- Dec 17, 2010
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1. SAME LANDMASS
Some compare the chances of all Africa uniting to say Australia and Indonesia uniting. Let's explore that. For starters, Australia has its own landmass. It is separated from Indonesia and the rest of the world by ocean, and ships and planes coming into Australia can go around or across Indonesia. Africa is one super-continent, and will be forced to get along with neighbours. The economy and geology demand it! It will more economically be able to freight cargo across vast areas by fast rail. Landlocked nations would enjoy modern rail and trucking freight infrastructure across the continent to get their products to the oceans. The sheer geopolitics of trade across such a vast continent, or even shipping around it, demands a closer economic and political union for the wealth of all.
2. A SHARED EXPERIENCE OF SUFFERING UNDER COLONIAL RULE
Australia has a history of being colonised by the one European empire — the English — and eventually those separate colonies joined together and Federated. Africa has different history of being colonised and pillaged by competing European powers. While delivering diverse outcomes and languages, it also gives — more or less across such a vast region — a shared feeling of having been violated in past generations. Imperialism, resource theft, slavery, racism have all left deep wounds on African development and history. Much like China after her “century of shame” Africa may want to unify on the rebound of all that historical abuse to make sure it never happens again.
3. AVOID NEO-COLONIALISM
Some argue that there are even risks of neo-colonialism doing the same thing today. This quote from The Independent in 2007 (page since taken down) illustrates what I’m saying:-
>>In a world of increasing globalisation, where the small guys often get drowned out by the bigger players, especially on issues such as trade, some African leaders believe the only way for the continent to prosper is to unite. They want to replace the current African Union (AU), a largely administrative group for the 53 countries from Egypt to South Africa, with a proper African government that would control a two million-strong continental army, direct the fight against Aids, and speak with one voice in international negotiations. “The battle for the United States of Africa is the only one worth fighting for our generation – the only one that can provide the answers to the thousand-and-one problems faced by the populations of Africa,” Alpha Oumar Konare, head of the AU, said before the meeting."<<
Various east African nations are benefiting from having cheaper salaries than some middle class areas in China. They are "China's China", offering cheap labour to the world’s factory. For more, spend 10 minutes with Visualpolitik.
But what will happen in coming decades as their wealth increases? Neighbouring African states will want some of that.
4. ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF UNITY
The 20th Century saw European imperial powers go to war with each other twice. As their various empires collapsed in on themselves, rather than just become individual ‘nation-states’ they immediately formed the European Steel and Coal Community which eventually grew into the European Union we have today. (An interesting side note of this is that British Brexiteer ‘Leavers’ believe in a myth that they were once a stable nation state out on their own, but they were in reality a collapsing global empire. Britain has not ever been an individual stable ‘nation-state’ in the modern state, and so an independent, lonely Britain may prove more fragile and economically vulnerable than many Brexiteers imagined!)
In terms of building African Economic integration, "greed is good". (But of course not in terms of political corruption!) If I trade my country's cheaper goods for some of your country's cheaper goods it makes us both richer. As trade breaks out across the continent, it gradually increases and demands things like the easier exchange of employees and labour and immigration. Gradually economic integration operates like this. 'Preferential trading areas' => 'Free trade areas' => 'Customs Unions' => 'Common Markets' => 'Economic Unions' => 'Customs unions' => 'Common market' => 'Economic union' => 'Economic and monetary union' => 'Complete economic integration'. Economic integration - Wikipedia
The first 4 goals of the African Union are (according to wikipedia):-
1. To achieve greater unity and solidarity between the African countries and Africans.
2. To defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of its Member States.
3. To accelerate the political and social-economic integration of the continent.
4. To promote and defend African common positions on issues of interest to the continent and its peoples.
African Union - Wikipedia
5. ENGLISH IS THE COMMON GLOBAL LANGUAGE
People raising objections that Africa has many languages forget that English is the language of business opportunity and international problem solving. For example India has 22 major languages and many hundreds of sub-dialects, but 2 official languages: Hindi and English. Indians from different linguistic groups have English road and shop signs. While their home language will be their language of the heart and home and passion, English will be the language of business and politics for a united Africa. See Jay Walker’s 4 minute TED talk on the MANIA for learning English! Over 4 minutes.
6. AFRICA THE WORLD’S RICHEST SUPERPOWER!
Finally, a vision of the world’s wealthiest most important super-power will take over. Full integration of Africa would make her an unstoppable military and economic force able to defend herself with ease. Bit by bit nations are forming economic communities, and gradually these are integrating and trading and forming their own amalgamated currencies. Within a few generations, the momentum should become unstoppable. A united Africa would eventually have 40% of the world’s population and be the greatest economic force on the planet. After centuries of suffering abuse, that’s a vision worth struggling for!
