By Temitope Ben-Ajepe

RESPONSIBILITY AND A NEW IDEOLOGY

And thus reads the theme for this year’s summit. It goes

without saying to state that it is indeed pregnant with such an im-mense meaning. Its depth almost serves as a clarion call for all African Youth to change their different per-spectives in their approach towards Africa and claim responsibil-ity for its failures and successes. On the flip side, it very subtly engages the mind to begin to amass a totally new set of ideas in their thinking capacity as regarding the Moth-erland.

Many Africans have been brainwashed into believ-ing that succor and a more im-proved quality of life can only come from absconding the continent. The platitude that the “wild, wild West” is a haven where all problems disappear and life begins has driven droves of helpless Africans into a much too early grave. The notion that “the grass is always greener on

the other side” has seen to the mass out flux on the continent causing a severe brain drain which otherwise could have served as a powerhouse in steering Africa in the right direc-tion.

While it is commendable to see young Africans venture into the

world and acquire knowl-edge that can be ap-

plied to a very needy Africa, it is quite disheartening to note that most of these able bodied chaps will do just about any odd job

in their host coun-tries other than go

home. The earlier it is made common knowledge that

Africa will be fixed by Africans who understand the West but refuse to dwell in it; who understand Africa yet refuse to settle for it, then the desired and expected change we so seek to experience will land on our doorsteps a lot quicker.

It was Lois Cory who once mused, “The grass may be greener on the

other side of the fence, but there’s probably more of it to mow. Hills look small and green from a long way off.”

I reckon that it’ll be a lot easier to just water the grass on our own side of the fence. That will only be achieved by readjusting our thought process and then taking responsibility for whatever becomes of Africa. Sometimes, you don’t need a complex plan to solve a problem. Changing the tiniest every-day detail is all that’s needed. After all, a journey of a thousand miles begins with baby steps.

ISSUE NO 1 11th May 2013

TIME

FOR THE NEW

AFRICA

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The 3rd African Youth Sum-mit welcomes deep think-ing and creative partici-

pants from Universities in Ternopil and surrounding cities.

The committee work is devoted to the problems under the theme “Responsibility and a new Ideol-ogy”

The participants get involve in some interesting activities such as Team building, Committee Work and General Assembly while also engaging them to think creatively.

AIMS• Improving key skills and com-

petences and contributing to the personal development of the participants.

• Involve Young people in an educational and beneficial extra-curricular activity.

• Forming constructive and prag-matic attitude of youth towards a responsible, peaceful Africa.

• To exchange valuable experi-ence on dealing with Africa’s burning issues.

• To improve personal skills inEVENTSA. Team building. The semi-teambuilding activi-

ties that gets everyone quickly aware of their fellow committee members this is to improve the readiness for greater teamwork towards a better committee work

time.B. Committee WorkCommittee work is the major

part of this summit. It begins after the team building when delegates get together to discuss key issues of their committee topics. The objective point of such work is resolution writing after a fruitful and energetic discussion. Each delegate takes active part in the committee work putting all his enthusiasm, energy, knowledge and aspiration into the imple-mentation of all conceived plans. The resolutions adopted through a consensus by all members of the team and represent a formal expression of the official opinion or will of the delegates. This pro-cedure is impossible without an experienced chairperson, who co-ordinates and supports delegate’s actions, ensures that everyone can be involved in decision-making process.

C. General Assembly/Closing ceremony

General Assembly is a well organized official gathering for sharing ideas and discussing all resolutions produced during the session. It is a sum up event which reunites all the participants of the summit to summarize the results of the work done during the com-mittee session. Each committee

presents and defends its resolu-tion during the open debates. To make it tolerant and respectful towards the proposing commit-tee. At the end members of each committee nominates their best speaker who represents them to read out their articles in the GA.

