Purpose And Scope Of Conference

In the year 2000, the world adopted the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) - targets to be achieved to make the world a better place for mankind. Today, there are rising concerns about the ability of some developing countries, mostly those in Africa to achieve these achievable but eluding targets.

The conference examines how global actions; policies and program for Africa are affected by the various cultures of Africa. More importantly, the conference will look at how the culture and the social set up of African societies will complement programs and policies directed at achieving desired goals such as the MDGs.

The conference is a wonderful opportunity for all stakeholders to discuss what is happening in Africa and why we are not achieving targets in Africa. This years event will center on the following themes: Culture and Governance: Modern governance structures and the future of traditional governing institutions; Culture and conflict resolution in Africa; Culture: opportunities for improving livelihoods in Africa; Foreign Aid: Understanding the situation and Achieving targets in Africa; Culture and the African economy; culture for development: unveiling critical factors in Africa’s development.

Culture and Governance: Modern Governance Structures and the Future of Traditional Governing Institutions
Historically, African countries had established institutions of governance that ensured smooth national administration. Indeed, the institutions were so deeply established that, the colonial masters found it more dangerous to impose a new system than to adapt it for the administration of their economies.
In recent years however, emphasis on and the powers of these institutions are being overlooked and gradually destroyed by modern political structures. These and other factors are the root cause of several social conflicts in African countries. The conference will take a closer look at the modern and traditional political institutions interdependencies and draft recommendations for future actions as the disruption of the traditional institutions will undoubtedly threaten the effective functioning of the modern institutions.

Culture and Conflict Resolution in Africa
The search for effective conflict prevention mechanism in Africa has been a long and ongoing one, but little has been done about the cultural dimensions of the various conflicts across Africa. The conference will take a look at the underlying cultural factors in conflict prone areas in Africa, such as Dafur, Congo, Eritrea etc. and what needs to be done in finding lasting peace in these areas.

Culture: Opportunities for Improving Livelihoods in Africa
Unemployment rates in African countries are among the highest in the world and rural-urban migration is the order of the day in many African countries. Huge masses of rural folks move to the cities in search of non-existent jobs or jobs that they don’t have the required skills for.

However, if rural dwellers are supported with the right policies and measures, the culture of the people can create the much needed employment and wealth for rural folks. The conference will examine how culture or attention to culture can help improve the life of the rural poor

Culture and the African Economy
African culture is seen by many especially westerners as being regressive and backward and that, the beliefs and cultural traditions of Africa are uncongenial to development. Are these assertions about African culture true? Or is it that, African culture is misjudged or misunderstood by outsiders. Is it that  Africans are placed in a situation which frequently makes them opposed to the introduction of improved technologies for development? How do African traditional institutions work? Can the culture of the people be a foundation for growth and development program? How can these institutions and practices be harnessed for the development of the people? At this meeting, Africans will be given the opportunity to throw more light on various African cultures. Participants will assess how these cultures propel or inhibit developmental objectives of governments and draw action plans to eliminate obstacles and cease opportunities for development. Also, experiences from other regions will be analyzed and tapped.

Foreign Aid: Understanding the Situation and Achieving Targets in Africa

For decades, most African countries have depended on Foreign Aid. While some see foreign aid as indispensable in Africa’s developmental efforts, others argue that, aid is not a sufficient condition to development unless the people are detached from the practices and customs that are incompatible with development. Must Africans abandon their culture in the effort to improve the living conditions of her people? Or should Africans abandon their developmental aspirations. Why have donors’ advice so often been inapplicable to African conditions? Are false assumptions being made about African economies? What should donors know about the African situation? The conference will seek to address these issues in detail; gathering relevant information from inside and outside Africa.

Culture for development: unveiling critical factors in Africa’s development.

The whole is said to be greater than the sum of its parts. Economic development is a process, which entails more than money from abroad or good cultural practices. In this area many factors come into play and like a system, the various factors of economic development operate simultaneously which makes it difficult or even impossible to disentangle their relative importance. Africa’s problems are multifaceted and will be difficult if not impossible to solve using a single approach. The conference will seek to explore culture and its relationship with other issues or factors such as political, technological, natural, gender etc. and how efforts in all these areas can be coordinated to bring about the desired change. Revelations from these discussions will guide discussions in future conferences.