MY VISION FOR AFRICA

                         I HAVE A VISION OF A NEW AFRICA

    I have a vision of a positive future for Africa; a vision, which I
believe, is deeply rooted in the Hearts and Minds of all true Africans.  It
is the vision of a day when Africa is a united, independently sustainable
continent in which divisions of language and conflicts of ethnicity, gender,
religion and class have been overcome.  It is a day when Africa will be a
united, non-violent society in which oppression and conflicts of gender,
religion and class and divisions between races have been overcome.  I have a
vision of a day when Africans will practice true equality; when females take
leadership roles and males work to support them to develop our continent.  I
have a vision of an Africa where violence and abuse towards women, children
and the poor has been abandoned and all humans are treated with respect and
dignity.  I have a vision of a day when traditional African religion
believers, Muslims, Christians and Bahai all work together to develop and
create a more peaceful continent.
    It is a vision of a day when our African leaders foster African
unification and the development of our continent by democratically
distributing high quality services to all Africans, regardless of ethnic
group, gender or religion.  I have a vision of an Africa where corruption and
monopoly has been eliminated and heads of state are no longer dictators but
instead, support and maintain true democracies.  I have a vision of a day
when the abuse of military power and violence in Africa has been eradicated.
A day when African presidents serve no more than two, five year terms; when
African heads of state are restricted from investing money outside of Africa.
 A day when no African is above the law and those who committed crime against
Africa will be dealt with severely by our legal system. I have a vision of a
day when our chief justice and our criminal justice system become more
effective, making Africa no longer a dumping ground of prostitution and drug
trafficking.  I have a vision of a day when the use of knives and guns to
create violence and commit crimes in Africa has been eradicated; when our
homes, neighborhoods, schools and communities will be safe and clean, a
healthy environment where people of all races are proud of where they live
and go to school and work together to build and sustain them for future of
all African children.
    It is a day when our political, religious, intellectual, and educational
leaders care for our environment.  I have a vision of an African educational
system which values, maintains and incorporates, as an integral part of the
curriculum, local cultures and activates individual talent and uses it for
the production of valuable goods and services.  It is a day when all African
institutions and the departments within them value, maintain and practice
cultural and ethnic diversity. I have a vision of a day when our
intellectuals do not condemn African leaders and when they are not seen as a
threat in our society but rather, they put their knowledge, skills and
experience into positive practice for the development of the entire
continent.  I have a vision of a day when recent secondary and college
graduates, the unemployed, both white and blue collar workers, intellectuals
and community and religious leaders all refrain from disparaging our cities,
towns, institutions and leaders, but instead, put their knowledge, skills and
experience into positive practice for the development of our African
continent.  This is a vision of a day in which Africans of all religions,
races, genders and class work together for the common good of all of our
children who will become the future leaders of our continent.  I have a
vision of a day when we will value our own products, have our own market and
control our own resources; sharing and trading fairly among ourselves.  I
have a vision of a day when all Africans will say no to Western Aid and its
sanctions, which oppress, suppress, discriminate, divide and control us.  I
have a vision of an Africa where physical and mental slavery has been
eliminated and our people work together to build a better continent.  I see a
day in which Africans unite with all African descendants around the globe
from Asia to the Americas to work for the common good of our children who
will become the future leaders of the human race. I see a bright future on a
day Africa will have a United States of Africa; A day Africa will have a
single currency for the entire continent.
      When all this has been achieved and maintained, I will be able to say
we have true Democracy, Equality, Liberty, Freedom and Justice in our African
institutions, communities and nations.  On this day, all Africans will be
able to proclaim that we are in charge and control in of our own continent
and that this is a society ruled by all of its people for the benefit of all
who live within it.  I challenge you, today, to join with all people in
Africa, to unite with a common vision for a united, non-violent,
independently-sustainable Africa which is a safe and productive society
because we owe it to our children, our ancestors and ourselves. The guiding
principles supporting this vision and commitment are: a united, peaceful
society where all humans, regardless of race, gender, religion or class, are
valued and treated with equal dignity, respect and fairness.  However far
down the tunnel the source of light of my vision seems to be at this moment,
I am hopeful with its presence down there and so I can say: "At least there
is light at the end of the tunnel." Africa; from North to South, East to West
and Central, I therefor declare, we can do it!

By: Michael Ba Banutu-Gomez

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