Dreaming in Durban. Here's a great article putting in context the recent AU launch in Durban and NEPAD. By an African, a Nieman Fellow at Harvard, Shyaka Kanuma. Put a lot more eloquently, and at greater length than my last post, but right on the mark, in my opinion. Here's a small quote:
"It beggars belief that a gathering (such as that in Durban) of men who benefit from disorder will help unravel that disorder; that they will pave the way for good government in their countries; that they will give up their cash cows, surrender power and, with it, their means to a livelihood.
"What is more baffling is how the initiators of Nepad, their noble intentions aside, can delude themselves into thinking that anyone in the West will give Africa the necessary funds for their plans, when arch-enemies of that same West (if not also of their own people), such as Mugabe and Gadaffi, are likely to benefit from any such assistance.
"Mbeki and the others may be right in insisting that no one should presume to dictate to Africa how to run its affairs, or to tell it what company it may keep. But, by the same reasoning, Africa cannot presume to dictate who should give it money, how much and on what terms. Nor can Africa do so. Africa accounts for barely 1% of world economic output and world trade. Dreaming in Durban is all very well, but a dose of realism might go further."
10:24:11 AM 
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