There is a need for African youths to step up to answer the call to action, Developed nations have seen a shift of power for the more advanced in age to the youths or a little older. Africa is still set back by the continuous handing over of power to the same type of people with the same ideology doing. All these is an hindrance to development and what is needed is a new ideology, if we do not embrace a new ideol-ogy and empower the youth with needed knowledge the same mis-takes will be encountered again now that African governments are opening up to the impact of youths in the government. Our generation cannot afford to make the same mistakes or do things the same way the past generation has done and that has setback our continent.

By Dibi Tamunomiebaka

LLBOUTFRICAN

YOUTH

SUMMITA

The real Africa is the one they never show you.The real Africa is hidden beneath veneer of poverty, hunger and death; a cancerous mass on the face

of the earth that the rest of the world term homogenous Africa.

The real Africa is submerged underneath corruption and greed, underneath tyranny and ostentatious elite, underneath the faces of the people they cannot feed.

The real Africa is buried beneath shanty towns rife with dirt and disease, where chidren are forced to grow up much too quickly to survive. The real Africa is concealed under a no-man’s land of desert bare, dry and unable to sustain green and healthy life. No,thats that’s not the real Africa.

The Africa I know; The Africa that shines from warm spontaneous smile. The Africa that is at the heart of sky-high mountains and tropical jungle of green sand dunes and lush green grassland. The Africa that is at the heart of different peoples, different languages, different cultures, different identities who all call this land their home.

The land where MOYO MUTI UNOMERA PANNO- where roots take hold and don’t let go, solid as the baobab/iroko tree that has always been and will always be there, stand-ing steady and solid against the menaces of time.My Af-rica is where my heart resides even when I am long gone and far away, where my mind drifts to across the distance of a never ending ocean.

The real Africa can be smelt the minute you step off a plane onto African soil and feel the air calling you, beck-oning you home.

The real Africa is the chaos and calm that exist side by side as honking cars zoom past on streets that run parallel to cows grazing peacefully in a field. This is the real Africa, the one they never show. This is the place I call home.

THE REAL

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AFRKNOW

CAI

By Anonymous

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FACTS ABOUT AFRICA1. The current population of Africa

is nearly one billion people. Due to rapid population growth in the continent over the last 40 years, its general population is relatively young. In many African states, more than half of the population is under the age of 25.

2. The largest country in Africa is Sudan with a total area of 967,490 square miles (2.5 million square kilometers), and the smallest country is the island nation of The Seychelles with a total area of just 175 square miles (453 square kilo-meters).

3. While there are several different theories regarding the origin of the name “Africa,” most etymologists

believe the name derived from Afri, the title for a group of people who dwelt in North Africa near Carthage around the third century B.C., and -ca, the Roman suffix for “country” or “land.

4. Only two African nations have never been under European colo-nial power: Liberia, an independent nation settled largely by African Americans, and Ethiopia, an Or-thodox Christian nation known in Europe as Abyssinia. The rest of the continent was colonized by Euro-pean imperial powers in the nine-teenth century “scramble for Africa.”

By Temitope Ben-Ajepe

1. What city has no people?2. What can be swallowed, but can

also swallow you?3. The teacher said “I wish yesterday

was tomorrow,then today would have been Friday”.On what day of the week did the teacher say that?4. A taxi driver was called to take a

group of passengers to the train sta-tion. The station is normally an hour away, but with traffic being extra heavy, it took a full hour and a half. On the return trip the traffic was still as heavy and yet it took only 90 minutes. Why? 5. What did you wear the day after

yesterday? 6. What has a name but does not

exist? 7. What building has the most sto-

ries? 8. Three people bought a pet one

day. Their names were Zach, Ra-chel, and Hubert. The animals they bought were a snake, a parrot, and a guinea pig. They bought their pets for $100, $50, and $25.Can you find out which person

bought which animal for which amount of money using these clues?

a. Zach is allergic to birds.b. Hubert couldn’t get the $100 pet,

so he bought the snake.c. Rachel saved $10 a week for ten

weeks in order to get her pet.

