commerce and freedom book: being some thoughts by billy sichone

8/9/2019 Commerce and Freedom Book: Being some thoughts by Billy Sichone

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Thoughts on freedom and commerce Billy Chilongo Sichone 1

Being thoughts on the relationship between the two

Billy C Sichone2002


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All rights reserved.

(c) Billy Sichone 2002


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Acknowledgements

It the writing of this paper, I relied on numerous sources both in hard copy

and soft. I am therefore grateful to these helpful sources. The errors andopinions however remain mine.


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DedicationTo the champions of a free harmonious world today and tomorrow


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Preface

The commerce cycle never seems to have an end or a beginning. The best we can do isjoin at any point and hurtle along with its never ending errands. In a sense, the writer feltthe same in handling the subject at hand.

Commerce has taken many shades, shapes and sizes over the centuries but the rapidchanges in the 20

thcentury and beyond is unprecedented. The feats achieved in the last

fifty years by far outstrip all previous business transactions put together in the myriads ofcenturies past.

This booklet was in a sense abnormally born because it was written in under ten hours. It

was written in response to an international writing contest that was due in May 2002 butthe author had no time to write until a few hours before the dead line. As you may guess,

the submission did not arrive at its final destination on time and as such was kept in theoven until recently when the author decided to microwave it a little more so that it

becomes palatable to the average reader on the street.It is therefore hoped that the thoughts and contents of this little piece of writing will go a

long way to open up some minds as well as stimulate more thought and debate of therelationship between Commerce and Freedom since one is the mother of the other.

Billy Chilongo SichoneMongu-Zambia

20/04/02


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Freedom and Commerce

1. Introduction

As one reclines and peers into the future, regardless of location or status, various ideasflood the mind, many of them related to freedom. At every turn, the freedom voice seemsto echo endlessly. Despite the many generations of the rights movement, the human

rights record worldwide seems to be veering from bad to worse, even in the onceacclaimed free world located in the developed countries. The United States for

example, for a long time heralded as the champion of liberty, has suffered manyhorrendous set backs as it has witnessed increased incidences of freedom breach both at

home and abroad. For instance, the recent war on Iraq, although ego beneficial in some

sense is a classic display of freedom curtailing. As though that were not bad enough,freedom has been definitely snuffed out from the poorer nations by the chronic economicdependence on the richer nations. For instance, an average African country has overUS $

3 billion debt and a heavily foreign donor funded national budget. This has rendered thepauper countries vulnerable. But the above ugly scenario is not only limited to the

affluent versus poor societies but to the poorer nations amongst themselves also. Thearticle upon which your eagles eye peers is an attempt to trace, define and offer remedies

to the progress of internal, external freedom and commerce.

In commencing to look at the issue at hand, it behoves us to begin by clearing the path weshall tread, defining terms. The assertion by the famous Richard Cobden that the

progress of freedom depends more on the maintenance of peace and spread of commerceandthe diffusion of education than upon the labour of cabinets or foreign offices offers

some starting point and deserves our serious attention. To do this, we shall break up thepregnant phrase into its constituent elements and there after view the entire landscape

from a pedestal. The key words are:

1. ProgressThis word carries the connotation of advancement. In that sense, an activity isprobably in motion and making significant headway. In other words, the activity is

continuing, accelerating, growing, budding, developing from one level to the next andimproving. Further, this word also denotes a direction and some kind of force exerted

towards a certain goal. In relation to our phrase above, the progress of freedom has todo with the advance, broadening and expansion of freedom to whatever ways

conceivable. A start has already been made and the momentum must be maintainedrelentlessly. For instance, we can talk about Zambias developmental progress when

we have less rhetoric political promises and tangible results. The interventions resultin tangible changes economically (An Economist would argue that some indicators

exist to show some movement, that are presently invisible to the naked eye unless thewhole picture is viewed) and attitude of people albeit after some considerable space


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of time. The fact that I can access and munch a sausage in Mongu does notnecessarily mean that progress is taking place, for I may have smuggled it from

Namibia! Zambia is at a standstill at this stage, with no proper direction and nomomentum to do anything. Progress then has to do with change especially that which

is constructive.

2. FreedomFreedom has to do with the condition of being free, independent, without undue

pressure, coercion or force. In other words, this is the liberty of conscience,expression or movement. The person has undue familiarity, is unrestricted either in

the use of or participation in anything. They are emancipated, have the laxity andlicence to do anything without fear. In our context, freedom is the precondition before

anything can flourish, blossom, advance or indeed cause new ideas to emerge or bedeveloped. In short, freedom is the mother of invention and adventure. A quick scan

will reveal that where freedom has been given free reign, there also significantprogress and feats have been recorded. For example, what has made the USA the

Super power that it is? One just needs to look at the American Dollar bill and read thephrase In God we trust . At the time of etching that declaration on the legal tender,

the people perhaps were in the very throes of fighting all manner of threats tofreedom. Recollect that the first settlers to the New England States crossed the

horrendous Atlantic Ocean in small, squeaky and weak ships all in the quest to attainfreedom of conscience and practice. Indeed, the Puritans left England aboard the

Mayflower, hazarding their lives so as to attain liberty of Worship. Those foundingfathers of the American Nation (USA) also knew that intrinsically, a person is born

free and any force from without threatens any development. Having this informationat the back of our minds now explains why the North American continent is dubbed

the land of opportunity. Now scan the third world countries, what has been the rootcause for all those dismal records in development? Apart from natural disasters that

have avalanched it, it is thought that the reason for the lower progress rate relative toothers can be attributed to the wanton curbing of freedom by the powerful. Different

people at different places and orientation perceive freedom in different senses. Whatmay be regarded freedom in the United States or France may be viewed as crazy,

unethical or simply madness in the heart of Africa. What is freedom in the West couldwell befree doom in Africa! Thus, we must tread carefully in this high way. But

suffice it to say that this progress of freedom has to do with the positive and ethicallyallowable issues and sometimes beyond. Care must be taken not to abuse this and

thus create another cancerous monster. Yet in the same breathe, people must be givenleeway to express themselves, believe, act or do as they think best to the fullest. In

more than one sense, this freedom extends to what we eat, dress, do or imagine. Thecommunist approach is detrimental to total liberty. In another sense, the new world

order of secularising and liberalising everything in the country has a way of liberatingthousands to a certain level of development but sadly robs the poor of the essential

and intrinsic latent freedom. The tyrants of the past, especially in Africa have not onlyafflicted people but they have gone further to deny them their basic freedoms and

rights by consigning them to the paupers den. Be that as it may, freedom has beenthe quest of time and the crusaders of the same must not relent in the fight. It is a


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curious fact that the first human rights activists were Christians except they had highmoral ethics. Todays world has veered to another extreme in some instances.

