Africa is emerging as a player on the global stage. This
should not be news to anyone. Mention of the fact should, however, serve as an
invitation to reflect on its significance.
For the first time in history, events and outcomes in Africa
will impact and be directly impacted by what goes on in the rest of the world.
Even as late as 2008, less than a decade ago, the sub-prime crisis and global
economic meltdown of that year had nary an effect on the continent. Africa was
essentially outside the global economic system – too small a player to matter!
That has all changed. The world will not catch a cold when
Africa sneezes – not yet! – but the threat of a cold is becoming real. The
continent’s growing middle class complete with its voracious consumerist
tendencies, its potential as a source of essential minerals such as coltan,
uranium, manganese and others, and a growing desire and ability to seek
value-addition prior to exports, all of this is moving Africa ever closer to
the economic heart of global affairs. It is about time, therefore, that
Africans – citizens and governments – recognize this and talk about it.
The challenge of injecting this fact into the public
discourse mostly lies, I believe, with media professionals and, to some extent,
with academics, social commentators and other opinion leaders on the continent.
Citizens and their leaders have to be reminded of this important
fact because their actions today and tomorrow at the individual, micro level
have consequences at the collective, macro level.
The discussion must focus on the quality of leadership on
the continent. What quality of men and women are in leadership in Africa today?
What quality of men and women should lead Africa in the 21st century?
The answer to these questions will bring us to the one
element that is increasingly central to the choice of leaders today: elections!
One of the most important drivers of change in Africa now is
the system of governance that came into prominence after the collapse of the
Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War. Freed from the imperatives of a
bipolar world, people in Africa ultimate rose to demand the right to participate
in the governance of their countries.
The result was the slow but steady collapse of centralized
states and single party rule, and the rise in Africa of participatory
democracy. Elections have since become the mode for determining entry into the
circle of national leadership. And the leaders who will ensure that Africa
remains an actor in world affairs this century will come to power through
elections. Other options have proved to be disastrous for regional stability
and economic growth.
The future of the continent is inextricably linked to what
happens during elections. And in this, the role of media is critical!
That is
why it is important that journalists and other media professionals get into the
game, understand what elections represent, and figure out how they cover these
intensely political, economic and social activities in the life of any nation.
Elections strengthen national democracies and institutions;
they determine the quality of leaders who will govern the nation; they help
ensure the sustainability of peace and progress, and ultimately they define the
pace and quality of development and change.
Key to electoral outcomes is the quality of public
information and debate. Informed citizens are empowered citizens. Never before
in its history has the need for quality public information in Africa been in
greater demand. Never before has the role of the communication professional
been more important.
What journalists and other opinion leaders do in the lead up
to elections, in the organization and coverage of the elections, and in
bringing the country together again after elections may be the single most
important role played by the media in any country. Their actions may be the one
factor that reinforces the bonds that bind the nation, strengthen its
governance institutions, and ensure national progress and development.
There are elections each year somewhere in Africa. Even in
cases where outcomes are known before ballots are cast, elections present an
opportunity to bring out the issues and general debate on them. There is hardly
a country on the continent that does not face issues related to youth
unemployment, inadequate infrastructure, public health and education, economic
and financial management, energy, agriculture and food security, and challenges
to peace and security. Who is offering the public viable policy options for
dealing with these? There is no better time to put out these issues and have aspirants
to power discuss them.
The African Media Initiative will be partnering with some
global institutions to help strengthen the ability of media professionals to
adequately cover elections and to make sure that media in Africa play that
central role in defining the future of this continent.
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