Introduction: Describe the different areas of Africa and say that your essay will focus on sub-Saharan Africa (or the Sahel or North Africa). General characteristics of the area: high population growth rates, low levels of foreign investment and inter-African trade, the threat from terrorism coming from the Sahel.
Line of argument: This essay will argue that poverty is the main challenge for Africa to which many, though not all, of the other questions can be related as causes or consequences, or both in a vicious circle. The international community needs to focus its efforts not just on emergency humanitarian measures but above all on helping African countries to break this vicious circle to allow them to take off economically and thus be in a position to decide their own future independently. This needs to be done from a European and Italian point of view within the framework of the EU’s Partnership with Africa and the Italian Strategy for the Mediterranean. Point out the Covid-19 pandemic has wiped out the progress made since 2015 on SDG1 and pushed tens of millions of Africans back into extreme poverty.
Say that the UN defines the main challenge for the area as poverty (give the UN figures), which exposes a large proportion of the population to the risk of a starvation or malnutrition, particularly in the event of a war or natural disaster since their living conditions are always precarious. Give evidence of this and compare with some areas in Asia that have made more progress. Focus your essay on the factors that prevent Africa from making similar progress. Explain that many of these factors are often both causes and consequences of the poverty trap that Africa finds itself in.
a) The legacy of the colonial period (not a consequence of poverty).
Borders that do not represent real ethnic divisions and loyalties, resulting in
weak central governments, strong local or ethnic loyalties and potential for
civil wars and wars between neighboring states. Thus a bad business environment
for foreign investors.
b) Widespread corruption and too much red tape (often a result of
poverty, a way for officials to make more money when their salary is low)
creating a bad business environment for foreign investors.
c) Poor governance, also partly the result of poverty in terms of low tax
revenue. Political and administrative institutions may be
absent, or inefficient, or work mainly to protect the interests of the ruling
elite.
Foreign governments and companies may prefer not to invest in African countries
or to do deals which benefit the ruling elite but not the rest of the
population. The need for the spread of effective multi-party democracy.
d) A lack of infrastructure and funds for building infrastructure.
e) A weak health systems as a result of a lack of funds for the system.
High mortality rates from basic illnesses due to a lack of medical facilities,
equipment and supplies and an inability to deal with the challenges of epidemic
diseases.
f) A weak education system due to a lack of funds. This leads to the
brain-drain, qualified doctors and nurses, for example, go abroad to work. It
also means lower levels of female education and higher birth rates.
h) Although there are a few countries with strong economies (examples)
most have low levels of economic activity and thus low levels of employment.
There are surprisingly low levels of manufacturing (compared with Asia). This
is a driver of discontent, faction loyalties and migration.
i) As mentioned before, there is often a bad business environment for both domestic and foreign
investors / high taxes /a need to pay bribes / insecurity of ownership.
You should illustrate these
factors by referring to one specific country or countries for each point.
j) Africa and its
international partners.
Western countries have tied
aid and investment to 'conditionality', progress on reducing corruption and
bureaucracy, good governance, transparency and real democracy. China is
investing heavily in Africa in an effort to guarantee current and future
supplies of raw materials. It is willing to deal with governments that Western
countries may consider oppressive or undemocratic. (The dangers of
post-colonialism?)
k) Africa and climate change and this as a driver of migration
Conclusion – The importance of
Africa for the current and future well-being of Europe. Migration and the need
for EU and Italian cooperation with countries of origin and transit to reduce
migration and combat illegal trafficking. In the end this will mean helping
them to achieve greater stability and investing in these countries so that
their economies take off like those of China, South Korea and India, allowing
sub-Saharan African countries to cease to be aid-dependent and become genuinely
independent and stable economic and political partners. The Africa-EU Partnership puts the focus on African
solutions to African Problems with support from the EU.
You should also be up-to-date on the work of the
Africa-EU Partnership:
http://www.africa-eu-partnership.org/
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52020JC0004&from=FR
https://africa-eu-partnership.org/en
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-17-1595_en.htm
https://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/regions/africa/eu-emergency-trust-fund-africa_en
https://africa-eu-partnership.org/sites/default/files/documents/apf_annual_report_2019_en.pdf
the Italian Strategy for the Mediterranean
https://www.esteri.it/mae/resource/doc/2017/12/med-maeci-eng.pdf
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