IF Africa needs ANOTHER DIASPORA?
By Jean-Paul Pougala – The word diaspora meant in ancient times the dispersion of the Jews (Without land). Today it has evolved and expanded to other people. But the word “diaspora” refers primarily to African people as slaves deported from the 16th to 19th century. For African people living outside the continent and result of recent migrations, I prefer the terminology: “People of African descent.” “Africans in the diaspora” is inappropriate, since the word “diaspora” is not synonymous with “Abroad,” even less “overseas”.
According to a grouping criterion by social class may be divided these populations into 3 categories: there is the traditional migrant naturally occupies the bottom of the social scale in the countries of destination. Unfortunately the vast majority of African migrants, about 90%. There are executives, entrepreneurs, professionals and politicians who are about 9% and remaining 1% consists of wealthy individuals living in upscale neighbourhoods, they do not work and for the most part they have never worked, because they are brothers, sisters, cousins, cousins, lovers, lovers, politicians and civil servants African and live with a generalized system of corruption and misappropriation of public goods that plagues their country. When operations against corruption deprives them of their rents, they then discover the most vocal opponents of the system. In some countries, they are going to finance rebellions armies to regain lost power.
All three categories have something in common, they suffer All of what I call the “Ghetto Syndrome.” While in their host country they have never demonstrated the slightest praise competence in a specific area for them, the fact to live without participating in the public life of Paris, Washington or London should be enough to be seen as the expert can solve all the problems in Africa related to the economy, finance, policy, legal, technology etc … They know all, on all subjects. With multiple weekly meetings they talk about funerals, birthdays, weddings, remarriage, baptism children etc … with consequent displacement intercontinental never create wealth, they do not speak and never used it to Africa. They live in a closed circuit of poor, with just as a chronic behaviour. United States, 95% of Asian children go to university, against 12% of children Africans who are mostly destined for the prison because
the irresponsibility of parents helping, they settled in a crime is eventually exported to the countries of origin parents, soiling the image of the transition countries.
It is in this context that more and more in Africa, made the choose to involve the citizens of each country residents abroad to the development effort without first be concerned about the quality and timeliness of contributions. This is as if it meant that the astrophysicist Modibo Diarra could be useful to his home country Mali.
Unfortunately, this is the logic of the laxity that characterizes national governments, until the level of the African Union address this matter of great importance for the continent. When Summit of African Heads of State in Lome in 2000, the statement Final planned to organize a conference bringing together 500 Intellectuals of Africa and the Diaspora to reflect on the “role intellectuals, artists and men of culture in building of Africa.”What is an intellectual? This choice is based on diplomas or publications? If it’s on the basis of qualifications, at what level do we start? Tray 2, 4, 10? And if it on the basis of publications, how many pounds should be published? and on what topics?
Thus the 7-9 October 2004 under the patronage of the President of Commission of the African Union (AU), Alpha Omar Konare and Senegalese President A. Wade, this first conference was held say “of Intellectuals from Africa and the Diaspora” with the theme “Africa in the 21st Century: Integration and Renaissance”. As Predictably, the mountain gave birth to a mouse. That could be expected 500 people, not speaking the same language, cultural influence in the most scattered, without a book specific charge? A visual navigation. Ought he not first organize these Africans?
A month later, it is Angola, which took the torch by holding the 8 to 10 November 2004 in Luanda, on the initiative of the Government Angola, the first meeting since independence (November 11 1975), managers of Angolans abroad, with 263 professionals trained and living abroad and 253 professionals trained in Angola and living abroad. In the final communiqué, the issue was to find how to involve the Angolans from abroad according to sectors and areas where their contribution would be more effective.
Two months later, it was the turn of Kenya to re-offend with “Meeting of the African brain drain” to the 19/12/2004 Nairobi together 250 African intellectuals from Africa, Europe and North America, under the patronage of the Minister of Kenya of Planning and National Development, Anyang Nyongo.
And since then it’s every African country has entered the dance with small variations here and there. But all the mistakes commit are two kinds:
1 – It is unrealistic to think of Africans who are often victims of racism and exclusion in the West, can work wonders in positions of responsibility in Africa they have never had the opportunity to occupy before in their country of residence.
2 – The unemployment rate for people of African descent in major Western countries is often the highest that can happen, twice the national average. Believe these populations they can find work in their countries while the Unemployment remains the biggest unsolved problem of the continent is a political mistake that can have dramatic consequences on the lives of people returning to their countries.
WHAT TO DO?
NATIONAL OF THE COUNTRY:
1 – Engaging the citizens who live abroad to return to the fold but insisting that they must come and create their own work, they will ease the administrative procedures for starting their own business.
2 – To educate its citizens to become more involved in life political, administrative and political life of their host countries to they ripen from the experience which can then be useful
Africa 3 – Mutual Community for nationals of the most poor, such as education humanism, because it is unthinkable that Malian living in Paris who was indifferent to the fate of the Malian the poor of his city, then pretend to take care of destiny Malians of Mali
At the continental level, the African Union should:
Identify all people of African descent who have excelled in any area in the world and the copter so they contribute to the implementation of a set of specifications for a real Pan-African development. All inventors from Africa must be involved in discussions for industrialization. The poor serves as an example in many African countries, it is mark a break and offer the people of the models of excellence, unquestionable references. For example:
1 – In the field of cinema, is it conceivable to have a meeting African but failed in every way to convince Charlize Theron, who lives in Hollywood, to be part of the development team?
