Edward Miguel discusses Nation Building in his Boston Review article about Africa's Prospects:It should not be surprising that it is taking a full generation or more for real nationhood to take root in these infant countries. Everything started from scratch after independence. Politicians had to figure out how to forge political compromises across class, regional, gender, linguistic, tribal, and religious lines. History and civics textbooks needed to be written. Citizens had to come up with their own national narratives and heroes. Creating new identities and institutions is not something that foreign colonizers, aid donors, or the IMF and World Bank are willing or able to do. That kind of transformation demands visionary leaders, who have too often been lacking in Africa, or have themselves been victims of political violence. Further complicating matters, leaders and citizens trying to assemble structures of civic life must contend with the immediate economic imperatives of boosting agricultural productivity, educating the workforce, and building a modern transportation infrastructure.
via 3 Quarks Daily
Photo Courtesy of Christopher Herwig/herwigphoto.com
1 comments:
I think there is one basic reason why Africa has not progressed as we would have wished - in the time. There is always greed for power - it is a basic human imperative. In most democratic, or even communistic countries, there are quite strong national institutions which prevent power grabbing. Unfortunately, this is not the case in most African countries. Anyone with enough hunger for power and enough military power can grab whatever they want.
Thanks
Oscar
IT Africa
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