NEPAD

General Report on KMAIII - Knowledge to reposition Africa in the global economy

storytelling — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 23:27:16 -0700

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AFRICA - WWW.KMAFRICA.COM
GENERAL REPORT OF THE THIRD KMA CONFERENCE
“KNOWLEDGE TO REPOSITION AFRICA IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY”

LE MERIDIEN PRESIDENT HOTEL
04–07 May 2009, Dakar Senegal

KMAFRICA FINANCIAL PARTNERS

Government of Senegal
the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
The Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA)
the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF)
the African Development Bank (AfDB)
the Islamic Development Bank (IDB)
the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA)
the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and the NEPAD.

INTRODUCTION

The Third Conference of the "Knowledge Management Africa (KMA)" initiative on "KNOWLEDGE TO REPOSITION AFRICA IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY” was held from 4 to 7 May 2009 at the Dakar-based Hotel Méridien President. The conference was jointly organised by the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), the African Regional Centre for Technology (ARCT), and the Senegalese National Academy of Science and Techniques (ANST), with technical and financial support from the Government of Senegal and the following international institutions: the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA), the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and the NEPAD.

In accordance with the KMA policy, the Dakar Conference aims at promoting cooperation for the joint exploration and tapping of development potentials through the effective use of knowledge and technologies for the sustainable development of Africa. Furthermore, the specific objectives include:

Offering a forum for exchanging information, experiences and consultations among African countries to discuss innovative measures and programs toward promoting the sustainable development of the continent;
Bringing together key decision-making institutions, development agencies, academics, development activists and private sector representatives to consider mechanisms to speed up the development of Africa under the KMA (Knowledge Management) program;
Reviewing and assessing the achievements made on the continent and as part of the KMA program since its inception, asserting the potential of the main centres of excellence and their role in promoting sectoral development;
Developing a strategy to support the KMA program on the continent to take advantage of existing knowledge portals and dissemination mechanisms;
Making concrete decisions toward establishing a mechanism ensuring that the KMA program is implemented, operational and sustainable.

The key results expected from the Conference can be summarised as follows:

There is more sustained awareness-building on KMA objectives, activities and planning toward West African government and institutions;
Reports and resolutions are widely disseminated once KMA III is completed successfully;
The West Africa focal point of KMA is established in conjunction with ARCT and ANST;
The KMA West Africa database is up and running, and its website and digital information sharing system are operational;
A workshop on information sharing standards is held for the selected 16 officials of national focal points and 16 representatives of knowledge management national institutions;
A program is developed to monitor the KMA III Conference and other initiatives, such as the FEST foundation;
Regular reports are prepared on the activities of KMA in West Africa.

This General Report of the KMA III Conference covers the following activities:

THE OFFICIAL OPENING CEREMONY
PLENARY SESSIONS
ROUNDTABLES
PARALLEL WORKSHOPS
THE OFFICIAL CLOSING CEREMONY

KMA III was a resounding success given the level and quality of participations and organisation of an exhibition, a considerable innovation compared to the first two meetings. Thus nearly three hundred (300) participants from thirty North American, Latin American, European, Asian and African countries took part in the Dakar conference.

