Page 31 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 6
P. 31
AFRIKA'S DEVELOPMENT
ment. The north is excessively was 50% (same as Nigeria). ress of African nations. And the
rich; Africa is excessively poor. Today, it is said to be less than most significant challenge fac-
Both poverty and wealth put 5%. In 1993, Vietnam’s poverty ing Africa today may well be her
pressure on the resource bases level was nearly 60% (the same ability to cultivate a mindset that
of the world. The rich contribute as Nigeria); now it is under is steeped in chemistry, math-
to damaging the earth through 20%. Economists project that if ematics and physics while still
excessive greed, consumerism current trends continue, Asian’s maintaining a reasonable and
and unsustainable lifestyles. portion of global GDP will rise balanced approach to religion.
The poor also destroy the earth from 30% today to 50% by Development here refers to the
through bush burning, cutting 2040. ability of nations to order the
down valuable trees without However, Asia’s growth has society in such a way that there
any plan to replace them, and also come at a price. Asia is in is stability and security, and
selling rare animal parts – all danger of losing up to 75% of basic amenities such as water,
in a bid to raise some money its forests and 40% of its bio- housing and energy.
to feed themselves and their diversity this century. Already, Many African nations are yet
families. Poverty can be as in the past 25 years, Asia has to upgrade, renew and evolve
bad as excessive wealth, and lost half of its forests, degrad- their knowledge bases. They
both over-development and ed one-third of its agricultural find a lazy and easy excuse
under-development are incom- land, and become home to 13 in referring to times past, ‘the
patible with sustainable devel- of the world’s 15 most-polluted good old days’, to ancient ways
opment. Europe and America cities. As India’s middle-class of life that are not compatible
are well developed – but at a families have increased in with modern realities. Others
high price. number and wealth, this has blame colonialism, capitalism,
Agricultural intensification has caused an increase in demand civilization or modernity. It is
resulted in biodiversity loss, for foodstuffs, and the country’s true that we Africans were once
greenhouse emissions and agricultural production capacity enslaved. It is true that some
climate change. In the United can’t meet the demand. Similar capitalist foreigners invaded our
States and Canada, individuals trends are taking place in Indo- land and ruled over us, and ex-
release over 10,000 pounds nesia, the Philippines, Vietnam ploited our natural resources for
of carbon dioxide (CO2) per and Brazil. selfish gains. But were we the
person per year. Heating and only race that was colonized?
cooling systems in the US emit Looking at Africa, what is Much of African culture is
over 500 million tons of CO2 obvious is not the growth of backwards-looking and static,
into the atmosphere each year. basic and mature engineering, and this is keeping over 70%
New York alone uses more automation, post-harvest pres- of Africans in poverty. It lacks
gasoline in a week than the ervation, food processing and innovation and dynamism, and
whole of Africa does in a year. packaging technologies, infra- projects culture as a static,
The US state of Texas, with a structural developments, social unchangeable way of life rather
population of 30 million, emits amenities, oil management than an evolving and changing
more CO2 than 93 developing technology and water technol- interaction of intelligent beings
countries added together, with ogy – all of which are vital for in society, thereby widening the
a combined population of nearly poverty eradication. Instead, gap between the African conti-
one billion people. what is evident is the spread of nent and the rest of the world.
China’s GDP has grown by religious dogma, extraordinary African universities and centers
over 10% in the past five years, sprouting of churches, Pen- of learning are filled with profes-
while India’s has grown by tecostalism and piety, which sors and ‘scholars’ who are not
8-9%. More than 500 million demands unquestioning sub- able to update their knowledge
people in China have been mission to revealed ‘truths’ and bases. They can only see the
lifted out of poverty in the past discourages reason, dissidence world as they were taught as
25 years. Vietnam’s GDP has and logic. students. They are not ready
grown more than 8% per year Excessive religionism and to go beyond their doctoral
for the past three years. In spiritualism may be one of the and master theses, and hold
1976, Malaysia’s poverty rate greatest obstacles to the prog- on to the same old ideas of 30,
www.msingiafrikamagazine.com heal . restore . rebirth . Afrika | 31
