DPI Weblog

 2007 Archbishop Desmond Tutu Leadership Fellows

February 10, 2008

 AN OPEN LETTER TO AFRICA’S PRESENT AND FUTURE LEADERS

 “This continent has suffered too much.… We need the assistance and commitment of … young leaders to continue to speak up on behalf of the poor and the marginalized, and seek a better life for all”

– Archbishop Desmond Tutu, April 2007

From Angola to Zimbabwe, questions abound about Africa’s present state. All capitals listed between Abidjan to Zanzibar, are not new to the rising voices of Africa’s sons and daughters who wish to know the fate of their land. Some express this concern through silent hope, others through evident fear, and many others look in no other direction than that of their leaders – those we have come to know as the captains of the ship of the state. Others even argue that Africa’s answers remain with future leaders, and not today’s. But there has been a crisis of leadership in Africa. The hopes and dreams of the citizens of this continent have been dashed by our post colonial leaders – from the heroes of the liberation struggles through to the leaders of opposition parties that subsequently emerged.

 The citizens of Africa deserve a brighter future, and that begins with visionary leaders who can answer the challenges that Africa faces as part of a global community in the 21st century. Recent events across the continent are cause for serious concern: from the crisis of corruption in Nigeria, the political tensions in South Africa leading to the 2009 election, or the political crisis in Kenya which is turning a once prosperous country into one that is marred by bloodshed and ethnic tensions. The ongoing conflict in Sudan, the current crisis in Chad, or the socio-political and economic meltdown obtaining in Zimbabwe have all caused great instability in the lives of millions of Africans across the continent.

We do not seek to play the usual game of just listing the problems but join our voices to that of over 920 million Africans to demand fair play in political processes. Though all of our democracies are young we expect our leaders to be men and women of excellence who respect the electoral process and as such the wishes of the people. As young people in Africa who are leaders in politics, business, health and information technology, we stand together and recommit ourselves to the ideals of true leadership, and we make the following recommendations:

 (a) The establishment of a high-level African Union led campaign to fight tribalism and inequality in all its forms across the continent. Each country should establish a Commission Against Tribalism and Inequality (CATI) to fight the scourges, and to protect vulnerable 2007 Archbishop Desmond Tutu Leadership Fellows minority groups. CATI should bring politicians using ethnic manipulations to perpetrate violence to justice and stop them from participating in future political contests;

 (b) Political leaders must be servant leaders and use their power and influence as a tool for socio-economic change rather than oppression and fuelling personal greed;

(c) The establishment and strengthening of relevant institutions (judiciary, electoral

commissions, etc) that ensure independence of the Electoral Regulatory Authorities in each country; and the establishment of an AU Electoral monitoring body which monitors

election and has a clear, well defined set of guidelines which it uses to determine if the

process is free or fair;

 (d) The rediscovery of our true identity as Africans, to embrace and inculcate the moral base of honesty, love, peace and integrity. We believe that people of integrity would not allow a beautiful, socially and economically stable country like Kenya to collapse into political disarray;

 (e) The strengthening of our national economies, and systems to ensure the provision of adequate health care, education and other social services that will equip all Africans to partake in a better future.

 As young leaders in our own various spheres of influence, we as the 2007 Archbishop Desmond Tutu Leadership Fellows1 find silence at this critical moment inconvenient. We believe that silence and inaction in the face of yesterday’s challenges are responsible for the anomalies we see across the continent today. We lend our voices to the call for African leaders – today, and in the future – to consider the common good over personal fears or greed. We are proud of those who have shown us that leadership is about service and call on all other leaders to remain true to the spirit of purposeful leadership.

 Signed: 2007 Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellows [Brilliant Mhlanga (Zimbabwe), Dan Kidega (Uganda), Ed Mabaya (Zimbabwe), Erik Charas (Mozambique), ‘Gbenga Sesan (Nigeria), Grace Ofem (Nigeria), Hassan Usman (Nigeria), Herine Otieno (Kenya), Ipeleng Mkhari (South Africa), Lisa Kropman (South Africa), Mezuo Nwuneli (Nigeria), Niven Postma (South Africa), Saida Ali (Kenya), Takalani Musekwa (South Africa), Tariro Makadzange (Zimbabwe), Terence Sibiya (South Africa), Tracey Webster (South Africa), Yohannes Mezgebe (Ethiopia), Yolan Friedmann (South Africa)]

 1 Each year, 20 high potential individuals from across sub-Saharan Africa are awarded the prestigious Archbishop Tutu Leadership Fellowship, following a rigorous competitive selection process. The Awards are aimed at the cream of the continent’s future leaders, specifically targeting the next generation of Africa’s leaders in all sectors of society, between the ages of 25 and 39. The fellowship program is coordinated by African Leadership Institute, and it includes a training program coordinated by the SAID Business School at Oxford University. For more information about the Fellowship, please visit www.alinstitute.org.

Press statement of Nigeria’s Representative at the Commonwealth Regional Youth Caucus Africa

 Contact: Dabesaki Mac-Ikemenjima dabesaki@gmail.com, 0805 518 2526

For Release on August 12, 2007

I am very pleased to share some thoughts with the media at this very crucial time in our Nation’s development process. I am particularly excited as this is the climax of my term as Nigeria ’s representative at the Commonwealth Youth Caucus Africa Region.

