The former
president of Tanzania, Benjamin Mkapa (L) speaking to media in Dar es Salaam
after finishing the High-level Dialogue which was organised by The Mandela
Institute for Development Studies (MINDS) based in Johannesburg. (R)
is the founder and Executive Chairman of MINDS, Dr. Nkosana Moyo. Picture
by Cathbert Kajuna.
---
The former
president of Tanzania, Benjamin Mkapa yesterday (14th March 2014) hosted
various African thought leaders from trade, industry, political, civil society,
consultants plus six former heads of state in an informal dialogue that
discussed the pace of economic development in the continent.
Speaking to media
in Dar es Salaam Mr. Mkapa said the one day High-level Dialogue was organised
by The Mandela Institute for Development Studies (MINDS) based in Johannesburg
and sought to address ways in which to make interaction between different
sector leaderships more efficacious for African Development within countries
and across the continent.
“We fully
appreciate the fact that economic integration is a major driver of the
development process in our countrys. We discussed at length various factors
that drive this process forward. This is a totally informal dialogue by people
that are concerned and interested in the pace of integration in Africa from
obstacles, how we can overcome them and achievements we seek to find,” said Mr
Mkapa.
Among those who
took part in the closed door dialogue included six former Head of State and
Government, namely former Presidents Joachim Chissano of Mozambique, Thabo
Mbeki of South Africa, Festus Mogae of Botswana, Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria,
Pedro Pires of Cape Verde, and Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania.
They were joined by
the President of the African Development Bank, Dr. Donald Kaberuka plus forty
other distinguished invitees - former civil servants, CEOs, academics and some
civic society thought leaders from various regions of the continent.
According to the
founder and Executive Chairman of MINDS, Dr. Nkosana Moyo, the institution is
an ‘Pan-African Think Tank’ born out of the realisation that Africa’s
development efforts have a tardy impact, and that the dialogues can help Africa
take ownership.
“The MINDS think
tank was set up with the aim of creating a space/ platform to give sector
leaders an opportunity to meet amongst ourselves and discuss issues of
relevance to the development of the continent to identify any obstacles that
are present and try to work out possible solutions to those obstacles,” Dr.
Moyo said.
“In terms of the
people that are invited to the dialogues, we include politicians, civil
servants, private sector, civil society, women and youth. These stakeholders
are involved in identifying obstacles to Africa’s economic development, trying
to formulate response to the same and lobbying those currently running the
continent to try and getting those policies formulated which are responsive to
implementation of possible solutions,” he elaborated.
“Some of the issues
addressed just to name a few, was the philosophy of economic integration since
the Lagos plan of action, how far has been achieved since then to now, is the
spirit still there? What can be done to give more momentum? We also went into
the concept of development corridors in Africa for instance Maputo, Mtwara
corridor, north- south corridor e.t.c. What state are they in, is the
implementation vigorous enough, to what can be done to step that forward,”
explained former Tanzanian president Benjamin Mkapa.
MINDS received
explicit endorsement by the late President Mandela as its founding in 2010. He
said:- It is my hope that the Mandela Institute for Development Studies (
MINDS) will make a real difference in the resolution of the challenges that
confront Africa through vibrant and robust debate, interrogating current
paradigms and offering new approaches.
Ms Graca Machel, Mr
Ali A. Mufuruki and Ms Sarah Mankaer serve on the Board of MINDS. It has an
Advisory Board comprising Dr. Kaberuka, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Eweala, Mr Francis
Daniel, and Mr Ayed Nouredinne.
CREDIT: Michuzi blog
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