What we can learn from Africa’s response to Mali
by admin on April 12, 2012
Alassane Ouattara. Image: Wikipedia
Earlier today, the Malian Parliament speaker, Dioncounda Traore, was sworn in as interim president of the country. A spokeswoman for the US Department of State described this as a “very good step” for Mali, and that’s because it is. Indeed, I would go further: in my view, leadership is back in Africa. Perhaps for the first time in the continent’s history, an official body, the economic community of west African states (Ecowas), has succeeded in ending a coup in a nearby nation. That’s something to celebrate.
Alassane Ouattara, who is president of Ivory Coast and Ecowas chairman, played a major role in bringing about this development by advocating the introduction of economic sanctions. On April 2, he announced: “All diplomatic, economic, financial measures and others are applicable from today and will not be lifted until the re-establishment of constitutional order.” He also discussed the possible introduction of military troops. (There may be a motive for his strong stance. Ivory Coast has an unstable history and has been subject to many coups and plots of its own over the years.)
Still the situation in Mali is far from perfect, and stability is tenuous. The next step is to focus on restoring legal governmental power in northern Mali, which could otherwise destabilize the region and become a new Afghanistan, and a base for Al Qaeda.
Although presidential campaigns in US and France are dominating the agenda in those countries, foreign policy should not be forgotten over the next few months. These two nations in particular should support and uphold Mali’s struggling democracy (after all it is a Francophone nation, and a former French colony). Members of the Malian diaspora who live in the US, Europe or Canada, should also play a part in their country’s future well-being, and not just observe from afar.
Now that leaders like Ouattara, or Dr. Jean Ping, who is chairperson of the commission of the African Union, are working together to promote peace in the region, the rest of the world should be ready to help in whatever ways are most practical. We ought to support such individuals: for after the global economy is revived, the next thing to build is a community of global leaders who share a commitment to a safe and peaceful world.
Africa has a bright future, and that’s a vision we should all wish to foster. For that reason, the New York Forum Institute is offering a platform for dialog and discussion, at Libreville in Gabon this June. I hope that you can join me there.
Richard Attias, Founder, The New York Forum Institute
Founder The New York Forum and The New York Forum AFRICA
Tackling one of the biggest threats to our children: Suicide
by admin on March 16, 2012
Image credit: www.writing-wrongs.org
While I usually speak about economic issue or geopolitic or global issues, today I would like to discuss an issue that’s about care for our kids, about the next generation and about a specific danger they are facing: suicide.
When we think of the threats that our children face out in the world, we may worry about stranger-danger, or tired car-drivers who aren’t focussed on the road, or a host of other possible things that could affect their safety. But in fact suicide is one of the greatest causes of death amongst young people: the third leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 15 and 24. This figure is pretty shocking. But the good news is that it suicide preventable.
Global Food Security: The Biggest Challenge For Our World
by admin on March 14, 2012
Image by fishhawk on Flickr
Last week in Rabat, Morocco, we launched the Global Food Security Forum, which was created as an initiative of OCP Group (the world’s leading provider of phosphates based in Morocco). We felt the particularly urgent need to do this now, because as climate change affects weather patterns across the globe, and political tensions flare up, food security will become one of the most pressing issues for the world’s leaders to deal with – if it isn’t already.
Startup Africa
by Richard Attias on February 21, 2012
As Europe and the US struggle to get their finances in order, and the BRIC nations do their best to build on recent successes, another continent has been quietly gaining pace. And lately not so quietly.
Last year a stream of articles appeared in the Financial Times and other publications about Africa’s swift growth. The momentum continues and only last week, The Economist had a feature on Twitter use in Africa. The consensus seems clear: Africa has reached a turning point. That’s why the New York Forum is launching NYF AFRICA in June this year.
Here are the phenomena that mean good news for the African continent. It possesses a bounty of natural resources, being rich in copper, gold and oil; its service economy is developing and industrial production is on the increase; and many African countries have a growing middle class, as a generation of well-educated young people enters the work place.
GCF 2012. A FOCUS ON ENTREPRENEURS
by Richard Attias on January 24, 2012
Entrepreneurship is the key to competitiveness, and it’s something every nation needs to think about. So it is entirely fitting that the Global Competitiveness Forum in Saudi Arabia is placing it at the center of its conference this year.
Bringing together a diverse range of high profile speakers from across the world, the three-day event will address the big issues that governments and businesses are facing. At the heart of it all, during this period of economic fragility, is job creation. We believe that the entrepreneurial spirit will be a part of this in the future.
The GCF is held in Riyadh and was created by the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority in 2006 (HM King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz is its patron). It is an annual meeting of business leaders, politicians, intellectuals and journalists that aims to nurture dialogue on issues relating to local, regional and global economic and social development – currently the only event of its kind.
