The workshop group 2 that I participated at the horn Africa conference, which was held in Lund in August 2013 for the 12th times, tried to focus on possibilities and actions rather than problems.
Economic growth and human development: The role of managing natural resources:
- Are natural resources, curses or blessings?
- Natural resources have been viewed as a major source of conflicts so far but it should be rather a source of solution by a better management and distribution.
- The issue of ownership like land, minerals and other resources calls for a new approach when a weak state takes over or is in charge. Customary ownership is being mariginalized under such circumstances. Nomads and peasants are impoverished and weakened.
- Good governance would likely create the conditions for a fair distribution of resources and sense of belonging.
- Transparency is another issue that needs to be stressed too. Descent investments on human beings is highly demanded. Wherever there is a growing demand for resources, the impact of globalization leads to governments to give concessions.
- The IMF and worldbank have deprived the poor from being empowered and both economically and politically.
- Corruption is one big challenge that needs to be tackled. Genocide has even taken place in some areas amidst " the scramble for resources".
- The call for corporate responsibility of companies and governments on the damages that have been inflicted upon innocent citrizens is on the upsurge which is a good news.
- Accountablity of democracy is the way out through representative empowerment.
- The question of who has the right to give permission to companies to work on the exploration of natural resources is a legitimate issue as despotic and dictatorial states use the revenue to oppress their own populations.
- More participation of civil societies and independent institutions is a pre-condition for a new empowerment, capacity building and strengthning of the structures of the states in focus.
- Non-functioning governments and states do encourage and fuel conflicts rather than solutions.
- The question of compensation for local people who are displaced and directly affected needs more attention too.
- Regime change is not always a guarantee for transparency at times as foreign interests interfere in the affairs of developing countries.
- International actors need a framework to "behave well" when exploiting natural resources in other countries. You can call it a plateform, ethic code or mechanism needs to be drafted on a global scale.
- Promotion of human rights, education and human development is also recomended by this workshop.
- Economic and political sanctions against individuals, nations, states and regions are not the solution for any problem.
- "The code of behaviour" that needs to be drafted on an international level, should clarify the question of owneship on the behalf of UN, AU or whoever needs it. It is a very complex situation that needs to be adressed holistically. The human concerns are more alarming than anything else.
- The environmental and climatic impacts are not given enough attention either. A new approach must be implemented that accomodates all citizens who are stakeholders and concerned victims of all the efforts of the so called "development agenda".
- Allocating the same amount of money to local development for grassroot people is one way of showing some solidarity.
- Local empowerment, transparency, ownership and accountability are the keynotes that are highly emphasized in this group.
- Involving media awareness in a greater extent than ever is a must. Social media and traditional approaches could be used to enhance the role of natural resources to bring about sustainable solutions and developments too.
- Skilled people to monitor companies are needed. Capacity building och creating a sense of ownesrhip is also demanded.
- Involving human rights organizations to expose the abuse of natural resources by companies and governments could help to a certain extent.
- In the case of the African continent, we call for the set up of a continental bank account in the name of "African development bank". The bank shall manage and distribute the incomes that spring from from the resources across the continent on the premise of helping the most needy and impoverished.