http://www.africa-union.org/root/au/index/index.htm
Http://www.cafonline.com/
http://www.fecafootonline.com/
Tuesday 3 July 2007
African Union Head of States Meeting
The African Union Head of States meeting is being held in Ghana to discuss the proposed United States of Africa.
Have you followed the debates? What are your views. Share them here.
Forcheh
Have you followed the debates? What are your views. Share them here.
Forcheh
Thursday 26 April 2007
Africa Dialogue
The African Union Website requests comments from readers on the topic of African Union and the eventually United States of Africa. However, following my frustration in trying to post such comments in vain, and also failing to get any response from the AU mail administrator as to what the problem might be, I decided to create this forum to enable other Africans share their views about this topic, uncensored and annonimouusly if they so pleased. here is the first mail that I posted to the AU comment page.
From: FORCHEH, N. (DR.)
Sent: 25 April 2007 19:25
To: 'AUgovernment@africa-union.org'
Subject: Laying the Foundation for a Possible African Union and United States of Africa
The Organization of African Unity and its successor, the African Union has pursued the idea of a United States of Africa for a very long time. The history of Pan Africanism predates all living heads of states in the continent, and indeed all living Africans, yet the goal appears to be as elusive as ever. This is not to say that the OAU and AU have not made important contributions towards the advancement of the continent. However, after the peaking in the late 1960’s, the OUA and AU having been fighting a frustrating battle at uniting the continent and bringing it to anything near integration. Regional ranging from ECOWAS in the west to PTA/COMESA and SADC in the south have made some strides.
In the mist of all the developments, any African traveling around the continent is immediately frustrated that it is much easier for Europeans to enter and leave any of our countries, than for any African even official trips to enter other countries. It is easier for most African academics for example to travel to Europe and North America than to travel to other African countries. The level of intolerance and xenophobia is rising. Even in Southern Africa where cooperation and integration were quite advanced up to the late 1990’s xenophobia is noticeably on the rise, with Zimbabweans currently at the receiving end.
The AU has tended to concentrate on economic and political integration while the rest of Africa, the African People, cries for human integration. Africans long for the old days when the can go from one part of their country to another, from one country another as Africans not as immigrants, the days most of us only heard from story telling by our fathers and grand fathers, the days before end of post colonialism, the days when the likes of Nkrumah still saw the countries they governed as home for all Africans.
As a result, the AU has largely been perceived as a gathering of politicians, whose speeches at the OAU and AU congresses are totally at odds with their domestic policies. How does a minister talk of a United States of Africa while at the same time passing laws that make it almost impossible for other Africans to enter their own countries? Africans have countless experiences at African airports when their flight is cancelled and they are refused permission to go out of the airport and spend the night at a more comfortable hotel than the airport chairs, irrespective of the wealth of evidence that they are not trying to become “illegal immigrants”. This is usually most embarrassing if you are traveling with a European colleague on the same mission or a fellow African with a European Passport, and they are let through while you sweat at the airport. This is very far from what the forefathers of the United States of Africa envisaged during those conferences in Manchester, Accra, Tunis, Addis, etc.
A stating point for the United States of Africa is a revisit to the ideals of Black Consciousness. The previous use of “Black” can be replaced with “African” in recognition of the fact that being “black” was first and foremost a political statement and being “African” is not exactly equitable to being “Black”.
The second point is to undertake an education strategy that cleanse the continent of the beggar mentality. This is one of the worst afflictions of modern African, with an impact that is worse that malaria or HIV/AIDS.
It itself is contrary to the philosophy of black consciousness. As Nkrumah once said, we look neither east nor west, we look forward. The African Traditions, across all cultures that I have mingled with is full of a proud people. A people the likes of Sankara called “Burkina Faso” . When Africans share their meager loaf with strangers and ensure that any stranger passing through their homes on a long journey, it is not in expectation of a returned favour, but humanity handed down from generations on end. In some parts of the continent where water is scarce, tradition has it that drinking places are provided on the road for visitors to stop for a drink of free water. African leaders need to start looking forward, African academics must start looking forward. African citizens must start looking forward.