Furthermore, another form of freedom loss has evolved-economic imperialism. Thewealthier nations, with their powerful economies have t ied huge chains around the

necks of the frail poverty stricken nations. As such, they said countries have no voice

but must needs bow to decrees of their creditors. In addition, the selfsame donorsdictate which way to go, when or what to do at any particular point. To that end, thefreedom struggles of the 1960s are now obsolete and meaningless as the poorer

nations are back in the very clutches of their former colonisers. For instance, Zambiahas a crippling debt of over$ 7.3 Billion!, according to the latest information from

our Finance Minister. In real terms, it means every Zambian has an international debtof$ 0.73 billion going by the last census. I leave the kwacha calculations to you, as

this is really depressing. Granted that the Minister has tried to justify this but the pointis that Zambia is on its knees. This effectively means that in this global world,

Zambia has no voice at all except to boast of being the 11th

most corrupt nation in theworld! As though that were not bad enough, the Zambian budget is more than 51%

donor funded, how on earth can Zambia ever dream of soaring to liberty? Thescenario is no better elsewhere. Scan at the recent war in Iraq; the Muslim world was

divided due to their differences caused by a bigger force that divided them by offeringcash to some.

In a nutshell then, freedom is intrinsic and must given free reign.


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Part II

The freedom referred to in part I above can only progress unhindered and will only be

given its impetus by:

a. The maintenance of peace. Peace or shalom can be perceived in different sensesbut for our purposes, we define Peace as the absence of war or conflict. The peace is

relative but in all cases results from the well being of the soul, the access to and privilegeto a conducive environment in which this freedom can flourish. In other words, peace is

one of the fluids in which freedom swims safely and efficiently just like the HIV virusswims freely and efficiently in semen or blood. Once exposed to the hostile conditions

outside those flowing fluids, the virus perishes. Same with freedom, it rises to higher orbswhen shalom is given its rightful place. As previously stated, where armed conflict has

been kept at bay, usually, freedom has made headway at phenomenal rates and therebytriggering an all rounded development. Zambia cannot be said to be at peace because

poverty has ravaged the economy to levels beyond countries that have been to war. In as

much as we enjoy some relative peace physically, there are many civil wars in thoseheads that we meet in the streets of Lusaka and beyond. No wonder some heads arebecoming balder or grey long before their time! I am aware that genetics plays its tricks

but my point is that many a home is the very epitome and hub of stinking poverty. Manycannot remember when they last had breakfast with an egg, as supper Ken once dreamt!

On the other hand, where shalom reigns, there we see well being, motivation, love,concern and industry. Although a fair share of lazy bones occur in those places, the

general population focuses on development rather than dodging from offices to makeends meet. What makes many Zambian civil servants, with all due respect, desert their

offices? Isnt fleeing from poverty? You see, if you arrive home without something tomunch (food), including bubble gum, the children wail uncontrollably all over the place

and look at you as a villain instead of a provider. That is a sign of the absence of peace.But where peace exists, there we see those same children running to welcome you via a

warm embrace.

b. The spread of commerce. The advent of globalisation has made it imperative toliberalise commerce as much as possible. This entails creating an enabling environmentfor this trade to accelerate apace. Commerce is basically defined as the exchange of

merchandise especially on a large scale. The levels of commerce have a direct bearing onthe economic growth and progress of any given country. In other words, commerce

denotes trade and dealings. In a country where commerce is left to flourish unhindered,there we observe a progress of freedom by the same token. In an ideal situation, the state

by and large has no hand in running commercial businesses but devotes itself to enactingand implementing policies that create a conducive environment. The Government,

though, depending on its economic policies can run some strategic installations such asthe Air force or the major Power stations. In some cases, the Government has no hand at

all, inconformity with what an ex prisoner suggested in the Zambian Parliament recently.As commerce in its ethical sense is granted leeway there we see an increase in the

magnitude of the levels of freedom. Thus, Cobdens assertion is correct and hardly needsstrengthening, as it is self-explanatory. But what exactly is commerce? What is its


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nature? How is it exactly connected to freedom? In attempting to explain this point, wedefine commerce and then proceed to look at how it is pivotal to the progress of freedom.

Commerce- its natureIn progressing to study commerce it is fitting for us to define terms so that we have a

common understanding. What is commerce? How does it impact on our everyday lives?What is the history and future of commerce? In this article, we consider Internationalcommerce as it cannot be ignored in the recent trends of globalization.

Admittedly, the precise definition for commerce is elusive and difficult to elaborate incapsule form but one person has defined it as The carrying out of business transactions

in either service, import or export trade termsc. Dr Bennett has the following to say:International commerce involves commercial activities thatcross national frontiers. It

concerns the international movementof goods, capital, services, employees andtechnology; importing and exporting; cross-bordertransactions in intellectual property

(patents, trademarks, know-how, copyrightmaterials, etc) via licensing and franchising;investments in physical and financial assets in foreign countries; contractmanufacture or

assembly of goods abroad for local sale or for exportto other nations; buying and sellingin foreign countries;the establishmentof foreign ware housing and distribution systems;

andthe importto one country of goods from a second foreign country for subsequent

local sale*

This elaborate definition is comprehensive but not quite precise. Thequestion there fore still lingers, Whatexactly is International commerce? Philip

Cateora has given a more precise definition as the performance of business activitiesthatdirectthe flow of a countrys goods and services to consumers or users in more than

one nation for a profit.I

The profit motive is paramount. Cleary, from this definition, wecan see that IC transcends traditional political boundaries and affects all people

everywhere regardless of their location. To amplify the definition further, IC is thatcombination of business transactions across countries regardless of their geographical

locations or political boundaries. The major catalysts to this kind of trade developmentare Information technology, Money, Knowledge, time and demand. The nature of

International business (International business used inter changeably with Internationalcommerce, although these may differ strictly speaking) is a complex web and compound

of all different disciplines combined. For instance, International relations, Marketing,Finance, Information Technology, Management, quality and myriad other areas are all

intertwined and locked up in the phrase International Business and as such makes itdifficult to come up with one simple definition without doing injustice to the otherelements of the compound word international commerce. A fourth definition from

Daniel J.D & Radebaugh L.H attempts to put it more clearly as follows: Globalcommerce involves allthose commercial activities between two or more countries. These

commercial activities may be undertaken by private companies with a view to profit-making, or Governmentorganizations in which case there is a generally no profit

motive

further still, Czinkota R says Global commercial activities are defined as the

cAuthors own definition.

*Roger Bennett PhD, International Business 2nd edition 2000 pp1. The phrase International commerce

has been used inter changeably with International commerceI

Philip Cateora International marketing 9th edition pp 6-This is the definition for International Marketing

J.D & Radebaugh .L.H 1998 International business: environments and Operations 8th edition


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movementof resources, goods, services and skills over international borders. Theresources involved are raw materials, capital, people, andtechnology, while goods refer

to half finished and finished products. Services include accounting, advertising,communications, computer services, advisory services, education andtraining, legal

opinions and banking activities, while skills cover managementandtechnical skillsMA

short history of International business is handy at this stage. Business transactions havebeen going on for many generations dating back to pre historic times albeit in a differentformat. Before money was established as the universal medium of exchange, people used

to trade locally and abroad, though modern political boundaries not there. Never the less,akin to Hyenas, people knew by instinct the stretches of their boundaries. In Southern

province of Zambia, a place called the Ngombe illede has been excavated and evidenceexists that foreign trade took place there. Among the merchandise that was traded were

salt, guns and probably slaves. Another Baobab tree in Southern Province still whereslave trade flourished can be found in Livingstone. In Biblical times, Athens, Greece was

a centre of international trade and learning (Acts 17). Jerusalem must have been anothertrading centre in ancient times (Acts 2:5). For now, we progress highlight the various

types of businesses and the players there in. All these were focal points for trading in thevarious localities. Modern international trade follows the same principles though on a

higher and more complex level.

