In this exclusive interview with the Vice-President of the Pan-African Parliament Hon. Dr.Bernadette Lahai, she opens up to Africa in Focus Show on challenges of #WomeninPolitics. She talks about some of the challenges she encountered as her Professor-husband looked after her two daughters while she was into full-time politics in Sierra Leone. An outspoken and candid politician, Lahai is arguably one of the most interesting Pan-African Parliamentarians out there. She was vocal about Ebola when it broke out, and continues to advance the cause of the PAP by encouraging countries to ratify the protocol that will finally enable it obtain full legislative capacities. #africaWeWant #BetheVoice #PanAfricanParliament
Hosted by E.K.Bensah Jr, a Research & Communications Specialist, the show seeks to disrupt the African Rising narrative by demystifying;unpacking; and explaining ECOWAS;African Union; South-South Cooperation policies around Africa's integration.
Friday, December 11, 2015
NEW!>Podcast: Interview with NDC's Mr.Gedel at 4th AU High-Level Dialogue on Democracy, Human Rights & Governance #DGTrends #WomeninPolitics
In this interview with Mr.Gedel, he explains what the United Nations Development Programme - UNDP with Ghana's political parties are about; how they received training in Kenya on ICT; and some insights into the future of the project.
Monday, December 7, 2015
NEW!>Podcast: Interview with NPP's Peter MacManu at 4th AU High-Level Dialogue on Democracy, Human Rights & Governance #DGTrends #WomeninPolitics
Conducted at Serena Hotel, Kigali on the sidelines of the 4th High-Level Dialogue on Democracy, Human Rights & Governance, E.K.Bensah Jr spoke to former Chairman of the National Patriotic Party(NPP), who is the point-person for his Party in a new UNDP Project that seeks to facilitate and foster transparency among Ghana's political parties; as well as build their internal capacity, including that of appreciating Women in Politics; and Youth.
NEW!>PODCAST: #DGTrends Special for the 4th African Union High-Level Dialogue on Democracy, Human Rights & Governance; #Chad; #FOCAC
Executive Producer of Africa in Focus Show E.K.Bensah is currently in Kigali to cover the 4th African Union High-Level Dialogue on Democracy, Human Rights & Governance. Working in close contact with the media team, the idea is to expand and ramify conversations around the theme of this conference.
On twittersphere, the two hashtags -- #DGTrends and #WomeninPolitics -- are being used to aggregrate views by tweeting participants on the topic.
This special edition of the #ECOWAS@40Podcast seeks to elucidate the little-known African Governance Architecture of the African Union, but more importantly, offer listeners an insight into some of the more popular conversations/tweets that emanated from the conference underway in Kigali, Rwanda.
Happy listening!
NEW!>PODCAST: Episode 20 of #Ecowas@40Podcast: #MaliAttacks; #WestAfrica; #ECOWASMonetaryInstitute
In this latest edition of #ECOWAS@40Podcast, we ask some burning questions around the #MaliAttacks; and update you on what is trending on #westAfrica. We explain what the #EcowasMonetaryInstitute is, and why it matters to Ecowas' integration.
The ECOWAS@40Podcast is an innovative knowledge product of the "Africa in Focus Show". It is produced by Executive Producer Emmanuel.K.Bensah Jr.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
“Young People to become agents of change” – Forestry Commission
Although the Forestry Commission has a mandate to protect resources of the country, and ensure posterity is left with, as Kwakye put it, “better forest endowment than we inherited”, they have spent an inordinate amount of time working on climate change – specifically REDD+. An acronym for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, with the + representing activities that offer co-benefits such as biodiversity conservation, sustainable forest management and carbon stocks enhancement, REDD+ is an activity whose successful implementation will help reduce the impacts of climate change in developing countries like Ghana.
Yaw Kwakye believes forests are of immense benefits, and have both tangible and intangible benefits. The tangible ones include timber and timber products, with the intangible ones representing the wildlife, which provides an important “component of our food (protein), particularly for our forest-dependent communities”, he added. The problem, he went on, has been an over-harvesting of wildlife “to such an extent [they have been] unable to sustain wildlife population because of over-hunting.”
