Try to make sense of African Renaissance and Nepad. What does the future holds for the African Renaissance and Nepad?

7. Cheikh Anta Diop wrote a series of essays as a student from
1946 to 1960, charting the development of Africa. The
essays, which are seen as a form of blueprint, are collected in
book form as "Towards the African Renaissance: Essays in Culture
and Development, 1946-1960".

9. The African Renaissance is a vision and mission for
transformative change and development that is
premised on the understanding that the future of
Africa and the peoples of Africa and the diaspora lie
in the fundamental processes of renewal, re-
invention and rebirth. The required changes need to
occur in people’s mindset and world outlook, which
in turn require changes in material conditions as well
as in the institutions and processes of
intellectual, political, economical, and cultural
governance.

10. “I am born of a people who are heroes and heroines
[...] Patient because history is on their side, these
masses do not despair because today the weather is
bad. Nor do they turn triumphalist
when, tomorrow, the sun shines. [...] Whatever the
circumstances they have lived through and because
of that experience, they are determined to define
for themselves who they are and who they should
be.”

11. In June 1997, an advisor to Mbeki, Vusi
Maviembela, wrote that the African Renaissance
was the "third moment" in post-colonial
Africa, following decolonization and the outbreak
of democracy across the continent during the early
1990s. Deputy President Mbeki himself melded the
various reforms he had discussed to a tone of
optimism under the rubric "African Renaissance" in
a speech in August 1998[3]

12. On September 28-29th, 1998, there was a conference on this
theme in Johannesburg. This was attended by some 470
participants. A book was published in 1999 with this title.
Thabo Mbeki, keynote speaker at the opening plenary
session, wrote the book's prologue. The volume's thirty essays
are arranged under general topics largely corresponding to
those of the conference's breakaway sessions: "culture and
education, economic transformation, science and
technology, transport and energy, moral renewal and African
values, and media and telecommunications."[4]

13. On October 11, 1999, the African Renaissance
Institute (ARI) was founded at an inaugural
meeting in Pretoria.[5] It has its headquarters in
Gabarone, Botswana.[6] Initial institute focus
includes development of African human
resources, science and
technology, agriculture, nutrition and
health, culture, business, peace and good
governance.[7] Okumu in his book titled The
African Renaissance writes very keenly on the
importance of developing science and technology:

14. Among other things the African Renaissance is a
philosophical and political movement to end
the violence, elitism, corruption and poverty that
seem to plague the African continent, and replace
them with a more just and equitable order. Mbeki
proposes doing this by, among other
things, encouraging education and the reversal of
the "brain drain" of African intellectuals. He also
urges Africans (led by African intellectuals) to take
pride in their heritage, and to take charge of their
lives. For Noel Moukala of *Renaissance
Africaine, no African Renaissance without African
Unity.

15. For Noel Moukala, Congolese scholar, of
*Renaissance Africaine, there can be no African
Renaissance without African Unity.

16. Other individuals seen as being the "new
generation of African leaders" that would
accomplish the goals of the African Renaissance
were President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and
President Paul Kagame of Rwanda.

17. Cultural historian Owen Alik Shahadah says that
the term is an anachronism and articulates the
African reality in European historical terms thus
posing African history as a cultural orphan of
Europe. However, the term "African Renaissance"
remains in frequent use. This is the case especially
in South Africa, where the African National
Congress has adopted it as part of its ideology and
where the phrase is sometimes used in advertising.

18. .

19. One direct response (a mirror response in a sense)
to Mbeki's call on artists and thinkers to take up his
utopian vision, was offered by Andre Venter who
published I Ching for the 'African Renaissance' in
2006. Before its publication a proof of concept work
for the artists' book was exhibited at the Aardklop
cultural festival and later at the University of
Johannesburg.

