Understanding Globalization and the African Youth Challenges
The Zambian writer, Field Ruwe described Africa as “ The lazy man’s purview; the sluggishly slothful and languorous prefecture.
In this realm people are sleepy, dreamy, torpid, lethargic, and therefore indigent—totally penniless, needy, destitute, poverty-stricken, disfavored, and impoverished. In this demesne, as they call it, there are hardly any discoveries, inventions, and innovations.
Africa is the trailblazer. Some still call it “the dark continent” for the light that flickers under the tunnel is not that of hope, but an approaching train. And because countless keep waiting in the way of the train, millions die and many more remain decapitated by the day.”
For those in love with euphemism- the coloring and painting of words, the above statement might be perceived as too heavy and over critical and probably insulting. Yet, this is a reflective truism of our beloved continent. The above statement is a pointer that the gargantuan responsibility of melting, molding and shaping the continent currently rests on the shoulder of the African youth.
The African youth must now take a lead step in emancipating the Dark Continent. They must now be the light of hope radiating in every nook and cranny of the continent and beyond. To do this, the youths must take advantage of the wonderful opportunities offered by globalization and put in a stake for Africa.
It is often argued that Africa has lost the last century and I assert that we would also lose this century if this “selfie” generation does not understand the magnanimity of the work at hand and make hay while the sun tarries.
The Nigeria Army Display at Royal Edinburgh Z military Tattoo
The youths should be the one who must now define what innovation, leadership and followership should be in Africa and ensure that this definition is the compass which shall direct our voyage as we sail the African continent to self-actualization.
Globalization:
With the continual growth and dominance of technologies such as the internet, telephone, efficient transport system and more, the world now looks like a compact circle – thousands of square kilometers crammed up in one place.
Happenings in the remotest part of the world now affect everyone; economies and trades across nations are now linked. It is a state of statelessness in which what you present is your worth to globalization. Globalization has given the world a single emotion and a single purpose – a better humanity for all.
Globalization offers that ideas flow from one part to another. It now means that leadership should have a universal definition, that injustice and justice should mean same all over the globe, that trade and innovation are not limited to one locality but are free to flow to all crannies of the world. The implication is that operating from my country home, I could inspire world-felt changes and my name would reverberate around the globe. This is true. One writer defined globalization as a world with no border.
Globalization is defined as the process by which the world is interconnected through technology and powerful infrastructure for the purpose of communicating and managing resources.
Wikipedia.com also defines globalization as the process of international integration arising from the interchange of world views, products, ideas and other aspect of culture. The definition of globalization given by Giddeon “as an irresistible force transforming all aspects of the contemporary society, politics and the economy” is most appropriate for the day
Globalization did not start today it has been in existence since the evolution of the human society. Religion, philosophy and trade have been the earliest gifts of globalization. But Never has it been witnessed on this phenomenal scale. Globalization also means we have to re-examine some of our ideas, look at ideas from other countries, from other cultures and open ourselves to them and that’s not comfortable for the average person (Herble Hancock).
Globalization now relays that everyone is connected and interdependence among the inhabitants of the world is increased. It now means that my view matters that my innovation is been sought for, that my entrepreneurial skill is been demanded and that my idea is been awaited all over the world. That little, and unknown me matters to the world. It also prompts that i can draw ideas and connect with friends who share same ideas with me all over the globe. The beauty of globalization is that it offers the same information and opportunity to anyone willing to manipulate its huge resources to succeed, even people from the remote parts of the world.
Globalization now translate that the conventional ways of doing things are no longer tenable, (i can sit in the comfort of my room and trade, computer software’s and simulations now ease works ) it translates that ideas and concept mean same thing all over the globe , that standards are now accepted as same over the earth surface. It also means that for one to survive in the world presently the individual must be able to manipulate the globalization tools at his/her disposal.
One must now be able to compete with the very best in the world. With globalization no such concept as ‘local champion’ exist, you must be a world champion judged with the same criteria as everyone else. Tools such as the mass media, social media, internet, computers and computer aided software’s and simulations must now be interacted with and manipulated for one to challenge in the global world.
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The great question then is what do I offer to globalization? More succinctly put what should Africa offer to globalization and who should be Africa’s negotiators in the globalization table? Would Africa rather continue to be beneficiaries and not contributors to the world development?