According to the Forestry Commission official, “the forest provides protection for water heads, which form sources of various important rivers in this country, including Atiwa Forest”, which serves 75 percent of the Greater Accra region.
Pressed on some of the planned activities, Mr.Kwakye said that there would be two major activities: the first is the “REDD Eye” Campaign. The other is the First National REDD+ Forum, which will be held on 25 November.
Under the auspices of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Climate Change Unit will together with the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology & Innovation (MESTI), launch the REDD Eye campaign. The idea of these two activities is to sell and secure buy-in for the REDD+ mechanisms from Ghanaians.
Scheduled for Saturday, 21 November, the objective of the campaign is to create awareness among the youth, who are considered future leaders of Ghana. By targeting them early, the Commission believes they can be sensitized to plant and nurture trees as one of the ways to mitigate climate change. Those invited included second-cycle schools and youth groups across the country. There will be presentations from youthful resource people on a number of climate change-related issues, including the impacts of it on Ghana; impacts of deforestation and forest degradation in Ghana; and an overview of REDD+ and Ghana's Emission Reduction programme.
There will ultimately be “REDD EYE” Clubs established in various schools, where sensitization, tree-planting and other REDD+ activities will be implemented to assist in the fight against climate change. There will also be a nation-wide campaign in all ten regions, which purpose would be to sensitize the youth on climate change.
The second most important activity is that of the first-ever National REDD+ Forum, which is organized by the National REDD+ Secretariat of the Forestry Commission, which aim is to climax activities to sensitize Ghanaians and obtain buy-in for the REDD+ mechanism
Planned for 25 November at the Accra International Conference Centre, the theme for the event is “Conserving our Forests for Better Lives and a Better Climate”.
On the bill as keynote speaker is Ghana's former president and the UN Special Envoy for Climate Change H.E. John Agyeman Kuffuor. The Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, Mr.Samuel Afari Dartey, will launch Ghana's National REDD+ Strategy, while Mr. Ishmael Yamson, Chairman of Unilever Ghana, will chair the event.
Some of the topics for discussion include “REDD+, the State of Play”; “National Efforts to Combat Climate Change”; the role of the private sector in addressing climate change; and mobilizing climate finance in Ghana. An interactive session will follow the presentations, where participants will obtain the opportunity to ask questions to resource people. There will also be an exhibition by REDD+ actors as a side event, including musical performances by Climate Change Ambassadors Okyeame Kwame and MUSIGA President Bice Osei Kuffuor (Obuor).
The event is open to the public, and Mr. Yaw Kwakye wants people to “think development; think sustainability; think REDD+!”
ENDs
Friday, October 9, 2015
EVENT: Africa Week at the UN General Assembly (12-16 October, 2015)
Africa Week at the UN General Assembly
Africa Week at the UN General Assembly
Oct 12 2015 - Oct 16 2015, New York, United States
Monday, October 12
High-Level Event - Role of African Regional and Sub-regional Organizations in Achieving Regional Integration: The Continental Free Trade Area within the Context of the First 10-year Implementation Plan of Agenda 2063
9:30 am - 1:00 pm | ECOSOC Chamber
Agenda [DOWNLOAD]
Concept note [DOWNLOAD]
This high-level event, which will serve
as the formal opening of the Africa Week activities, will focus on the
importance of African regional and sub-regional organizations in
achieving integration for Africa’s development. The event will focus on
highlighting progress made towards regional integration, next steps, and
the role of the international community in supporting Africa’s
integration efforts. The event will particularly highlight the 10 June
2015 launch of the Tripartite Free Trade Area as the first step towards
the achievement of the Continental Free Trade Area envisaged by Agenda
2063 and its First 10-Year Implementation Plan. In addition to featured
speakers, the event will provide an opportunity for engaging with
Permanent Representatives of Member States and other relevant
stakeholders. The event will be structured in two parts, consisting of
both an inaugural and a thematic session.
