"Participation Builds Unity"
"MADE IN AFRICA - FOR AFRICA"
"Participation Builds Unity"
"MADE IN AFRICA - FOR AFRICA"
PRESENTS
Why has
Globalization and Democratization
failed Africa?
Victor Ruttoh
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MAY 2004
Why has Globalization and Democratization failed Africa?
Many proponents have theorized why economies in Africa are decaying while flourishing in other regions. Is it because of the genetic make up of its inhabitants?
Anyone who has traveled to cities in Africa like Nairobi or Lagos will witness that Africans are even more entrepreneurs than their counterparts in the west. The moment you arrive on the African soil you will encounter enthusiastic hawkers from the age of 4 to grannies of 84 who will bargain to try and make a deal on their merchants or services. The rationale is that those micro deals carried out by individual family members are illegal in that they operate outside the government control peripheral. The illegality is detrimental because it does not generate revenues that empower the government to deliver its services to the people, maybe too micro to be taxed. The buyers as well are vulnerable with no yardstick to ensure that products in the market are worth the price tag acclaimed. All this factors are equivalent to pre-industrial revolution in America or Europe and if there are lessons to be learnt, I think Africans need to listen to dead Americans and Europeans who were founders of modern economics and not the Breton Woods institutions and the American foreign policy. Wealth of Nations advocated by Adam Smiths championed creation of wealth or capital in a more legal and represent-able fashion. This in essence if exported to Africa, mean that those family micro enterprises should consolidate their resources to form legal firms and co-operations that will attain property rights and representation. An abstract example is an underdeveloped village in Kenya with soapstone, the natural resource used from making artifacts, and more than 500 entrepreneurs who run their individual family businesses. It surprises me when I see the exhibits of their talent in various European shopping malls in contrast with the lifestyles of the people on the ground whose labor has been exploited. If they consolidate their resources and document them in form of shares, that will create a formidable medium of exchange, which will attract investors from any part of the world who can transfer capital and own equity in that African village. Thus they will realize the fruits of participating in the positive circle of globalization. Like a carpenter who cannot do carpentry with bare hands, it also goes for Africa, which cannot participate in globalization with brains and ideas; she needs the infrastructure.
Where did Africa go wrong? I would contest that Africa imported the western fashion of democracy before they where ripe for it. Democratic peace theorists claim that democracies don’t fight each other and that has been the arguments why there is need for western established democracies to promote democracy abroad.
On the other hand, I argue that established democracies in essence fight and conquer non-western democracies, and we can witness it in the Middle East. Apart from military intervention that negates the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia that stipulated the sovereignty of states, the west employs other instruments and tactics to conquer non-western democracies. Through international institutions like IMF, World Bank, United Nations, World Trade Organization, and other NGOs, they have been able to transcend state borders and coerce governments to dance to their tunes. In the last two decades, the Structural Adjustment Programs and other calls for African countries to liberalize their markets transferred the wealth to estimated 10% of the population while sending the 90% to abject poverty. A meaningful democracy and the rule of law should come from within where the society has yearned for it and not by being imposed by the donor community.
China for example refused to incorporate the Breton Woods institutions call for fully privatization of its government run corporations and free trade in the 1970s and instead focused on mercantilism which favored more exports over imports with government controlled trade and with no doubt it is the fastest growing market economy in this era unlike Africa which did the opposite and is doing the opposite.
An ideal democracy is one that can answer this simple question: how can people live together and equitably distribute the resources? In this comparison, Africa was an ideal democracy before colonization and it’s during and after colonization that led to impoverishment and ethnic conflicts. I claim ethnicity to be a product of modern politics that evolved during colonization and state building. Many scholars have argued that the cultural differences of ethnic groups are the cause of ethnic conflicts.
Since the existence of mankind in Africa, ethnic groups have coexisted. It is during the scramble for Africa, where straight borders that cut through societies to demarcate the colonies disregarded the communities shared identities and cultural practices, which has been the cause ethnic conflicts. Most conflicts have been situations where communities try to separate themselves from the state or to govern themselves, often aided by external interventions. Other conflicts have been fueled by hatred that was created by the colonies. The genocide in Rwanda is good example where it was easy to fuel the long and overdue hatred that the Hutus had towards the Tutsis and moderate Hutus who had been likened and enjoyed favors from the colonies. The colonial powers had undemocratic structures of governance that concentrated so much power on the colony. After colonization, the same structures of were inherited by the African leaders, which gave them too much power and were deeply entrenched into those societies. Its arguable the reasons why there is the tendency of African leaders to stick in power until they voluntarily resign, a military coup, assassination or by natural dead.
