In Every Adversity, there is Hope

25th March of every year marks the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and Transatlantic Slave Trade. As we mark this day under the Theme: Remember Slavery: Triumphs and Struggles for Freedom and Equality, let this insightful African proverb guides us. “the child you give birth to has given birth to you”. In today’s contemporary context, this proverb, tells us one thing - all problems of human making - including slavery and neo-slavery – are not above us, and can never overcome us – unless we let them.

The transatlantic slave trade was a horrendous crime against humanity, systematically perpetrated against people of African descent - an entire continent. The gravity of prejudice and bigotry involved in slavery had the hallmarks closely resembling a precipitating genocide. Simply unspeakable.

But knowing fully well, that “every adversity carries with it the seed of equal or greater benefit”, as we gather in 2018, we can choose to encourage ourselves with the lessons of slavery. Which while made 400 years ago by our ancestors, remain central to charting a truly emancipated Africa. Where no one is left behind as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aspire- where no one experiences the fear of lack which cripples & disarms people physically, emotionally & mentally leaving them vulnerable to exploitation. There is neo-slavery & solving it is the fierce urgency of now. This is the Africa we want, eloquently envisioned in the African Union Agenda 2063.    

Our ancestors who endured the dehumanization of slavery left us invaluable & priceless lessons –that of hope in adversity- but not just empty hope, but hope backed by commitment and selfless hard work to achieve desired aspirations.

We are reminded of Harriet Ann Jacobs, one of the most important female anti-slavery activists. This extraordinary woman managed to escape slavery and become a prominent abolitionist speaker and reformer.

We are reminded of Frederick Douglass, who rose to become the first black nominee for US Vice President. His famous remark - “I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong” – speaks of a moral tenacity, a commitment to give all for the good of his people.

We are reminded of the courage of Gaspar Yanga, a would-be slave from Gabon. Whose valiant fight against slavery earned him the undisputed title of the First Liberator of the Americas. Today as we gather, these lessons from slavery - lessons of morality amidst decadence, of tenacity, commitment & drive to do right against tremendous odds; of courage amidst adversity - squarely confront us.

They ask what we are doing, even as our youth, the embodiment of Africa’s sovereign capital, driven by hopelessness and despair, risk it all – life, limb & dignity – to cross the treacherous Mediterranean Sea in search of elusive green pastures overseas. And in the process, many are buried under the Mediterranean today and many are sold in modern day slave markets. Yet leaving behind, right here in Africa, opportunity to create $1trillion dollar agro-industry. What a travesty.  

They ask what we are doing today, when mothers bury their 5-year-old for lack of adequate food, in a continent blessed with 65% of global arable land.  

They ask what we are doing today – with up to 12 million of our youth - and we have 300 of them with here today - competing for just 3 million jobs, yet the 365 days of sunshine we enjoy in this continent, can be harnessed in solar micro-grids, to power agro-industries capable of creating over 17 million jobs.

And overshadowing these challenges with a compounding effect, is climate change – the elephant in the room, which threatens to shrink developing country economies – most of which are in Africa by a whopping 75%. Once again, the lessons of our heroes and heroines ask us what we are doing about it.       

As the African proverb goes, “there is a time to gather stones & a time to scatter them”. With the challenges we face today on one side, and the lessons of courage, selflessness, commitment, morality, hard-work, dedication - amidst adversity that our heroes and heroines of slavery left us, we must draw the proverbial line in the sand now! Are we going to gather these stones of courage, selflessness, commitment, hard work, morality – and use them as building blocks in solving the challenges we face today? Or are we going to scatter them to the detriment of ourselves, those yet to be born and the planet. I chose the former – and so do millions of others across the continent and the world. Let’s use the lessons of our heroes and heroines of the transatlantic slave trade, to solve the core-challenge of neo-slavery - creating inclusive wealth opportunities under the changing climate.   

Winning against neo-slavery – creating inclusive wealth opportunities under the changing climate.

To create inclusive wealth opportunities under the changing climate a three-pronged strategy needs to guide us all

First, is maximizing productivity of Africa’s catalytic sectors. Catalytic sectors are those capable of creating socioeconomic opportunities for the majority while simultaneously enhancing ecosystems resilience & mitigating carbon to combat climate change. Clean Energy & Ecosystems Based Adaptation (EBA) driven agriculture are strategic sectors to accelerate continental development. These are prioritized in the African Union’s (AU) Agenda 2063. Driven by passion & commitment – just as our slavery heroes, to maximize productivity of these sectors, amalgamating them for complementarity, rather than as silo sectorial developments potentially maximize productivity of agriculture through value addition to cut postharvest losses (PHLs) as high as $48 billion annually. When juxtaposed with the continents $35 billion food import bill, reversing PHLs means recovering lost food to enhance food security for over 48 million additional people while injecting an extra $35 billion annually to capitalize sectors critical to equality like universal education where Africa needs $26 billion annually.

Second is regional integration – to consolidate a regional goods & services markets towards maximizing productivity of the catalytic sectors above. Consolidating financial, labor, goods & services markets is critical to unbridling the potential of Africa’s catalytic sectors to maximize incomes, reduce vulnerabilities and vanquish neo-slavery. “Cross the river in a crowd and the crocodile won’t eat you” – this African proverb speaks of the strength in unity. Just a few days ago, African heads of State and Government demonstrated lessons of selfless commitment to sign the historic African Continental Free Trade Area. Already signed by 44 of the 55 African Union countries, this agreement is set to consolidate a 1.2 billion people strong market with a combined GDP of over $2.3 trillion. It is projected to increase intra-Africa trade, currently at a mere 12%, the lowest of all continents globally, by a whopping 53 percent by 2022 – taking it to 70%. Almost immediately, operationalizing this agreement will position the continent to leverage its 300 million strong middle class that is demanding more value added & differentiated agro-products. This translates to over $20 billion annually added to the continents economy immediately and up to $150 billion in the next few years. This is the demand market that will fuel agro-value addition industries to create the jobs & incomes to stop our youth from the vagaries of neo-slavery in the Mediterranean and the Sahara Desert.

Third, and most important is leveraging on Africa’s sovereign wealth – its people, and especially the over 200 million strong youthful population– as the primary resource in driving the above. The skills, talents, energy, passion & networks of Africa’s people – young and old alike - adequately harnessed and optimally deployed represent a priceless resource, one that money can’t buy. It is here, in engaging Africa’s sovereign capital, its people, that the rubber meets the road in making the lessons of the transatlantic slave trade count in 2018. Let us all, use the lessons of commitment, passion, courage, selflessness, hard work, morality – handed down by our slave heroes & heroines – to drive the above.

A History of Glory and Dignity is at our reach

Africa will write its own history and both north and south of the Sahara it will be a history full of glory and dignity.” This bold declaration by Patrice Lumumba in the 1950s is the very essence of creating inclusive wealth opportunities critical to defeat the vulnerabilities & insecurities that are the driver of neo-slavery. As Martin Luther King Jr once postulated “Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?' As we remember Slavery, let us use lessons of selflessness, determination and fight Neo-Slavery through working collectively knowing fully well that "We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope"

Dr Richard Munang is Africa Climate Change & Development Policy Expert. He tweets as @RichardMunang

The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the institution with which he is affiliated.