Media Roundtable with African Regional Economic Communities on “Silencing the Guns in Africa: the Nexus between Peace, Security, Governance and Development”
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm | Permanent Observer Mission of the African Union to the United Nations
Agenda [DOWNLOAD]
This will feature the USG OSAA, the Chief
Executives Officers or Senior Representatives of the RECs, the Adviser
to the AUC Chairperson on the RECs and the AUOM. The event will be
moderated by the Director of the AUC Directorate for Information and
Communications.
Annual High-Level
Briefing by African RECs on “Silencing the Guns in Africa: the Nexus
between Peace, Security, Governance and Development”
3:00 pm - 6:00 pm | ECOSOC Chamber
Agenda [DOWNLOAD]
Concept note [DOWNLOAD]
This annual briefing, which marks a new
approach of engaging the RECs in the Africa Week, will focus on the
African Union’s Silencing the Guns agenda – a theme that was agreed with
the RECs in January 2015. The overall thrust of the briefing will be
anchored on Agenda 2063’s First 10-Year Implementation Plan, as
Silencing the Guns constitutes one of its flagship projects. The
briefing will specifically focus on the role of the RECs as implementing
agencies in addressing the four interrelated dimensions of the agenda,
highlighting persistent challenges and the role of the international
community in supporting the RECs in this regard. The meeting’s structure
as a “briefing by the RECs” will be maintained, although the Chairs of
the RECs as well as the delegations from the AUC, NEPAD and the APRM
will also participate. As is the practice, the event will provide an
opportunity for Member States and other relevant stakeholders to
directly engage the RECs.
Tuesday, October 13
UN Interdepartmental Taskforce on African Affairs: Briefing on Agenda 2063 and its First 10-Year Implementation Plan and PAIDA
3:00 pm - 6:00 pm | ConferenceRoom 8
Agenda [DOWNLOAD]
This briefing will aim to raise awareness
of PAIDA and highlight the next steps in developing the PAIDA action
plans as well as the role of UN system entities in this process. The
briefing will also provide insights on the process of reconfiguring the
RCM-Africa cluster system to enhance its effectiveness in delivering UN
system support to Africa in the implementation of Agenda 2063. This
briefing will be a closed meeting comprising mainly of IDTFA members and
the key African implementing bodies of PAIDA - AUC, NEPAD, APRM and the
RECs. In addition to featured speakers, the event will allow for
interactive discussions and exchanges between members of the IDTFA and
the delegations from ECA, AUC, APRM, NEPAD and the RECs.
**This briefing will be a CLOSED meeting of UN System Principals and Representatives of the AUC, NEPAD, the APRM and the RECs**
Wednesday, October 14
High-Level Event - 15 Years of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Africa: Stocktaking & Perspectives
9:00 am - 11:00 am | ConferenceRoom 12
Concept note [DOWNLOAD]
Agenda [DOWNLOAD]
This high-level event is being organized
in the context of the African Union 2015 “Year of Women's Empowerment
and Development towards Africa's Agenda 2063” and the 15-year review of
the United Nations Security Council resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and
Security. As the world gathers at the United Nations Headquarters to
celebrate the 15th Anniversary of UNSCR 1325, the event provides an
opportune moment for Africa to share her experiences in the
implementation of this landmark resolution, including with respect to
resulting AU instruments. It also creates an opportunity for reflection
on ways to accelerate the implementation of resolution 1325 and its
subsequent resolutions in the face of new and emerging threats to women,
peace and security in Africa, such as terrorism and violent extremism,
and climate change. In addition, it provides an opportunity to
strategize on transformative actions to address women’s peace and
security in a comprehensive and integrated manner in the context of
implementation of the remaining years of the African Women’s Decade,
Africa’s Agenda 2063 and the global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development. The event will culminate in the launch of a booklet on
Africa & UNSCR 1325. The event will feature participation of a wide
range of stakeholders, including Member States, regional and
multilateral organisations, civil society, and global and regional
women’s organizations.