THE OFFICIAL OPENING CEREMONY

Speeches and presentations

The opening ceremony of the third KMA conference on the theme "Knowledge to reposition Africa in the global economy” was held on four May in the year two thousand nine, at Hotel Le Méridien Président in Dakar. The ceremony was presided by Senegalese Minister of Scientific Research, Professor Amadou Tidiane Ba, with Jean Pierre Ndiaye of ANST and Ms Mamathe Kgarimettsa-Phiri of DBSA as Rapporteurs.
It was incumbent upon the President of the Senegalese National Academy of Science and Technology (ANSTS), Professor Souleymane Niang, who also chairs the National Organizing Committee of KMA III, to make the first statement. Professor Niang underscored the need for an all-inclusive development of Africa through the mastery of Science and Technology, suggesting the building of national and regional scientific areas or centers of expertise provided with human and financial resources.
Following Professor Niang’s statement, Professor Emile Tanawa from the University Agency of the Francophonie (AUF) said that the Agency was committed to work at ensuring that universities fulfill their fundamental missions of education, production of knowledge and support for development through promoting major programs and inter-university solidarity. Professor Tanawa delivered a message from AUF Vice-chancellor Bernard Cerquiglini, renewing his commitment to African Universities, their stakeholders and partners, to ensure that the universities further strengthen their social relevance, which requires generating and sharing knowledge.
For his part, the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) representative Mr. Seydou Barry said the IDB has made the application of Science and Technology to the various development areas a guiding principle, while promoting close cooperation with key regional and international partners. The IDB has been funding Scientific and Technological projects for several years. The IDB has created a special program to promote excellence in research, development and scientific education, through the IDB Prize for Science and Technology. Furthermore, Scholarship Programs created by the bank aim at developing a pool of high expertise in science and technology in the IDB member countries. Another area of interest for the IDB is to promote private sector investment in Science and Technology. Finally, the IDB has established an Office of Science and Technology with the mission of providing support to the Bank's activities promoting Science and Technology as a fundamental instrument for the development of its member countries.
The Regional Director of IDRC, Ms Kathryn Touré, recalled IDRC's mandate of "liberation through knowledge," saying that is why IDRC has been supporting development-oriented research and knowledge mobilisation for development in Africa, Asia and Latin America for several decades. Ms Touré further stressed the need to create an innovation system for knowledge management, comprising companies, research centres, universities, consultancies, and other organizations capable of tapping the stock of available pieces of knowledge, adapting them to local needs, and transforming them into products and services useful to society. Finally Ms Touré noted that "research and the production, sharing and use of knowledge are essential for the global community to build a better future for humanity.
She passed on the floor to former Director General of UNESCO, Professor Amadou Moctar Mbow. After reviewing the situation in Africa in light of the ongoing global developments, Professor Mbow said while scientific and technological innovation capacity is measurable by the number of engineers, technicians and researchers, Africa is far from reaching the required threshold. Professor Mbow noted that the cause of the Continent standing at such level today despite progress made since independence is that it is yet to take advantage of the enormous development possibilities from the scientific and technical knowledge that have marked the evolution of humanity, especially since the end of World War II, though this does not detract from the key role played by its men and women of science in various places to advance knowledge and technical innovation. Professor Mbow believes that it is a matter of critical mass to be achieved and, in a deeper way, a matter of establishing scientific spirit and technological skills in African societies. Finally Professor Mbow said the current evolution of the world requires that Africans radically review their relations to Science and Technology, as well as the mass media. Because while it is important to diagnose an evil, it is even more important to implement remedies. And to a large extent, these remedies lie in the resolve of today’s adults to change the course of events, but also and especially in their ability to provide younger generations with education and training capable of breeding new creative, enterprising, and audacious elites.
At the onset of his statement, Mr Paul Baloyi from the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) recalled the objectives of KMA III before delivering a few thoughts on the previous conferences. KMA was launched with the realisation that knowledge has gone global and that Africa must claim its share, especially by promoting our indigenous knowledge to make our best contribution. It is becoming increasingly clear that we are piling up successes in this direction by involving the States in the global dialogue, with some making good results. Some of these successes can be validly attributed to ideas generated by Africans and between Africans. However, a number of lessons have emerged - the impact of the current global crisis on Africa’s readiness for free trade, privatisation and foreign investment, the conversion of knowledge into productivity, the transition from rhetoric to implementation, and the amount of resources devoted to dialogue, among others.
In his statement, Mr Mohamed H'Midouche, representing the African Development Bank (AfDB) president, said that knowledge is an integral part of the mission and mandate of AfDB. To fulfil its mission, AfDB recognises the importance of generating, mobilising, sharing and applying knowledge. Also as part of its vision of knowledge, AfDB aims at becoming “Africa’s first bank of knowledge." Mr H'Midouche later dwelt on three strategic objectives and key results - establishing and embedding a “culture of knowledge” within the bank, increasing the operational effectiveness of the Bank, and boosting the integration and expansion of external networks and partnerships through knowledge sharing. Finally, Mr H'Midouche listed the four pillars supporting AfDB’s strategy: selectiveness, which relates to producing knowledge for effective development; relevance vis-à-vis the Bank’s core business, which relates to using knowledge through partnerships; the use of added value to promote the dissemination and sharing of knowledge; and the building of strong partnerships based on improving the use of knowledge to enhance operational efficiency and development.
It was incumbent on the Minister of Scientific Research to deliver the opening remarks. The minister welcomed participants on behalf of the President of the Republic and Government of Senegal and thanked the organisers of KMA III. He then noted that the theme of the conference is particularly topical because on one hand there is awareness in Africa that only decisive structural change can pull African economies out of their dormancy and people from poverty, and because progress made in research and technological innovations can greatly contribute in solving the main problems facing Africa on the other hand. Professor Ba said that for many experts, the solution to Africa's problems lies in its economic opening to the world, and its renouncement to any form of protection. However, there is need to reconcile the endogenous dimensions of development and opening or even globalisation. It is imperative that KMA remains geared to the needs for endogenous and local development, which are necessary conditions for the effective integration of an Africa seeking to reposition itself in the global economy. Finally, the Minister of Scientific Research expressed his wish for deep consideration of the idea of a KMA Foundation under the auspices of DBSA and NEPAD toward setting up an efficient coordination mechanism with appropriation funds to finance regional centres of excellence.
The Knowledge Management Africa Conference is an initiative to launch a continental program for the Management of Knowledge in Africa. Initiated in 2005 in Johannesburg, the meeting holds every other year in a rotating scheme, in one of five sub-regions of the continent chosen by the African Union (South, North, East, West and Centre).
To sustain the actions taken during the meetings and imprint an official nature to the commitments made by the parties responsible for organising the event, DBSA, ANST and ARCT have signed a memorandum of agreement.

OPENING CEREMONY

Overview of the officials at the Opening Ceremonie, chaired by S.E the Professor Amadou Tidiane Ba, Minister of Scientfic Research of Senegal, May 4th,

Opening Ceremon

Overview of the officials at the Opening Ceremonie, chaired by S.E the Professor Amadou Tidiane Ba, Minister of Scientfic Research of Senegal, May 4th, 2009

De gauche à droite, on reconnait : From left to Right :

Dr. Mohamed H’Midouche,Regional Regional Representative of The African Development Bank (ADB) ;
Mr. Paul Baloyi, CEO of The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) ;
S.E. Professor Amadou Tidiane BA, Minister of Scientific Research
Pr Souleymane NIANG,president of the National Academy of Sciences and Technics of Senegal (ANSTS) ;
Professor Amadou Mahtar Mbow, former CEO of UNESCO ;
Mme Kathryn Touré, Regional Director of the Research Center for International Development (IDRC).

