Europe — Ethnic Supplies

What is the point of the African Union

July 2, 2010 By idahorner 10 Comments

Before you write me off completely for asking such a question let me explain

The African Union (AU) describes itself as A NEW EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE UNION FOR FOR AN NEW AFRICA. That is all very well but what does it really mean.

This conversation started on Twitter with my buddy Jimmy after he posted this article. We agreed that Africa would benefit from having an organisation such as the G8/G20 as recommended by the author of the article. I suggested that perhaps the AU would take on such a role.

We then wondered what the Mandate of the AU is and whether in fact it has more clout than its predecessor the Organisation of the African Union (OAU) to take on such a role!

One of the African leaders that is keen on the idea of an African Union with clout is Gaddafi and the Libyan Students Union here in the UK is leading the Agenda of Diaspora involvement in the new AU. The Agenda is wide ranging and during last Saturday’s (26th June 2010) conference a resolution was passed to formalise the African Union Diaspora arm.

There was a lot of excitement on the day as to the possibilities of such an organisations and the main point of discussion was around the quality of life for Africans in Europe. A question was asked whether it is possible for Africans to have a dignified life in Europe and if not is it best to return home.

An even more important question is what would the AU do to facilitate the diaspora who opted to return to Africa? Are there jobs for the African diaspora to return to? What about human rights? Does the AU guarantee human rights? Does it have enough clout to bring those that abuse human rights to task?

The next AU meeting is Kampala Uganda on 19th July 2010 and there is trouble brewing from this as far as I can work out. This is centered on the outstanding arrest warrant for the Sudanese leader who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for the troubles in Darfur. Would a United States of Africa sign up to International courts that allowed for the arrest of fellow African Presidents or would it protect its own?

The question that I and I suspect some of you reading this is why hasn’t the AU done anything about Somalia, Darfur, Zimbabwe or the millions that end up on the beaches in Spain

I read a journal the other day where the author was calling for a single currency and political system in Africa under the AU and please forgive me for thinking that whilst we still have DR Congo, Darfur etc such a Union is only but a desire and if this BBC article is to be believed trouble is already brewing over the recently formed East African Community.

I don’t mean to be a pessimist and would love to see an organised Africa Union, with clout to negotiate trade terms with the West, manage its own affairs without reliance on outside forces etc. I however can’t help but wonder if the the right structures and processes are in place for such a Union.

Some amongst us believe that this will happen but the diaspora need to take the lead!

So what do you think?

Filed Under: Politics Tagged With: African Diaspora, AU, BBc, Darfur, DR Congo, Europe, G20, G8, Gaddafi, Jimmy Kainja, Libya, New Vision, Somalia, Twitter, Uganda, Zimbabwe

Another excuse to keep Africans poor?

January 27, 2010 By idahorner 2 Comments

I stumbled upon a conversation on Twitter regarding a new kind of cola, Ubuntu Cola to be precise. I was told that this is a fairtrade cola that enables farmers in Malawi to earn a fair wage.

I was intrigued by this so I asked more questions and I learned that what makes this cola a fairtrade product is because the sugar used is fairtrade certified.

I did ask whether this cola was kind to teeth or even good for weight management and how exactly did the African farmers benefit? I also wanted to know whether this cola was processed packaged and distributed in Africa? In my mind any system that extracts materials from Africa and adds value elsewhere cannot claim to be truly fair to the African growers!

The response I got back knocked me for 6

we want to offer an alternative to the world’s biggest selling soft drink and give sugar farmers a fair price and we totally agree with addiding value at source but to bottle you need factories using water in countries that dont have enough and then transport to UK

This response has prompted me to ask whether this is yet another excuse to keep Africans poor? You will recall the Starbucks story on how they waste water, water is also required in the processing of coffee. Is the lack of water another excuse to keep Africans poor?

An argument that I have heard put forward by the coffee industry is even more baffling, coffee cannot be roasted and packaged in Africa for shipping to Europe as it would get spoiled along the way!

In the meantime farmers get only 3% of the profits whilst 97% is earned elsewhere and to add salt to the wound some of these products are then exported back to Africa at prices that folk in Africa can ill afford!

Does Africa truly stand a chance of lifting herself out of poverty at this rate? I sincerely do not know but all I know that so long as Africa continues to be a supplier of raw materials the journey out of poverty will be a slow and painful one.

The economic down turn has meant that folk in that used u to buy diamonds for instance could no longer afford them and the consequences of this was mines closed and workers were laid off. Isn’t it time that Africa became a consumer of its own raw materials/products or even started adding value to these materials prior to exporting them?

Have you got a view on anything raised here? If so lets hear it!

Filed Under: Sustainable development, Water Aid Tagged With: Africa, coffee, Europe, Fairtrade, starbucks, ubuntu cola, water shortage

Can Africa grow its own volunteers

August 14, 2009 By ethnicsupplies Leave a Comment

This question has been on my mind for sometime now. Due to the current economic environment we have struggled to get volunteers from the traditional sources to out to our project in SW Uganda. I did wonder if Africa could tap into the skills and knowledge on the ground?

The other reason this is on my mind is that the Obama administration’s policy toward Africa appears to be one of tough love. You the Africans have to get your house in order, you need to start trading with each are some of the messages that have come from both Obama and Clinton. I wholly subcribe to that kind of thinking.

I would wonder therefore if folk on the ground will rise to the challenge and form their own NGO’s for instance. Whilst thinking about this idea of “Africa growing its won volunteers” I do wonder too whether it is a question of how voluntary work is organised in Africa. Africans families tend to be very large (extended) and every one helps out including whole villages when required. However voluntary in the western world appears to be orgnaised in what I would describe as a formal structure.

But what about Africans in the diaspora, Could they take time out to go and volunteer in their countries of origin? Certainly this is something that the Department for International development (DFID) is keen to encourage so much so that they have joined forces with the VSO and come up with a whole programmes to encourage Africans in the diaspora to volunteer. I am however not sure how well publicised this programme is.

Have you got a view on this either way? Are you an African that has participated in the VSO diaspora programme? If so how did you find it?

If you are an African that would like to volunteer would you know where to start?

Would you be interested in your views

Filed Under: Good Practice, Policy, Volunteering Tagged With: America, clinton, DFID, Europe, Obama, SW Uganda, Vounteers, VSO