Youths
The youths have largely been the pioneer of globalization, from leadership, to innovations and entrepreneurship the youths leads the way. It is not a coincidence that today technologies are being developed by and offered to the youths. That all political campaigns are now geared towards getting the youths to participate. This Obama did successfully
Who is then a youth? The united nation defined youth to mean anyone between the ages of 15-24 years. This definition has no universal acceptance as it varies world over. Here in Africa, a youth is often taken as one from 15 to 35 years of age.
Scholars have also argued on the usefulness of defining youth as a function of age rather than a function of mind. Robert Kennedy put it better this way “not a time of life but a state of mind , a temper of the will, a quantity of imagination , a predominance of courage over timidity , of the appetite for Adventure over the life of ease” For the purpose of this post, we would stick with both definitions – a function of age and mind.
AFRICAN YOUTH AND GLOBALIZATION
The African youth is probably the most maligned youth in the world. Her hope of a better future has been crushed by the older generation. They have consistently been told that they are the leaders of tomorrow yet the tomorrow and the leadership position remains a mirage. It is in this vein that the African youths must take charge and bring the better future and leadership it has always craved.
On the global stage, the African youth has largely been a scrounger rather than a contributor. The Nigerian youth(the largest country in the continent via population and economy index) has remained unnoticed on the global stage and has offered very little notable ideas, innovations, entrepreneurship nor leadership for others round the globe to drink from, we have simply refused to inspire.
It could be argued that the African youth is challenging globally in the world of entertainment. This I agree with. The inherent problem is that entertainment alone can not drive our economy and no nation or continent was built solely on entertainment. Entertainment only, will not drive the type of creativity needed to spur national development.
To emancipate Africa, African youths must now begin to partake wholesomely in the affairs of the continent, become her destiny and propel her flight to greatness.
This they must do by venturing into and conquering the following concepts:
Innovation /Innovation: Aware that globalization has made information and ideas from all over the world accessible by all, the African youth must draw therefrom to innovate their continent out of its present quagmire. Innovation is defined as any idea, practice or object that is perceived as new by an individual or other unit of adopter.
To innovate means that processes need be re-evaluated and ways of doing things re-examined for a better alternative. African youths must now take a lead step in solving African’s problems (economic, social, political, scientifically and the rest). It is the knowledge which the African has gotten from daily observation of her environment that it must now use to salvage it.
We must now stop quaffing, and get to work to deliver African technologies made by African’s to solve African problems using its abundant resources. African youths must now take up the mantle as innovators and Africa’s Ambassadors to globalization by troubleshooting Africa’s problem by herself and breaking the ‘benefactor mentality’ that has held us bound for ages.
Evert Rogues in his book diffusion of innovation argues that the spread of ideas which build innovation is done through four elements: the innovation itself, communication channel, time and a social system – all these rely heavily on human capital. The four elements including human capital are heavily influenced by globalization and the tools of globalization widens it reach and effectiveness.
The characteristics of an innovator includes the ability to take risk, a high social status, financial liquidity, social and have closest contact to scientific sources and interaction with other innovators. Their risk tolerance allows them to accept technologies. The ease at which all this characteristics can be developed are now made possible by globalization and it tools.
It is time African youths become innovators and prove that they have the capacity to solve the myriad of Africa’s problems.
ENTREPRENUERSHIP
Another concept of globalization closely linked to innovation is entrepreneurship. As stated in its definition, a youth can be taken to be one who is restless in mind and loves adventure. It is this quality of youth-ship that African youths must manipulate in entrepreneurship, to venture into new business to create opportunities and become employers of labor.
Like earlier stated, globalization has now made ideas accessible by anyone who desires it , standards now have a uniform benchmark , businesses can now be connected , and ingenuity and innovations promoted. African youths must seek to prosper by solving myriad of African problems; we must now take that risk.
There are thousands of opportunities to be created by solving Africa’s problems. In doing this we must remember the words of Albert Einstein “we cannot solve our problem with the same level of thinking that created them”. By solving Africa’s problem through entrepreneurship jobs would be created, the economy simulated and millionaires created ultimately empowering the people of Africa. In rekindling our entrepreneurship skills we must learn how to use the tools which globalization has discovered such as the social and mass media, internet, computer programs( Microsoft excel,Autocad,Pro E, Archicad, statix9,spss, Google sketch etc.).