Africa Week 2015: Press Briefing
12:30 pm - 1:00 pm | Press Briefing Room, Second Floor, Secretariat Building
Agenda [DOWNLOAD]
This press briefing will feature the USG
for OSAA; AU Commissioners; the CEO of the NEPAD Agency; the Chairperson
of the APR Panel; and the Permanent Observer of the AU to the United
Nations. The event will be moderated by the Director of the AUC
Directorate for Information and Communications.
“African Continental Framework on Youth Development: Mainstream into Agenda 2063”
3:00 pm - 6:00 pm | Conference Room 6 (CB)
Concept note [DOWNLOAD]
Agenda [DOWNLOAD]
This high-level event will focus on the
forthcoming African Continental Framework on Youth Development, which
aims to assist African Member States to define national employment
policy schemes with operational action plans in line with the objectives
of inclusive growth and the creation of decent and sustainable jobs. In
this context, the event will also highlight progress and challenges in
the implementation of the African Youth Charter (2006) as well as the
important role of youth employment in accelerating achievement of the
aspirations of Agenda 2063. The event will also address the role of
global, regional, sub-regional and national actors in youth development
on the continent, including the role of the NEPAD Planning and
Coordinating Agency in forging partnerships between stakeholders and in
mobilizing public and private sector support for youth development.
Thursday, October 15
Annual Briefing to UN Member States on Two Reports of the Secretary-General and Presentations by NEPAD and the APRM
10:00 am - 1:00 pm | ConferenceRoom 6
Agenda [DOWNLOAD]
This annual briefing will be structured
in two parts. The first will be a presentation of the UN
Secretary-General’s reports: “New Partnership for Africa’s Development:
thirteenth consolidated progress report on implementation and
international support” and “Causes of conflict and the promotion of
durable peace and sustainable development in Africa.” This segment will
also feature remarks by partners on the two reports: namely by the
Executive Secretary for ECA and the Permanent Representative of Senegal
to the United Nations (in his capacity as Chair of the African Group for
the month of September). The second segment will feature thematic
presentations on “The Key Role of the New Partnership for Africa’s
Development in Implementing Agenda 2063” and “The Role of the African
Peer Review Mechanism in Monitoring of Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development”. This annual briefing, based on OSAA’s
mandated reports, is aimed at raising awareness of Member States and UN
system entities on Africa’s emerging issues on peace, security and
development and providing in-depth analysis and policy recommendations.
Interactive Q&A discussions will follow each part.
NEPAD Lecture at Yale University- Implementing the African Union’s 50 Year Vision: NEPAD’s role in Agenda 2063
04:15 pm - 05:45 pm | Room 4400, Evans Hall, Yale School of Management, 165 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT
Flyer [DOWNLOAD]
This lecture will be delivered by the CEO of NEPAD at the Yale University.
Friday, October 16
70th UN General Assembly Debate on the Development of Africa
General Assembly Hall
Development of Africa based on the
Secretary-General’s Reports on: Progress in the Implementation of NEPAD;
and the Causes of Conflict and the Promotion of Durable Peace and
Sustainable Development in Africa
For more information on Africa Week, go to:
English: http://www.un.org/en/africa/osaa/events/2015/africaweek20151012.shtml
French: http://www.un.org/fr/africa/osaa/events/2015/africaweek20151012.shtml
Event Information
Event Location
New York, United Statessource: http://www.nepad.org/conferences/africa-week-un-general-assembly
Thursday, October 8, 2015
#STCAgric: Nepad, AU Want STC to Focus on COP21
Nepad, AU Want STC to Focus on COP21
George MhangoOctober 06, 2015
A meeting of experts convened by the African Union and Nepad aimed at establishing specialized technical committee (STC) has agreed to present agriculture, water, rural development and environment as major issues during the Cop21 in Paris, France.
The Conference of Parties (COP) 21 is expected to be held in December this year with continental experts likely to present what they perceive as challenges following thorough research and consultations.
News has it that COP21 will be a crucial conference, as it needs to achieve a new international agreement on the climate, applicable to all countries, with the aim of keeping global warming below 2°C.