The first session ended with the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement between DBSA, ANSTS and ARCT, and was followed by the official opening of the Exhibition.

Signing the ANSTS/CRAT/DBSA Memorandum of Agreement

PREVIEWING THE EXHIBITION

The KMA III conference stood out of the two previous editions through the holding of an exhibition. This was an opportunity to showcase the activities of several agencies working in the fields of Science and Technology, as well as those of various partners of the Conference.
In this regard, the attending officials were led to a tour of the exhibition to receive information on the various stands.

CONFERENCE DISCUSSIONS AND SIGNING OF THE ANST/ARCT/DBSA MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

CONFERENCE DISCUSSIONS

The day of 5 May 2009 was devoted to sessions 2 and 3 on "The way covered: Principles, Cases, Issues and Prospects”, and sessions 4 and 5 with two round table discussions – the one on “Knowledge Management Systems” and the other on “The Sustainability and Governance of KMA”.
Session 2 was chaired by Professor Shadrack Gutto of UNISA, with Mr. Abdul Kamara from AfDB as a moderator, assisted by Professor Abdoulaye Samb of ANSTS and Ms Josephine Nhlapo Hlope of the South African State House as Rapporteurs.
Three papers were presented during the session:
- “Knowledge Management to Improve the Public Service Offer” by Dr. Snowy Khoza of DBSA;
- “Technology and Knowledge Management for Africa’s Sustainable Development” by Dr. Ousmane Kane of ARCT.
- “KMA II 2007” by Dr. David Cheruyet (Kenyan Ministry of Planning)
The following main issues were discussed :
- The way covered since Johannesburg 2005, Nairobi 2007 and Dakar 2009.
- There is need to transform Africa's commitment vis-à-vis the global economy beyond the export of raw materials.
- Developing knowledge is crucial to ensuring improved service delivery, which includes (vertical and horizontal) coordination as well as capacity and institution building.
- There is need to focus on strengths and the sharing of lessons learnt, as well as new knowledge.
- Knowledge is important for Africa’s growth, industrialisation, innovation and realisation of its potential.
Summary of session findings
- Much has happened since the launch in 2004 (e.g. UNISA led a project of locating African experts and identifying centres of excellence).
- To sustain KMA, it is important to link KMA programs to government programs.
- It is important to translate expressed political will into action. This means providing budget resources.
- KMA is important for Africa to tackle the change of its destiny. This includes proper management of intellectual property rights, coordination for efficiency and synergies, and harnessing existing knowledge.
Other observations of particular interest and relevance
- Capacity building for KMA is vital also to foster shared understanding of its nature and potential for unleashing Africa’s potential.
- Institutionalising KMA is crucial. This involves mobilising partners and resources.
- Lessons learnt and the work of KMA as a whole and at individual level should be shared and disseminated.
The third session was chaired by Dr. Snowy Khoza of DBSA, with Professor Rajni Taoufik of AfDB as moderator and Dr. Andrew Paterson of DBSA and Mr Youssoupha Diatta of MBERRS/ARCT as Rapporteurs.
Two papers were presented during the session:
- “Evolution of ICTs in Africa: Challenges and Prospects,” by Dr Alassane Dialy Ndiaye of ANSTS;
- “Knowledge management and international research development collaboration with African scientific Diaspora;” by Professor Hassane Saliah, of TEUQ/UQAM.
Sessions 4 and 5 were dedicated to round table discussions. The first round table on ‘‘Knowledge management systems: Experiences, lessons learnt and prospects for Africa” was chaired by Professor Amadou M. Mbow, with Ms Christina Golino of DBSA as Moderator, and Dr. Alhadji Wereme of IRSAT/Burkina Faso, Dr. Michelle Ruiters of DBSA and Mr Youssouph Diatta as Rapporteurs. Following were the syndicate group members :
- Dr. Mustafa El. Tayeb, UNESCO
- Dr. Dato Lee Yee Cheong, ISTIC
- Professor Emile Tanawa, AUF
- Dr. Matar Seck, ECA
The following issues were discussed:
- Knowledge is a key driver of economic development; mastery of science, technology and innovation are crucial to a knowledge economy
- Knowledge management can boost competitiveness, but we need to have knowledge before we can ask the right questions. Initiatives by the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), for example, Parliamentary Communities of Practice (see UNECA’s Knowledge Sharing Portal, which provides space for member states to create their own websites and share information).
- Brain gain can be achieved through South-South cooperation, standardisation of qualifications and criteria. Acceptance of qualifications and certification across continent could lead to greater sharing of skills.
- We could learn from China, Brazil and India as well as other Global South partners, but African researchers and scholars should collaborate more among themselves as there are often programmes in Africa that are designed by Africans but ignored by other Africans.
- There are university programmes, for example the AUF promotes collaboration between universities, secures funding for research, facilitates the protection of intellectual property and showcases the work of universities through its portal.
- North-South relations do have benefits especially in science, for example nano- or nuclear technology, but the political/power dynamic should be carefully handled.
- Indigenous and traditional knowledge systems should be protected, developed and managed to the advantage of African states.
- Africa should not be copying and following the innovations of the North but should be innovative and create its own systems capable of ensuring its development; therefore, African states should find ways to increase the productivity of rural areas, develop value-added industries, increase market access for all constituencies but especially women and youths.