Leadership
This is a critical area in which Nigerian youths must now key in to, as globalization has now shown that quality of leadership is adjudged by global uniform standards. As we have seen from the Arab spring and other revolutions across the world, the youths are now taking the lead in bringing about that needed change. We are expected to take the mantle of leadership in all affair and become reformers in all institutions (Security, public and private services) in the continent bringing them to the standard befitting of this age; not by violence but by philosophical and mental reforms. The time to sit on the fence or on the bicycle is over,we must now get involved. Complaining and blame trading must be abolished.
Many of us falsely believe that politics is for a select few and are not interested in it. This is what Bertolt Brecht says to you “the worst illiterate is the political illiterate; he doesn’t speak, nor participate in the political event. He doesn’t know the cost of life, the price of bean, of the fish, of the flour, of the rent, of the shoes and of the medicine, all depends on political decisions.
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The political illiterate is so stupid that he is proud and swells his chest saying that he hates politics. The imbecile doesn’t know that, from his political ignorance is born the prostitute, the abandoned child, and the worst thieves of all, the bad politician, corrupted and flunky of the national and multinational companies”
We must no longer wait for leadership to be given to us we must take it. All over the globe youths are getting involved and transforming leadership. With the information placed at our finger tips and the modern perception of what leadership should be, as dictated by globalization ,we must fashion out solutions to election rigging, sentiment-driven politics as against issued-based politics, accountability of government amongst a host of other issues which would lead to enthronement of purposeful leadership in our nation and continent.
Constructive Criticism as an Effective Motivational Tool
Globalization states that desire is a universal concept, that is, what the man in the USA desires is the same with that of a Nigerian man – a better life. I must say that the only way through which the youths could close in on the ‘future of tomorrow’ tag is to grasp the future by entering into leadership positions and showing that they have found out what leadership ought to be. most often , I have found lots of youths in leadership position and they have refused to inspire, they have pretended to be oblivious of the fact that leadership is on high demand all over the world , they have instead chosen to pitch with the older generation whose definition of leadership is no longer acceptable.
Globalization has shown that leadership is a dedicated profession in which service to one’s community or humanity is of the greatest importance and personal benefit is not a thought. In this new definition of leadership youths are the pioneers and African youths must follow suit.
Followership
As presently seen, the concept of followership is currently flawed around here; it is not in tandem with the global understanding of the concept. Followership in Africa has always had the coloration of a sheepish following of cronyism, nepotism, ethnicity and religion.
With the information we have derived from globalization, the African youth must now show understanding of what genuine and patriotic followership is and pull along this global definition. Globalization has now defined followership to be a critical inquisitorial of the leader and leadership. It also entails the abandoning of the concept of low expectations or anything goes. It should no longer be a sheepish movement but one which keeps the leaders on their toes. We must grow above the followership ideology which holds that money should determine leadership. No longer should ethnic, religious, or other forms of shallow affiliations define followership rather examination, acceptance of policy and performance level of leaders should be the determining indices.
Social values
A factor which greatly influences the aforementioned points, is social-values, especially as we have agreed that globalization seeks to give the world a single emotion and values. Therefore the youth must work to globalize our social values. Social values heavily affects perception, and perception plays a great role in our logic and thought process which is expressed in our innovations and policies.
We must change these values which have placed wealth, ethnicity and religion over humanity, a society in which the rich and powerful preys on the weak, where ill-wealth is celebrated over industry and intelligence/knowledge and the wealthy are worshiped, where corruption thrives and the government is seen as God and unchallenged. Social values which promotes that there is a divine cause for our entire problems and hence a divine solution to all of it. These values we must seek to change.
On a final note, culture and tradition is undoubtedly a great threat to Africa’s growth, many wrongly believe that culture and tradition must remain static forever. This notion is completely erroneous as customs and tradition must progress as social value and humanity progresses, it should never be allowed to hold down humanity. Our struggle as African youths is to innovate our culture to meet the current hope and aspiration of our people not to allow it to keep us in slavery or drudgery.
Reflect on this popular poem from David Diop
“Africa, tell me Africa
Is this your back that is unbent
This back that never breaks under the weight of humiliation
This back trembling with red scars
And saying no to the whip under the midday sun
But a grave voice answers me
Impetuous child, that tree, young and strong
That tree over there
Splendidly alone amidst white and faded flowers
That is your Africa springing up anew
Springing up patiently, obstinately
Whose fruit bit by bit acquires
The bitter taste of liberty
– (David diop ”Africa” 1956)
Obi Trice Emeka is an essayist and a public affair analyst