2. The Commonwealth Youth Caucus is the highest level of statutory youth participation in the Commonwealth system and provides opportunities for representation in strategic governance structures of the organisation. National representatives are selected/ nominated by the member states through the Ministry responsible for youth. Each Youth Caucus representative is expected to serve an average of a 3 year renewable term. RYC members serve as the voice of young people at the national level in policy development processes and represent youth at important national and international forums.

3. On assumption of my role as RYC representative in 2005, I initiated the New Nigeria Initiative (NNI). This initiative was inspired by the foreword of the former President (Chief Olusegun Obasanjo) to the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) which reads “I feel a new Nigeria emerging.” The NNI had three important objectives: ensure that youth issues are effectively integrated into NEEDS 2; mobilise young Nigerians to positively and proactively participate in the 2007 transition to a new civilian administration; and support and advance Nigeria ’s image building and value reorientation campaigns, through the Heart of Africa Initiative.

4. Several critical milestones have been achieved since 2005. In November 2005, I worked with the African Union Commission in the development of the concept for the Pan African Youth Federation. The proposed Federation was presented to and discussed at the African Union Youth Experts meeting in January of 2006. The proposed Federation was meant to be an implementation strategy for the African Youth Charter which was endorsed by Heads of State and government in Banjul in July 2006.

5. The African Youth Charter is a legal framework for the development of youth in Africa . Through the charter, AU member states committed themselves to improving the status of youth through important initiatives in education, health, ICT, HIV/AIDS and other issues related to youth development. In endorsing the charter, Heads of State also declared 2008 as the Year of the African Youth and November 1st every year as the Day of African Youth.

6. From August to December 2006, I worked with Development Partnership International in reviewing the NEEDS with a particular focus on youth indictors and the needs of young people. The process of the review involved key informant interviews, review of literature and a comparative analysis of NEEDS and the needs of young people. The findings of the study show that young people’s priorities are mainly in the areas of Education, Health, Employment and Participation, with employment and participation as the highest priorities.

7. To ensure that the recommendations and findings of the study were effectively utilised in the development of NEEDS 2, DPI worked with the Nigerian Youth Network on the Millennium Development Goals to conduct youth consultative sessions during the Zonal Consultations on NEEDS 2, to collect additional information from youth and to come-up with position papers that were presented at the zonal meetings. The final youth position paper was presented to the National Planning Commission.

8. In pursuit of the NNI goals, I have spoken at several meetings promoting the positive values of Nigeria and Africa . Last October, I spoke at a national conference on Youth and development focusing on living a life that reflects patriotism, national pride and electoral responsibility. I have spoken at conferences in Canada , USA , Ethiopia , Zambia , Kenya and Switzerland . Recently, I spoke on behalf of African Youth during the presentation of the World Youth Report 2007 draft, at the UN Commission for Social Development.

9. In the days ahead, I will focus my work on youth sexuality and HIV prevention. I have only recently (August 2-3, 2007) returned from a meeting focusing on the role of communication for social change in advancing HIV prevention efforts. Nigeria ’s HIV/AIDS burden is highest among young people and important action at the highest level of youth activism is required to move a strong agenda for change. I am happy to use my position to provide this much needed leadership. I believe that Nigeria can win the fight against HIV/AIDS and instil healthy sexual behaviour among its young people. I see a bright future!

10. I hope to build a strong partnership with the media to enhance the profile of the work that is being done at all levels and also help to mobilise youth leaders accross the country, particularly from tertiary institutions to support Nigeria’s development efforts.

11. I thank you for your rapt attention

Kaduna, May 06, 2007: Young people are asking for the inclusion of critical issues related to their development into the second National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS 2). As part of the ongoing consultations being carried out by the National Planning Commission, Development Partnership International (DPI) and the Nigerian Youth Network on the Millennium Development Goals (NYNM) with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) have been mobilizing young people to meet in each of the 6 geopolitical zones to identify and highlight priority issues affecting them through youth position papers, in order to ensure that these issues are clearly reflected in the final NEEDS 2 document.

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I stumbled over Shake Hands with the Devil; a book (also made into a film) by General Romeo Dallaire and immediately bought it. Reading it gave me a combination of feelings. First I felt horrified and then I felt again that we are all vulnerable. This book recounts the experience in Rwanda where human lives became cheaper than those of cows because of a system put in place by a colonial power that made politics more important than lives.

Living in the Niger-Delta and witnessing the level of violence among the youth, sometimes I fear that the experiences of Rwanda will be repeated in Nigeria. This book is a must read.

Theophilus Ekpon, in our Development Partnership International Discussion Group (Our group is hosted by TakingITGLobal), raises the issue of the African Youth Charter ([development] Do you have a copy of the African Youth Charter?), which DPI was involved in developing from Nov 2005 through UNFPA.

During November, DPI will be attanding the African Development Forum to talk about the role of youth in futhering the provisions of the Charter.

The charter is a very important tool for youth advocacy and participation at the national, regional and continental levels as Theophilus notes in his comments to the group…
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