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"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."
Nelson Mandela
The term Revolution is derived from the latin word "Revolutio" which refers to a turn around in a certain order or system. Throughout the years, the world has seen many revolutions. The Industrial revolution saw a turn around from manual labour to machine based labour, the Spanish Civil War of the 1930's, the American Revolution of the 18th century, the French Revolution of the 1780-90's among others, saw a revolution through fire arms and other weapons. The Egyptian revolution of 2011 was seen through non-violent civil resistance. And the list goes on... In my earlier blog on Kony 2012 (find it here) i talked about education being the key to solving Africa's problems. Empowering African people and in turn avoiding exploitation that comes in with the "aid" mask.
I recently read a very interesting blog post which was not only very insightful, but also helped me understand on a wider scale the huge impact the LAW i have been studying for the past two years can have. The big difference it can make as a cornerstone to developing African economies. I will now paste below part of the post from Miss Tessy Cherono Maritime's blog. To see this and other posts, click here.
“Trade or aid – what offers a brighter solution for Africa? And as Africa’s economies develop, what role can lawyers perform in helping more people in Africa benefit from economic transformation?”
by Tessy Maritim
The trade and aid debate often forms the primary focus of forums on economic growth in African countries. Aid has been viewed as an effective short-term solution for emergency and small-scale development purposes. However, aid often proves fruitless for African economies largely due to corrupt governments, inefficient administrative frameworks and lack of transparency. A leading African economist, Dambisa Moyo postulates that: “Western aid keeps African countries in poverty rather than ease the results of it.” A study on the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness (2005) illustrated that efforts to curb the negative effects of aid were insufficient. Free trade is often seen as the solution to these problems due to its long-term, sustaining and independent nature. Unfortunately, trade is sometimes used by developed countries to exploit economies abundant in resources. Considering that not only has the debate on trade and aid existed for long, it also seems to consist of the same gist of ideas. It’s time we rethink the argument from a different perspective. Neither aid nor trade can be said to exist independently because they complement each other. In light of this, we must consider what role lawyers can play in establishing a robust and independent legal framework through which trade and aid can actually be used for its desired purpose. Therefore, this submission will focus on the outcomes of an effective legal framework and how it would help African economies maximise on the benefits of both trade and aid.
The first Millennium Development Goal aims to eradicate extreme hunger and poverty. Trade is a method through which this goal can be achieved. Empowering communities to sustain themselves through entrepreneurial aid schemes and microfinance projects will enable them to kill the proverbial two birds with one stone; commercially, by availing their products for trade and sustainably, as they cater for their families’ needs. Examples of such projects include the Kenya Women’s Finance Trust which is a financial services provider for women. However, such initiatives often fail because of a dysfunctional legal system. Aspects of an efficient legal framework such as intellectual property rights, an independent judiciary and professional government offices are non-existent so it becomes difficult to enhance trade. Governments plagued with corruption, nepotism, bureaucracy and lack of transparency make it almost impossible for citizens to engage in business transactions. A partial judiciary means that when settling disputes the judgments, particularly involving large money sums, are biased due to manipulation. The solution to these critical issues is a legal framework ringed by basic rule of law precepts. Firstly, good governance structures are needed, consisting of technocrats who can exert their knowledge to improve the system. Secondly, the judiciary should be composed of independent individuals who ensure justice prevails. This would bolster investor confidence and a multiplier effect on opportunities for trade and aid."
Therefore with the right independent legal bodies, trade will be legit, and the rate of corruption will decrease. This will lead to successful African economies which will in turn avail better opportunities to the African people including education consequently resulting in the independence of Africa. Although this post relates to the impact of Law, the point i'm trying to put across is much greater than simply law. Let us not underestimate the power of education. Whether you do business, architecture, sociology, medicine, you name it, at the end of the day all these can impact in different ways respectively and put together create the perfect balance. My dad always tells me, "there's more to life than you know. Your life is a gift, not only to you but to the world. What will have been your purpose if you do not make a difference in this life? You should live humbly and strive to leave life better than you found it".
Up until today there is nothing as amazing as the pyramids that were built by the Ancient Egyptians in Egypt. Question is why? Back then they didn't have all the machineries we have today. This goes to show that it is all a question of mind over matter. It is time for a different kind of revolution. One that can only be achieved through the liberation of the mind. A revolution of intelligence. We have got all resources well within our reach and are fortunate to go through some of the best education systems. If successful, we could produce the world's most exposed/learned generation. Instead of talking about the Africa we dream of, we need to work towards making it. It will take hard work, it will take commitment, consistency and dedication. But it is not impossible. You just have to decide whether the Africa you envision and hope to see one day is something worth fighting for. Remember it's AfriCAN with a big CAN!
Up until today there is nothing as amazing as the pyramids that were built by the Ancient Egyptians in Egypt. Question is why? Back then they didn't have all the machineries we have today. This goes to show that it is all a question of mind over matter. It is time for a different kind of revolution. One that can only be achieved through the liberation of the mind. A revolution of intelligence. We have got all resources well within our reach and are fortunate to go through some of the best education systems. If successful, we could produce the world's most exposed/learned generation. Instead of talking about the Africa we dream of, we need to work towards making it. It will take hard work, it will take commitment, consistency and dedication. But it is not impossible. You just have to decide whether the Africa you envision and hope to see one day is something worth fighting for. Remember it's AfriCAN with a big CAN!
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