Africa: A Continent of Promise
1 December 2000
Africa has more than its fair share of problems to overcome. But at the community level, vibrant work is going on, and Oxfam believes that this energy needs to be better supported.
By Jenn Yablonski, Jessica Wattman, and Paul Takow
Today's common image of Africa is of a continent torn apart by conflict. Images of starving children, mindless brutality, and rampant poverty—so often the focus of news reports from Africa—leave outsiders wondering about the sheer inhumanity of it all. Like it or not, we all fall prey to the thought that Africa is a hopeless combination of intractible problems.
But our images of Africa are actually very filtered—largely the results of selective and poorly informed media reports. News agencies, often in their rush for dramatic headlines, generally fail to report the nuances of these conflicts, and they fail to see or report on the stronger promise that is the reality for much of the continent. In fact, many of these conflicts are fueled by a relatively small number of people, despite their profound effect on large numbers of citizens. Additionally, external states or businesses have, in large part, financed internal violence throughout Africa, enabling fighting to continue longer than it could have otherwise. Most startling is the absolute silence from the press about the heroic efforts being made by community-based groups around Africa—themselves often caught in the middle of war—to disengage from violence and take concrete steps toward peace.
Communities in Africa are very often far more organized and capable than Westerners generally recognize. Local organizations in many countries focus effectively on ending conflict and resolving long-standing disputes. The accomplishments of many Oxfam partners provide proof that determined citizens and grassroot solutions can have wide-reaching effects—from local and national democratization efforts to advocating for positive economic and trade policies at the global level.
In June 1998, an armed uprising plunged Guinea Bissau, one of Africa's smallest and poorest countries, into an eleven-month civil war. Largely unnoticed outside the region, the fighting took a severe toll on the nation's social, economic, and political systems. At least half of the population became internally displaced. The international humanitarian community—usually the first to respond to massive suffering—found themselves without sufficient funds to react. The people of Guinea Bissau were left isolated and having to fend for themselves.
With the return of peace in May 1999, the Guinean Association for Research and Alternatives (ALTERNAG), a long-time Oxfam America partner, began a six-month national civic education program in local communities to prepare people for the challenges of post-war recovery, reconciliation and national healing. A broad array of workshops, popular sports and cultural events, and radio and TV programs were aimed at teaching the fundamentals of voting and democratic participation to rural poor people—particularly women and youth. The initiative went a long way to restoring people's confidence in the idea of citizenship and to instilling the concept of participation and self-governance. In November 1999, the population of Guinea Bissau turned out en masse to vote for the first democratically elected president in the country's 25 year history.
Facing a different challenge, the people of the Gao region of northeastern Mali—which borders on Burkina Faso and Niger—have made tremendous steps toward ending violence that has shattered their community for years. The Tuareg people who live in this area are traditionally nomadic pastoralists, who move regularly across national borders. The other major ethnic group, the Songhai, make their living primarily from trade, fishing, and agriculture. This region borders the Sahara desert, where arable land and water are scarce, and basic subsistence is a challenge. A series of droughts in the 1980s brought great suffering to people in the region, which has become the root of ethnic tensions over natural resources. Because of its distance from the Malian capital, this area has received little investment in resources such as roads, education, and health services.
In the early 1990s, a small number of Tuareg rebels demanded an independent state. The Malian government chose to use Songhai militia units to combat the rebels, which added to ethnic tension in the area and hundreds of people were killed. Though a peace agreement was reached, the after-effects of this conflict have been far-reaching and low scale fighting continues.
After years of conflict, the people of the village of In-tillit initiated an effort to bring peace to their lives. Their animals—the main source of income and food—were being stolen; other herders were misusing their land and water; and members of their village were being killed in clashes. An existing community-based organization called Tassaght, with support from Oxfam, began to bring leaders involved in the conflict together, using traditional methods of conflict resolution. Meetings between leaders were reinforced by community efforts on both sides to collaborate with the police and turn in individuals committing violence. At the same time Tassaght has taught people in the region how to invest in preserving their natural resources and how to develop other sources of income. This work addresses some of the root causes of the tensions by reducing the pressures on the area's scarce resources.
While the people of In-tillit still face major challenges, both men and women point to significant progress since working with Tassaght: they have new ways to feed their families; there have been many fewer victims of violence; and they have ways to address conflict, where before they felt helpless. In-tillit is only one of many villages all over the region engaging in the same process.
These stories are just two examples of thousands that can be told about positive steps being taken for peace in Africa by Africans. The images of destruction that dominate news coverage of this region do a large disservice to the millions of people strenuously working to better their lives. The majority of people in Africa, like anyone else, dream of safety, security, and the chance to make things better for their families and their communities.
There is no denying the Africa has more than its fair share of problems to overcome. Macro-indicators place the majority of African nations at the bottom of the list of countries battling poverty. But what these indicators largely miss is the vibrant work going on at the community level. Oxfam America believes that this energy needs to be better supported. Small steps can and do lead to extraordinary results.
