THINKING SUSTAINABILITY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: AFRICA 2011 AND BEYOND

The concept Sustainable Development has lingered for over the past two decades as it became catchier in the 1970/80s but the wars in Africa coupled with SAP shrivelled the thinking for sustainability but the scramble for fast-tracking measures to ‘growth’. The fast-track approach to African economy for growth and development has disappointed majority of citizens, and reached the climax level to breaking out into violent revolutions. Unfortunately, Karl Marxist ideas now makes sense to many ordinary disillusioned young and older Africans, especially in the SADC region, in this period of economic austerity than with accumulation known to humanity from time immemorial as CAPITALISM. Many Africans have cherished Capitalism but it sound cacophonic today for many emerging young Africans. But then the dominant global order favours Capitalism and not Socialism/Communism. Capitalism practiced in pre-modern African world, based on geo-demographic factors was less exploitative within communities though high with inter-locality raiding it engendered. The sense of obuntu, in the case of Africa, was paramount and provided some balance within communities. Today, African societies with sizable minority of the population have adequate access to all their want and an astounding majority are leaving on fringe incomes, if they have some to earn at all, have no choice to fairer living conditions or adequate human security. 2011 is unfolding unpredictable events globally, (call that apocalypse or whatever), it is the consequence of unsustainable political, economic and development policy choices. Japan has faced her horrendous natural disaster, Tsunami taking over 20,000 lives and properties destroyed; but will Africa brace for Tsunami of people in revolt unleashing their anger mightier than the Ocean could work? Perhaps thinking sustainability could forestall what has already started from Tunisia and Egypt and boiling furiously in Libya after having wreaked post-election stalemate in Cote d’Ivoire in later part of 2010, and which country’s turn now?

Early part of the year 2011 the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon has raised the need to consider Sustainable Development again as the most viable option to spearhead robust action for improving living standards at the basic level of Developing World societies. Over the years the fast-track methods of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI), achieving growth by maximising exports to the West and Far East have met its shock with the impact of 2007 global recession. Take for instance, the Tsunami effect in Japan has cut South Africa export to that country by above 40% and likely to fall further, meanwhile outlets to Western markets have not adjusted adequately. The implication for the African Giant to meet her millions of mouths to feed this time will have to be squeezed from the local sources or in the sub-region. The question that comes to us is how can one reap where no sowing has been done? Our governments haven’t invested enough in their own human capital, local context, and sub-regions generally. This brings into our mind the relevance of thinking local, down to earth, and simply, thinking sustainability and Sustainable Development.

Sustainability is not complicated concept but focuses on what “I” or “we” can do for ourselves should we be cut-off that we are left alone? Are we going to perish for that matter or are we going to use our creativity and make what seem impossible happen? Sustainable Development had much of it success story in the Far East. Sustainable Development is generally perceived as micro level development activity but it also has value for macro level economic and development planning that that is people focused and adopt inside-out approach (Read David Korten). Sustainable Development is the ‘collective’ in Mandela’s parlance, which is the amalgamation of communal energies to pursue common good together. This contradicts the contemporary thinking of Africa political leadership, like the proverbial race of the Tortoise and the Hare, the alleged slow but sure crawler certainly ended successfully, but the jet fire Hare made it last. Sustainable Development had the potential to transform African communities and macroeconomic and development policies; but was not a political delight for the Green Belt Juntas era. It is equally so for the pseudo-democracy times where the winner takes all, or ballot loosing means increasing military spending to ensure security for life-long reign by appeasing the Securocrats. The later are the barricade around Autocrats, and entrenched regimes as the very bane to African democracy and development. So, by pushing aside Sustainable Development over the years governments have disempowered communities to cooperate meekly with politicisation and centralisation of development decision-making that undermines the collective good approach.

Sustainable Development comes with the mandate in the hand of the people (as enshrined in the Manila Manifesto), who recognise and appreciate their endowment and desire to use such available resources to achieve basic needs and extras through local initiatives and efforts. Of course, well harnessed resources such as livelihoods are what eradicate poverty and not handout abundance that comes from external source and cultivate dependency, the consequence of mass impoverishment in Africa today. The Manila Declaration postulates these cardinal principles which are crucial to spearhead effective local development process:

• The locus of sovereignty – the people. In this sense, freedom as democracy is built upon the availability of sovereignty as core freedom for individuals and group.
• To demonstrate sovereignty – a people must control their own resources, have access to relevant information, and have access the means to hold the officials of government.
• Basis for interventions – aid and help from organizations, etc., ‘must recognize that it is they who are participating in support of the people’s agenda, not the reverse.

With Sustainable Development communities rule their world and have little to demand from political rulers. Take for example, African local market that sustain many chiefs and provide income for many households in the community have most of their products being locally made items, until recent times. Imported items usually find their ways in the urban shops, especially imported foods. The situation has changed today with the ‘killer’ China brands and hotdog sausage from France finding their way into the rural markets. So this time how many care about keeping household poultry or labouring on even backhouse gardens. And many of these items if they are food end up in contamination impacting health negatively. In flux of excessive imported basic household needs diminish communal ingenuity as a skill essential for sustainable approach to development. Communal ingenuity is a skill that enhances natural coping, resilience and adaptability that result in transformation as acquired capability (Homer-Dixon, Thomas 2001).  