Types of International commerce

erchandise exports and imports

ervice exports and imports

ourism and Transportation

se of assets;

nvestments, including direct and portfolio investments, licensing, concessions and turn

key investments, cooperative agreements;

ultinational enterpriseCommerce takes different shades and modes but the above mentioned are some of the

common ones. It is fitting for us at this stage to state that International commerce alsoincludes:

Technological renewal (Reinforcing the importance.)The rediscovery of capitalism.

The development of the services industry.The development of regional trading blocs

Increasing ties between different economics;The fact that the U.S.A is currently the #1 economic force in the world.

Increasing competition among the international industries.The unstable international political climate;

MCzinkota R C Ronkainen as quoted in Global business pp5


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Changing demographic patterns and the impact of AIDS;Outsourcing

PrivatisationChanging value systems

Having shown briefly what composes International commerce, it is fitting then to

highlight some major players in International commerce. These are:

rofit making

This is where the entity exists primarily to make profit and will do anything to remaincompetitive as long as possible profitably regardless of what happens to the

competitors. This is where the vast majority of businesses fall especially the large

Multinational Corporationg

that operate in the international business environment.

Usually, the direct investment strategy has been used hither to by the MNC ratherthan exporting from the country of origin.

on-profit makinghis is where the entity functions on the income and expenditure basis. The non-profitmaking organization receives, spends and reports on the cash received from a donor.

Most of the NGOs, Societies, clubs and research institutes fall in to this category.

Intergovernmental organizations- This includes organizations like the Unitednations with its related agencies. These organizations are set up for various reasons

with a view to foster unity, cooperation and maintain stability in the world. TheUnited Nations for example, initially set up as the League of Nations way back in

1920and transforming into the United Nations on 24th October 1945, was set up to

secure world peace after those turbulent and traumatic World wars that ravaged theWorld. Although these organizations do not directly engage in trade, they never theless are key players in world commerce.

Thus, we have briefly glanced at the international commerce players, we now proceedto briefly outline the conditions favouring International commerce Let us keep the

objective eye sharp in focus as we hurtle along.

Conditions favouring the thriving of international commerce

table Economy i.e. inflation manageablec

table political climate.

gDaniel Papp states that Globally, there are at least 7,500 privately owned corporations operating at least

27,000 subsidiaries in other countries pp 80 2nd edition contemporary international relationsc

For example, Zambia has managed to arrest the uncontrollable inflationary trends to around 18% in 2002,though it should have reduced to 13% but due to the drought and other natural disasters, this has retarded

progress.


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ree & open market i.e. major players are private enterprises, Market forces are

determine the prices (by supply and demand)

ood communication network and data base

avourable legal environment encouraging free trade

ncentives such as tax rebates

romoted individual freedoms.

We now proceed to look at the third ingredient that spices the flourishing of freedom-education.

c. Spread of Education. The advent of education in various forms has helped to makeinformed, timely and objective decisions. This explains why development has seemingly

been confined to the developed world because the presence of the universities andcolleges help to churn out fantastic graduates that are able to read the times andstrategically plan the way forward. In contrast, he less developed world shows a different

picture of backwardness, sloth, slow change and decay. This is largely due to ignorancethat confines them to a hand to mouth scenario rather than a strategic thinking stage.

Education liberates people from the clutches of poverty, abuse and ignorance. Onceeducated, people will know their limits, rights, privileges, potentials and know what and

when to do things. In other instances, because of enlightenment, people will haverecourse to the law in times when they feel marginalized, abused or segregated against.

As things stand, the vast majority of people wallow in ignorance or abject poverty andhave no clue about their plight or how to remedy it! As education becomes more

universal, freer and more accessible, people will learn many skills. This education couldcontinue through the traditional classroom scenario, mentorship, part time,

correspondence, long distance, radio, TV, Satellite or via the Internet. In future, all onewill need is a computer terminal and log on to internet to down load their lessons while

they keep their jobs. In fact, the trend towards the non-traditional way of schooling isincreasing as the job markets shrink relative to the exponential population growth. In the

USA for instance, educational opportunities are relatively vast and by that token, onewould expect higher literacy levels compared to Asia or Africa. The system within the

country that favours education will boost the advancement levels unlike a place whereeducation is a luxury rather than a right. Sadly, one Zambian Parliamentarian and cabinetMinister ignorantly declared that education was not a right! Ignorance robs many a

people their intrinsic rights, as they remain veiled from the truth. In the afore quoted caseof a Politician, it is a classic case of one attempting to perpetuate ignorance instead of

being an ignorance reducer catalyst. It is hardly surprising that Politics of povertyflourishes on the wings of ignorance. The vast majority of the population die of grief

within as their basic human rights are denied. With more enlightenment andempowerment, people will have the capacity to think of alternatives or better still fight

for their rights. The ignorant consumer is the most vulnerable as they think they have nosay in the quality of goods and services supplied. In an ideal situation, people should not


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allow such wilful oppressors (Politicians) to go scot-free. I wonder if such a statementwould have passed unscathed in an enlightened society. Thus, education will ensure

proper policies as well as high quality goods and services are maintained. As thingsstand, myriads of law breakers escape unchallenged.

At this juncture, we reach the axis point where we encounter a comparative word morethan. These words are crucial because they suggest that what is going to be said hereafter is important and true but comparatively not of the same magnitude. In the case at

hand, the point of contrasts is the politicians, cabinets as opposed to the diffusion ofeducation, commerce or the maintenance of peace. It is very clear that in Cobdens view,

we have tried the cabinets and foreign offices all these years but most of the times havecome away disappointed or dissatisfied. Granted, these are helpful tools but they must be

given a lower rating if freedom is to be advanced into the future. The reason for thisstrong view is probably due to the nature of politics or the foreign offices. Half the time,

unfortunately, these twin offices lose their objectivity and therefore have a weak punch infostering the freedom ethos. Let us pause a while as we examine the two elements:

1. Labour of Cabinets- This has reference to the politicians and political will. For a longtime, the world has depended on and trusted the politician but this trend is slowly

changing. The average person on the road has no kind words for the political engineerbecause half the time, the selfsame people have egocentric clandestine motives that are

not helpful and in fact actually detrimental. In our opinion, the politician is the last personto be relied upon although he/she is a vital link to the resources that would promote

peace, justice and freedom, once put in their right perspective. Although the cabinets andparliaments are good and helpful, time has come when these must be used as merely

means to an end rather than being an end in themselves. Many are declarations that havegushed out of the unsanctified mouths of the politician and then turn right round to chew

their words with no apologies. That notwithstanding, the cabinets are good for properadministration and running of the country but are not to be rested on. Time has arrived

when commerce must not revolve around the Politician but the people. The primarycatalyst of commerce must cease to be the political dribbler but veer towards the market

forces in the liberalised economies. In the African context for instance, life revolvesaround state house rather than on issues. The first news items are always about the head

of state or some political clown. Comparatively then, the progress of freedom hinges oneducation and free trade rather than the cabinet decisions. Latently, it is felt a better way

of representation must be sought rather than the age-old political system.2.Foreign offices-Foreign agencies like the UN, Amnesty International etc. Apart from

the political office of the Minister of foreign affairs, the world has devised a way tohandle world peace. In a sense this has helped to foster peace and freedom globally but

alas, the once objective bodies like the United Nations have fallen from grace. TheUnited Nations, the Amnesty international and all other plausible organisation have tried

with all their might but have failed. Ironically, instead of the world human rights recordedgetting better, it has descended to an all time low. One wonders what the world would

have been if bodies like the UN never existed. That notwithstanding, these potent bodieshave known some decay in the recent years in the following ways:


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There has been a loss of objectivity. The UN for example has been selective,discriminatory and lopsided in handling crises. The Rwanda/Burundi scenario is a case in

point. At that time (1995), the UN stood by the side and watched the people slaughter oneanother. When another crisis occurred in Croatia, the body diligently swung into action.

