----- Original Message ----- From: APIC <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Tuesday, October 12, 1999 10:12 AM Subject: Africa: African Renaissance > Africa: African Renaissance > Date distributed (ymd): 991012 > Document reposted by APIC > > +++++++++++++++++++++Document Profile+++++++++++++++++++++ > > Region: Continent-Wide > Issue Areas: +political/rights+ +economy/development+ > +security/peace+ > Summary Contents: > This posting contains the speech by South African President > Thabo Mbeki at the launch of the African Renaissance > Institute. A posting also sent out today contains the speech > on the same occasion by the Executive Secretary of the > Economic Commission for Africa, Dr. K. Y. Amoako. > > +++++++++++++++++end profile++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > > Speech at the Launch of the African Renaissance Institute > > Pretoria October 11 1999 > > (For additional speeches by the South African President, see > http://www.anc.org/za/ancdocs/history/mbeki) > > Chairperson, Distinguished Elders of Africa, Secretary General > of the Organisation of African Unity, Your Excellencies > Ministers, Ambassadors and High Commissioners, Distinguished > participants, Comrades, Ladies and Gentlemen: > > I am very pleased indeed to welcome you to the launch of the > African Renaissance Institute. I sincerely thank you for > giving us, as South Africans, the opportunity to host this > launch and for me to speak at this Opening Session. > > I would also like to welcome to our country those of our > brothers and sisters who come from beyond our borders. > > Once more, we would like to express our profound appreciation > to you all for the contribution that you made to our own > struggle for liberation. > > Liberated South Africa is therefore your home, not merely > because it is an African country, but because without your > determined struggles, perhaps we would not be a free people > today. > > The sacrifices the peoples of our Continent made to end the > apartheid crime against humanity, which denied the very > humanity of everybody who was African, were many and varied. > > Among other things, the countries of Southern Africa also paid > a very high price in human lives lost, as well as property and > infrastructure destroyed, as they withstood the campaign of > aggression and destabilisation conducted by the apartheid > regime. > > Undoubtedly, Angola and Mozambique paid the highest price in > this regard. > > I would like to take this opportunity, once more, to reiterate > our profound appreciation to their governments and peoples for > their extraordinary solidarity, which our people will never > forget. > > I am also very pleased to make special mention and pay tribute > to our elders who are here, of whom we are justly proud and > whose wisdom and African patriotism will make an important > contribution to our common quest for an African Renaissance. > > All of us are greatly distressed that that great son of all > Africa, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, is unable to be here, owing to > a difficult health condition. I am certain that we would all > agree that we should send him a heartfelt message of support > and our wishes for his speedy recovery. > > We have also received the apologies of another great son of > our Continent, Ahmed Ben Bella, who could not join us owing to > prior commitments. > > Chairperson: > > As you are aware, the movement of our own struggle for > national liberation is the ANC, the African National Congress. > > Brought up as we were by this movement and led by it, > throughout the entirety of our political lives we have been > exposed to the inspiring perspective of African unity and > solidarity and the renewal of our Continent. > > Beyond this, the struggle for our own liberation led to the > development of perhaps the largest and most determined > Pan-African movement of solidarity our continent has ever > seen, involving both governments and all sections of the > population, in every country. > > We are therefore pleased and moved that some of our fellow > Africans took the initiative to establish the Institute that > we are launching today. > > I am convinced that all of us present here share a common > vision in favour of African unity and solidarity, African > development and renewal and an end to the marginalisation of > our Continent in world affairs and development processes. > > It would seem to us vitally necessary that whereas, for some > time, the achievement of these objectives has been left to our > governments, it is necessary that we return this vision to the > people. > > We are therefore of the firm view that there is a critically > important and urgent need to develop a Popular Movement for > the African Renaissance. > > Accordingly, we believe that political organisations and > governments in all African countries should be mobilised to > act in furtherance of the objectives of the African > Renaissance. > > Equally, the masses and their organisations in all African > countries should similarly be mobilised and drawn into action. > > We must also pay attention to the intelligentsia, the > professionals, the trade unions, business people, women and > the youth, the traditional leaders, cultural workers, the > media and so on, to bring them into the popular struggle for > Africa's rebirth. > > The question has been posed repeatedly as to what we mean when > we speak of an African Renaissance. > > As all of us know, the word "renaissance" means rebirth, > renewal, springing up anew. Therefore, when we speak of an > African Renaissance, we speak of the rebirth and renewal of > our continent. > > This idea is not new to the struggles of the peoples of our > continent for genuine emancipation. It has been propagated > before by other activists for liberation, drawn from many > countries. > > But it has been suggested that when this perspective was > advanced in earlier periods, the conditions did not exist for > its realisation. > > Accordingly, what is new about it today is that the conditions > exist for the process to be enhanced, throughout the > continent, leading