Civil Society Engagement: Opportunities and Responsibilities
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| Kenyan civil society activists in action P.Courtesy |
Civil society organizations offer a unique, often very real assessment of how best to address issues on the African continent, but often these organizations lack the opportunity to engage in a meaningful way in the conversations being held at the regional or continental level. “What can civil society leaders and participants do to stimulate Africa’s commitment to good governance and Africa’s growth and development?”
The first thing civil society leaders can do, as a matter of principle, is to challenge the customs and traditions that limit full, inclusive access of all people to health, education, opportunity, and participation in civic engagement. Civil society must represent people without regard to gender, religious, economic or ethnic background. Civil society has a moral responsibility to assure the full involvement of girls and women in all aspects of growth and development. Young girls have as much right to quality education as young boys. Instead of early marriage, girls should be encouraged to seek the same levels of university and graduate education that is encouraged for boys. The reality is that no society ever develops fully when gender discrimination prevents girls from having full access to education. No society ever fully develops when women are not fully engaged in the opportunities created in a growing economy. It is not enough to say that women contribute to the nation by taking care of the home. The presence, power, and potential of women should also be realized in the houses of parliament and the halls of business. Civil society must advance the cause of gender equality.
Secondly, civil society has the moral authority to demand justice and to break down barriers based on ethnicity and tribal discrimination. It is a sad reality that many African nations practice a kind of racism and discrimination based on tribal and ethnic membership. In some nations one can gauge the progress or lack of progress of sets of people based on practices that advance one ethnic or tribal group over another. Many of the present continental conflicts over land, politics, resources, wealth, and opportunity are sadly rooted in ethnic and tribal divisions.
If we really believe in the brother and sisterhood of humanity, then ethnic and tribal distinctions, while they should be celebrated and honored, should never become the foundation for discrimination and conflict. Economic growth and development of the continent depends on the full engagement of all the continent’s peoples. Civil society must seek to end ethnic and tribal discrimination.
Thirdly, civil society has the moral responsibility to demand an end to corruption. Civil society leaders must demand, not passively hope for, an end to corruption. The calling to civil society leadership is to represent the people and to be the voice and conscience of the people you serve. This gives you the responsibility to demand an end to corruption. It is important to note in a clear and unambiguous manner, that you cannot demand the end of corruptive behavior if, at the same time, you are benefiting from corruption. You must be firm enough and secure enough in your convictions to resist the temptation to reap the rewards of corruption, so that you will be free enough and independent enough to be the voice and conscience of the people. Civil society must speak out against corruption and demand its end.
Fourthly, civil society has a duty to transform society. In a moving speech to the All Africa Conference of Churches in December of last year, South African Bishop Desmond Tutu reminded us that Africa once led the world in food security. He focused on the times described in the Hebrew Bible when people fled from other places to take refuge in Africa because there was an abundance of food. The Bishop also talked about Africa having been a place for refugees not a place of refugees. He told the New Testament story of the parents of Jesus being refugees in Africa after having been told by angels to seek safety in Africa. He also talked about the great theologians and philosophers who were African voices, shaping theological and philosophical positions that are referenced today. Africa once led the world in science and technology, theology and philosophy, architecture and engineering, agriculture, and food security. Africa can lead again if civil society, working with political, business, cultural, and faith leaders will take on the challenge of transforming Africa back into the continent that can once again realize the glorious possibilities signaled by its tremendous past. Africa has the land to feed the world. Africa has the natural resources to power the world. Africa has the natural resources upon which the technology of the present and the future depends.
Africa is proven to be the birth place of humanity and it may well be that Africa will be the saving grace for humanity. Civil society must be active in the African Renaissance.
As I have outlined, those in civil society have a tremendously important role to play in the transformation, advancement, and development of the African continent. This is an important undertaking, but one that is very possible given the level of knowledge and expertise found across this continent. Civil society organizations must seek opportunities to engage nationally, regionally, and most important, globally, to begin to build the foundation that will propel this continent forward toward its stated goals of integration and interconnectedness.
It is important to note that in his famous, “I have a Dream Speech,” Dr. King called on the U.S. to respect the promise of constitutionally-assured freedoms. Likewise, President Obama, in his famous speech on race, also called upon the assurances of constitutional and democratic rule of law as the foundation of the mandate for the respect of civil and human rights.
The foundational and fundamental lesson that can be inferred from Dr. King and President Obama is that African nations and African leaders should focus on strengthening the assurances of a constitutional and democratic context that respects and mandates civil and human rights. African people, across all sectors of society, must call on their governments to accept and respect that they have a fundamental responsibility to uphold and protect the civil and human rights of their citizens. As discussed earlier, civil society has a central role to play in creating a more cohesive, better integrated Africa.
By Michael A. Battle
U.S. Ambassador to the African Union.