[afro-nets] Eliminating world poverty: making governance work for the poor (12)

["Dabesaki Mac-Ikemenjima" <dabesaki@yahoo.com>]

Eliminating world poverty: making governance work for the poor (12)
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Eliminating world poverty in my opinion means that governance needs to work for the people, and the people. the real people who have the powers to determine leadership need to begin to realise that they hold the key. In present day democracy in Africa, only the people who have the money and have access to the media and have political power determine the leadership. What a perverted definition of democracy!
   
Perhaps, a new generation of leadership needs to begin to emerge, and youth who are involved with various levels of Civil society actions need to begin to work around redefining leadership among their peers and then they can extend it to the broader society. The truth is, until Africa addresses the issue of corruption and absolute power effectively, the poor will remain poor and the rich will continue to grow rich. One other important thing perhaps is to strengthen the education systems. In my thinking, the African educational system is worse today than it was before colonialism.
   
What is education? The systematic process through which society integrates her young ones into her nucleus. This used to be very effective in Africa. Culture and practices were passed on for many generations. Now, with formal education, we seem to learn more about how to finish "Engineering" and make money. These values are eroding away. I believe in the global village concept, having promoted models in ICT for education, even at the UN ICT Task Force, however, I believe that traditional values and an effective educational system can help reposition Africa and her young ones to take decisions on issues that affect them without cohesion or force.

Dabesaki Mac-Ikemenjima 
mailto:dabesaki@yahoo.com