Now, what is the explanation for this marginalisation? Is it because the first crisis was in

black Africa while the other was among the melanin less people? Perhaps posterity willtell but suffice it to say that the UN lost a lot of credibility because of this loss of focus.

There is resistance to change.

This dynamic world is hurtling along at a terrific speedand will not wait for any one. Thus, it behoves organisations to be lean and agile. They

should be ready to learn, change and read the time. Unfortunately, most of them do notchange fast enough to keep in with the times. In the process, opportunities are lost many

of which would have been helpful to advance the worlds freedoms.The toothless ness of the said organisation either to act or challenge the hinderers of

world freedom is another black mark that has made the intergovernmental organisationstumble from their once lofty towers of integrity. For instance, when the USA/UK invaded

Iraq recently, no one dared confront the allied forces. Ironically, even the UN wasparalysed for a moment and watched helplessly from the terraces. This destroyed

freedom in at least a two-fold sense. Firstly, the Iraqi peoples freedoms were trampledupon and secondly, the UN, a stabilising factor in the world, was sidelined. The question

that begs answering at this stage is who will be the next to suffer at the grisly hands ofthese immoral invaders?

Check the attached article entitled Deposed but not vanquished This is a classic case of change

resistance.


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Part III

Having unpacked the statement, we now proceed to analyse our findings. It goes without

saying that the rapid changes in the world demand people with a strategic eagle eye to see

far and beyond. From a human stand point, a person is born with fundamental intrinsicrights that must never be trampled upon. As such, it is crucial not only to protect anddefend these freedoms but that must be nurtured, groomed and strengthened so that the

world would be a better place to live in. This is only possible by using objective andconstant instruments such as education and free commerce that will empower people to

run their own lives, make informed decisions and be accountable for the outcome. Asthings stand, the vast majority of people either have no access to or are out rightly denied.

A number of ways to reduce this gap could be suggested but this is outside the scope ofthis article. But suffice it to say that Governments must provide for and institute organs

that will uphold the freedoms of conscience, association, expression and conscience.These organs will than work to generate other tool for development.

We have seen that the more commerce flourishes, the more liberties are guaranteed andthat for a particular reason. Firstly, free commerce will eliminate the artificial trade

barriers and thus create a nation hood spirit among the citizens of this planet. This willinevitably happen because people will realise that they are interdependent and need each

other. In the second place, the politician will no longer be the centre of activity but willbe properly caged in their rightful place. Hither to, the politician has been a terribly

overlapping players that seem to disrupt the smooth running of activities. Professionalismis killed, objectivity lost and the continued murdering of thousands due to wrong

priorities, at least in Africa. In a developed and expanded world Economy, thepoliticians office will be but one of the many functions to a bigger and wider

mechanism. Just as Papal omnipotence once reigned, the politicians have had their field

day. Our focus needs to change. In the third place, the proliferation of many other playersin the world economy will cause the freedom force to be replicated. I have in mind theNon Governmental organisations, the intergovernmental organisation such as the UN

agencies, the huge multinationals as well as the virtual corporations will as well as theknown quantities. With the further enlightening of the worlds populations, one would

hope that people driven constitutions will be compiled leading to the enactment ofappropriate laws that will guarantee individual freedoms, rights as well as a safe

environment. With these laws in place, these would foster further laws developments thatwill create an enabling environment.

Granted, there are concerns raised about globalisation of commerce as this trend will

largely benefit the richer nations, one would hope that as these trends evolve, it wouldone day bring about a near homogenous global economy where the poor class will be

very few compared to the middle and upper classes. As things stand, the distribution ofwealth is far from even.

In the fourth place, as commerce evolves, it will cause written and unwritten laws to

govern the advancement of global trade. This simply stated, will cause the hithertosidelined poorer nations with the raw materials to have a say as to the treatment of their


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goods and services. As things stand, Africa has abundant untapped natural resourceswhich the rest of the world coverts after, yea they cannot rest until they lay their hands on

them. It is a known fact that the large section of the globalisation proponents hasclandestine motives but the long positives ought to be considered as well. For instance,

African goods and raw materials will not have barriers to enter the world market. How

will this occur? Two things come to mind:1. If the affluent people want the raw materials, they will come and invest. Thisinvestment will bring along with it the possibility of being opened to the worlds

markets like the European Union.2. The natives in the end will be employed or simply supply those goods and

services to the world at prices they are comfortable with. I do not for a momentover look the supply and demand economic concepts but the point is on the right

and ability to bargain yourselves. If you are not comfortable, just simply drop thedeal.

But what are the results of having the above established and rightly functional? What arethe effects? In the interest of space, we briefly state the results and effects below:

here will be tangible development and thus foster freedoms.

here will be more peace and less antagonistic tendencies.

here will be less tensions and complexes among different peoples.

here will be more focus in many a nation.

here will be better accountability

here will be less subjectivity or diversion of funds.

here will be less corruption.

here will be restored confidence in the cabinets or foreign offices. This will include the

United Nations.

nternational trade will be less laborious.

ducation will be more abundant with the advent of Information technology via theinternet.

ictators and tyrants will be nipped in the bud before they rear their ugly heads.

Furthermore, liberties cannot be looked at in isolated pockets to draw a conclusivesatisfactory assertion of freedom. The whole world in totality must be free from the

clutches of oppression to a certain comfortable degree. As such, we take a detour atthis stage and focus on Freedom in relation to Africa by taking a historical excursion

against a globalisation back ground. The general feeling is that Africa has beenmarginalised and thus cannot possibly be free. This is evidenced by what we read and


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hear daily in the press and otherwise. Madam Joyce Nonde of Zambia has rightlyobserved and asserted what we now say.