To this effect, the STC, which comes into effect this week following revision and examination of terms of reference (ToRs) is expected to do just that on behalf of the continent with clear backing of Nepad and AU.
Head of Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Dr Augustin Wambo Yamdjeu said in an exclusive interview on Monday in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa that the idea to have the STC makes the work of the department easier because water, agriculture, rural development and environment are directly linked.
The Malabo Declaration, which calls on African leaders to walk the talk on championing agricultural matters, is a follow up to the Maputo Declaration which called on various governments to commit 10 percent of their budget towards agriculture.The STC will have to have something in their folders ahead of the COP meeting. This also follows what the Malabo Declaration called for and that is multisectoral approach as backed by the AU decision in 2011 to have a fully-fledged integrated governance structure to champion such matters,” he said.
Initially, Malawi is one of the shining examples of a country in which has over the years committed about 10 percent towards the annual budget for the farm input fertilizer subsidy programme (FISP), according to local and international economists.
Dr Yamdjeu said a lot of research findings show that climate change has had an impact on food security, water and environment, despite that CAADP is advocating for climate smart agriculture (CSA) and conservation agriculture.
He said ministers responsible for agriculture, water, rural development and environment as part of the specialized technical committee will take the matter to the conference of parties (COP) 21 as an area that needs more attention.We hope that after Paris something will be agreed upon for Africa and other countries. Africa needs to critically rethink on the matter, hence the need for the committee to come up with pertinent issues to be presented to COP21,” he said.
Currently experts through the established bureau are behind closed doors to craft a working template for the STC.
The STC, which will comprise ministers from member states of the AU will have a mandate of examining, reviewing and considering adoption of policies and strategic frameworks designed to develop agriculture, water, rural development and environment on the continent, among others.
Notes from the 2011 meeting also show that STC’s shall be responsible to the executive council of African Union in championing water, agriculture, among others for the betterment of the African continent.
source: http://waterjournalistsafrica.com/2015/10/06/1858/
West Africa Launches Regional Police Info System to fight Organized Crime
ACCRA, Sept.30 (Xinhua) -- The West African Police Information System (WAPIS) has been inaugurated in Ghana's capital, Accra, to fight organized crime and terrorism in the sub-region.
The WAPIS Programme’s third phase will see its implementation in all ECOWAS member states and the development of a regional police data sharing platform under the aegis of ECOWAS. -- INTERPOL
Experts believe one of the main challenges in
fighting transnational organized criminality is inaccurate statistics
and data on reported occurrences.
The initiative is therefore aimed at creating a
common police-information system across West Africa to share criminal
information on a timely basis.
It will also ensure greater law enforcement
cooperation within the region and the rest of the world in fighting
organized crime and terrorism.
The European Union is providing funding to the
International Criminal Police Organization for the development and
implementation of the initiative for member-countries within the region
and Mauritania.
Addressing the media, the Minister for the Interior,
Mark Owen Woyongo, said the center stemmed from the sub-regional bloc's
concern over the spate of transnational crimes and terrorism affecting
the area.
"WAPIS will enable police officers in west African
countries to access critical police information from their national
criminal databases, thus improving the identification of criminals and
supporting ongoing investigations," he said.
Woyongo said his ministry had signed a contract with
Ahui Communications Services Limited, a subsidiary of China
Communications Services International, to carry out a feasibility study
on the introduction of CCTV cameras on roads in Ghana at no cost to the
government.
He said the project would help the police maintain discipline on the roads and also reduce crime.
source: http://www.globalpost.com/article/6660071/2015/09/30/west-africa-launches-regional-police-info-system-fight-organized-crime
also: http://www.interpol.int/News-and-media/News/2015/N2015-150
Monday, September 28, 2015
MEDIA ADVISORY: Dialogue on conflict and development; unraveling three ECA studies
MEDIA ADVISORY
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Abel Akara Ticha
26
Sept 2015 aakara@uneca.org
Dialogue on conflict and development; unraveling three
ECA studies
What are the root-causes of conflict in Africa? What are the political,
social and economic costs of conflict on the continent? Why have situations of
conflict persisted in the horn of Africa and the Great Lakes regions and why
have some recently emerged along the Sahel Belt?