Summary of Recommendations:

A statistical inventory of the supply of knowledge and the demand for knowledge could be conducted at household level to determine where the gaps are.
Governments should have a policy on national languages being used for the development of knowledge.
Knowledge producers have to revisit the model of knowledge management they are using because we remain at square one.
Our models need to be implementable and result in concrete actions.
Artificial boundaries within Africa need to be broken to facilitate sharing of knowledge and resources.
Universities in Africa should increase their collaboration and sharing of information among themselves.
We need to find ways of bridging Africa’s digital divide; facilitate infrastructure development for that process; and protect users and governments from cyber crime through legislation.
We need to balance research with inventions to ensure that inventions are value-added and patented.
Governments need to use scientific advisors (human and natural sciences) more strategically, especially as problems of development are problems of production that are solved by technology.
Governments also need to engage citizens through participatory systems. The trickle-down effect does not work, therefore citizens need to be fully engaged in all processes to make sure that development takes place.
Competitive advantage lies in knowledge creation, management and implementation.
We need to ensure that supply of knowledge meets the demands for knowledge.
We should look at the ways in which local languages could be used to develop knowledge

The second round table discussion was chaired by Mister Santiso Carlos of AfDB, with Mamathe Kgarimetsa-Phiri of DBSA as Moderator and Dr. Rexford Osei of MEST (Ghana) and Mr Prosper Houeto of ARCT as Rapporteurs. Following were the syndicate group members :
- Dr. Abdalla Alnajjar, ASTF
- Dr. Snowy Khoza, DBSA
- Dr. Innocent Butare, IDRC
- Ambassadeur Moussa Bocar Ly, MAE (Senegal)
- Mister Mbaye Diouf, ARCT.
Following track presentations, discussions centred on:
- The sustainability of KMA
- The opportunity to create a Foundation
- Funding mechanisms
- Governance

Summary of Conclusions or Recommendations:

Sustainability
Evaluating the activities conducted after the various KMA meetings and analysing their relevance

Reviewing activities
Organising workshops
Proposing resolutions
Reflecting on the awareness-building and mobilisation process
Proposing guidelines to sustain KMA
Pursuing the contextualisation of KMA, which was launched in 2005 (creating 5 representations – South–East –West-North and Centre)
Addressing the short-term issue of choosing a type of legal entity for KMA.
Encouraging African regional bodies to a create KM unit.

KMA governing bodies

Creating a foundation in the form of an excellence-centred NGO.
Conducting a serious study of the issue of empowering the partnership and the roles devolved to the various stakeholders.

Partnership

Involving the States and the Diaspora, while keeping control and management of the organisations.
Involving the media as part of awareness-building, mobilisation and information transmission;
Involving researchers and scientist as well as the grassroots.

Funding Mechanism

Increasing the awareness of and involving regional bodies in bringing financial support to the KMA initiative;
Involving the private sector and the Diaspora in the funding the KMA initiative;
KMA should have a status allowing it to receive public and private financial support.

The day of 6 May 2006 was dedicated to parallel workshops as part of sessions 6, 7, 8 and 9. A total of five workshops were organised on the following themes:

Knowledge Management and Economic Challenges
Knowledge Management and Social Challenges
Knowledge Management and Environmental Challenges
Knowledge Management and Governance
Knowledge Management and Innovative Avenues
The reports of the five workshops will be appended to this general report.

SIGNING THE AUF/ANSTS/ARCT MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT

A ceremony to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between AUF, ANST and ARCT was held on the sidelines of the conference, especially before the 5 May 2009 roundtable sessions. The MOU especially governs the arrangements for AUF financial support for the KMA Conference. These institutions were represented by Professor Emile TANAWA, Regional Director of AUF for West Africa, Prof. Souleymane Niang of ANST, and Dr. Ousmane Kane, Executive Director of ARCT, respectively.

CLOSING CEREMONY

The KMA Conference closing ceremony took place on Thursday 7 May 2009, presided by Professor Souleymane Niang, chairman of ANST, Dr. Ousmane Kane, Executive Director of ARCT and Dr Snowy Khoza, Chairperson of the KMA "Executive Group" at DBSA.
It began with the presentation and adoption of the Dakar Declaration for KMA, then proceeded with the handover between the KMA III National Organising Committee (NOC) and the Representative of Tunisia, which will host KMA IV, before ending with a few speeches.

PRESENTING AND ADOPTING THE DAKAR DECLARATION

The Dakar Declaration, which was read by Mr. Mbaye Diouf of ARCT, contains a brief summary of the highlights of the four-day Conference and underscores the need to support the model of endogenous development thus initiated and which seems convincing and effective.
Appeals were also made:
- To AfDB and DBSA to support the activities of and raise KMA to an institution of excellence;
- To all regional partners to contribute to KMA.
Economic transformation has also been identified as a strong link to reposition Africa, hence the need to:
- Develop knowledge to increase competitiveness;
- Improve the knowledge management system ;
- Establish a KMA sustainability and governance system.
Furthermore, participants suggested that AfDB and DBSA assist in promoting support for ARCT and KMA.
DBSA was mandated to study draft guidelines for the creation of a KMA foundation.
It was requested that there be closer collaboration with the media to disseminate and spread information among people, communities, scientists, and policy makers.
Thanks were extended to the Government of Senegal as well as all institutions and personalities who have contributed their technical and financial support to the success of the meeting.
After being read, the Dakar Declaration was discussed, amended and finally adopted by acclamation

TRANSFER OF POWERS

The Representative of Tunisia has generously offered his country to hosts the next conference (KMA IV). The offer met much enthusiasm from all participants. Furthermore, the closing ceremony was an occasion for a transfer of powers between Professor Ahmadou Lamine Ndiaye, Vice chair of ANST and Chairman of the KMA III Steering Committee, and Pr Ghabra Abdulaziz, Advisor to the Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Technology (MHESRT) of Tunisia.

