- We suggest that the next President re-balance funding between the State Department and the Department of Defense (DoD). For 2008, the DoD's budget totals approximately $623 billion while the State Department's budget falls at a comparatively paltry $12 billion. This clear favoritism for defense above diplomacy is damaging to countries around the world. As it pertains to Africa, we believe that the $300-500 million requested for the Pentagon's Africa Command (AFRICOM) should be put into development alternatives through USAID or, as suggested by Dr. Sach's, a new development cabinet. The United States desperately needs a new concept of "security" on the African continent.
- In addition to the development alternatives to AFRICOM, we would like to see a new approach to the security sector in Africa, relying more on civilian policing rather than military options.
- On the level of civil society, we encourage the next administration to promote awareness about what good governance means and to provide civil society with ways to generate good governance in their own countries.
- On an economic level, the new President should promote microcredit plans to engage the people of Africa in the development of their communities. The World Bank has recently increased its contributions to microcredit initiatives, but global contributions to such programs are minuscule considering the proven impact of direct microlending.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Proposals from Africa Faith & Justice Network
To get you all started, we have a few proposals of our own.
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3 comments:
I agree! I would only venture to take the re-conceptualization of development one step further: understanding African nations' disproportionate vulnerability to the impact of climate change, the scale and complexity of those threats, and the United States' disproportionate contribution to the problem, all interactions with African nations need a strong element of climate change preparedness and prevention to avoid the ruin of hundreds of millions' ways of life.
Africans have to reclaim their independence from western nations. African nations dependence on foreign aid is an wrong system and it keeps them in a subordinate position. Courageously, Africans have to stand up and revitalize the freedom movement that freed them from colonization. Shame on African leaders such as Zimbabwe's President, Robert Mugabe, and others who have become oppressors of their people instead of leading them to prosperity. Also, no no and no to China's expansion in Africa. Africa has had enough bosses. Yes to cooperation with all and any nation interested in Africa's well being, security and prosperity.
kia orana, greetings
Yes of course it makes sense to shift resources from the military to diplomacy.
But what advocates and campaigners have to get into their heads is this not just random unfairness from the US or the UK.
45,000 deaths a montb in the Congo and women raped in their thousands is a direct result of deeply corrupted processes - starting in the west.
Advocates and campaigners need to move corruption to the top of their lists as a way to zero in on the causes, not the symptoms, behind Africa woes.
Shame on leaders like Mugabe, sure, but leaders who stand up against western companies and their client governments soon find themselves with a bullet in their head, more often than not.
As Deepthroat told the investigative reporters during Watergate, follow the money.
kia toa, warriors be,
jason
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