At the behest of the African Union Commission, the United Nations
Economic Commission for Africa has undertaken three studies to dissect the
complexities of conflict in these regions. The findings have been extensively reviewed
and beefed up and are now ready for appropriation by those who drive
intra-regional diplomacy in Africa. How would they want to tailor policies that
sustainably ward off conflict in order for Africa to concentrate its structural
transformation efforts to attain the goals of Agenda 2063?
Come and follow the compelling dialogue on the complex situation of
conflicts based on ECA’s empirical research.
What: High
Level Policy Dialogue on Conflict and Development for the Sahel, Horn and Great
Lakes Regions; three ECA reports on the causes of conflict, the impact of
conflict on Africa’s development and policy implications for states.
Who: The United
Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the African Union Commission, the
Regional Economic Communities, Directors General and/or Permanent Secretaries
in Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Continental development partners
When: Friday 02 October
2015 from 8:30 am to Saturday 03 Oct 2015 from 9:30 am
Where: La Palm Royal Beach
Hotel, La Bypass, P.O. Box OS 3000 Osu, Accra - Ghana
Photo opportunities? Yes, available
upon request from: aakara@uneca.org
COMING UP!>>Ep.53: West Africa’s Disaster Preparedness: Is the sub-region ready?(1)
Episode #53:
West Africa’s
Disaster Preparedness: Is the sub-region ready?(1)
Since July
2015, ECOWAS, in collaboration with Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping
Training Centre (KAIPTC) and Ghana's National Disaster Management Organisation
(NADMO), has convened reps from governments to participate in AFRICOM-sponsored West Africa Disaster Preparedness
Initiative (WADPI) training.
Following up on the ECOWAS Plan of Action on Ebola, which seeks to strengthen regional coordination between ECOWAS; the African Union; and partner nations; and international partners, WADPI seeks to capitalize on lessons learnt from recent Ebola epidemic to strengthen national capacities on disaster-preparedness.
In what will be the start of a relationship between "Africa in Focus Show" and KAIPTC to promote visibility of WADPI, Emmanuel K Bensah Jr. will be hosting participants/trainers/policy-makers from BOTH anglophone & francophone ECOWAS Member States LIVE on the show to explain to listeners why it is important to have a conversation about disaster-preparedness at the national; regional; and continental level.
The 3 June floods in Ghana, which spawned the hash tag #Accrafloods , runs the risk of becoming a lost opportunity to re-transform Accra to a city ready to counter any disaster -- unless the country is actively-seized by the urgency of having important and critical conversations on disaster-management.
Ghana's NADMO certainly cannot have all the answers -- for which reason "Africa in Focus Show" is pleased to partner KAIPTC in this unique partnership that will yield tremendous dividends for, among others, tackling National Emergency Plans; Ebola-Awareness Training; Communication during Disaster Response; and bio-threat preparedness from lessons learnt from Ebola.
Following up on the ECOWAS Plan of Action on Ebola, which seeks to strengthen regional coordination between ECOWAS; the African Union; and partner nations; and international partners, WADPI seeks to capitalize on lessons learnt from recent Ebola epidemic to strengthen national capacities on disaster-preparedness.
In what will be the start of a relationship between "Africa in Focus Show" and KAIPTC to promote visibility of WADPI, Emmanuel K Bensah Jr. will be hosting participants/trainers/policy-makers from BOTH anglophone & francophone ECOWAS Member States LIVE on the show to explain to listeners why it is important to have a conversation about disaster-preparedness at the national; regional; and continental level.
The 3 June floods in Ghana, which spawned the hash tag #Accrafloods , runs the risk of becoming a lost opportunity to re-transform Accra to a city ready to counter any disaster -- unless the country is actively-seized by the urgency of having important and critical conversations on disaster-management.
