Re: Where are we?

Description: Robinson finds that Africa is finally moving forward.

Question: What is the state of Africa today?

Transcript: Working in Africa, I’m very conscious that there are 53 countries, and that they are moving at different speeds; and that you also have important Pan African and regional African institutions. There was a reform of the African union, and it has a commission like the Commission of the European Union. Half the numbers of that commission are women, so there’s a big commitment to gender in a lot of issues. In many of the countries now, there is a real sense that things are moving forward. There was a recent opinion or something taken, and most of the African countries sampled really felt there was a lot of room for improvement, but we’re on the right road – commitment to the millennium goals, better governance, tackling corruption. So I think there’s a tendency sometimes to sort of write off Africa in the sweep as being a basket case or something. Far from it. There are actually very interesting and very progressive things happening in many of the countries in Africa.

Question: How does the West’s human rights record measure up?

Transcript:There are, I think, the two worlds, and more so now than at the very beginning of this century. In September 2000, there was a big meeting in the general assembly because it was the start of a new millennium. And the heads of state and government combined to draw up something for the millennium declaration, which was the source of the millennium development goals. And the goals to have those in poverty . . . to have every child have full primary education, no discrimination, the health goals, etc. And the eighth goal was that the rich countries should do more to help the poorest. And that meant living up to raising the amount of official development aid to 0.7%. The United States is way below that, although there’s a lot of voluntary commitment from the United States. Most European countries, including the modern Ireland, are fast-tracking to that 0.7%. But even so, we’re not living up to the G8 commitments. And what is astounding – and, to me, a terrible really indictment of our wisdom – is if you look at the military spending, it’s way over $900 billion a year. All we need for achieving the millennium development goals is about $100 billion. We would have a much more secure world. So it’s good, I think, that we have more voices and civil society groups. More voices of women . . . women leaders saying we need to change the dynamics. We have a terrible arms trade in small arms. Happily _______ Oxfam and a lot of NGOs have been calling for an arms trade treaty, and that has made a lot of progress. We may get one by about 2010. Maybe not all countries will subscribe; but the sale of arms, these AKA rifles, these guns that kill, they are the weapons of mass destruction, though we have to be worried about nuclear proliferation. And now we have climate change on top of all these issues.

Recorded on: 7/25/07