What a month! And What a week! In just about seven days (23 – 29th September 2008) I had seen live and listened to more heads of state and Government than I have in my entire life time.
I sort of got a feeling that we have no heroes back home.
I saw the dignitaries yes, I saw Paul Kagame the President of Rwanda, health minister from Zambia Brian Chituwo and many others speaking about the Malaria success story.. that was great! but where are the other guys supplementing Government efforts in Africa?
Three billion dollars pledged for the fight against Malaria! And the most serious pledge of all, stopping deaths from Malaria in seven years time! Quite ambitious?
Yes but Ban Ki-Moon says it looks more likely than ever before that this target will be met. I do not doubt him a single bit. The coalition looks just right.
Looking at the likes of Bill Gates sitting there, soft spoken pledging to do more to find a vaccine for Malaria. … It was nothing but very, very uplifting.
Together with my other fellows we decided to cover the Clinton Foundation meeting. It is a foundation that has done a lot and is still doing much more to help the world’s poor. And wasn’t it lovely to see all the greats sitting there and discussing help for Africa?
I saw Bill Clinton live, apparently one of the Presidents I loved so much and still do.. it was not enough though, we got a bonus! George Herbert Walker Bush the forty-first President of the United States … yes that man of the gulf war … that’s much I bet most of my colleagues back home remember about him. Don’t misunderstand me he was not talking war but charity.
Wait a minute. Then there was Ali the legend.. and well the list goes on. And yes ! Bono! that great musician. Such an intelligent fellow .. not the intelligence you get to associate with many musicians especially back home, so apt at figures. He speaks so softly but with a lot of knowledge and power … he knows what he is talking about and I love the way he plays with the words Listen to this ‘.. we are not just a state but an idea and an idea is supposed to be contagious ..’ and he was right an idea that cannot infect is as good as a dead one. He had so aptly praised the USA. And in a single breath he had challenged the conscience of the great nations. ‘ .. I cant understand how the USA alone can raise 700 billion dollars (for the bailout) while the G8 combined is struggling to raise 25 billion to fight diseases and hunger in Africa…’ not the exact words, but these are: ‘ its moral bankruptcy!’ Yes you heard him right. He is my hero…
And as we left the Foundation meeting the only question me and my Tanzanian colleague asked ourselves was , where are the heroes in Africa in our countries?, heroes that take development personal and ensure we one day stop going with a begging bowl, whether to the east or west or which ever direction we can get help from?
Our heroes where art thou? Where are our African Bill Gates, our Bono, we have a bit of Clintons but.. we need more.
Until we begin tobuild, create and celebrate our heroes we might as well forget about everything. Forget development too.
The general debates.
I will remember the general debates for a lot of things, firstly it was my first and secondly it gave me an opportunity to listen to as many world leaders as possible. And ? there were enough quotes to fill a million pages.
Here are some of them by the big shots:
“We have a duty to act, not to endure. And we can wait no longer. We are beginning to gauge the tragic consequences of having already waited too long.
What brings us here together in this forum, where everyone must and does listen to others and thereby show them a form of respect, is something more basic even than democracy it is respect for the dignity of one and all, as we are, with our diversity of opinions, sensitivities, cultures and beliefs. Human dignity is a universal value. What we must promote everywhere is respect for this diversity,which is the surest guarantor of peace and human fraternity, the surest antidote to intolerance, hatred and violence.
This is what Europe wants,peoples united in respect, understanding and solidarity working together for the great common cause of safeguarding the future of humanity.
Time is at a premium– the world cannot wait.” …. Nicolas Sarkozy.
‘Overcoming hopelessness requires addressing its causes -- poverty, disease, and ignorance.Challenging these conditions is in the interest of every nation in this chamber. And democracies are particularly well-positioned to carry out this work. Because we have experience responding to the needs of our own people,we're natural partners in helping other nations respond to the needs of theirs.Together, we must commit our resources and efforts to advancing education and health and prosperity. …. George W. Bush
‘For the first time in human history, we have the opportunity to come together around a global covenant, to reframe the international architecture to make it fit for the challenges facing us in the 21st century and to build the first truly Global society and global citizenship.
Our history is not our destiny. It is what we choose to make it. So let us resolve today to end any irresponsibility.
To protect the global public interest by cleaning up the world’s financial system.
To reaffirm our commitment to meeting our global responsibilities on trade, poverty and onenergy and climate change.
And let us act upon this. As people ,as Governments, as nations united.
And let history record – Ours was a truly global response to the first truly global crisis……’ Gordon Brown
Do I take it that the poor particularly Africa have someone to stand up for them when it matters most?