ANSWERS1. Electricity.2. Pride.3. Wednesday.4. 90minutes is still an hour and half.5. what you are wearing now.6. Nothing.7. The library.8. Zach - Guinea Pig - $25 Rachel - Parrot - $100 Hubert - Snake - $509. Chicago10. Doorbell.

d. The mammal was $25.9. What is 3/7 chicken, 2/3 cat

and 1/2 goat?10. I do not have fingers, but I

have a ring.Dogs bark when they hear me

ding.I introduce visitors, though not

by their names.Naughty little children push me

in their games...

By Isogie Precious

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Urbanization is a major problem today. About 50% of the world’s population live in cities and

this forms approximately 3% of the earth’s land. Re-search and statistics go on to state that in a decade or two, about 70% of the world’s population would have moved to the cities.The committee raised points in favour of urbaniza-

tion to the effect that, there is potential for access to better health care, education, jobs and other services but the question, “are the dangers to our health and the environment worth the risk?

A lot of examples were raised concerning the nega-tive effects of urbanization in Africa since it is the primary concept here. Health-wise, evident challeng-es that were raised were waste disposal, industrial pollution, disease outbreaks, social vices, pressures on social amenities. Considering how the unplanned and unsustainable patterns of urban development pose a real threat to developing cities and their environment most of the natural resources are being depleted to meet the requirement of the ever grow-ing population. The lack of planning raises problems like floods, improper infrastructure, pollution of the water bodies and the land as a whole.In conclusion, African leaders should make it a poli-

cy to develop different regions of their countries ev-ery year. Not dependent on the sitting government’s policies or manifestos, such policies should still be enforced even if the sitting government changes.

URBANIZATION, HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN AFRICA

We are in the age of computers and Africa is rising up greatly in the computer world. Almost every school in Africa today teaches com-puter science and information tech-nology. Just about 15 years ago, not so many Africans had computers let alone access to the internet. However, for the past 10 years, the number of computers and internet users in Africa has exploded greatly.

There are computers everywhere you go in Africa today. There are wifi hotspots and fast broadband connections in all African countries today which is great. Just about 10 years ago just a handful of students had computers in their rooms in Africa but today almost every col-lege student in Africa either has his or her own computer with internet access or has a free access to the

internet in school and at home. Almost every secondary and ter-tiary school in Africa today has a computer lab with internet access giving students free access to the internet.

By Prince Darlington

By Araba Aso Odum

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Health and traditional medicine

Traditional medicine is the sum total and knowledge,

skills and practices based on the beliefs, theories and experience indigenous to different cultures as well as to prevent, improve and treat physical and mental illness. A wealth of medicinal and aromatic plants ensures the primary healthcare and liveli-hood of the poor in Africa.

How traditional medicine and human resources can be utilized to improve Africa?In order to improve traditional medicine in Africa, we as Afri-cans should open our minds to new ideas and possibilities .Traditional medicine should not be limited to only crops, it also

changes with time and technology. Africans should be ready to put more time and energy in order to improve healthcare in Africa. The govern-ment also needs to put more time and resources into this field of medi-cine by generating more forms and providing modern equipments, and traditional doctors need to be more efficient and precise with their work. Medical personals should also be adequate and also have more access to the necessary things they need. Africans should promote, conserve, sustain and and make effective use of medical plants. INORDER TO BUILD A BETTER AFRICA WE MUST WORK TOGETHER AS ONE NATION AND ONE PEOPLE.

