New Ways of Financing Development in Africa

Globalisation is today a reality that any country cannot avoid. As such, there is a need to fight and be on track. Coming from a workshop on ‘Innovative Sources for Financing Development’ hosted by South African NGOs Coalition in partnership with World Economic, Ecology and Development (WEED), I would like to reflect on what we need for bring changes in our so called ‘developing countries’.

In fact, the reality is that many of the Third World’s countries are desperately working for to develop themselves. Confronted by the lack of finances, they are unable to go ahead besides their efforts. Therefore the need of having bilateral and/or multilateral co-operations is necessary to this end. But, what is happening in reality is that these multilateral relationship and co-operation seem to be beneficial to the ‘developed countries’. Is there time for us to look for new alternatives that directly suit and respond our needs and interests?

Many African people believe that the black trade and colonization are the core sources of Africa’s underdevelopment. What is relatively true or false, according to one or another? But in my sense, it is important to share responsibility instead of blame western powers. In fact I believe that we have played big role to the underdevelopment of our continent. Therefore, there is no need, in my sense, to look that did this or that, but let focus on what to do in order to go ahead. Additionally, let look where we failed and find new strategies and mechanisms that will help us grow in term of development. What should we concretely need to do?

Traditionally speaking, most of countries are still financially depending on the Bretton Wood institutions in their national adjustment development programmes. This is what a traditional way through which our states are trying to be financially sustained in order to ‘fulfill’ government programmes. But the reality is showing that despite World Bank and International Monetary Fund’s debts and assistance many of our African countries are still not on the track of meeting the MDGs by 2015. Thus, what hope for the people of Africa? Why do not they create new development strategy?

Actually, there is a crucial need of new vision and innovative inspiration for development in our continent. It is more than necessary that our political leaders and our governments orient their programme of action towards peoples and for peoples. Time for demagogical speeches is over. Let now work for a better life of our peoples. Time for keeping begging must be over, because ‘by always begging we will remain eternal beggars and be considered like small kids’! Instead of being so, let rethink about our situation and then change our current development strategies for bright future of our societies. Do not await the solution to our development issues from our western partners and international institutions, let us look around us and create and/or initiate developmental projects that will enable and empower our peoples and societies.