Pr Ahmadou Lamine NDIAYE transferring powers to Pr Abdelaziz Ghabri
Prof. Ndiaye expressing the satisfaction of the National Organising Committee for leading KMA III to an end and then handing office over to Prof. Ghabra in front of applauding Dr Snowy Khoza

Prof. Ghabra commending the National Organising Committee for the success of KMA III and noting that it will not easy to do as well as Senegal, but that his country will do its best to meet the challenge of successfully organising KMA IV. The ceremony ended in a cheerful mood, with a presentation of gifts to the officials of the DBSA delegation and various presenters.

SPEECHES

Speaking, the Executive Director of ARCT apologised for Mr. H'Midouche being held by a teleconference with the Tunis-based AfDB headquarters.
Dr. Kane first commended the unfolding of the Conference, noting the significant efforts made to meet the challenge of organising KMA III in Senegal. Finally Dr. Kane thanked all those who contributed directly or indirectly to bringing KMA III to success.
In his speech, Dr Snowy Khoza also welcomed the unfolding of the KMA III Conference and its significant results. After warmly congratulating the members of the National Organising Committee, she thanked the Government of Senegal and the various sponsors who have made the conference possible.
Finally, on behalf of all the Members of the National Organising Committee, Prof. Souleymane Niang extended the apologies of the Minister of Scientific Research, and commended the holding of the meeting in Dakar, praising the partnership that has developed between ANTS, ARCT and DBSA, and expressing his deep gratitude to all the institutions who supported the conference. He then declared KMA III closed, thanking and wishing all the participants a smooth return to their respective countries and homes.

ISSUED IN DAKAR ON 7 MAY 2009

The vision of AU and NEPAD in Conflict Management

DriesVelt — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:07:29 -0600

The vision of the AU is based on a united and strong Africa and on the need to build a partnership between governments and all segments of civil society in order to strengthen solidarity and cohesion among the peoples of Africa. As a continental organisation, it focuses on the promotion of peace, security and stability on the continent as a prerequisite for the implementation of the development and integration agenda. African leaders should therefore be held accountable by the people of Africa to deal vigorously and effectively with conflict resolution and the implementation of good governance principles. (Venter 2005, 139).

The current priorities for NEPAD are to eradicate these causes through the prevention of conflict, resolving it where it occurs, managing it when it is still in a stage of being resolved and to reconstructing society once the conflict has been resolved, removing all obstacles towards the revival of Africa. Intrastate and interstate political violence continue to form a critical mass of conflict that affects the every day life of the peoples of Africa. Long-running African conflicts such as those in the Sudan and Somalia, as well as in Sierra Leone, the DRC and Burundi, remain deep-rooted. There is therefore little sign that AU and NEPAD policies on conflict resolution have beneficiated sub-Saharan Africa to date. The gap between political policy development and policy implementation remains substantial (Venter &
Rohan-Irwin, 2005).

Herbst and Mills (2005) posed the question whether regional integration through NEPAD and the AU and its sub-regional bodies is possible or desirable among diverse countries. Seeing the problem from the perspective of unstable states, they reply that before integration of African states with one another is attempted, some internally unstable countries need to pull themselves together. With this proposition, the scholars draw the attention to the question of peace and stability as a prerequisite for success. Several factors are inhibiting the efforts of the AU and NEPAD, especially conditions in post-colonial states. Afro-pessimists have published ample material on the causes of instability and conflict in Africa; extensive content analysis of reliable literature revealed that inadequate governance, scarcity of resources, human rights abuses and lack of skills to implement plans currently impede human security and development in Africa. The socio-economic decay in terms of health, education, and food production is also a matter of concern. Environmental realities such as floods and droughts contribute to these conditions.
Added to that is the mostly negative role of armed groups that act beyond the control of the state, with resultant threatening coups and the proliferation of small arms and land mines. Moreover, reaction to global influences is a matter of concern: some countries have become havens and targets for international terrorism, diamond smugglers, mercenaries, and international crime syndicates. (Velthuizen 2005, 7).

This work is (c)opyright to Dr Dries Velthuizen African Wisdom site and is used with permission.

KM for Conflict & Change Management

African Peer Review Mechanism

DriesVelt — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 01:53:11 -0600

The Inaugural Summit of the AU of July 2003, in Durban, South Africa, endorsed the NEPAD progress report and initial action plan and encouraged member states to adopt the NEPAD Declaration on Democracy, Political, Economic, and Corporate Governance, and accede to the APRM. After years of difficulties and African pessimism, some leaders thought that it was time to act rather than wait for others to come and solve their problems. They realised that there was a need to create an atmosphere conducive to development and to create conditions that would encourage the private sector to invest in African economies.