Ghana's NADMO certainly cannot have all the answers -- for which reason "Africa in Focus Show" is pleased to partner KAIPTC in this unique partnership that will yield tremendous dividends for, among others, tackling National Emergency Plans; Ebola-Awareness Training; Communication during Disaster Response; and bio-threat preparedness from lessons learnt from Ebola.
Call us on the following numbers when
we open the phone lines at 14h30 GMT
+233(0)289.000.931 //
+233(0)289.931.000
Join us if you
can at 1pm on 29 September, 2015.
Guests in the
studio:
Ø Faith Akovi Cooper, MPA-Regional
Advisor for West Africa Disaster Preparedness Programme(WADPI)
Ø Leroy Harris, WADPI
Ø Col Kennedy Osemwegie, WADPI
Course Director
Thursday, September 17, 2015
BURKINA FASO: A Ghanaian Expat’s view of the latest Burkina Coup; and the Role of the AU/ECOWAS
A Ghanaian Expat’s view of the
latest Burkina Coup; and the Role of the AU/ECOWAS
I have lived in
Burkina Faso for the past 10 months. Needless to say I am disappointed but not
surprised for various reasons at the recent turn of events. One of which is
that when Heads of States and their goons get used to seeing a country as their
personal ATM and when three quarters of all buildings in the country, gas
supplies, hotels and businesses belong to the president, his brother, wife and
goons it is kinda hard to simply let go of of your personal investments like
that. (You know what they say about coming between a man and his money.)
Secondly
the transition process could have been better supported by the AU, ECOWAS
(actually other african countries and bodies). I refrain to use the
international community because they are not responsible for africa. ( We are
happy to claim neo colonialism when it suits us and in the same vein decry
their absence when it is time to clean up our mess so i don't go there
anymore.)
ECOWAS
refuses to be bold about capping presidential terms to a maximum of 2. Long
standing oligarchies are a major part of the reason why people refuse to leave
power till they croak and until that is tackled we will continue in this trend.
It is because of this similar mindset and outcomes that i am still frozen
shocked as to how africans and even civil society advocates fail to see that
amending the constitution for Paul Kagame to run a 3rd term is bufoonery in the
highest of orders and setting precedents that we will live to regret. However
to be fair to them hindsight has never been our forte.
Given
the problems that Africa has i have always found the mandate of AU and ECOWAS
at tangential proportions to the real causes which is why to me the AU
especially is now an official white elephant. I actually wrote about the AU
being a white elephant at the age of 12 as part of an essay competition by the
Non -Aligned Movement. I am 36 now so that is a heck of a long time to stay
white and to be an elephant smile emoticon. We do not need any
institution that cannot make bold decisions nor enforce anything at this stage
in our history. The path to victory calls for a revolution nothing less.
Africa's
number one problem continues to be that the very leaders and institutions she
has mandated to lead her to independence are cowards and half baked bureaucrats
themselves who will do anything to avoid conflict or hard issues. It is a job,
a salary and a let me do my minimum best in order not to rock the boat.
No boat ever served its purpose by staying in the harbour( but maybe that is another subject for another time).
I am currently not in Burkina as i have been on leave. My staff tell me they are safe but the situation is precarious.
No boat ever served its purpose by staying in the harbour( but maybe that is another subject for another time).
I am currently not in Burkina as i have been on leave. My staff tell me they are safe but the situation is precarious.
Let
us not spit out platitudes and eulogies this time. Instead we should roll up
our sleeves, stand up and be counted in laying the ax at the root of the
problem to stem the incessant hemorrhaging of our nations which always always
end up costing the lives of our people.
I continue to weep......
I continue to weep......
This was posted on her Facebook
page. Used with permission
Monday, September 14, 2015
COMING UP!》Ep.53: Towards Afro-Democracy? (1): Commemorating International Day of Democracy (15 Sept, 2015)
Episode #53:
Towards Afro-Democracy? (1): Commemorating International Day of Democracy
Ghana joins the global comity of nations to celebrate International Day of Democracy on 15 September.