Is there hope for Africa? The longest journey always starts with the first step.
The pillar of President Clinton’s foreign policy was the promotion of democracy abroad, hoping it would have a triple effect on other sectors of development like poverty eradication and in turn foster US security and stabilize the international system at large. The Bush administration on the contrary has traded the opposite by secluding the US from its responsibility of being the remaining superpower. The administration has pursed various unilateral and bilateral engagements, which are usually in conflict with the expectations of the international community.
The 11th September was a shock to the US friendly cooperation with non-democratic regimes like Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The US has stood beside those countries, which has enabled her access to the cheap oil from the region which is paramount for her economic success. The episode that has followed the 11th September has disregarded the friendly alliances. Out of the 19 hijackers of the planes that crushed into the Twin Towers, the pentagon and Pennsylvania, 11 hijackers had ties with Egypt and Saudi Arabia and that proved to the US that the friendly co-operation didn’t serve to the best of the US security interest. This catapulted the promotion of democracy and the “War on Terror” has surpassed other development issues that would contain terrorism.
I am optimistic that the wave is blowing in the right direction as societies are becoming more sensitive of unjust political discourses. The collapse of the World Trade Organization talks in Cancun and the Free Trade Area of the Americans in Miami, last year, depicts the revolutionary global dynamics on international scale. For once, countries are now able to unite and say no to resolutions that are detrimental to their economies.
Unlike the Mississippi laws of the 1930s where the rulings between the Afro Americans and the white men were usually predicted and biased without course of justice, it is different in this modern age. Anything from child labor abuse by multinational corporations in the developing world to abuse of Iraq detainees at Abu Graib prison by the coalition forces at some point will come to light.
The solutions for Africa lie with the Africans. It is up to them to take the forefront on corrective measures that will determine their destiny. No external savior will arrive on a silver plate to develop the continent.
Victor Ruttoh,
Student of MA International Politics and Security Studies
University Of Bradford
UK
cikks@yahoo.com
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COMMENTS RECEIVED
04 June 2004
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05 June 2004
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06 June 2004
Peter, I've only attended one of your meetings, although I regularly receive
your e-mails. I read the article written by Victor Ruttoh, which makes for
interesting reading yet provides nothing new on the subject. I don't
disagree with the mainstream argument/theme that runs throughout the
article, but do think there is a lot more to be delved into. The Free Market
Foundation has written a number of articles on this and I would suggest you
pay their website a visit, as it would add tremendous value to these debates
and hence contribute towards your organisations objectives. I am thrilled that so many people are
concerned for Africa, its people and its rich biodiversity. Social justice
and sustainable development are the cornerstones to the success of
humankind - by using the word "humankind" I mean our humanity, our ability
to be humane.
Kind regards,
Jacky du Plessis
DKA Consulting cc
South Africa
Dear Jacky,
After reading your comments, I am curious to understand your background. Are you from African origin? Your analysis carries a western spectacle that's in contrast with the real African issues.
I am Kenyan and 24. During easter break, I was able to attend The 14th Harvard University World Model United Nations in Egypt which is a simulation of debates and passing of resolutions at the United Nations. It attracted more than 800 scholars from 5 continents. Out of all the people who participated, less than 10 were Africans or had the African touch to analyze the problems that face African though most arguments were on Africa problems and more so the simulation was held on the African soil. I wasn't appeased on how the resolutions were conceived because they were based on literature that have been written by western scholars. To veto a resolution, you need numbers in a particular a delegation.
The same participants are the once who will will inherit the key positions in the Global governance from the leaders who share the same mindset and as Africans we don't have the capacity to represent ourselves because we don't get the training or orientation to such international conferences and also people like you with western ideologue are able to discount and disregard the nitty gritty that matters to the common Africans. I apologize if I sound offensive, but I was able to conclude that its because of ignorance on what matters to the common African that limits how the people that are concern about Africa can go about and sustainable contribution.
Give Africans an equal chance, that's my greatest cry.
Victor
Please see my view on Africanism:
AFRICANISM
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