The first step in the APRM process of self-assessment, agreed to by the Heads of States and Government, was to assist member countries to determine the strengths and weaknesses inherent in some states that would result in a plan of action for each country and support from peers and institutions to assist in overcoming the different challenges facing these states. In contrast with past assessments carried out on African countries, the APRM is voluntary. Countries are not obliged to accede.

The MoU details the process and outlines the obligations that need to be fulfilled. For the peer review a national commission is created, in which the media, parliament, including opposition Members of Parliament, NGOs, human rights groups, the youth, gender groups, and business participate. This commission carries out a self-assessment, evaluates the weaknesses and strengths of the country, and formulates a plan of action. The commission’s report is presented to the APRM Panel of Eminent Persons, appointed to oversee the process and ensure its credibility by acting independently. The panel reviews the report in consultation with experts appointed to verify the information in the report. A mission (comprising at least 10 persons specialising in the different areas of APRM) meets with the different stakeholders to scrutinise the report and to find out if there is consensus on its contents, and if there is the necessary willingness to participate in the APRM. The report of the experts is then presented to the relevant government, which decides on steps to be taken to implement the recommendations. From this stage, the report is presented to the Forum of Participating Countries of the APRM who scrutinises the report with the government concerned and determines the needs of the country, including technical support. If there is resistance from the government to take measures to rectify identified problems, the forum exerts peer pressure, by peaceful dialogue, to persuade the government to take up the issues raised and move forward. The spirit of the whole process is a peaceful and non-violent resolution to take up the challenge of NEPAD.

A review takes between six and nine months and depends on the availability of data and the resources of the particular country to conduct the process of data collection, to be reviewed and assessed by independent experts of the African Development Bank, Economic Commission for Africa, Association of Central Banks and civil society. All these efforts will be merged to get the most current and accurate data. The important aspect of the process is its participatory nature. The citizens are part of it and the country's report will be made public after it has been presented to the forum for citizens to check the process and the progress of implementation. Political maturity of the civil society will help make the process a success. Rwanda has been among the first African countries to pioneer the implementation of the APRM. Apart from revealing shortcomings such as lack of adequate capacity in the APRM/ NEPAD secretariat, inadequate fluency in the coordination structures, constraints of time and resources, the standards of objectivity as the ultimate test of the credibility of the whole APRM process were challenged by the Republic of Rwanda. It was suggested that it is in the interest of everyone that the process meets stringent standards of objectivity. It was suggested that it is possible for a country to carry out an objective self-assessment, and in the case of Rwanda every effort was made to make the process as objective as possible. It is also for this reason that an external review is a key component of the APRM and a counter weight or verification mechanism. Rwanda suggested that some additional measures should be put in place to make the exercise more objective. Given the recent history of Rwanda, it seemed as if some external reviewers did not have adequate knowledge of the country and based their views on preconceived ideas and inaccurate information about the country found in different media. There is a need to base reviews on clear objective criteria or score matrix. This would certainly make the exercise more predictable, empirical and scientific. It was also suggested that a minimum requirement for objectivity should be that the final report has to be subjected to a process of moderation before it is tabled before the Heads of State. In addition to the challenges outlined above, there were other problems e.g. language impediments, especially in the rural areas where the questionnaire had to be translated in order to obtain the views of the population. (Republic of Rwanda 2006).

In November 2006, Sudanese billionaire Mo Ibrahim launched the Ibrahim Index for African Governance, a new ranking of sub-Saharan African nations developed in conjunction with the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. The rule of law and security will weigh most in the index, ahead of human development, economic development, democracy, transparency and empowerment of civil society. Professor Robert Rotberg, director of the programme on intrastate conflict and conflict resolution at the Kennedy School, under whose direction the index was developed, argues that every indicator is made possible by human and state security. The index will be used to measure and benchmark good governance in Africa on a country-by-country basis. Ibrahim insisted that the index would not duplicate the APRM. He argues that the APRM is subjective, as its outcomes are measured by focus groups, public opinion and sentiment.

Rotberg adds that the APRM is not a 'strong instrument' and that in some places the entire process has been taken over by governments. Rotberg said the index would be measurable and not based on what governments say. He disagreed with the concerns of some analysts that the programme is focused on individuals, pointing out that 'leaders make a difference and big leaders make a big difference'. Rotberg said that the Ibrahim index would have a 'diagnostic effect', prompting states to ask themselves how they can improve where there are shortcomings. He said the index would compare and rank countries. Addressing concerns that the Ibrahim Index could be seen as patronising, Rotberg argued that the index is globally applicable and not drawn up according to Western standards but standards that can be used in Africa. He said the index is meant to be neutral and context free and without political bias. (Zvomuya 2006)

Evaluation of the APRM against the conceptual framework shows that valuable KM practices are embedded in the APRM, which can assist with the performance of post-colonial states in carrying out their continental commitments and any organisation involved in trans-national business. The first aspect is that several role players are afforded the opportunity to gather information and to find synergy in insights, continuously learning from one another. Secondly, African society interacts in various ways as equal partners to add value to the gathered information with minimum pressure from the global environment. Furthermore, the countries involved are given ample opportunity to reject interaction if it is found to be exploitative, demanding or controlling while countries accept a measure of pressure if that pressure is found to be supportive of not only the national interests but in the interest of continental initiatives. The report of the review also serves as a good example of a knowledge product with holistic perspectives suitable for decisions and actions.