We at Africa in Focus Show want to therefore use that day to have a very critical and important conversation about the State of Africa's democracy. True, it's a never-ending conversation, especially when Ghana likes to self-plaudit over its entry into democratic dispensation since 1992.
The raison d'être of the show means that this cannot only be about Ghana's democracy, but an attempt to evaluate how far Africa has gone with its democracy.
The show will take place a week after civil society organisations met in Dakar, Senegal, to further-pressurize ECOWAS member states to get serious on two-term democracy. The attempts by ECOWAS at the last ECOWAS summit in Accra, which proved unsuccessful in convincing countries like Togo and Gambia to follow the two-term mandate, may give vent to speculation of a cosmetic attempt for a democratic West Africa. That this recent CSO meeting has taken place so soon reminds us how serious civil society is in contributing to a democratic sub-region.
And how apt!
The theme for the day centres on the centrality of civil society and how it remains the oxygen of democracy.
The raison d'être of the show means that this cannot only be about Ghana's democracy, but an attempt to evaluate how far Africa has gone with its democracy.
The show will take place a week after civil society organisations met in Dakar, Senegal, to further-pressurize ECOWAS member states to get serious on two-term democracy. The attempts by ECOWAS at the last ECOWAS summit in Accra, which proved unsuccessful in convincing countries like Togo and Gambia to follow the two-term mandate, may give vent to speculation of a cosmetic attempt for a democratic West Africa. That this recent CSO meeting has taken place so soon reminds us how serious civil society is in contributing to a democratic sub-region.
And how apt!
The theme for the day centres on the centrality of civil society and how it remains the oxygen of democracy.
As UN SG Ban Ki-Moon put it:
"Civil society is the oxygen of democracy. Civil society acts as a catalyst for social progress and economic growth. It plays a critical role in keeping Government accountable, and helps represent the diverse interests of the population, including its most vulnerable groups."
Small wonder, then, we have a distinguished panel populated by Centre for Democratic Development (CDD); West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP); and AIF's partner West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) to help speak to the State of Africa's Democracy.
"Civil society is the oxygen of democracy. Civil society acts as a catalyst for social progress and economic growth. It plays a critical role in keeping Government accountable, and helps represent the diverse interests of the population, including its most vulnerable groups."
Small wonder, then, we have a distinguished panel populated by Centre for Democratic Development (CDD); West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP); and AIF's partner West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) to help speak to the State of Africa's Democracy.
Call us on the following numbers when we open the phone lines at 14h30 GMT
+233(0)289.000.931 // +233(0)289.931.000
Join us if you can at 1pm on 15 September, 2015.
Guiding questions
· Has democracy become an overly-expensive enterprise?
· Is democracy best-applicable in Africa?
· Is & should democracy be synonymous with economic growth?
· What should the role of CSOs be in facilitating democracy ? How do we assess CSO contribution to deepening democratic dispensation?
· Peace & security first? Or democracy first?
· Is the conversation on two-term limits in West Africa over-flogged?
· Why are we not talking enough about the AU's African Charter on Democracy, Elections & Governance in our democratic discourse?
Guests in the studio:
Ø Mohammed Awal, Research & Documentation Officer, Centre for Democratic Development(CDD)
Ø Chukwueneka Eze, Executive Director, West Africa Network for Peacebuilding(WANEP)
Ø Isaac Hubert Arthur, Head, Research & Documentation, West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI)
Guests on the line:
Ø Dr. Emmanuel Tambi, Policy & Advocacy Manager, Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa(FARA), Accra, Ghana @13h20. Tambi will seek to answer the following questions:
o 1. A week after the STISA2024 Consultative workshop has ended, what is the way forward on the AU's STI agenda, and what will be FARA's central role in helping with implementation?
o 2. What is the way forward for Member States and RECs on the STI agenda?
o 3. What are some of the key activities FARA will be involved in between now and Dec 2015? Any big plans for 2016?
o 4. It is International Day of Democracy on 15 September? What are FARA's thoughts on how STISA advocacy can help facilitate ...
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