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In Africa’s quest for development so many
developmental issues have been addressed from structural
adjustment polices (SAP) to the Highly Indebted Poor Country
(HIPC) initiative. How far have we come with these programs?
This year signifies a very important year in
the calendar of African history. Do you know that
seventeen African countries will be
celebrating their Golden Jubilee of independence this year?
Togo, Somalia, Senegal, Nigeria, Niger, Mauritania, Mali,
Madagascar, Gabon, Cote d’Ivoire, Congo, Chad, Central
African Republic, Burkina Faso ,Botswana, Cameroon and
Benin all attained independence in 1960.
The Golden Jubilee celebrations of these
African countries were considered in choosing this year’s
theme which is; “Post Independent Africa: Cultural
imperatives for development.”
As we review Africa’s post independence era,
what are the factors/players that have accelerated or
decelerated the continents progress. What has been the role
of World Bank’s assistance and its associated conditionalities on the development of Africa?
The Common Currency of the former French
Colonies; the CFA Franc, created in 1945 by France obliges
14 Francophone African countries to put 65% of their Foreign
exchange reserves in the French Treasury. Is it time to
open the debate on binding ‘controversial’ colonial
treaties?
Is Senegal’s African renaissance statue which
is alleged to cost $28million dollars and Ghana’s $60m
Golden Jubilee Presidential palace a misplaced priority or a
significant inspiration for young Africans to reinforce
their conviction of a better future? Ghana’s Parliament
approved $20m dollars for Ghana’s Golden Jubilee Celebration
in 2007. It is expected that the 17 African countries that
are celebrating their Golden Jubilee will spend similar or
greater amounts of money in their celebrations. Is it worth
spending huge sums of money in celebrating the Golden Jubilee?
These are the issues we are calling for
papers on. These are the debates ICACD 2010 is opening
during ICACD 2010 and on its social networking websites.
ICACD 2010 presents a
unique position for Africans to input into action the
cultural perspective of all these concerns. Each participant
will be given the opportunity to actively participate in
this forum and to take the energy and ideas that each of us
brings back to our homes. The future of Africans is in the
hands of each of us. ICACD 2010 will be an interdisciplinary
conference of Academics, artists, cultural and development
workers, Government agencies and policy makers and all
people committed to working to see the development of Africa
as
a reality. |