Charlize Theron is the first African actress (South Africa) that won the Oscar for Best Actress for her performance in “Monster” in 2004 and this year she signed a contract with John Galliano to lend his image to ads of perfume J’Adore by Christian Dior. To date, she is the ambassador of Dior perfumes. Since then, she earns for each film as an actress, $ 10 million.
2 – Can we do a meeting to discuss the African system Financial without inviting to the table that the Nigerians in London in 2007, thanks to their tenacity allowed two Nigerian banks settle in the British capital and especially allowed 3 Other: Guaranty Trust Bank, Access Bank and United Bank for Africa of manages to raise a few months, 1 billion 300 million dollars on the London Stock Exchange (LSE), the Stock values of London, the money for the Nigerian economy, without go through the humiliation and harassment of the IMF or the Bank World?
These brave Africans were they part of the cast of the said “African Diaspora” invited by the African Union in Dakar or Durban?
Here is an example followed by two countries India and China emerging through also to his children also:
INDIA
India has taken off on the basis of its nationals who had managed to emerge individually over the world. She was able to meet its citizens around the GOPIO (Global Organization of People of Indian Origin), with its 22 million of registered voters in 125 countries. Representatives meet once per year in one of 125 countries and elect their president and Secretary. The meeting’s theme: sharing experiences positive for the community to allow greater development of wealth and how to enjoy the country, India for all their acquired outside the country. It helps Indians abroad most in need. In this organization, there are famous names like Lakshmi Mittal, who lives in London, and ranked fifth in the world in wealth 2010 with 28.7 billion USD. History will record that February 2006 throughout the European Union was opposed to the Offer Public Purchasing (OPA) launched by Mr Mittal on society French Arcelor steel was an insult to Europe son of the colonies get their hands on one of the jewels of the industry. Mr. Mittal is expected that the French president Chirac goes on India to sign for 3 billion dollars of contracts between another delivery of 43 Airbus aircraft for national carrier Indian Airlines and partnership for the construction of India satellites, to precede and explain to the press and on Indian major television that the refusal European was motivated by racism because he was Indian while explaining the futility of working with people who themselves are xenophobic and do not see that as “colonized” that
should never exceed them. Thus the pressure Indian People to prove the contrary, Mr. Chirac had today and give thanks to the Arcelor-Mittal, Mr. Mittal has become the world’s largest steel. Like what there is that people of African descent that you can call with impunity “Scum” and having the following month a walkabout in Africa, with the same red carpet as the official place to your passage.
CHINA
In China, everyone talks about today’s success in China almost all areas, but they forget very quickly that it has supported a population that had ripened experience of excellence in the West to start its development of the atomic bomb Chinese ballistic missiles.
Deng Jiaxian (1924-1986). PhD only 26 years in Nuclear Physics at Purdue University in the State of Indiana in the United States is the father of the Chinese atomic bomb. In 1958 the Soviets break with China, the so-called “child-savant” takes the lead a team of 28 Chinese physicists. Objective: To develop the China Atomic bomb. And in 1964, offers China’s atomic bomb and while the U.S. had put seven years, he is 2 years and 6 months give China its first hydrogen bomb. Deng Jiaxian is sacrificed 2 twice for his country, is the first time to isolate themselves from his wife for 10 years by retreating into his laboratory to find these two bombs and the second sacrifice that cost him his life is when, because of a failed attempt, the non-radioactive fragments ordnance fall to the ground. To avoid contamination of land, he will take himself, knowing he will die.
China has taken advantage of the contributions of his children which also Africa could learn:
– Yang Zhenning, the first Chinese Nobel Prize, he won in 1957 Physics at the age of 35. He shared with another Chinese-Americans like himself, named Li Zhengdao (Tsung-Dao Lee).
– Rukangira Wu, PhD at Washington University in St. Louis in 1947, expert in anatomy
– Huang Weilu Creator of Solid Strategic Missiles, PhD in Imperial College London 1947
– Wang Xuan, creator of digital typesetting, died on 13/2/2006 at the age of 70.
– Zhang Xiangtong Neurophisiologie father of Chinese PhD at Yale University in 1935
– Chen Nengkuan father of Chinese metallurgy, PhD at Yale University in 1950
– Qian Xuesen, father of the first missile and aviation industry.
A graduate of MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), and two PhD Aerospace and mathematics in 1939 at the California Institute of Technology in the United States. He then worked in the U.S. before being Coptic by China. Etc … etc …
CONCLUSION:
Africa needs to hunt its best talent wherever are. This will prevent the import of it was poor his own son. This is the price to compete with the world. Africa needs to teach his son and daughters of Africa and out of continent that everyone must excel at what he does and where it is and found only in this way it may be useful to his country, his continent.
Jean-Paul Pougala