When you attend the next conference or workshop, ask not what you gained from the conference, but what Africa gained from your attendance. When you appointed a minister, elected a head of state, appointed a director, a lecturer, professor, CEO, permanent secretary, football manager, or called to represent and “SERVE” your country in any capacity, ask not what you will most gain from this honour, but how best you will serve your people and continent. Stop looking for appointments with budget heads and concentrate on roles that can best utilize your god given abilities.
During the forthcoming debate, all delegates, including heads of governments, ministers and “all protocol observed” should individually as worshippers before a priest, re-evaluate their individual role in African Development and confess to themselves and the assembly if they so choose, where they could have done more.
In recent times, many former heads of government have shown that our leaders have critically important roles to play when they complete fixed terms of office or fail at the election box and accept the will of their people. Many of these roles could not adequately be filled by people without their profiles and integrities, and Many such roles remain unfilled. Recent history has also shown that by staying in power for too long, some of our hitherto heroes have deprived us of that pride of honouring them and living by their examples, because of the devastating mistakes and accidents that come with overstaying one’s visit.
The African Union rightly outlawed military corps as a means of assuming political power in the continent. By so doing, the Union unwittingly strengthened the resolve of some leaders to hang unto power by all means necessary, leading to neonatal deaths of many of our promising democracies. It is time, then that the AU examines the regular abuse of national constitutions by serving heads of states, and make a similar pronouncement about any leader who hangs unto power through illicit means, and very importantly, those who misuse their country’s resources as oil fields, where you only exploit until it runs dry or until the almighty replenishes. Even sea pirates and other European gangsters of yesteryear saw the need to invest their loath back in their own countries. It is time that African resources are re-invested in the continent.
Finally, it is time that the AU strengthened research for development in the continent. The role of African culture governance and other critical areas need to be researched, an in this vein, more centers such as the recently opened Center for Culture and Peace at the University of Botswana need to be created and properly resourced. Above all research into micro and macro level manufacturing in the continent needs to be promoted. Africa must avoid economic policies that are applicable to industrialized countries without development the industrial base to benefit from them.
This is my humble initial contribution to this noble idea of a debate on the African Union and United States of Africa.
Ntonghanwah Forcheh
Department of Statistics,
University of Botswana
Email: forchehnn@mopipi.ub.bw
From: FORCHEH, N. (DR.)
Sent: 25 April 2007 19:25
To: 'AUgovernment@africa-union.org'
Subject: Laying the Foundation for a Possible African Union and United States of Africa
The Organization of African Unity and its successor, the African Union has pursued the idea of a United States of Africa for a very long time. The history of Pan Africanism predates all living heads of states in the continent, and indeed all living Africans, yet the goal appears to be as elusive as ever. This is not to say that the OAU and AU have not made important contributions towards the advancement of the continent. However, after the peaking in the late 1960’s, the OUA and AU having been fighting a frustrating battle at uniting the continent and bringing it to anything near integration. Regional ranging from ECOWAS in the west to PTA/COMESA and SADC in the south have made some strides.
In the mist of all the developments, any African traveling around the continent is immediately frustrated that it is much easier for Europeans to enter and leave any of our countries, than for any African even official trips to enter other countries. It is easier for most African academics for example to travel to Europe and North America than to travel to other African countries. The level of intolerance and xenophobia is rising. Even in Southern Africa where cooperation and integration were quite advanced up to the late 1990’s xenophobia is noticeably on the rise, with Zimbabweans currently at the receiving end.
The AU has tended to concentrate on economic and political integration while the rest of Africa, the African People, cries for human integration. Africans long for the old days when the can go from one part of their country to another, from one country another as Africans not as immigrants, the days most of us only heard from story telling by our fathers and grand fathers, the days before end of post colonialism, the days when the likes of Nkrumah still saw the countries they governed as home for all Africans.
