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What's Wrong With Africa, and What’s the Fix? February 2011. DRAFT.
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What's Wrong With Africa, and What’s the Fix?February 2011 DRAFT
Introductory Thoughts: Africa is the continent bad news comes from; the land of the “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,” yet it is blessed with abundant resources and talented people and should have a future much brighter than its past. • US leadership and policy can be one of the determining factors.
Africa: Historical Problems • Colonialism: artificial borders; mono-economies; extractive infrastructure; bad governance examples • African Poor Governance • Long-Standing USG policy toward Africa: • Limit Soviet influence (1960s-1990) • Post 1990: >Reduce conflicts; >Integrate Africa into Global System, i.e. more democratic and prosperous through better governance, freer markets, improved basic human needs
The Grim Picture • 1.3 million deaths annually due to HIV/AIDS. • 801,000 from malaria in Africa (global 881,000) • 2 million estimated deaths due to tuberculosis in Africa • 60% of Africans have access to clean water • 80% of Africans live on less than $2 a day.Former UN Secretary- General Kofi said the number of people in the world living on less than $2 a day has not changed in ten years, while the number in African has doubled over the past 25 years.
Africa: Current Policy Position • Current Administration’s policy on Africa: • Strengthen democracies and economies • Help resolve conflicts • Cooperate on transnational issues • Current policy flaws/successes: • HIV/AIDS support (praised) • Sudan “soft landing” (TBD) • Failure to resolve conflicts (flawed or uncertain) • Good US intentions but uneven implementation
Africa – Recommended Policy Changes • Stronger and more consistent US leadership in engaging international community in responding to African conflicts, crises, and underdevelopment. • USG needs unified and coordinated approach towards Africa, and with NGO and business community. • Engage with Africans as genuine partners; require more of Africans; and do more with AF regional organizations.
Ghanaian Proverb: “Even the longest night is followed by a sunrise”