we live.
Those of us who reside in the North, particularly in the US, must realize
that the state of existence and quality of life of the majority of the world are
the primary determinants in the balance between war and peace. It is totally
unreasonable to expect impoverished, starving peoples to suffer peacefully, it
is inevitable that these victims will identify the source of their suffering
and take whatever actions they feel are adequate, and within their means and
capabilities. It is equally true that economic marginalization of the majority
of the world, negatively impacts on the economic future and potential of
citizens in the North, as the situation amounts to the internationalization of the
concept of the "reserve industrial army" as a leverage against labor in the
North. Thus it is in all of our interest that the majority, the many peoples of
the South, are liberated from the tyranny of the elite who control the North.
In this organizations, such as the Pan African Association (PAA), of which
Dr. Gamal Nkrumah is the leading executive, are in a position to play a leading
role. It the hope of many that the general good work of the PAA will be
intensified so that it can act as a role model for other formations and be in the
vanguard of a movement to realize the agency goals of such statespersons and
luminaries as Dr. Kwame Nkrumah who worked tirelessly to create the
organizational forms necessary for the liberation of the South. Here I refer not only to
the Non Aligned Movement, but most precisely to Dr. Kwame Nkrumah's express
call for an organization of solidarity of the Peoples of Africa, Asia and South
America, and for organized efforts to educate the populations of the North
countries on these vital issues.
I look forward to the day that organizations such as the PAA will be able to
join with other groupings and realize the agenda of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, and his
colleagues.
--------------------------------------------
This service is hosted on the Infocom network
http://www.infocom.co.ug