As a result, the AU has largely been perceived as a gathering of politicians, whose speeches at the OAU and AU congresses are totally at odds with their domestic policies. How does a minister talk of a United States of Africa while at the same time passing laws that make it almost impossible for other Africans to enter their own countries? Africans have countless experiences at African airports when their flight is cancelled and they are refused permission to go out of the airport and spend the night at a more comfortable hotel than the airport chairs, irrespective of the wealth of evidence that they are not trying to become “illegal immigrants”. This is usually most embarrassing if you are traveling with a European colleague on the same mission or a fellow African with a European Passport, and they are let through while you sweat at the airport. This is very far from what the forefathers of the United States of Africa envisaged during those conferences in Manchester, Accra, Tunis, Addis, etc.
A stating point for the United States of Africa is a revisit to the ideals of Black Consciousness. The previous use of “Black” can be replaced with “African” in recognition of the fact that being “black” was first and foremost a political statement and being “African” is not exactly equitable to being “Black”.
The second point is to undertake an education strategy that cleanse the continent of the beggar mentality. This is one of the worst afflictions of modern African, with an impact that is worse that malaria or HIV/AIDS.
It itself is contrary to the philosophy of black consciousness. As Nkrumah once said, we look neither east nor west, we look forward. The African Traditions, across all cultures that I have mingled with is full of a proud people. A people the likes of Sankara called “Burkina Faso” . When Africans share their meager loaf with strangers and ensure that any stranger passing through their homes on a long journey, it is not in expectation of a returned favour, but humanity handed down from generations on end. In some parts of the continent where water is scarce, tradition has it that drinking places are provided on the road for visitors to stop for a drink of free water. African leaders need to start looking forward, African academics must start looking forward. African citizens must start looking forward.
When you attend the next conference or workshop, ask not what you gained from the conference, but what Africa gained from your attendance. When you appointed a minister, elected a head of state, appointed a director, a lecturer, professor, CEO, permanent secretary, football manager, or called to represent and “SERVE” your country in any capacity, ask not what you will most gain from this honour, but how best you will serve your people and continent. Stop looking for appointments with budget heads and concentrate on roles that can best utilize your god given abilities.
During the forthcoming debate, all delegates, including heads of governments, ministers and “all protocol observed” should individually as worshippers before a priest, re-evaluate their individual role in African Development and confess to themselves and the assembly if they so choose, where they could have done more.
In recent times, many former heads of government have shown that our leaders have critically important roles to play when they complete fixed terms of office or fail at the election box and accept the will of their people. Many of these roles could not adequately be filled by people without their profiles and integrities, and Many such roles remain unfilled. Recent history has also shown that by staying in power for too long, some of our hitherto heroes have deprived us of that pride of honouring them and living by their examples, because of the devastating mistakes and accidents that come with overstaying one’s visit.
The African Union rightly outlawed military corps as a means of assuming political power in the continent. By so doing, the Union unwittingly strengthened the resolve of some leaders to hang unto power by all means necessary, leading to neonatal deaths of many of our promising democracies. It is time, then that the AU examines the regular abuse of national constitutions by serving heads of states, and make a similar pronouncement about any leader who hangs unto power through illicit means, and very importantly, those who misuse their country’s resources as oil fields, where you only exploit until it runs dry or until the almighty replenishes. Even sea pirates and other European gangsters of yesteryear saw the need to invest their loath back in their own countries. It is time that African resources are re-invested in the continent.
Finally, it is time that the AU strengthened research for development in the continent. The role of African culture governance and other critical areas need to be researched, an in this vein, more centers such as the recently opened Center for Culture and Peace at the University of Botswana need to be created and properly resourced. Above all research into micro and macro level manufacturing in the continent needs to be promoted. Africa must avoid economic policies that are applicable to industrialized countries without development the industrial base to benefit from them.