21. Is the African Renaissance at a threshold?
What does the future hold for Africa and ex-
President Mbeki’s AR ideal?
The Political Science 144 Assignment should be
approached against these questions

22. State, Business and Civil Society
African regional and Sub-Regional Institutions –Legal
frameworks, Operational Systems, Capacity and Impact
Africa’s Productive Resources
Africa in the Global System
State Capacity, Legal Systems, Constitutional Sovereignty
African Indigenous Knowledge Systems
African Leadership and Intellectual Capital
Human Rights
African Democracy and Sustainable Development
Diplomacy, International Relations and Strategic Interests
Endemic/Pandemic Diseases
Poverty Eradication and Food Security
Women, Gender, Power and Health
Children, Youth and Development

23. NEPAD
New Partnership for
Africa’s Development

24. Founders of NEPAD
Obasandjo & Mbeki
President Wade

25. This NEPAD is a pledge by African leaders
based on a common vision and a firm and
shared conviction, that they have a pressing
duty to eradicate poverty and to place their
countries, both individually and
collectively, on a path of sustainable growth
and development, and at the same time to
participate actively in the world economy and
body politic.

26.  The historical impoverishment of a
continent
 African and the global revolution

27. • Strengthening mechanism for conflict prevention
• Promotion and protection of democracy
• Restoration and maintenance of macroeconomic stability
• Instituting transparent legal and regulatory frameworks for
financial markets and auditing of private companies and the
public sector
• Revitalising and extent the provision of education, technical
training and health services
• Promotion of the role of women
• Building the capacity of the states in Africa
• Promoting the development of infrastructure, agriculture and
its diversification

28. African peoples must take up the challenge of mobilising in
support of the implementation of this initiative by setting
up, at all levels, structures for organisation, mobilisation and
action.
The leaders of the continent are aware of the fact that the true
genius of a people is measured by its capacity for bold and
imaginative thinking, and determination in support of their
development.
Africans must not relent in implementing this ambitious
programme of building sound and resilient economies, and
democratic societies.

29. o Africa becomes more effective in conflict prevention and
the establishment of enduring peace on the continent;
o Africa adopts and implements principles of democracy
and good political economic and corporate
governance, and the protection of human rights becomes
further entrenched in every African country;
o Africa develops and implements effective poverty
eradication programmes and accelerates the pace of
achieving set African development goals, particularly
human development;
o Africa achieves increased levels of domestic savings, as
well as investments, both domestic and foreign;

30. o Increased levels of ODA to the continent are achieved
and its effective utilisation maximised;
o Africa achieves desired capacity for policy
development, coordination and negotiation in the
international arena, to ensure its beneficial engagement in
the global economy, especially on trade and market access
issues
o Regional integration is further accelerated and higher
levels of sustainable economic growth in Africa is
achieved;
o Genuine partnerships are established between Africa
and the developed countries based on mutual respect and
accountability.

31. When Senegal and The Gambia decided to build a trans-
national road to link the two countries, it’s NEPAD. When
Ecowas wants to implement a regional powerplant that will
supply all its member countries, it’s NEPAD, but not a
compilation of what each country has done in its internal
development process. NEPAD is to help us achieve what we
cannot at a single country level," Wade continued.
"The redirection of the project has become inevitable, because
nobody has yet understood anything from NEPAD and
nobody implemented NEPAD," President Wade told the
news conference.

32. Only 10 years ago, The Economist news magazine
reported that Africa was a hopeless continent. Ten
years later; ten years after NEPAD, the same journal is
screaming “Africa is rising”, Mr. Janneh
recalled, praising NEPAD for having played a key
role in this reversal.

33. Political Science 144 aims to make significant contribution
to developing and harnessing your understanding of
Africa’s intellectual capital and heritages globally.
Never underestimate the significance of your assignment.
After you have made sense of all the information at your
disposal, know that your assignments represents a small
yet, significant contribution to developing an
understanding of the challenges and opportunities for
NEPAD.

34. Failure or Success?
Record of Failures
Record of Successes
WEBSITES TO CONSULT
www.unisa.ac.za/iars
www.dfa.gov.za
www.africanrecovery.org

35. Thank you
Dr R.A van Diemel;
Chair Interactive Telematic Education
Faculty of Military Science
Email: raymond@ma2.sun.ac.za
Or
vandiemeljohn@hotmail.com
Twitter Profile: raymondvndiemel