Some compare the chances of all Africa uniting to say Australia and Indonesia uniting. Let's explore that. For starters, Australia has its own landmass. It is separated from Indonesia and the rest of the world by ocean, and ships and planes coming into Australia can go around or across Indonesia. Africa is one super-continent, and will be forced to get along with neighbours. The economy and geology demand it! It will more economically be able to freight cargo across vast areas by fast rail. Landlocked nations would enjoy modern rail and trucking freight infrastructure across the continent to get their products to the oceans. The sheer geopolitics of trade across such a vast continent, or even shipping around it, demands a closer economic and political union for the wealth of all.
2. A SHARED EXPERIENCE OF SUFFERING UNDER COLONIAL RULE
Australia has a history of being colonised by the one European empire — the English — and eventually those separate colonies joined together and Federated. Africa has different history of being colonised and pillaged by competing European powers. While delivering diverse outcomes and languages, it also gives — more or less across such a vast region — a shared feeling of having been violated in past generations. Imperialism, resource theft, slavery, racism have all left deep wounds on African development and history. Much like China after her “century of shame” Africa may want to unify on the rebound of all that historical abuse to make sure it never happens again.
3. AVOID NEO-COLONIALISM
Some argue that there are even risks of neo-colonialism doing the same thing today. This quote from The Independent in 2007 (page since taken down) illustrates what I’m saying:-
>>In a world of increasing globalisation, where the small guys often get drowned out by the bigger players, especially on issues such as trade, some African leaders believe the only way for the continent to prosper is to unite. They want to replace the current African Union (AU), a largely administrative group for the 53 countries from Egypt to South Africa, with a proper African government that would control a two million-strong continental army, direct the fight against Aids, and speak with one voice in international negotiations. “The battle for the United States of Africa is the only one worth fighting for our generation – the only one that can provide the answers to the thousand-and-one problems faced by the populations of Africa,” Alpha Oumar Konare, head of the AU, said before the meeting."<<
Various east African nations are benefiting from having cheaper salaries than some middle class areas in China. They are "China's China", offering cheap labour to the world’s factory. For more, spend 10 minutes with Visualpolitik.
4. ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF UNITY
The 20th Century saw European imperial powers go to war with each other twice. As their various empires collapsed in on themselves, rather than just become individual ‘nation-states’ they immediately formed the European Steel and Coal Community which eventually grew into the European Union we have today. (An interesting side note of this is that British Brexiteer ‘Leavers’ believe in a myth that they were once a stable nation state out on their own, but they were in reality a collapsing global empire. Britain has not ever been an individual stable ‘nation-state’ in the modern state, and so an independent, lonely Britain may prove more fragile and economically vulnerable than many Brexiteers imagined!)
In terms of building African Economic integration, "greed is good". (But of course not in terms of political corruption!) If I trade my country's cheaper goods for some of your country's cheaper goods it makes us both richer. As trade breaks out across the continent, it gradually increases and demands things like the easier exchange of employees and labour and immigration. Gradually economic integration operates like this. 'Preferential trading areas' => 'Free trade areas' => 'Customs Unions' => 'Common Markets' => 'Economic Unions' => 'Customs unions' => 'Common market' => 'Economic union' => 'Economic and monetary union' => 'Complete economic integration'. Economic integration - Wikipedia
The first 4 goals of the African Union are (according to wikipedia):-
1. To achieve greater unity and solidarity between the African countries and Africans.
2. To defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of its Member States.
3. To accelerate the political and social-economic integration of the continent.
4. To promote and defend African common positions on issues of interest to the continent and its peoples.
African Union - Wikipedia
5. ENGLISH IS THE COMMON GLOBAL LANGUAGE
People raising objections that Africa has many languages forget that English is the language of business opportunity and international problem solving. For example India has 22 major languages and many hundreds of sub-dialects, but 2 official languages: Hindi and English. Indians from different linguistic groups have English road and shop signs. While their home language will be their language of the heart and home and passion, English will be the language of business and politics for a united Africa. See Jay Walker’s 4 minute TED talk on the MANIA for learning English! Over 4 minutes.
Finally, a vision of the world’s wealthiest most important super-power will take over. Full integration of Africa would make her an unstoppable military and economic force able to defend herself with ease. Bit by bit nations are forming economic communities, and gradually these are integrating and trading and forming their own amalgamated currencies. Within a few generations, the momentum should become unstoppable. A united Africa would eventually have 40% of the world’s population and be the greatest economic force on the planet. After centuries of suffering abuse, that’s a vision worth struggling for!