Mahatma would have approved Africa conference

Since the redefinition of human security, spelled out in the landmark of United Nations Development Program 1994 Human Development Report, it has remained a largely elusive concept to actualise in Africa.According to the redefinition, security must not be the absence of military threats, but must also embrace insecurities driven by non-military challenges. This meant that security could no longer be viewed apart from the challenges of human development in all its aspects, including social, political and economic.Poverty is one of these non-military challenges, ironically, once described by Mahatma Gandhi as the worst forms of violence. By this, he was pointing an accusatory finger as criminal those who would inflict poverty on an entire population. It was his conviction that poverty could easily be addressed by equalising the distribution of wealth. Gandhi had his point. But the major challenge remains meeting the basic needs and aspirations of millions of impoverished people not only in the India he fought for, but also in Africa. The just concluded Seventh African Economic Conference (AEC) in Kigali bore testament to this. Under the theme, ‘Fostering Inclusive and Sustainable Development in Africa in an Age of Global Uncertainty’, the Conference sought to ‘debate the question of whether and how economic growth can lead to a more equal development for the peoples of Africa.’The conference was optimistic, and served as an important reminder of what needs to be done. It emphasised the necessity for policy-makers to create diversified economies capable of generating employment and implementing better social policies and inclusive growth.The African Development Bank’s Chief Economist and Vice President captured the spirit of a continent slowly inching forward. He was quoted expressing optimism how the increasing “electoral democracy” on the continent was already playing an important role as a powerful force for economic growth and development.It was not forgotten that Africa has some of the most abundant natural resources in the world, many of which are yet to be tapped; or were, such as with land, being rented for exploitation by foreign countries, if not being fought over. This should not be so. “The continent,” the AfDB Chief Economist emphasized, “needs policies that maximise its comparative advantage and bring about the necessary structural changes in its economies, as well as to invest in its young people and in the hard and soft infrastructure required for growth.”Africa, he said, is the world’s youngest continent, and if it invests in education and training to develop the potential of its youth, could become one of the most dynamic and productive of economies. He spoke for many.All told, there is hope. The AfDB expressed confidence at the end of the conference that the continent’s long-term growth prospects are strong, propelled by both external trends in the global economy and internal changes in the continent’s societies and economies.The growth prospects are buoyed by the African Economic Outlook 2012 projections, where it is expected economic growth will rise from 3.4% in 2011 and accelerate to 4.5% in 2012 and 4.8% in 2013.The widely reported conference was a laudable effort towards Africa’s self reliance, which Gandhi no doubt would have approved. The conference was organized by the African Development Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.