But is Africa really left on the margins by globalisation?1

This million dollar question raised hardly needs any further argument as the starkreality on the wall is as clear as the noon day sun. If we trace the roots of

development through the corridors of the centuries, Africa has always been

marginalized and neglected at all forums.c

It is only viewed as a raw material source

and no further. Reading the journals of the ancient explorers and sea farers, onecannot fail to pick that their main aim for venturing beyond the borders of their

countries was to generate wealth and then bring it back to their countries. There arefew exceptions to the rule though. Recollect that Africa was once known as the dark

continent and people flocked to find out what was inside it leading to extensiveplunder that has left the continent reeking with abject poverty. As though that were

not bad enough, the explorers opened the door for the colonialist Governments thatflocked to ransack the land. Vast stretches of land with trees were felled or cleared for

timber and development. Apart from that, the natives were caged and sold as slaveswhile others were used as cheap labour to till the land. Thinking about the great Cecil

Rhodes with his British South Africa Company (BSA), it is difficult to imagine thathis grand dream to build a railway from Cape to Cairo was planned in good faith, or

whether it was with egocentric motives at heart. That notwithstanding, the interior ofAfrica was explored and opened up for what it really is while, truckloads of precious

minerals and raw materials were siphoned out to develop the now prosperous firstworld countries. As long as there was room for wanton plunder, this scourge

continued. When the Liberation winds begun to blow across the continent, the

Colonialist begun to with draw while leaving economic landmines so that the newlyindependent states remained dependant on them. That withdrawal was not with a littlestruggle, hardly thinking about the welfare of the remnants. As swiftly as they came

in, so they left.

Now, the African continent is by and large independent but a new form ofcolonialism has arisen, from those detonating landmines of yester years. Imperialism

and the crippling debts now clutch the nations in the developed Worlds grip. Today,Africa is called the forgotten continent . That assertion is not far from the truth

because most of the World events and businesses revolve away from the continent asthough there was nothing to talk about regarding Africa, nor due consideration is

given to the Continent. At this rate, nobody is interested in Africa any more, for it isperceived a land of excruciating poverty and pain. The best that the first world does is

to pull a few destabilizing strings when an African nation or a group of them beginsto make strides to economic recovery. Now that affluent have gotten what they want,

they have abandoned Africa and do not want to have anything with it. Ironically, even

1 Note that this section is adapted from another earlier book I wrote on International Businessc

Refer to the Preface addressed to the reader in the booklet A NEW INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICORDER by Valentin Shcetinin et al pp5


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the United Nations is not really interested in African affairs despite having an Africanat the helm. Kofi Annan is but a smart American puppet that has no teeth to bite, so it

is perceived. Boutros Ghali of Egypt was different, no wonder he was hounded out of

the 38th

floor of the UN building at the end of 1996!z

For instance, if there is a war in

Africa, the a UN stands by the ring side and watches as people haplessly hack each

other to death but notice when another country probably in Europe plunges into war,the whole world is kept on its toes until the issue is resolved. The African turf andpeople are used as scientific experimental guinea pigs to test the latest arsenals to see

how lethal the same could be. One would not be far from the truth to believe that thericher nations in some instances actually deliberately trigger wars so that the demand

for their products could grow by that same token. To some extent, the richer nationsare content to maintain a total control on the African continent in some way, no

matter how remotely so that they can keep them under subjection.

If Africa is really marginalized as suggested above, why is that the case? Varyingviews have been advanced but supposing that were the case, the question that begs

answering squarely in the face is why the marginalisation? Popular opinion among laypeople is that the richer states still depend on the under developed nations for raw

materials and also for cheap labour. The following are the reasons why Africa ismarginalized:

1. The continent is a potential economic power due to the huge untappedmineral and cheap human resource.

2. Potential significant market. Recall that Africa has a potential market ofover 480 million people.

3. The desire to control and dominate others, as evidenced by the USA overIraq and South Korea recently (November and December 2002).

4. The devastated weak economies that cannot compete favourably on the

international markets.5. Regional groupings- these have effectively blocked any form of marketpenetration to the place where the goods would fetch a good price. Thus, the

goods are either more expensive to produce or have no market leading to acancellation.

6. Unrealistic standards that block Africa. The developed world, althoughworking at a different wavelength, has deliberately set up standards far out

of the poor African nations grasp. Minute things disqualify African goodsbut the reverse is true when things are being sent to Africa from the

developed world. The only way to get over this hurdle is to scale up onquality and specification, of course at the bidding of powers that be.

7. Many of the countries in Africa do not have a productive base upon whichto lean. Most of them are slowly becoming consumer destinations where

relatively cheaper goods are dumped. With such a scenario, a nation courtsdanger if it closes off the outside world or influence.

But how is the above scheme been concocted? The basic formula to systematically

cripple Africa from the fast developing World market is by insisting that the debt

zCheck write up in appendix for a full write up on Ghalis ordeal with the Americans.


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burden remains outstanding so that the countries in question are forever using everycoin to service the selfsame debt. The other way is to make the Nations dependant by

either not helping them in times of crisis until they are reduced to their knees there bydeveloping a dependence syndrome that sticks like algae to the victim countries.

Further, the powerful nations impose harsh unproductive economic survival plans that

are deliberately tailored to create more dependence or simply not ideal with the actualproblem that faces the continent. Half the time, the prescriptions are suspect as theyonly result in untold suffering. Further still, the stronger economies, in extreme cases

move in to topple governments they perceive to be standing in their way. The zealwith which the USA plotted to over throw Saddam Hussein in the name of terrorism

and weapons inspection is a case in point. I suspect their interests are the oil fields,which Saddam has on his turf. In these days of geographical information systems

(GIS), remote sensing techniques are used for mineral prospecting even from space.As such, the richer nations know what is in a place when they move into a given area,

buy off the land and initially clandestinely begin to tap the minerals. By the time thenatives discover, it is too late as the firm land tenure contracts in favour of the

plunderers have already taken root. In times when these people get what they want,they suddenly drop everything and leave the place even worse than before. A case in

point is the Anglo American saga that occurred in Zambia in 2002. Copper, the mainstay of the Zambian economy, has lately fetched very little per metric ton and yet it

remains the backbone of the economy without which the economy crumbles badly.Such circumstances are fertile grounds for economic blackmail but unfortunately,

many pauper nations oblige. Some vital statistics and information will be handy atthis stage to strengthen the assertion that Africa has indeed been outwitted in some

subtle way. The Valentin Shchetinin led team rightly asserted in the book A newinternational Economic order: its advocates and opponents that the former

metropolitan countries are largely responsibleforthe extreme poverty ofthe Africancountries, fortheir chronic backwardness andtheir social and economic plight.

Throughthe mechanization oftransfer prices and monetary machinations Theinternational monopolies are taking outofthe developing co astronomical sums far

exceedingthe value of allthe official aidthose countries receive from industrializedcountries.(pp65). The following statistics are even more startling: If we look at

the presenteconomic situation in Africa, we cannothelp seeingthe obvious disparitybetween the continents colossal potentialities andthe lamentable results oftheir

utilization-lamentable as regards the national interests ofthe African peoples. Themineral wealth of Africa includes 96% ofthe Worlds deposits of diamonds, more

than 90% of its Chrome ore, 50% of its cobalt, 50% of its phosphates, 55% of itsManganese, 40% of its bauxites, 30% of its uranium and20% of its copper. Africa

provides 72% ofthe Worlds cobalt, 67% of its gold, 36% of its manganese, 35% ofits Chrome, 28% of its phosphates, 22% of its copper, 10% of its iron ore and7% of

its bauxites.Yetthe productive forces of Africa are atan extremely low level of development. The

Continentaccounts for a mere 0.9% ofthe Worlds industrial production. Africapossesses one fifth ofthe Worlds hydropower resources; from itcome over50% of

the Worlds exports of oil, 70% ofthe Worlds outputof cocoa and a third of itscoffee. Nevertheless, 20 ofthe 31 nations classified bythe UnitedNations as the


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Worlds leastdeveloped are in Africa. The aggregate gross productof Africaamounts to no more than 2.7% ofthe Worldtotal andthe average per capita annual

income is $ 166. Africa has 480 million inhabitants-approximately10% oftheearths population. Yetthe continents share in the Worlds outputof staple products

does notexceed five per cent. Hence Africa is two or even three times worse off in

food supplies than theW

orld average (PP73/74)

M

. Of course people with a contraopinion may dismiss the socialists view (Valentin) point as mere propaganda sincethe cold war was at its height at the time of writing but methinks, the data carries a lot

of truth and weight.

