Strong Diaspora Critical For Africa’s Global Standing and Future – Dr Christopher Fomunyoh.
An expert on African democracy, Dr Christopher Fomunyoh, has declared that a dreaded second scramble for Africa will not materialize if the African Diaspora collectively activates its resistance as the much-needed firewall or buffer to such a dreadful repeat of history.
Dr Fomunyoh made the remarks in a keynote lecture titled “African Diaspora in a Multi-Polar 21st Century,” at the 18th Annual Lecture Series and Gala Night of the Ivory Club of Tampa, an organization of African professionals living and working in the Tampa Bay Area of the USA, founded in 1993.
“As the full-time afro-optimist that I am, I can confidently state that the dreaded second ‘scramble for Africa’ will not happen – that is if we of the African Diaspora were to collectively activate our resistance as the much-needed firewall or buffer to such a dreadful repeat of history,” said Dr Christopher Fomunyoh, Senior Associate for Africa and Regional Director at the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs-NDI.
A surge of superpower influence
His remarks come at a time when Africa is attracting significant interest from global powers, especially in the wake of its wealth of natural resources, burgeoning markets, and strategic geopolitical position. Countries such as China, the United States, Russia, and several European nations have been intensifying their engagements with African governments, raising concerns about a renewed scramble for the continent’s assets.
“Today, unlike during the Berlin conference of 1884, the African Diaspora is present on all seven continents of the globe, Dr Fomunyoh said. Citing well-documented sources, Dr Fomunyoh reminded the audience that the population of the African Diaspora is estimated at 350 million worldwide, placing it right after China and India – and before the United States, Indonesia and Brazil — if it were a country of its own.
“Rather than be timid or minimalist in our engagement and approaches, we of the Diaspora must step forward and aggregate our groupings and networks, and with determination and greater intentionality, more aggressively speak up for and on behalf of the continent. The continent needs more voices to speak on its behalf internationally, and the Diaspora has a unique appreciation of the multi-dimensional spaces in which these conversations do occur,” Dr Fomunyoh said.
According to well-documented sources, the African Diaspora’s population is estimated at 350 million worldwide, placing it right after China and India—and before the United States, Indonesia, and Brazil—if it were a country of its own.
“Many (if not all) of you are shareholders in the massive enterprise of remittances which, according to World Bank studies on Migration and Development, surpass $100 billion annually for Africa; an amount that is more than Overall Development Assistance (ODA) and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). One can only wish that the shareholders that we all are, had more say in how the enterprise is run and how the dividends that flow from the investment are distributed.”
Need for increased advocacy for good governance.
This era of renewed superpower competition across Africa and other parts of the world is fraught with excessive misinformation and disinformation, and the Diaspora cannot afford to stand idly by while the gains of our hard-fought independence and recent democratization efforts are being undermined.
To the Senior Associate for Africa and Regional Director at the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs-NDI, the Diaspora cannot and must not stand by while the continent and their countries are being negatively impacted by poor leadership with no prospects of success.
“We cannot, and must not stand by while a wave of toxic disinformation is descended upon the continent that seeks not to amplify the positive values and assets that we possess as a people, but rather is a throwback to antiquated models that have failed us in the past and can only prolong the hardship and suffering of our people,” Christopher Fomunyoh added.
“We cannot and must not forget that among the Founding Fathers of today’s Africa were many that had served in the Diaspora and who from the trenches or long distance made the case and put up the good fight for the independence that our respective countries and the continent so cherish today. Collectively, we must step forward and rise to the occasion as Africa stands at the crossroads of a multipolar world in the 21st century.
Source: By Boris Esono Nwenfor