However, the researcher has been alerted to the potential of exclusion of normative knowledge claims, especially knowledge situated in the periphery of state structures because of language and capacity limitations. Especially the exclusion of the traditional claims of the IKS because of lack of capacity to access oral data is clearly a challenge. This specific factor distracts value from the APRM report and probably omits important knowledge that could have alerted everybody concerned of potential sources of conflict, especially in remote areas beyond effective state control. Whether alternative instruments such as the Ibrahim Index and several others used by research institutions will overcome these limitations, to enjoy the same legitimacy and acceptability as an APRM, which was created by Africans for Africa, is still subject to evaluation.

Whatever instrument is used to get an objective and holistic view of Africa and its challenges, the control of Africans over the gathering, processing, dissemination, and use of the knowledge is imperative. Moreover, it will have to include measuring of progress about the redressing of imbalances within African society, the quest for emancipation from domination of and convergence with the developed world and more weight on human security than state security, measuring not only the performance of political leaders but also the leadership of traditional and civil society.

This work is (c)opyright to Dr Dries Velthuizen African Wisdom site and is used with permission.

Fireside Chat

KMAfrica.com - African Renaissance and desired outcomes for Africa

DriesVelt — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 00:40:00 -0600

The African Renaissance is about developing Africans and Africa. It is a call for the rebirth renewal, reinvention and repositioning of Africans and Africa in a globalizing world. Furthermore, it is a call to Africans to relearn and rediscover who they are and where they are in a global scheme of things. It is a vision bigger than the African Union, NEPAD and many other initiatives by individuals, communities, governments and multilateral organisations. It is not an effort to emulate 'world class' standards set by others but to set world standards to be followed by others. The African Renaissance is seen as the rebirth of the continent after centuries of suppression, correcting negative images. Rebirth must be through rediscovery of Africa's past, reversing the downfall into chaos. It is about planning for the future based on a new knowledge framework accommodating the ideas and philosophies that created the great empires of Ghana, Monomotapa, Songhai and Mali. (Gutto 2005).

Formal Objectives

The OAU Charter, accepted in Addis Ababa on 25 May 1963, stipulates that the Organization have the following purposes:

To promote the unity and solidarity of the African States;
To coordinate and intensify their cooperation and efforts to achieve a better life for the peoples of Africa;
To defend their sovereignty, their territorial integrity and independence;
To eradicate all forms of colonialism from Africa; and
To promote international cooperation, with regard to the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article XIX of the Charter established the Commission of Mediation, Conciliation and Arbitration for member states to settle all disputes among themselves by peaceful means

The AU superseded the OAU when the Constitutive Act of the African Union of 11 July 2000, was accepted in Lomé, Togo. According to the 'Act' the objectives of the AU is to:

achieve greater unity and solidarity between the African counties and the peoples of Africa;
defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of its Member States;
accelerate the political and socio-economic integration of the continent;
promote and defend African common positions on issues of interest to the continent and its peoples;
encourage international cooperation, taking due account of the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
promote peace, security, and stability on the continent;
promote democratic principles and institutions, popular participation and good governance;
promote and protect human and peoples' rights in accordance with the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and other relevant human rights instruments;
establish the necessary conditions which enable the continent to play its rightful role in the global economy and in international negotiations;
promote sustainable development at the economic, social and cultural levels as well as the integration of African economies;
promote cooperation in all fields of human activity to raise the living standards of African peoples;
coordinate and harmonize policies between existing and future Regional Economic Communities for the gradual attainment of the objectives of the Union;
advance the development of the continent by promoting research in all fields, in particular in science and technology;
work with relevant international partners in the eradication of preventable diseases and the promotion of good health on the continent

One of the core objectives of the African Union (AU) is the promotion of peace, security, and stability on the Continent, as spelt out in Article 3 (f) of the AU Constitutive Act. To strengthen the AU’s capacity in the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts, Member States adopted, in July 2002, in Durban, South Africa, the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council (PSC), which entered into force in December 2003. The Protocol, in article 2 (1), defines the PSC as 'a collective security and early-warning arrangement to facilitate timely and efficient response to conflict and crisis situations in Africa'.

This work is (c)opyright to Dr Dries Velthuizen African Wisdom site and is used with permission.

Fireside Chat

KMAfrica.com - institutional supporters

KMAadmin — Thu, 07 May 2009 00:43:12 -0600

The aims and objectives of KMAfrica are supported by the following participating institutions:

The Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA) is leading agent for socio-economic development in Southern Africa by acting as a lender for agricultural and infrastructure projects. The DBSA is recognized for its knowledge of Southern Africa and ability to provide financing using innovative instruments. You can find more information at the DBSA's official website
The African Development Bank - is a multilateral development bank, engaged in promoting the economic development and social progress of its regional partners. The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group’s mission is to help reduce poverty, improve living conditions for Africans and mobilize resources for Africa’s economic and social development. You can find more information at the The African Development Bank's official website
NEPAD - The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) is a vision and strategic framework for Africa's renewal. NEPAD is designed to address the current challenges facing the African continent such as escalating poverty levels, underdevelopment and the continued marginalisation of Africa. More information available on. NEPAD's official website
The African Regional Centre for Technology (ARCT) is an Intergovernmental Organization established in 1977 under the aegis of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African Union. With its Headquarters located in Dakar, Senegal, ARCT has a membership of 31 African countries. ARCT's strategic programmes focus on Technology Policies; Technical Training; R&D Community and Enterprise Linkages; Small and Medium Enterprises; and Technology Information Systems and Networks. The ARCT carries out studies and activities designed to contribute to collective self-reliance in the technological development of the region. It is financed by the ECA, UNDP and many donors.