In a nutshell then, this marginalisation is achieved advertently or inadvertently by:1. Having closed markets to African products. The Economic

groupings like the European Union, USA have effectively blockedAfrican products. The GMO controversy threatens to further block

the African products from the European Union market.2. The high and unrealistic standards set up by the groupings. Some

standards are so ridiculous that one hardly needs to be hyperintelligent to discern the motive behind the standards.

3. The crippling conditional aid given to the African nations. TheGMO saga again emanates from the free aid offered by the USA.

Usually, whenever a powerful country gives aid liberally, there isusually a catch behind the bait. For how can you stand against the

person that feeds you?4. The high debt burden inherited from the past much weakens the

positions of many nations. The little that is generated is all sent toservice the never-ending debt. This position in turn compromises

the countrys prowess to bargain let alone re-invest to build the

economy.5. Unfortunately, the negative reporting by the worlds press has builtsuch a terrible reputation for the African continent that by and

large, the forgotten continent is viewed as having nothing to offerbut death, hunger, war and never ending decay. This has led to a

high bad will, if ever such a word exists. Thus, anything hailingfrom Africa is treated with contempt, suspicion or of less value

than anything say from China or the Far East.6. The IMF/World Bank interventions are only short term and

thereby cosmetic in effect.If the alleged marginalisation is indeed real, to what extent then has this situation

affected Africa? In generally, we can safely assert that Africa has been marginalizedin all areas and as far as possible but the following points immediately come to thefore:

Mthis data was correct as at 1983

In fact, D.R.F Taylor has asserted that here ever these bodies have gone, there is either nil growth or

negative growth. Where growth has been recorded as a result of their intervention, the parameters are

questioned. Refer to Development from within by Taylor & Mackenzie 1992 edition pp 217-20.


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1. The African continent is left out in the major decisions that affect globaltrade/economics. For instance, no African country is represented on the G8 while

Russia, with a weak economy is considered when it coughs.2. The poor infrastructure forbids the African continent to contribute meaningfully as

it is too weak to have a significant punch or voice. It is reported that African business

accounts for just about 1% of the total global business.3. In addition to the poor infrastructure, the poor communication and road networkforbids speedy development thereby making Africa less attractive for foreign

investment.As a result of 3 above, many investors do not invest much on the continent but

externalize all profits to their countries.The feeble economies means that the nations politically powers are easily influenced to

bow to international pressure. A case in point is the policies imposed by bodies likethe IMF and other Herculean financial institutions. Refer to the effectual call to the

Zambian Government to privatize the remaining critical Parastatals. Although theGovernment seems for a while to with stand the pressure, it knows where the finger

that feeds is and dares not disobey too much. In all cases, the dictates cannot bequestioned. As earlier intimated, in extreme cases, these selfsame powers can even

dictate who becomes president or not. That is the price of poverty, it is a crime.

Globalization effects on AfricaThe actual extent of the impact of Globalisation on poor Africa cannot be fully

determined but suffice it to say that the effect is so devastating and crippling to theextent that it would take many generations to rectify the problem, given the present

snails pace of development. The following points attempt to point out some of thesalient effects that have resulted in these dynamic changes:

1. The African nations are fast losing their sovereignty.2. The African nations are disintegrating further economically due to

the weak base. The GDP keeps falling and sliding helplessly into thepoverty miry bog.

3. The nations, due to poverty, engage in endless civil wars to theirown detriment. This results from the fight to control sections of the

country that harbour rich mineral deposits. If there are two majortribes, they engage in Shaka like civil wars to gain supremacy. This

again is detrimental.4. Africa has remained in the ring fighting for the floating trophy with

itself while the developed countries snatch their goods unawares. Thesaying When elephants fight, itis the grass thatsuffers holds true. In

this case, the grass is the economy and the elephants are thepoliticians. Interestingly, while the giants are in combat, the monkeys

watch excitedly while pelting the fighters and munching the fruit. Thisis what the rest of the World is doing to Africa. While the battles rage

on, globalization is gaining momentum and hurtles along.


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Options for AfricacThe only options left for Africa are the following:

1. Scale up on regional groupings like NEPAD, SADC, ECOWAS or the AU.This is the only way that countries on the same footing in terms of

development will improve. The African market is large and will be enough

to generate economic development. A start is needed somewhere.2. Strengthen the economies by investing in the production base. This is theonly way to stand on own feet. Libya is a shining example of a country

striving to stand on its own feet. In that way, Libya is not a push over norcan it be ignored. The strengthening of the economies is the only key to

recognition.3. Investing in research and development is another way to keep abreast with

the times. Hitherto, the Africans have been made to believe that only whatcomes from the rich is good enough while what is made locally is archaic,

substandard or obsolete. Granted that that may be true in many instances,but this should make the Africans determined to improve. This approach

may take many years but is necessary.4. Franchising many of the big names in business like Coca cola may be theway forward if # 3 above is not feasible. The World will know that Africacan handle certain issues well. In the process, Africa will learn the ropes,

much like what Japan did.5. Fight corruption at all fronts no matter what the cost. Perfect hatred for

corruption must be emphasized at all forums. For this to be appreciated,campaigns are needed by credible people, not the calibre of those Zambia

has known in the last 10 years from 1991. Such fragile economies can befurther crippled just by one signature of a Doctor of Corruption, as was the

case in Zambia. If South Africa does not watch carefully, it too will slide

into the same slough of despond.6. Elect Visionary and strategic leaders. This is the need of the times. Thetimes demand that Africa has leaders rather than bosses or clowns to grace

those lofty offices. By and large, most of the African politicians run forpublic office as a fund raising venture. No wonder they forget their

obligation to the electorate the moment they get those Porsche vehiclesusing the hard earned taxpayers money.

cIt would be worthwhile reading the excellent article by Professor Anthony Hawkins that appeared in the

Southern African Economist issue of Feb/March 1995 pp24. In the said article, the Professor asserts that

there is a missing link even in the most renowned countries like Ghana and Thailand that have had an

annual growth rate averaging above 5%. He points out that in carrying out remedial repairs on a crippledeconomy, two stages or gears have to be engaged: 1. the first phase is on adjustment and stabilization of the

economy in areas such as arresting the sky rocketing inflation. The second and crucial stage includes

institutional and structural reforms such as privatization, reengineering etc. Many nations more easily pass

the first stage but the cracks of the matter are at the second stage where non profitable institutions areprivatized and in the process, job losses take place resulting in immense suffering. This second stage is

equally critical in establishing investor confidence as international and local players fill up the gap left by

the government. The problem in many African countries is that the gap remains yawning despite therecorded growth. In the words of the professor, Several African countries have gotthe fundamentals right

in their SAPs, butthe supply response is notforth coming


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7. Priotise issue rightly. The cancer that has bugged Africa is lack of visionand the inclined plane stone rolling into the future with no objectives or

benchmarks. This scenario clearly shows that the people are not serious orhave o goal at all.

