MyWeku

1) Aid and Economic Reform: With 6 of the 10 fastest growing economies in the world located in Africa it will be irresponsible of Africa not to help rescue England and the Euro region from their economic woes, especially as these woes are beginning to manifest themselves in social unrest on the streets of London and pose a threat to world security. Africa must encourage England to do away with protectionism and static economic policies. Such policies result in slow economic growth and serve to aggravate the risks of rioting and social unrest. Such acts of violence and lawlessness will only serve as a disincentive to African investment in Europe. Africa must offer Aid to England but only in return for economic reform. As a condition, any proposed Aid needs to be linked with ensuring that England builds strong institutions to guarantee that reform is not abandoned once the Aid has been received.

2) Political Reform, Human Rights and Corruption: The prospects for growth and stability in Europe would be significantly improved if African countries take a wider role in exerting more pressure on recalcitrant regimes. Using water cannons on protesters, shutting down social media (as the UK Prime Minister has suggested) and arresting protesters en masse should not be tolerated. We must urge the UK government, as a matter of urgency, to open meaningful dialogue with the protesters and revolutionaries. Kofi Annan once stated: “Corruption hurts the poor disproportionately by diverting funds intended for development, undermining a government’s ability to provide basic services, feeding inequality and injustice, and discouraging foreign investment and aid.”Africa and the international community needs to urge England to set December 9^th aside, Anti Corruption Day, to focus on the core elements of fighting corruption: access to information, increased visibility of spending (with special scrutiny on UK Members’ of Parliament), review the extent to which diverting funds for regime change in Libya and Iraq affects its own domestic population and working on stronger communication in youth education.

 3) Mentoring Scheme: It is evident that the only way to get England out of this crisis is to empower the country and its people to take action. That means access to information on how to run successful businesses that will help reduce youth worklessness. African countries should be incentivized to mentor small businesses in England to help them acquire the necessary skills and business acumen to compete effectively in a modern global world. It is fair to assume that given a free reign as is the case in Nigeria, multinational companies under the guise of “mentoring”, “knowledge transfer” and doing “business” are prone to exploiting their host country, destroying the natural environment (land, vegetation etc) and promoting corrupt practices. African companies that decide to operate in England, must endevour to eschew any exploitative practices as long as doing so does not go against their business interests or the national interests of their respective governments.

4) Improve Educational Equality: The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has brought attention to the issue of education by creating “Education for All by 2015.” This mandate articulates key concerns regarding “the needs for basic education of all children, youth and adults by offering them a fair chance to receive quality teaching and to acquire skills that are crucial for developing their full potential.” In my view, the causes of the English riots are complex. I believe England needs to as a matter of urgency set up parental classes, abolish fee paying schools that poor urban children cannot afford and bring back corporal punishment in their schools.

5) African Union: For reasons of history and self-interest the African Union is best placed to act as an ‘agency of restraint’. The explosion of conflict and anarchy in England is too serious to ignore. With its high tech peace keeping force the African Union is well placed to step in to quell the violence if and when needed, with or indeed without oversight or approval by the United Nations or respect for national soverignty and borders.

6) Live Aid: Funds raised from Live Aid in the 1980s worked brilliantly in not only propping up a brutal Ethiopian regime but it did help save the lives of millions. Live Aid should be revived to raise funds for England. However, it must be made clear to England that funds from Live Aid will only be released if domestic circumstances and governance improves significantly.

7) Transferring Grassroots Model: Grassroots organizations active in Africa include Dynamic Hands Youth International (Ghana), the Oyugis Self Help Project (Kenya) and Beyond Sport (Zambia). These have served Africans well. Their operational and business models must be transferred, with some adaptation, to help heal broken communities in England.

8 ) Protect Internally Displaced People (IDP): A significant number of people have lost their homes and are fleeing from the violence and rioting that have engulfed English cities and towns. Aid organizations rather like the SaveDarfur.org should be set up to provide temporary housing in the form of tents. Equipment and logistical support to help the refugees must be made available to the English, with the help of international Aid organisations, as soon as is practically possible.

9) Address Tribalism and Promote Equitable Distribution of Resources: Inequality encompasses many areas, including violence against ethnic minorities and denying political and economical rights to non-indegenous English. The international community must encourage England to sign on to the “Say No to Tribalism” campaign.

10) Rehabilitate Child Rioters: Children are uniquely vulnerable to recruitment and manipulation into violence because they are innocent and impressionable. They are forced or enticed to join gangs, rioting parties and armed groups. Basic rights and freedoms of children must be protected by ensuring England signs on to the United Nation’s Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict.

Nii Thompson