to the transformation of the idea from a > dream dreamt by visionaries to a practical programme of action > for revolutionaries. > > What, then, are these conditions! These are: > > * the completion of the continental process of the liquidation > of the colonial system in Africa, attained as a result of the > liberation of South Africa; > > * the recognition of the bankruptcy of neo-colonialism by the > masses of the people throughout the continent, including the > majority of the middle strata; > > * the weakening of the struggle among the major powers for > spheres of influence on our continent, as a consequence of the > end of the Cold War; and, > > * the acceleration of the process of globilisation. > > As we take advantage of these changed circumstances, we must > move from the fundamental proposition that the peoples of > Africa share a common destiny. > > Each one of our countries is constrained in its ability to > achieve peace, stability, sustained development and a better > life for the people, except in the context of the > accomplishment of these objectives in other sister African > countries as well. > > Accordingly, it is objectively in the interest of all Africans > to encourage the realisation of these goals throughout our > Continent, at the same time as we pursue their attainment in > each of our countries. > > We speak of a continent which, while it led in the very > evolution of human life and was a leading centre of learning, > technology and the arts in ancient times, has experienced > various traumatic epochs; each one of which has pushed her > peoples deeper into poverty and backwardness. > > We refer here to the three periods of: > > * slavery, which robbed the continent of millions of her > healthiest and most productive inhabitants and reinforced the > racist and criminal notion that, as Africans, we are > sub-human; > > * imperialism and colonialism, which resulted in the rape of > raw materials, the destruction of traditional agriculture and > domestic food security, and the integration of Africa into the > world economy as a subservient participant; and, > > * neo-colonialism, which perpetuated this economic system, > while creating the possibility for the emergence of new > national elites in independent states, themselves destined to > join the dominant global forces in oppressing and exploiting > the masses of the people. > > During this latter period, our continent has experienced: > > * unstable political systems in which one-party states and > military rule have occupied pride of place, leading to > conflict, civil wars, genocide and the emergence of millions > of displaced and refugee populations; > > * the formation of predatory elites that have thrived on the > basis of the looting of national wealth and the entrenchment > of corruption; > > * the growth of the international debt burden to the extent > that, in some countries, combined with unfavourable terms of > trade, it makes negative growth in national per capita income > inevitable; and, > > * actual declines in the standard of living and the quality of > life for hundreds of millions of Africans. > > The task of the African Renaissance derive from this > experience, covering the entire period from slavery to date. > They include: > > * the establishment of democratic political systems to ensure > the accomplishment of the goal that "the people shall govern", > * ensuring that these systems take into account African > specifics so that, while being truly democratic and protecting > human rights, they are nevertheless designed in ways which > really ensure that political and, therefore, peaceful means > can be used to address the competing interests of different > social groups in each country; > > * Establishing the institutions and procedures which would > enable the continent collectively to deal with questions of > democracy, peace and stability; > > * achieving sustainable economic development that results in > the continuous improvement of the standards of living and the > quality of life of the masses of the people; > > * qualitatively changing Africa's place in the world economy > so that it is free of the yoke of the international debt > burden and no longer a supplier of raw materials and an > importer of manufactured goods; > > * ensuring the emancipation of the women of Africa; > > * successfully confronting the scourge of HIV/AIDS; > > * the rediscovery of Africa's creative past to recapture the > peoples' cultures, encourage artistic creativity and restore > popular involvement in both accessing and advancing science > and technology; > > * strengthening the genuine independence of African countries > and continent in their relations with the major powers and > enhancing their role in the determination of the global system > of governance in all fields, including politics, the economy, > security, information and intellectual property, the > environment and science and technology. > > These goals can only be achieved through a genuinely popular > and protracted struggle involving not only governments and > political parties, but also the people themselves in all their > formations. > > Such a popular movement for the fundamental renewal of Africa > would also have to take into account the multi-faceted reality > that: > > * it is engaged in an extremely complex struggle which would > be opposed by forces of reaction from both within and without > the continent; > > * it would achieve both forward movement and suffer occasional > setbacks; > > * the continental offensive can only be sustained if the > active populations of all countries are confident that none of > the countries of the continent, regardless of the extent of > its contribution to the Renaissance, seeks to impose itself on > the rest as a new imperialist power; and, > > * the forces for change have to be built up and consolidated > within each country, without ignoring or underestimating the > imperative and the potential for an increasing coordinated > trans-national offensive for the mutually beneficial renewal > of the continent. > > From all this, it is clear that the achievement of the > historically vital African Renaissance requires that the > peoples of our continent should adopt a realist programme of > action that will actually move Africa towards its real > renewal. > > Accordingly, ways have to be found to ensure that: > > * the OAU is further strengthened so that in its work, it > focuses on the strategic objective of the realisation of the > African Renaissance; > > * links are built across Africa's borders among all social > sectors to increase the levels of cooperation ad integration; > > * steps are taken to ensure that both Africa ad the rest of > the world define the new (21st) century as an "African > Century", in furtherance of the objective of the mobilisation > of the peoples of the world to support the offensive for an > African Renaissance; and, > > * work is done to persuade the rest of the world, including > sch important institutions as the UN, the IMF, the World Bank, > the WTO, NAFTA, the EU, MERCOSUR, ASEAN and others, to the > point of view that we share with them the strategic view that > it is obligatory that we all support the vision of an African > Renaissance and that they should lend support to this process, > guided by what the peoples of Africa themselves want. > > The difficulty we will face with regard to the accomplishment > of the last of these tasks is illustrated by the problem we > are facing even as we stand here, of arriving at the point > when we can conclude the bilateral agreement between our > country and the European Union. > > Stripped of all pretence, what has raised the question whether > the agreement can be signed today or not, is the reality that > many among the developed countries of the North have lost all > sense of the nobele idea of human solidarity. > > What seems to predominate is the question, in its narrowest > and most naked meaning - what is in it for me! What is in it > for me! - and all this with absolutely no apology and no sense > of shame. > > None of us were present when the slaves were forced into the > dungeons on the Isle of Goree in Senegal and on the island of > Zanzibar. > > But we would not be wrong if we came to the conclusion that > those who survived these dungeons as well as their > transportation across the oceans, did so because of a strong > will to survive. > > None of us were present when the people of the Congo were > slaughtered in their millions, to satisfy the rapacious and > insatiable greed of a Belgian monarch. > > But we would not be wrong if we came to the conclusion that > the Congolese people did not resort to mass suicide to escape > the horror, because of a firm conviction that, in the end, as > a people they were indestructible. > > We were present when the colonial and racist powers put up the > most determined resistance to deny the people of Algeria, > Kenya, the Portuguese colonies, Zimbabwe, Namibia and South > Africa their freedom. > > We know that the peoples of these countries and our Continent > as a whole were not discouraged by what seemed to be > overwhelming odds against them, because they were determined > that the people's cause for national emancipation could never > be defeated. > > We bore witness to the unspeakable genocide that descended on > the people of Rwanda in 1994. > > We know that, in the end, these extraordinary Africans ended > the slaughter themselves because they took it upon themselves > to make the determination that Africa will not perish at the > hands of her own sons and daughters. > > That same spirit of optimism and commitment to overcome must > inform all of us now as we build on the victories we have > scored, to engage what will clearly be a titanic struggle to > achieve Africa's Renaissance. > > What will decide the outcome is not the strength of our > opponents but our own determination to succeed. > > Stretching through the mists, for a millennium, our common > African history is replete with great feats of courage, > demonstrated by the heroes and heroines and the heroic > peoples, without whose loyal attachment to hope and the vision > of a bright future for Africa, her people would long have > perished. > > The moment is upon us when we should draw on this deep well of > human nobility to make this statement in action - that > Africa's time has come! > > We, in all our millions, including those of us who are in the > Diaspora, will ensure that Africa will not be denied what is > due to her! > > The African century will not be proclaimed! It will come to be > through struggle! > > The struggle continues! Victory is certain! > > We wish the African Renaissance Institute success in the > historic mission we are all called upon to carry out, to end > a long and dark night without whose ending no human being > anywhere in the world can claim to be fulfilled as a human > being. > > The only ailment that has no cure is the spawn of a curse. > > I thank you for your attention. > > ************************************************************ > This material is being reposted for wider distribution by the > Africa Policy Information Center (APIC). APIC's primary > objective is to widen the policy debate in the United States > around African issues and the U.S. role in Africa, by > concentrating on providing accessible policy-relevant > information and analysis usable by a wide range of groups and > individuals. > > Auto-response addresses for more information (send any e-mail > message): [log in to unmask] (about the Africa Policy > Electronic Distribution List); [log in to unmask] (about APIC). > Documents previously distributed, as well as a wide range of > additional information, are also available on the Web at: > http://www.africapolicy.org > > To be added to or dropped from the distribution list write to > [log in to unmask] For more information about reposted material, > please contact directly the source mentioned in the posting. > > Africa Policy Information Center, > 110 Maryland Ave. NE, #509, Washington, DC 20002. > Phone: 202-546-7961. Fax: 202-546-1545. > E-mail: [log in to unmask] > ************************************************************ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------