8. Reward innovation. There should be a deliberate effort to recognize and

encourage innovation in the region. For instance, local inventors must bepromoted and their inventions carried forward far and wide. Somehow,Africans feel inferior to the rest of the World. This rewarding should also

trickle down to rewarding labour as well. As opposed to giving slave wages,people will feel valued and appreciated. Slave wages are the breeding

ground for theft, anarchy, slothfulness and low self-esteem.9. Curb the HIV/Aids pandemic. Today, Africa is in the very furnace of the

virus ravaging effects. The excruciating results of the pandemic are bitingwhere there is already no flesh. In other words, Africa is already deformed

without the virus but what more when we add this burden. Recently, acountry like Zambia with a population of a little over 10 million (2000

census) was losing 200 people per day at the grisly hands of the virus. Asthough that were not bad enough, the prevalence levels are as high as 22%

in some cases. Further, it has been documented that the most affected are thepotentially highly productive age, meaning that there is a gap or shortage of

able bodied people to carry on meaningful work. The implications of thisloss of man hours are grave and threaten to keep the poor countries in the

pauper gloomy dungeons for generations to come. Various reasons havebeen given as to the genesis of the problem as well as its ultimate cure.

While the word battles rage on, myriads are being infected each second andthus head for the grave. In short then, the affected nations must put measures

in place to curb the further spread of the virus. This is urgent or else have allthe previous developmental interventions wiped out. Remember that there is

a stigma attached to the virus too. This stigma is costly to the nation and insome way derails freedom progress.

Africas future in tomorrows global village.In future, Africa is likely to arise, given the present realization that it is lagging behind.The increased use of IT in many countries is commendable because this leads to quicker

decision-making, planning and development. However, let it be known that competingwith the USA for example is like a rat playing a tag of war match with an elephant, it just

wont work! The best Africa can do for now is to work with the USA, learn the ropes andimprove on those. Further, Africa holds a lot of promise for service industry such as

tourism. The vast stretches of land with it unique species of animals should attract scoresof tourists. On the other hand, a great wealth of raw materials still lies untapped or

disturbed in the African soils. Every day, the African child treads around on untappedwealth. In coming days, these should be exploited and used. In that way, Africa will be

engrafted into the global village. Although Africa is sometimes called the forgottencontinent , all covetous eyes are upon it, meticulously watching all its movements. The

continent holds promise but all this will not be unless Africa discards all the impedimentsthat have been highlighted in the earlier sections of this article.


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From a strategic perspective, Africa still holds promise and will be a powerful voice inthe not too distant future, perhaps one or two of the African states will be numbered

among the G9!In conclusion on this African section, and having taken deep thought over this matter, we

would like to submit that we can safely assert that Africa has actually been marginalized

hitherto. It has not been viewed as an equal partner but as a bythe way. Thatnotwithstanding, Africa has to some extent contributed to the dismal view and must needswake up to the current and future realities. The World is too fast to wait for malingerers.

As someone has quaintly quipped The World loves winners andhas no time for losers.African must aspire to be a winner so as to be heard.

Barriers to freedom today- A general view

Egocentrism. Many people with power always think about themselves to the

exclusion of all others. Such people never think about others and thus generate tensionand conflict.

Lack of vision is another because people do not know their destiny nor wish to.Half the time, the leaders either take advantage or are in darkness themselves!

Ignorance. Once gripped in the hands of ignorance and poverty, people spend the

rest of their life scrounging for the next meal and as such do not have time to look well attheir rights and freedom.

Unrealistic laws that discriminate or hinder the full expression of certain classesof people. For instance, the woman in the eastern world is not highly regarded nor

expected to ascend to the higher orbs of freedom. If she does, it turns out to be freedom!Cultural and religious convictions have been a major contributing factor to the

curtailing of freedom. For instance, a female dares not speak in public in some parts of

the world. In some cases, they are not even allowed to get any education at all!

Poverty. This is the mother root cause of freedom advance. Poverty is of various

kinds. Examples are poverty of the mind (intellect), body (Physical) and soul (Spiritual).The vast majority of people worldwide usually consider the physical and as such cannot

speak out against evils simply because they are poor physically. They do not have thefinancial power, resources or the ability to raise litigation issues. Furthermore, the policy

makers are more advantaged and influence decisions while the rest look on helplessly andpainfully. In some instances, it may not be financial muscle alone per se but it is the

dependence that this world has created in peoples minds. They believe that they cannotsurvive outside the employers bounds. As such, they dare not bite the fingerthatfeeds

them or else be hounded out! As such, myriads of criminal offences against freedom areswept under the carpet. In an ideal situation, people should be sufficiently empowered to

stand on their own feet so that they can make decisions. If commercial opportunities wereabundant, people would more readily venture out there and run their own projects un

hindered. As things stand, the advent of privatization has left thousands uponthousands jobless as the egocentric investors have come, grabbed all assets and zoomed

of having made a killing while thousands are left chewing the dust. In the Western world,the scenario is slightly different. Whereas the job market shrinks with more privatization


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in the poorer countries, the same may not exactly apply in the West. This is because, newopportunities are constantly coming up all the times. All one has to do is send their

resume to an employment agent or simply paste it on the internet and thus float aroundthe CV. In addition, most people hold more than one job at one and the same time. When

one job collapses, one simply shifts and concentrates on another. Now this scenario is

sustainably possible in a large economy or one with the right economic/political policies.As to when the other countries will catch up, it remains for the future to tell. This is alsoa hurdle to freedom progress.

Ethnocentrism and xenophobia. The world has witnessed an increase in thesevices that have a tendency to look down on some cultures, races or ethnic groups. The

superiority complex and disgust for global workers or foreigners that live and work inones locality.

Freedom progress in 2003 and beyondFrom what has been exhumed so far, we have no telling where the freedom lot may falltomorrow but we can comfortably assert that freedom has become easier to talk about

rather than attain given the present trends. That no withstanding, commerce expansionwill build a high way for freedom progression. The present indications seem to suggest

that Information Technology (IT) will continue to impact the traditional trends for a longtime to come. As earlier intimated, it is possible that e-commerce will be the main avenue

for commerce as it is faster and far much cheaper in the long run. Today, an order can beplaced from one end of the terrestrial ball and at the click of the finger on the keyboard,

an order is made triggering an online just in time process at the other end of the globe.This means that companies will be agile, leaner and smaller, offices paperless, brand

names proliferated, outsourcing common place and product quality higher. Decision-making will be faster due to the availability of strategic information.

Much, much more remains veiled to the human eye at this stage but suffice it to say thatfreedom advancement will be catapulted into more dynamic arenas. Let the reader keep a

keen meticulous eagles eye to what lies in store.

Hooliganism in the Western World probably attributable to the high stress levels andcomplex social setting may be a factor contributing to the vices already mentioned. The

richer north countries are rich materially but extremely poverty stricken spiritually andemotionally/relation wise. They are caged in their own little worlds that are closed

systems. This statement is subjective to some extent but merits attention nonetheless.