Sustainable Development enjoins communities and societies to be responsible to observe Environmental morality. Today, the level of pollutions in-land and in water bodies is devastating livelihoods because people have lost their collective power to appreciate their environment and what the land, the ecology and atmosphere contribute to human survival and living (Wangari Maathai 2009). The centralisation of development decisions is a critical disempowering amnesia to many African societies. Whilst politicians do not have the very capacity and magic potency to determine the felt needs of communities, their capacity to do so is also betrayed when meeting their common needs become the Top-Down Executive Palaver or Worry. Such matters should be the normal burden of ordinary people who owe it as duty to themselves to be adventurous human and experience life in that manner. Decentralisation of development decisions and choices must become a political campaign promise ensuring that it is the only way power can be shared with electorates. A positive or wellness state building begins with capacitation of communities to determine their development needs and decisions peculiar to themselves and relevant to their circumstance. Blanket and wholesale approach to development practice today in many parts of Africa is not working good for African societies and a change will avert or reduce the incidences of violence rife now on the continent. A people hungry know no bound to unleash heinous destruction by resisting powerful security forces.

An Africa adage goes that a young woman reaching puberty does not imply she could be married, unless she has acquire few pieces of utensils or pots. It means the man is not coming for an empty woman, though the obvious norm prevails, taking care of her. The need to empower the African society begins in that sense with recourse to development approach that is viable locally and less dependent on exotic ideas and technologies. Whilst exotic ideas, technologies and other imported goodies have their own role of making another better off than the importer, seldom have African communities benefitted from mining and commercial farming and other projects in their localities, because someone made the decision without due regard to the inhabitants of the area. If African communities, urban or rural, cannot be part of decision that eventually impacts their living for good or bad, it simply implies they are immature. Such outlook of African communities makes leeway for exploitation. By centralising development decisions to ensure undue control disadvantaged the local capacity and general wellbeing of households which is the ultimate obligation that a good government has to achieve – EMPOWERED SOCIETY.

Nevertheless, there are governments that have realised the core obligation and are satisfying that to ensure they have peaceful reign. The best approach is to let communities become preoccupied with their development concerns. Move such extra-work from the Executive Desk and supplement or support their initiatives to engage their context problems and make their ingenuity work. The result shall land accolades to the government for giving them room to exercise their power successfully. Recently, President Jacob Zuma of South Africa called upon local communities to initiate their own development projects. In as much as that is critical in South Africa after years of total dependency on the government by communities and households; the time has come such burden cannot be shouldered at the Executive Desk. The cost is not sustainable in the coming years taking population, demographic and other socio-economic factors and trends into consideration. The increasing unemployed, old-age, disability by sickness and new births and demand for annual increment in salaries and benefits, etc., certainly is not sustainable for developing economy. But to achieve a balance of sharing power where communities plan, design and execute their projects as happen in some few places in Africa requires concerted effort of training and education. This is the area African governments should channel resources to provide training to communities. Achieving Sustainable approach to development where local people initiate and manage their own affairs successfully utilising their livelihoods or Asset Base in urban settings call for regular consultations and learning. The minimal cost comparatively pays back as employment is created requiring local skills and creating opportunity for school leavers, promoting skill learning, creating market between communities and external ones, reducing urban migration in rural areas, increasing local and national internal revenue catchment that contribute to local economy and  national GDP.

The logical contribution Sustainable Development can contribute to reduce national budget burden has not been tested adequately in Africa. The reason as stated above has been political choice and the level of conflicts which are consequence of omission of Sustainable Development. The concept requires dialogical approach to enhance effectiveness. This implies some level of democratic environment, effective media that do not feed society with only negative news alone, but will feature community development initiatives and progress being made, cheaper communication, and provision of infrastructure which becomes government responsibility to enhance marketing and movements. For emphasise, communities need to know and dialogue with each other meaning availability of local seminars and workshops that bring localities together could be the work of NGOs and private organisations and groups.

Sustainable Development should satisfies all the time range activities from short-term to long-term goals and planning is owned locally contributing to sustainability. The present generation should not focus on projects that only meet their present needs but excludes the interest of subsequent generations. For instance, vegetable gardens may supply amply for present generation’s needs of food but planting trees may renew the land for next generation without excessive exposure. Excessive dependence on donor grants with hidden conditions may satisfy the comfort of those living today, but will undermine the wellbeing of those unborn if poorly managed. Excessive use of fossil fuel will provide the heat to warm homes today and move cars but global warming ensuing will create dessert for future generations. The syllogism of development types prove that Sustainable Development has much to contribute for effective participatory form of social development that utilises local knowledge and resources for collective enhancement of living standard in Africa.

Sustainable Development restores sense of obuntu because the collective approach required to decide on context needs pull the community or localities together. Shared views, diversity and tolerance are cultivated which impact on mutual understanding and general progress that have minimal adverse impact on society and the environment. The reason is that decisions are broad-based and consensus, and not centralised and narrow. It also improves security in the context because people begin to show concern for each other as a unit and not pieces. Ensuing improved security has positive implication for minimising violent conflicts that have been rampant within increasing economic austerity and diminishing living standards. Minimising impact of austerity is possible with Sustainable Development approach because it brings cost cutting in the national budget saving funds for what people cannot do on their own.

The comment concludes that 21st Century provides room for recourse to Sustainable Development which African states do not need to wait before it is heralded by the honourable UN Secretary General, but should be obvious choice for African and Developing World. Some communities lack capacity and some have become disempowered over years of dependency. The need to revamp local capacity effort and understanding to do what used to be normal life in the African world requires effort at training and learning. The role of government will be increasing access to such trainings and providing required support to make people and communities accountable for their development and wellbeing. Making local level development Executive Desk Palaver is not only a displaced priority but encouragement and entrenchment of dependency and subversion of democracy by centralising local level development decisions and practical effort to participate in governance.

Bernard N Owusu – Sekyere
Executive Director
April 13 2011 : Posted April 18 2011

 

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