NEPAD and DBSA sign partnership

KMAadmin — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 00:59:06 -0600

The DBSA/KMAfrica and NEPAD Secretariat will provide financial support for a research project on the development of the framework, which will build on work done by other institutions subscribing to an African renaissance. The DBSA/KMAfrica has pledged to release R1 million towards the partial funding of the research. The second phase of the project will include raising additional funding for investigating the availability of resources and what is on the ground in the five regions, and how the identified centres will be sustained.

The broad objective is to develop Africa to become a region free of poverty that experiences sustainable growth and development through key institutional, technical, knowledge and governance capabilities and mechanisms. At the same time the aim is to raise the profile of knowledge as a key factor in the development of appropriate solutions for Africa’s challenges and problems.

The signing of the partnership agreement follows a proposal for developing a conceptual framework and criteria for African centres of excellence as a collaborative project between the Centre for African Renaissance Studies (CARS) at the University of South Africa, the NEPAD Secretariat and DBSA/KMAfrica.

In the proposal it is suggested that CARS serve as the lead agency in establishing the envisaged five centres of excellence in Africa. It is further agreed that such a task should solicit the input of African governments, intellectuals, local and international bodies within Africa and the Diaspora. The proposal is a manifesto of the investigative nature of the partnership and will:

establish a database of African intellectuals in Africa and the diaspora;
define the understanding of what centres of excellence are within the African context;
identify what Africa’s knowledge, challenges and needs and gaps are at present;
develop the parameters for mainstreaming the indigenous knowledge systems into the centres of excellence;
identify and adopt relevant strategies from existing centres of excellence as a basis for defining the African centres;
establish the ownership/buy in of the stakeholders and partners;
determine the criteria/parameters for locating, monitoring and evaluating the establishment and performance of the centres of excellence;
provide an informed projection of the cost of establishing and sustaining the African centres of excellence. Resource and financial analysis will include, among other things, detailed budgeting and financial implications for African governments and local and external partners.

Five-phase approach

Qualitative and quantitative methods will be applied in analysing the centres of excellence concept by establishing the need, gaps and challenges facing Africa today.

The proposal is divided into three parts: Identification of experts (who they are, where they are, and what is their expertise); developing a framework for identification of institutions of excellence, building on work done by other institutions including KMA, and ensuring buy-in throughout the continent; and identifying the institutions of excellence.

The process will be in five phases. Phase 1: Concluding a contractual agreement between CARS and the NEPAD Secretariat. Phase 2: Establishing a data base of African experts. Phase 3: Research and defining centres of excellence. Phase 4: Bench marking existing centres of excellence in Africa and elsewhere. Phase 5: Deciding on ownership issue

A study of some existing centres of excellence will be made with a view to determining what is suitable for Africa.

It is envisaged that five centres will be established within the five regions of Africa: East, West, Central, North and South. Each will be specialising in different aspects and will reflect the diversity, needs and knowledge capacity building needs in Africa.

Ideally, the research-based framework will take at least 28 months starting June 2007. A preliminary report will be ready by November 2007 and a document will be tabled for discussion in Oct/Nov, 2007.

The Centre for African Renaissance Studies is an academic structure of the University of South Africa whose mandate is to develop and infuse the paradigm of African renaissance into the academic programmes of the university. It is a graduate school that spearheads new and innovative research, teaching, publishing and society driven outreach capacity building programmes. It is well networked within Africa and internationally and has a variety of intellectuals in different disciplines and across disciplines.

NEPAD

General Report on KMAIII - Knowledge to reposition Africa in the global economy

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AFRICA - WWW.KMAFRICA.COM GENERAL REPORT OF THE THIRD KMA CONFERENCE “KNOWLEDGE TO REPOSITION AFRICA IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY”

LE MERIDIEN PRESIDENT HOTEL 04–07 May 2009, Dakar Senegal

KMAFRICA FINANCIAL PARTNERS

INTRODUCTION

THE OFFICIAL OPENING CEREMONY

Speeches and presentations

OPENING CEREMONY

PREVIEWING THE EXHIBITION

CONFERENCE DISCUSSIONS AND SIGNING OF THE ANST/ARCT/DBSA MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

CONFERENCE DISCUSSIONS

Summary of Recommendations:

Summary of Conclusions or Recommendations:

SIGNING THE AUF/ANSTS/ARCT MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT

CLOSING CEREMONY

PRESENTING AND ADOPTING THE DAKAR DECLARATION

TRANSFER OF POWERS

SPEECHES

The vision of AU and NEPAD in Conflict Management

African Peer Review Mechanism

KMAfrica.com - African Renaissance and desired outcomes for Africa

Formal Objectives

KMAfrica.com - institutional supporters

NEPAD and DBSA sign partnership

Five-phase approach

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AFRICA - WWW.KMAFRICA.COM
GENERAL REPORT OF THE THIRD KMA CONFERENCE
“KNOWLEDGE TO REPOSITION AFRICA IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY”

LE MERIDIEN PRESIDENT HOTEL
04–07 May 2009, Dakar Senegal