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Appendix

Deposed but not vanquished

Much dust and speculation has surrounded the unceremonious departure of BoutrosGhali, that great Egyptian, from the United Nations Secretariat office at the end of 1996.

Whatever the case, his ordeal has been one worth picking a few lessons from so that weare not caught napping by recurrent historical pitfalls.

As earlier intimated, Ghali was hounded out of office having accomplished much thoughhis illustrious career has been deliberately marred by his critics. Who is Boutros Boutros

Ghali, if we care to ask? What did he do or not do that caused him to appear a dismalfailure at that top job?

For one thing, we do not have much information about him from the article Why Boutrosfell from grace, which appeared in the magazine New African of October 1999. The

said article is more focused on what happened at the UN secretariat rather than his

genealogy or profile. It deals with the causes that led to Ghalis ouster and replacementby Kofi Annan from Ghana. For all we know, Ghali is an Egyptian and seems to haveworked tirelessly at the UN for many years before he was elected into office in 1991. He

is a highly principled man and possesses all the traits of a great statesman and not easilyshaken off his principles. Also, he seems to possess a very crystal clear mind that is both

strategic and objectively analytical as evidenced by his seasoned comments.He stepped into the UN offices shortly after election with a burning passion to restructure

the UN into a more agile and relevant organisation, in keeping with the original SanFrancisco goals of 1945. As we know, the UN ideally is there to preserve World peace,

prevent wars, alleviate poverty, improve global health, and fight exploitative labourpractices as well as resolve regional conflicts. This is achieved through many

interventions, such as negotiations with Governments and using its own military force,derived from the UN member countries to quail crimes against humanity. When the

World body commenced its work many decades ago, all these goals were very fresh andjustified the existence of the said body. But alas, with time, it has turned out to be a US

tool to advance Americas global political agenda under the guise of being a worldpeace watch dog , when the UN is supposed to be independent and objective, detached

from any single Government manipulation. The advent of the cold war made the UNfurther lose its sovereign identity and to this day, it still is firmly clutched in US hands.

This is what Ghali set out to change, and as it were, touched an American naked livewire instantly electrocuting himself!

For a long time, the UN has been owed billions of dollars in unpaid subscriptions by

member countries, chiefest of whom is the USA. As a result, the world body hasoperationally been crippled. The only way to get round this hurdle is to restructure, cutdown on staff, limit travels and initiate controls on the use of resources. Therefore, when

Ghali stepped into office, his keen eagles eye diagnosed the problem and immediatelyprescribed a remedy, but ironically, the proposed solutions greatly infuriated some powermongers. These were but the first straws that lashed out at the US Government and from

then on, he was a marked man. Furthermore, he began to advocate objectivity andfairness in treating conflicts around the world. What was evident was that the US could


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pick and choose at will whom to help, when and where. Hitherto, no one had daredquestion such hypocrisy but when Ghali raised his finger in protest, he further irked some

quarters. But what exactly was the problem root cause?As earlier intimated, Ghali was firmly convinced that the UN was unnecessarily too huge,

complex and unresponsive, and as such, he sought to awaken the world about the need to

restructure so that the UN be transformed into an agile, fluid, relevant, responsive andenvironmentally conscious body. The operations of yester years were obsolete andneeded revisiting. This called for drastic cost cutting measures and the instillation of

greater stewardship of resources. In a nutshell, this was the pulse of Boutros and hefought valiantly to the very end, squashed but unvanquished. The problems really begun

at that point of attempting to restructure the UN towards a meaningful role in a post Coldwar era. He wanted the world focus to shift away from the US to the UN. Having made

some initial changes, as highlighted earlier on, he finally broke the camels back when hejokingly remarked after his leave, saying Iam happyto be backhere blocking more

reform, flying my blackhelicopters, imposing globaltaxes and demoralising my staff.Unknowingly, this was a suicidal joke because the same got the greatest malicious

publicity ever. From that point, the US, through that villain, Madeleine Albright, begun tofire their arsenals at Ghali. They coaxed him (Ghali) not to go for the second term. After

all sinister persuasions failed, the Americans offered another luxurious job to silence himbut alas, not even money could silence that principled Sphinx, much like what was said

about the German Protestant Reformer, Martin Luther, when the corrupt powers of theday exclaimed, This fool does noteven acceptgold! Ghali too was far above bribes!

In the long run, after much frustration, anger and nausea, the US went full throttle to oustthe man using the vote, simply for not pledging allegiance to the fingerthatfedhim.

The Americans campaigned against and voted Ghali out in 1996, and placed their pawnon the chessboard. It is now four years after that horrendous episode, we have no telling

how plain sailing it has been for Annan but for all we know, Boutros Ghali fought a goodfight and never forgot mother Africa!

Having analysed the scenario, it now remains for us to draw a few lessons andconclusions from the article.

Firstly, we note that Ghali was probably nave about many things when he stepped ontothe 38

thfloor of the UN Secretariat. He assumed too much thinking all were friends when

viper tongued politicians were lurking in the corridors to strike him! Secondly, he seemsto have been unconcerned about the immediate impact of his reforms. For all we know,

change is always resisted, especially when it threatens peoples status. America is in itsdeclining stages as a world power, and the kicks of a dying horse can be deadly. Thirdly,

although his reforms and strategies were excellent, it seems to me that he had worked onthe flawless ideas with a small click of friends, to the exclusion of all others. As such, his

ideas appeared to be shoved top-down rather than participative. In the fourth place, Heseemed to have been in a hurry to implement the reforms and did not make a proper

internal situational analysis of the HQ. Although he did a good overall operationalanalysis of the organisation, as evidenced by his apt conclusion that the world body was

too bulky and overweight, it seems he was unaware of who is who at HQ. Nave aboutUN organisational politics, he bashed some folks on the head while he spat others in the

face. How they gnashed their teeth! I am one who supports originality in a leader and


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would have applauded his brave assertions but it is more prudent to know your enemybefore you act.

Fifthly, organisational reforms take time, especially the complex UN having tentacles allover the globe. Ghali, should have first looked for ways to curb the off shoots of the

changes by preparing people through training. In addition, he should have been more

careful to motivate his staff in various ways, such as capacity building and the need fororganisational mutation.As the momentous event recedes into the irretrievable past, we can only salute Boutros

Ghali for the resilience he displayed in attempting to steer the titanic UN back to sanity.As he himself aptly concludes, Ibelieve thatsuch a transformation is still possible and

will succeed-ifthe United States allows itto do so. we trust that the petty politics will besurmounted and the metamorphosis realised.


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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Billy Sichone trained as an Accountant and worked as a Program

Accountant at one of World Vision International-Zambias large scale Area

Development Programs (ADP) for seven years before moving on to holdother portfolios. He is presently a Program Manager and holds several

qualifications that include an MBA.

He is married to Jane and they have a daughter together.

Among his interests are studying, reading, photography, research, writing,

poultry, art, meeting people, astronomy, cycling and adventure. In keeping

with his interests, he has produced several DVDs, books and is a public

speaker.

Visit his u tube site on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2vu-QE0Oj4 to sample someof his materials

You could also visit my site at: www.sichone.com

commerce and freedom book: being some thoughts by billy sichone

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