Africa , in spite of the Cotonou Agreement, continues by far to be the world's poorest inhabited continent. The Cotonou Agreement is amongst other global initiatives a road map to an attempt to reduce poverty. It has four main strategic points:
Equality of partners and ownership of development strategies . In principle, it is up to ACP (Africa, Pacific, and Caribbean ) states to determine how their societies and their economies should develop.
Participation . In addition to the central government as the main actor, partnership under the Cotonou Agreement is open to other actors (e.g. civil society, the private sector, and local governments).
Dialogue and mutual obligations . The Cotonou Agreement is not merely a pot of money. The signatories have assumed mutual obligations (e.g. respect for human rights) which will be monitored through continuing dialogue and evaluation.
Differentiation and regionalization . Cooperation agreements will vary according to each partner's level of development, needs, performance and long-term development strategy. Special treatment will be given to countries that are considered least developed or vulnerable (landlocked or island states). ¹
Corruption, despotism, and violence are only symptoms of the true causes of poverty. Humanitarian food aid is not the answer to stabilizing the economy of Africa, just as the current investment initiatives of the Cotonou Agreement and others have done nothing to improve the living conditions of the continent of Africa , especially those that need it the most, the individual farmer and the self helped agriculturalist. So where does 13.6 million Euros of European Aid (2000-2007) that has been distributed to the APC (Africa, Pacific, Caribbean ) countries go as well as other global aid and why haven't any noticeable improvements for African citizens been made as a result of the strategic formula?
It is evident that the strategic outline for reduction of poverty is filled with subjective allocations to the distribution of assistance even though the last point of reference states that special treatment would be given to countries that are considered the least developed or vulnerable. How least developed and vulnerable is Africa in comparison to the Pacific and the Caribbean ?
The verbiage used in the Cotonou Agreement's four main points actually says nothing of relevance. It is left up to whoever reads it to make a determination of subjectivity in the criteria by which economies should be developed. It is ambiguous. Who really decides the level of partnership, the level of mutual obligations and the developmental needs and performance levels? Performance of what? Continual dialog and evaluation on Human Rights? Who is doing the talking and who is conducting the evaluations? The current social, economic and political instability in Africa is indicative of global whitewash chaos created by failed strategies and agreements that just don't work. Remember, the four points that determine the amount of financial assistance in aid that is awarded. Now remember the civil wars and genocide of the masses of African people. Remember the violence. There is a limit to the tolerance of an impoverished people. Put yourself in the feet of an African farmer trying to feed his family. (They sometimes have no shoes.) Insanity takes over. So what is the resolve?
It is not idle agreements between world governments that will reduce poverty especially in Africa . It is paying contractors to build reservoirs or pipelines of water instead of pipelines of oil. It is not distributing the money to corrupted governments that do as the wish. It is paying contractors to build roads for transportation routes to facilitate trade and movement of cargo. Roads that lead toward the overall development of industry, education and entrepreneurship. It is paying contractors to actually build the framework of small towns. It is providing tangible results…whatever it takes.
If we can build huge skyscrapers. If we can build the wonder of bridges. If we can be awed by the wonder of technology and the advancement of medicine. Why then are we not, as a collective body of the earth, physically building a new Africa, one brick at a time, one plank of wood at a time, one road at a time, one hospital at a time, one pipeline of water at a time. The simplest of all things that we can do…providing Africa with water. Water to irrigate and bring life to the farmlands. Water to feed their starving livestock. Water that Africa 's families thirst for. Water, one of our simplest elements, to Africa is more valuable than the diamonds. More valuable than the oil in Nigeria or the riches of Dubai . Why are we not taking a course of action that is viable and durable? Kindness with actionable results, what a thought!
Instead, we turn our heads at the road not traveled, a road not seen, a road unnoticed.
» left by Jean Horst(951) Jean Horst (1 year 226 days ago.)
We can fix all the infrastructure issues that African nations have, but how do we insist that the individual governments value their people? The people do need water but how do we insure that when the water lines are built that the government doesn't simply withhold supply from those they consider their enemies? It seems like the political climates are still the deciding factor in these situations and we know from past experience in places like the Sudan that military interference does not work. I agree that there should be something constructive we can do, but it feels like these are no-win areas. Respond to this comment
» left by Sara M. Medina-Ramos(22) Sara M. Medina-Ramos (1 year 225 days ago.)
Thank you for your comments. Yes, I do agree that polical climate plays a role in its ability to sustain its people, but we have to begin somewhere...one phase at a time. Respond to this comment
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