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Seminar report1
The Southern African Regional Poverty Network (SARPN) based in South Africa and the Institute of Social Development and Peace (ISDP) based in Mauritius, co-hosted a one day seminar on 'Human Security, Poverty and Conflict in SADC'2.
The objectives of the seminar were to:
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Examine the current status and responses to prevailing security threats, including poverty, in the SADC region
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Profile current trends with respect to the causal - effect relationship between human security (including poverty), non violent conflicts and stability
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Identify prospects for enhancing the profile of the human security debate in relation to the conventional security debate.
Introductions and welcoming remarks
Trevor Ncube, the Chairperson of SARPN chaired the opening ceremony and welcomed all those present. He was encouraged by the fact that the seminar was able to bring together researchers, policy makers and practitioners from the region to debate on a thematic issue that was gaining importance across the world and particularly within the African continent.
The timeliness and relevance of the seminar was echoed by the Executive Director of SARPN, Sue Mbaya who noted that the African continent was at the centre of multiple unrest and higher levels of uncertainties making the life of its people more vulnerable and precarious. The rise of HIV/AIDS, greater levels of poverty, recurrent conflicts, famines, gender inequality and poor service delivery were just some of the bad news obstructing the progress of the African continent. However, Sue Mbaya was quick to reassure that this bad news was to a certain extent balanced by some good news. A greater focus on poverty and its causes - the setting up of the Millennium Developments Goals (MDGs) had offered some hope that poverty might one day be eradicated.
At the level of democracy and governance, the creation of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) offered a road map towards building an African approach to solving African problems and in the process allowed its people to benefit from these new forms of partnership. Sue Mbaya, then situated the role and work undertaken by SARPN which was essentially to network across boundaries and bring different stakeholders together to address the issues relating to poverty in a holistic and integrated manner.
According to her, one of the direct outcomes of the seminar would be to provide the necessary material for a position paper on human security, poverty and conflict in SADC. This would hopefully help to shape contemporary debates on these issues and accordingly help towards devising policies relevant to the African countries and its people.
The Executive Director of SARPN, ended her speech by thanking the different funding partners - the Ford Foundation and the Conflict and Governance Facility (CAGE) a partnership project between the South African Government and the European Commission. She also extended a warm thanks to the co-host of the seminar, ISDP and hoped that this would be the start of an active partnership between SARPN and ISDP.
Sheila Bunwaree, President of the ISDP took the opportunity to briefly introduce the newly created NGO/think tank. According to her, the seminar and partnership between SARPN and ISDP offered an excellent opportunity to bring the small islands of the Indian Ocean within the fold of the African continent and thus develop a Pan African agenda. She proceeded to introduce the Honorary President of ISDP - Mr Cassam Uteem for the opening address. Mr Uteem, former President of the Republic of Mauritius, is currently a Board Member of the Institute for Democratic and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), a founding member of the 'Haut Conseil de la Francophonie' as well as Honorary President of various local networks.
Mr Uteem extended a warm welcome to all the overseas participants and from the onset congratulated both SARPN and ISDP for their excellent initiative in organising this one-day seminar. For Mr Uteem, we are living in a world of multiple contradictions and paradoxes. According to him, both traditional development models and globalisation have essentially served and continue to serve the interests of the few whilst leaving the many in a state of destitution and want. This growing gap between the opulent-few and the destitute-many was seen as a cause for concern as it often lead to an environment where the security of a person and by extension a community, is threatened, where poverty is amplified and conflict is bred.
Central to the debate around human security, poverty and conflict is the human being. It is indeed interesting to note the shift from a purely state-centric notion of security to one embracing the human condition. However, the real challenge lies in the fact, that countries/governments especially within the African continent must develop and accordingly apply this inclusive and integrated approach to the concept of security. Mr Uteem was please to note that in the last decade or so, there has been a multiplication of efforts to attempt to address the plight of the poor, disfranchised and displaced people. For him the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) offered an excellent opportunity to move away from the 'business as usual' approach. He was particularly concerned with the state of the African continent especially in relation to Goal One of the MDG - the eradication of poverty and hunger. If matters continue to proceed at this pace, Africa would not meet the prescribed target by 2015. Another matter of concern was that of international trade and the insignificant portion that Africa presently occupies. According to him, continent-grown strategies and mechanisms such as NEPAD and APRM are good news but once again the challenge lies in transforming rhetoric into action that matters and is relevant to the livelihoods of the millions living in the African continent.
Mr Uteem also made reference to the Mauritian context and its long history since independence, of promoting pro-poor policies and growth and the successive governments 'resistance' to trimming down the Mauritian welfare state. Developing and building strong welfare states especially in this neo-liberal age were identified as a challenge for the African continent. However, securing the livelihoods of people through welfare packages constitutes an important facet of the democratisation of development.
Mr Uteem then concluded by wishing all those present a fruitful exchange of ideas and thoughts, which, would contribute to contemporary thinking and action of putting the African continent on the development track.
Trevor Ncube thanked Mr Uteem for a very thought provoking address as he had set the tone for the seminar. Mr Ncube, then open the floor for discussion.
The questions addressed to Mr Uteem were essentially about the success of the 'Mauritian model'. Mr Uteem preferred to talk about the Mauritian experience as opposed to the Mauritian model. He felt that there was no substitute for hard work and visionary leadership and to a certain extent the development path that the country had charted out in the early 70s combined with the ability to negotiate preferential tariffs and markets allowed Mauritius to sustain growth. To a question concerning the role of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Mr Uteem felt that the future lay in regional co-operation. However, it was imperative that countries in the sub-region facilitate, invest and consolidate such relationships.
Footnotes:
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Rapporteur: Roukaya Kasenally
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This seminar is made possible with support from the Ford Foundation and the Conflict and Governance Facility (CAGE) a partnership project between the South African Government and the European Commission.
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