I am a member of the Pan African Organization Committee, and they send my information from time to time, concerning the liberation bridges which are being built, between Africans at home and Africans Abroad. They also send me articles which are written by brothers and sisters of African origin at home and abroad. So when I get them I try to share them with this audience, in order to encourage positive reasoning, so that we can sharpen each others minds.
Again I send many oceans of blessings and self determination to African people everywhere
ONE BLACK LOVE ONE BLACK HEART
Baba Ras Marcus.

A Century 21 Business Plan and Geopolitical Direction for Pan-Africa

Dear fellow Africans. At the dawn of a new century, it is
imperative that we ask ourselves how to unshackle the continent from
the current stasis and geopolitical insignificance. May I make an
ideological contribution that may uplift into the collective lives
of millions of Africans, both successful and disenfranchised, on the
continent and in the Diaspora? Personal success without national
success is still a failure of sorts. Also, the Diaspora will never
completely heal until the motherland does.

By the term African, I mean a person who is both
biologically and culturally African, not necessarily
geographically. The science of anthropology and genetics
consistently proves that the quest for racial hierarchy is indeed a
spurious goal. Also, the cultural-history of Africa predates
classical Greece. Additionally, contemporary events, especially in
Asia Pacific, show that Western "technique" can indeed be learned.
And so, instead of blaming Western racism and hubris, let's take
responsibility to build Africa.

Here is a plan of action that I wish to share with you for
your critique. The plan has three equally essential components.
These three "mini-plans" are: a common financial market, a basic and
light manufacturing sector, and a decent infrastructure.

A common financial market entails creating at most three
free trade zones for the Western, Eastern and Southern regions of
Africa. In West Africa for instance, work has already began for a
common currency among Anglophone countries, which will be integrated
with the francophone common currency at a future time. What this
does is create bigger markets for local companies to grow, creates a
local hard currency, and strengthens the local stock market
valuation. Does it really make sense to owe IMF and World Bank in
currencies that we don't print, then sell our resources for this
hard currency, and then repay the loans with the obtained hard
currency? Does it make sense for Nigeria to buy industrial salt
from Americas when Ghana can produce it? This plan will transform
the securities and financial industry into the most important
service sector.

The second mini-plan is a government policy to encourage
basic and light manufacturing as well as farming and mining. Basic
manufacturing is the production of petrochemicals, paper, soap,
beverages, textiles, sugar, salt, etc. Light manufacturing includes
labor intensive activities like computer assembly. It does NOT
include the production of technologically intensive products like
computer chips or aircraft. This plan will reduce the need to
import the simplest of commodities and reduce the pervasive copy-cat
businesses that mushroom everywhere, selling the same item without
adding any value. The basic goods industry is the foundation for a
sophisticated goods economy.

The third mini-plan is the development of a decent
infrastructure. Civil engineering infrastructure enhances the
movement of people and goods, promotes healthy environments,
facilitates tourism, and provides places of entertainment. The
pungent street-side gutters must be immediately changed to closed
drainage systems. Interregional highways and railways must be built
to facilitate a common market. A decent infrastructure does NOT
have to be New York style bridges or Los Angeles style overpasses.
In consultation with engineers, the government can build high-
utilization, cost-effective, regionally-integrated and non-redundant
infrastructure. Electrical infrastructure is also essential for
energy supply and communication by telephones and computers. In
short, a decent infrastructure will boost the service and goods
sectors.

A final word of caution is that these three mini-plans must
be implemented simultaneously for the results to be fruitful.
By: Patrick Brown, brnp@excite.com.