This question takes on an entirely new meaning in this

committee’s workshop. Public opinion according to Doubra Morowei, one of the committee’s participants “has no regard of po-litical norms and culture.” She be-lieves this is vaguely connected to the fundamentals of political culture. Many others quite agree with her.The committee’s facilitator,

Adebowale Abeleje broke down different political cultures accord-ing to David Houston. There are

three major cultures namely;Parochial Culture: Where there is

a low awareness and expectation of the government and political participation of the populace.Subject Culture: This culture has

a high awareness and expecta-tion of the government but a very low participation in politics.Participant Culture: There is a

low level of all the aforemen-tioned.After grasping the various con-

cepts, a question was raised in that effect. What political culture

is dominant in Africa?A majority believed it was the

subject culture. This was agreed upon the notion that the Afri-can society has awareness and is expectant of their respective governments but there is a low political participation among the common masses.This led to discussing the resul-

tant problems.• Bureaucracy• Corruption• DebtA conclusive solution to the

plight ravaging Africa will be to change its political approach.

Is Africa Politically Correct?

By Watta Sheriff

By Temitope Ben-Ajepe

Page 9Page 8

AFRICA’S NEW EXPERIENCE THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP

AND SME’SIt is quite logical to think that ef-

fective entrepreneurial activity leads to an automatic economic growth. But why is that not the case in Africa? A consequence of lack of new ideologies in develop-ing effective business activities, or a complete disregard by the government?.While it might be easy to put all

the blame on the government, complete emphasis must be laid on the responsibility of the wider society in developing new busi-ness venture ideologies that lead to economic growth.In light of the summit theme

“Responsibility and New Ideol-ogy” one may not be surprised by the thrill and enthusiasm that encompassed the committee room of the committee on African Entrepreneurship and small busi-nesses as they set off to finding a permanent solution and answer to the question “can entrepre-neurship make a difference to economic growth and develop-ment in Africa?Mr Harry a participant of the 3rd

AYS and a member of the commit-tee on African Entrepreneurship expressed his full support to small businesses. “Encouraging small

businesses in the long run will generate a multiplier effect in the economy creating more jobs and developing the already depleted infrastructure in Africa as a whole considering the high economic ties and interdependence through globalization” he stated.To achieve economic develop-

ment through entrepreneurship, the government should create a platform for translating new ideologies into effective entre-preneurial activities by creating cheap credits and appropriate banking regulations.

The Education in Africa has been deteriorating over the years and some of our cultural back-

grounds have led to our poor Educational system.In our quest for progressive development we real-

ized the importance of tackling the problems within Education and culture in Africa. The committee dealt with various issues as poor informal education, ar-chaic traditions within our societies etc.

Education is a fundamental human right and the most powerful lever for promotion of welfare, civic and social advancement, the progress of democracy and respect for human rights, the building of peace and the promotion of an environment that allows pluralism, knowledge – including scientific and technological knowledge – and cultural diversity to prosper. As such, it is a precondition for sustainable development, economic growth and poverty reduc-tion in Africa.Culture is what has shaped societies’ and individu-

als’ ways of life; while we need to uphold some of our traditions we should also realize that we need to set ourselves free from some archaic traditions through education for the development of Africa. “Education is the most powerful weapon which we

can use to change our continent”. Nelson Mandela

EDUCATION IS THE WEAPON FOR CHANGE IN AFRICA...

By Okechukwu Egbete

By Ndubueze Endy

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The African nations remain the most troubled in the world,

politically, socially, economically with many of the least developed nations being in Africa. Some of these poorest countries of the world are in Africa and many remain perpetually paralyzed with problems of starvation and pov-erty, HIV and widespread illnesses and political corruption or human rights abuse. A comprehensive examination of all the problems in Africa could be given in the

context of individual countries and the most troubled regions are Somalia, Chad and Sudan.Somalia – Somalia has been

adversely affected by droughts, famine and civil war since 1991 and as many as 300,000 people have been killed at that time. The country was plagued by anarchy and factional fighting although the famine was partly controlled by the UN. The country remains disturbed being a hub of the al-Qaida network in Africa and the al-Shabaab militia and other

extremist elements in the region. The past famine and civil war thus seem to be continuing in Africa although in a different form with continued unrest among warlords and the disturbance created by the militias and terrorist groups. Somalia faces frequent droughts and is also among the world’s poorest countries with a transi-tional government that has failed to provide any long term stability in the region. Contaminated water and deforestation have led to soil

erosion, drought and illnesses in the country with life expectancy just above 45 years. Yet the coun-try has a large reserve of natural resources ranging from uranium, iron ore, copper and even large oil reserves that are unexploited and neglected.

