Tough Talk on Africa is a Two-Way Street
David Lane, President and CEO of One
Huffington Post, August 12, 2009
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has offered up some tough talk on her seven-nation, 11 day trip to Africa. While it’s caused some discomfort among African statesman, it’s precisely what citizens throughout the continent, particularly young Africans, have been demanding from their leaders.
Building on President Obama’s recent speech in Ghana, Secretary Clinton has made it clear that America has no tolerance for the corruption and impunity that has sadly plagued the independence generation in many African states. “Leaders have to lead. They have to demonstrate to their people that democracy does deliver,” Clinton stated in Kenya on the first leg of her tour. It’s a message that puts wind in the sails of a rising generation of Africans who are unwilling to accept the status quo. They’re demanding jobs, accountability and tangible results from their leaders. They’re similarly frustrated with donors that reward bad behavior with unaccountable and ineffective aid.
As President Obama said in Egypt and Ghana, democratic and economic development go hand-in-hand. Good governance, transparent leadership and control of corruption are critical components for a prosperous nation; it is equally true that democracy is difficult when a country can’t develop because it’s stuck in extreme poverty, when citizens aren’t empowered through education, and when families, communities and businesses are torn apart by deaths from preventable diseases like malaria and AIDS.