This is my humble initial contribution to this noble idea of a debate on the African Union and United States of Africa.
Ntonghanwah Forcheh
Department of Statistics,
University of Botswana
Email: forchehnn@mopipi.ub.bw
Saturday 24 March 2007
African Football
The rise of Botswan in African Football continues. In a space of two weeks, the young Zebra's (the Botswana Under 23 National team) couched by Major Bright (a local couch) knocked Angola out of the African Game qualifiers and followed that up by knocking the fancy Tunisians out of the Olympic Qualifiers.
For the Angolan Game, the young Zebras won the first leg played in Gaborone 2-0. During the return leg, they held their own sway for almost 80minutes, until one of their players was sent off with barely 10mins of normal play left. The Angolans took this opportunity to score two goals in 10mins to force the game into penalties, but the Zebras were not to be denied.
A week and a half later, Bostwana hosted Tunisia in the return match of the olympic qualifiers, needing a win to go through. The first leg had ended goaless.
On arrival, the Tunisian couch was confident of victory, on the basis that his team that played the first leg in Tunis had been reinforced by two key players.
On the night, the Zebras scored an early first half goal that proved to be the winning goal that saw them through to the next round at the expense of Tunisia. The stadium was packed full with expectations, and the fans were not disappointed.
It should be remembered that both Angola and Tunisia represented the continent in last year's(2006) FIFA World Cup in Germany.
Tomorrow, Sunday 25th March, the full national team hosts Burundi in the African Cup of Nations qualifiers, and tickets are at a premium as Batswana are rushing in from all corners of the large country to watch their team continue its winning ways. At this rate, it will be a safe bet that Botswana will make its first apparence in a Major finals at the 2010 African Cup of Nations Finals. To go to CAF page: http://www.cafonline.com/
N. Forcheh
reporting from Gaborne, Botswana
For the Angolan Game, the young Zebras won the first leg played in Gaborone 2-0. During the return leg, they held their own sway for almost 80minutes, until one of their players was sent off with barely 10mins of normal play left. The Angolans took this opportunity to score two goals in 10mins to force the game into penalties, but the Zebras were not to be denied.
A week and a half later, Bostwana hosted Tunisia in the return match of the olympic qualifiers, needing a win to go through. The first leg had ended goaless.
On arrival, the Tunisian couch was confident of victory, on the basis that his team that played the first leg in Tunis had been reinforced by two key players.
On the night, the Zebras scored an early first half goal that proved to be the winning goal that saw them through to the next round at the expense of Tunisia. The stadium was packed full with expectations, and the fans were not disappointed.
It should be remembered that both Angola and Tunisia represented the continent in last year's(2006) FIFA World Cup in Germany.
Tomorrow, Sunday 25th March, the full national team hosts Burundi in the African Cup of Nations qualifiers, and tickets are at a premium as Batswana are rushing in from all corners of the large country to watch their team continue its winning ways. At this rate, it will be a safe bet that Botswana will make its first apparence in a Major finals at the 2010 African Cup of Nations Finals. To go to CAF page: http://www.cafonline.com/
N. Forcheh
reporting from Gaborne, Botswana
Thursday 18 January 2007
What you don't use you loose
Its amazing how true the saying "What you don't use, you loose" is. Only two months away from my new found hobby, Blogs, I even forgot my blog name. In one of my last update, I migrated from the old Blog to the new one, and selected yahoo as host. Come today, I couldn't even remember this little change!
And my colleagues at the University of Botswana who have just completed the course on Enhanced Elearning. Happy new year! How are you all doing with content, calendar, notes, blogs, etc. for your online courses?
We need a get together. Please call me on ext 2366.
N. Forcheh
18/01/2007
And my colleagues at the University of Botswana who have just completed the course on Enhanced Elearning. Happy new year! How are you all doing with content, calendar, notes, blogs, etc. for your online courses?
We need a get together. Please call me on ext 2366.
N. Forcheh
18/01/2007
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