A New book by a brother from Cameroon.. I did the Foreword for the book.. He was inspired by the series of annual Africa Day conferences around May 25 that we started in 2010.. We will have the 7th.. how great it will be for the Pan-African University to partner..
Please see ...
WHITHERING
OR
CONSTRUCTING
AFRICAN UNITY
|
FIFTY YEARS AFTER
KWAME NKRUMAH
Implementing an Action Plan for the
Realization of “Africa Must Unite”
JOHN W. FORJE
|
WHITHERING OR CONSTRUCTING
AFRICAN UNITY
FIFTY YEARS AFTER
KWAME NKRUMAH
Implementing an Action Plan
For
The Realisation of “Africa Must Unite”
JOHN W. FORJE
Centre for Action-Oriented Research on Africa’s Development [CARAD]
Airport Road T-Junction, Njenka Hausa, Post Box 85, Bali-Nyonga, Bali Sub Division
Mezam, North West Region, Republic of Camer
Contents
Foreword
Bio-data
Acknowledgements
Structure of Book
Preface
Introduction
Why Kwame Nkrumah Remains the Icon of African Unity: Understanding
Some of the Salient Factors Underpinning His Overthrow
John W. Forje
Chapter One
African Union as a Pan-African Project: Relating the Dream to Reality.
John Gasu
Chapter Two
Building, Strengthening and Promoting Pan-Africanism to Meet the Challenges
Of the 21st Century
Oscar Braithwaite
Chapter Three
Leadership Ethos: The Need for Paradigm Shift for Achieving Africa’s
Unity and Development
John W. Forje
Chapter Four
Xenophobia: An Obstacle to African Unity – The Case of South Africa
Valery Ferim
Chapter Five
Rights: Operational Implications on Individual Sovereignty
Korwa G. Adar
Chapter Six
Deliver Us from ‘Underdevelopment’ - Resuscitating the Spirit of Ubuntu
Molefi Solomon Mohautse
Epilogue – Conclusion
Challenges Ahead: Facing the Ocean of Mistakes and Deepening Pan-
Africanism and African Renaissance
John W. Forje
Appendences
Foreword
Africa must unite is still a slogan and not a reality. Africa has held a series of Pan-African Congresses that have now reached eight conferences. It, has founded the OAU in 1963 and the AU in 2002. Africa has had powerful and inspiring African liberation movements, and has won many battles against imperialist powers. Despite all these efforts, Africa has not realised a fully post-colonial agency exercising comprehensive economic and political independence and freedom. The need for African unity has been declared since 1963 formally by the meetings and protocols of the heads of states and the ministers; but there has not been any systematic implementation of at least even in a few areas, such as for example the creation of African labour mobility boldly rejecting the cynical colonial borders that the existing 54 states spend so much to keep alive when these costly divisive schemes should have been removed a long time ago. Unity should have been an on-going process.
The Europeans had the Second World War. The French and the British as allies were at war with the Germans. They decided after post World War II to establish first NATO with the USA. Next they founded the European Union. They managed to create labour mobility, and now inter-European trade is said to have reached nearly 70 %. Africa has more reason to unite than Europe, but it is very far behind in realising its unity project. Substantive commitment requires that action not declarations be taken to implement unity. The people in Africa should have been involved in making African unity. In Europe, the people are invited to vote for membership in EU or not. They even keep doing it. Britain is going to do another one soon. Both the African unity and renaissance should be made by the people and the people of Africa and for Africa. African history can only be made by African people. Today, more than ever, African must stand up. It can only stand up when Africans unite first and foremost. Africa cannot rise without first standing up in unity. The continent will roll on in the pessimism of failure, hopelessness cycle if unity for renaissance continues to fail Africans. There is now the Africa rising optimism largely narrated by those in the Western world outside Africa.
What is non-negotiable for all Africans is the need for a New Pan-African for Renaissance guided unity for all Africans together to stand up with dignity, self-reliance and independence in order to learn and put structural transformation on an integrated African development agenda. All Africans should articulate that Africans must celebrate their similarity by appreciating whatever differences exist amongst them with trust and solidarity in order to mobilise diversity positively as an asset and not liability to construct collaboratively enduring African unity for building a greater future for all in Africa and even the rest of the world... Africa needs to build as the primary identity” Africanness” that escapes being trapped by race, colour, language, tribe, ethnicity, religion and so on whilst being open and driven by the shared belief, culture, history, philosophy, values, principles, morality and civilisation in the form of a project identity anchored deeply with Ethiopianism, Pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance as one in three and three in one philosophy and worldview.