Issues & Possibilities: Drought and poverty remain the two most important problems in Somalia and to tackle these, environmen-tal measures should include a ban on deforestation and proper

utilization of the country’s natural resources and oil reserves.Chad - Chad is perpetually trou-

bled with internal conflicts and three decades of civil war with a rebellion that sporadically flares up between the government and rebel groups. Rebel groups in Sudan have also created problems in Chad and rebel groups con-tinue to create political disruption, although Chad remains controlled by an ethnic minority. Some environmental issues seem to be waste disposal and inadequate supplies of water although the main problem in Chad remains conflicts and political disruption created by rebel groups. In recent months, thousands of residents were evicted by the government following a coup attempt, accord-ing to Human Rights News. Chad’s HIV/AIDS problems are very high with 4.8% of the population hav-ing the disease.

Issues & Possibilities: The World Bank has entered into agreements with the government of Chad that the country’s oil revenues would be used to alleviate poverty and tackle refugee problems. Refugees from Sudan’s Darfur and internal conflicts due to the presence of rebel groups are the most impor-tant problems in the region that in turn have created poverty and led to poor environmental man-agement by the government. The primary focus of the international community should be tackling the conflicts in Chad.

Sudan – Among the major coun-

PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS IN AFRICA

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tries that face strife within the African continent, Sudan is an important part of Africa as it is the largest country in the region. Sudan has a history of civil wars and extreme ethnic conflicts. Ethnic conflicts in Darfur have in recent times resulted in 400,000 deaths in the region and millions of people have been displaced adding to the instability in the region. There are frequent reports of government oppression, armed conflicts and lack of humanitarian assistance in the region. Conflicts continue in Darfur between Suda-nese army, government-backed militia and armed opposition group factions. The US govern-

ment provides extensive humani-tarian assistance to Sudan and has been trying to provide for the hu-manitarian needs of the displaced and conflict affected people in the region. Issues & Policies: The priority

of the international community should be a resolution of the con-flicts in Darfur and finding a solu-tion for the millions of displaced people in the region. Internal and ethnic conflicts remain the most important problem in the region and poor governance and poor infrastructure are also responsible for Sudan’s various problems. Along with provisions of hu-manitarian assistance, a political

solution for Darfur should be the priority and extensive and persis-tent international efforts would be required to resolve internal ethnic conflicts in the region. Although other African countries

are affected by similar problems and issues, the magnitude of human rights abuse and prob-lems of AIDS and poverty would be among the highest in these countries. African countries need focused attention from the more developed nations and more country specific aids and political solutions. The key to a prosperous Africa would mean finding spe-cific solutions for the problems as related to specific regions.

By Prince Darlington

“Pre-colonial African was founded on Free Market Economy where ideas generate wealth without infringement on the rights of another. Property Rights, Freedom of Movement,Good Governance and Individual Liberty was guaranteed until the adaptation of Welfare State. For prosperity, we need to bring back all the tenets of African Capitalism, redefine it and adopt it to the present global reality.A welfare state is a cursed land.” Adedayo Thomas

LETTER FROM HOME............

It was a pleasure editing for the highly anticipated African Youth Summit

2013. New friendships were fostered, ideas were exchanged and there were countless new things learned. The preparations were quite hectic but it was all worth it in the end. The African Youth Summit has come and gone but was a huge success! Those, who are responsible for the

glow of success, sometimes stay in the

shadows and remain annonymous. A big Thank You to everyone.

FAREWELL FROM THE EDITORIAL HEAD

By Oviemuno Utomakili