The current fragmentation must end. This can only take place when Africans can learn to act together in order to deal with and respond to all challenges by manifesting Pan-African unity and agency. They should shun relying on the kindness of donors to exacerbate the divide and rule that continues to freeze them in a prisoner’s dilemma condition. African values, traditions and knowledge should be the foundation to build African success on Africa’s rich philosophies of Ubuntu and Maát. Moreover Ubuntu and Maát as Africa’s strong richly philosophical values can demonstrate universal bond of caring and sharing. These values will not only be used to interconnect not just Africans but also all humanity should be promoted to change the current unpredictable world disorder into a humane civilisation anchored world re-order by putting Africa that was put last to be first to remove the Western organised hypocrisy and open the future to all possibilities and hopes for all humanity.
It is about time to re-imagine Africa with the capacity to innovate unity and renaissance. No pan-African unity means, no African agency, if there is no unity and agency, there will be no African renaissance for Africans to own their own economy today and even in 2063! Political independence is necessary but not sufficient for economic independence. African unity is critical to realise the full synergy of political and economic independence. How true was W. E .Dubois when he said “Africa is the spiritual frontier of human kind?” Pan-African unity will re-position Africa to join all in the world intelligently without the danger of manipulation based on the vulnerability of the existing divide and rule to create the much necessary post-western dominated world. It will open the opportunity for Africa to promote the civilisation that will help re-construct a sustainable global re-order. The world is still in need of a new world order founded on new principles, values and philosophies and civilisation.
An alternative to the current Western dominated world was suggested during the first stage of African independence; but the actual establishment of new equitable arrangements never materialised. The quest for African unity can also go hand in hand with the objective of creating a new world order where all have voices and none get hurt. Such a deep value originates from Africa. The world needs Africa and African philosophies and values to save it. We live in a rocking world; a united and strong Africa will only be the way to make a new global order free from the current uncertainties and dangers. Africa is the key resource for a new history and civilization. It is urgent that world hurries to recognise and provide full support to African unity for renaissance now, not tomorrow in 2063!!!
. The world, not just Africa now lives in interesting times. The world is today in a very unpredictable state. Some say the world is trapped in a clash of civilisation. Others say the world has reached the end of history. It is neither clash of civilisation nor the end of history that is a problem for Africa. It is the failure to stand up by embracing the African values and philosophies clearly articulated in Ethiopianism, Pan-African and African Renaissance civilisation and history that is missing and needs urgent catch-up for Africans to accomplish. Pan-Africanism makes Africans stand up for themselves so they will be able to contribute to resurrect world civilisation and history for a brighter future for all humanity not just for themselves.
Apparently, the authors have put together a cross-cutting presentation of the ups and downs in the African unity construct. Whithering or constructing African unity challenges us to build on the ideological orientation and activities of our founding fathers and forge a common new constructive way forward. It is a publication representing a new brand of discourse and other activities in the service of African unity. Africa is challenged to use the voices of Nkrumah, Nyerere, Nasser, Emperor Salasie, and many others to continue the struggle for African unity and sovereignty; build common grounds and stand up as one for the dignity and citizenship as well as take the struggles to all corners of the society.
The philosophy that will save humanity originated from Africa. It is in the interest of all humanity to make Africa realise its full self-reliance, and independence through pan-Africanism and the African renaissance. Pan-Africanism does not make Africa against the world. It does the opposite. It makes Africa join the world with full agency and self-reliance without any form of dependency, penetrability and vulnerability that the current fragmentation has continued to force upon the African imagination and reality. Africa must unite must be realised now not in 2063. The unity must have been yesterday; but let the failure to unite yesterday be a commitment to stop delaying African unity and renaissance anymore and do it today and never tomorrow.
Professor Mammo Muchie.
Tshwane University of Technology
South Africa
Approved by
AUSC President's Office.
