Democracy and Good Governance

Dear folks

Welcome to the 2007, the year of change and progress. I am delighted to inform you that I happened to have had the opportunity to attend a 3day workshop on democracy and good governance on 29^th November to 1^st December 2006. The workshop‘ Democracy Series, Participation, Learning and Action Youths (DESPLAY) 2006/7, is a project of Youngstars Foundation Jos , Nigeria . After a mind blowing session at DESPLAY on Democracy and Good Governance, I wish to share with you follow democrats on what I grasps from Nigeria and have you as colleagues journalist to help disseminate this vital information on democracy. We call this spreading of information P.I.O (passing- it – on).

P.I.O (passing – it –on) itself, is the center of DESPLAY, because it is a self development and mass empowerment process by which DESPLAY ensures that youths in the grassroots and non-formal sector youths (out of school youths) are integrated in democratization education and local governance. Examples of these youths include but are not limited to car mechanic apprentices, local barbers / hair beauticians, young farmers, local football teams, motor cyclist riders, bus conductors, motor pack touts, cobblers, etc. P.I.O distinguishes DESPLAY from many other youth based projects.

DESPLAY is a knowledge based and action oriented project packaged to deepen young peoples knowledge and promote active youth participation in strengthening our democratisation process and promotion of good governance. It may interest you to know that during the DESPLAY 2005/6 class, over 30 youths from 13 states from the geo-political zones of Nigeria worked together over a 7 months period to better understand and engage democracy. Four of them were opportune to intern at the National Assembly of Nigeria for 3 weeks, and 5 persons visited Ghana for a learning visit. DESPLAY participants also impacted an estimated 500 young people in their local communities on the lesson learnt via DESPLAY using PIO strategy (passing it on).

Fellow Democrats, those of us who had the opportunity to attend DESPALY 2006/7 had a very rigorous, intellectually engaging time consuming and task our ingenuity as emerging young leaders. It was for very serious minded people and I know you are one of the serious minded person I have come to know through this network.

Fellow Democrats of the new Africa, the journey of a 1000 miles begins with a step, what we are doing through DESPLAY is not about today, it is about the future ahead. I am glad you are a part of this important step. Leaders perform for results and not recognition.

Fellow Democrats, we are the emerging leaders, if you are interested in what I’m sharing with you today, kindly send me your details (name, address, email, telephone, comment, suggestion and location) for us to form a chain to help educate each other.

Please share this information now!

Introduction and Preliminaries

The study of democracy as a social action: Democracy is today more than mere academic exercise; it’s a social action, hence the involvement of youngsters.

Also, the struggle for democracy is now an important factor in practical politics around the world, and will continue to be so.

History is one way we come to grips with important ideas and phenomena. The purpose is met therefore that our discussion should start with history

Democracy is government of, by, and for the people. It is government of a community in which all citizens, rather than favored individuals or groups, have the right and opportunity to participate.

Constitutionalism, as a concept, refers to the idea that government can and should be legally limited in its powers, and that its authority depends on its observing these limitations.

“Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely”! Constitutional democracy is the antithesis of arbitrary rule.

Constitutional democracy is characterized by three key principles:

-Popular sovereignty

-Majority rule and minority rights

-Limited government

History of Democracy

The challenges of discussing ‘History of Democracy’

High expectations on the part of both skeptics and would-be true believers.

“Readers will want a historian of democracy not only to show the use of democratic techniques in the past, or demonstrate the existence of democratic values in past societies, or trace the development of democratic institutions in recent times”.

Historians will have to do more: find perfect democratic societies in the past, or admit that the history of democracy is a mirage, because democracy has never existed.

…yet history is important….as guide!

History of democracy is the history of struggles of the people against class oppression and domination.

Advent of Democracy in Nigeria

Pre-colonial Nigeria

...Colonial Nigeria

…..Post-Colonial Nigeria

-Power Elites

-The Military

-Allinace of the Military and Civilians

-Is Nigeria Democratizing?

What is the advent of democracy in your country???

Is democracy feasible in Nigeria

Structures and Institutions for Democratization

The Social Conditions

Agents of Democratic Transitions – Civil Society

The Role of the Youths

What your country?

Why your country?

How your country?

When your country?

Where your country?

Theories of Democracy

Concetual and housekeeping issues

Democracy is government of, by, and for the people. It is government of a community in which all citizens, rather than favored individuals or groups, have the right and opportunity to participate.

Constitutionalism refers to the idea that government can and should be legally limited in its powers, and that its authority depends on its observing these limitations.

•Constitutional democracy is characterized by three key principles:

-Popular sovereignty

-Majority rule and minority rights

-Limited government

Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely”

Rule of Law & Separation of Powers

The principle and practice of modern democracy is further strengthened by ROL and and the doctrine of “separation of powers”/“checks and balance”.

Related to the practice of democratic governance: First, is that powers should be separated and shared. All above is summed up in the principles of “separation of powers” and “checks and balance” logically sum up the above principles. What these principles translate to in practical governance is worth exploring.

First is that powers should be separated and shared. That is, in a constitutional democracy powers should be separated among different agencies or branches of government.

Secondly, different agencies or branches of government should have adequate power to check the powers of other branches. Checks and balances may include the power of judicial review. The courts, in a constitutional democracy, should have the power to declare actions of other branches of government to be contrary to the constitution and therefore null and void.

Thirdly, due process of law should be ensured. That is, individual rights to life, liberty, and property are protected by the guarantee of due process of law.

Fourthly, in a constitutional democracy political succession is through elections. Elections insure that key positions in government will be contested at periodic intervals and that the transfer of governmental authority is accomplished in a peaceful and orderly process. A peep into post-colonial Nigerian history reveals untidy interactions with these principles. Thirdly, due process of law should be ensured. That is, individual rights to life, liberty, and property are protected by the guarantee of due process of law. Fourthly, in a constitutional democracy political succession is through elections. Elections insure that key positions in government will be contested at periodic intervals and that the transfer of governmental authority is accomplished in a peaceful and orderly process. A peep into post-colonial Nigerian history reveals untidy interactions with these principles.

Democratic Politics

•Political process is the means by which power is allocated to control social decision-making and thereby the distribution of information, material wealth, and other values. The political problem, of course, is how best to accomplish this. The democratic solution to the political problem is to distribute power and information equally among all people by means of a decision-making process that incorporates everyone's views. The democratic dilemma is that no such system is perfectly consistent with its own values. The democratic miracle is that it can work anyway--not as a perfect system but as the best system under almost all conditions.

•There are degrees and stages in the evolution of democracy, however, and generally speaking we are probably at an intermediate level in the development of democratic political systems.

When Government Works

When a thing is said to work, it also means that its possible not to work.

Governance deals with how government or organization control its actions. The idea is to achieve a stated outcome.

The essence of governance is to make things better.

Governance Workings

(outside-in approach people expectation)

We will take our analysis around certain indications and compare them among “Developed” and “Developing” countries.

The indicators are:

1.Life expectation

2. Literacy

3. Poverty

4. Health

The Richest and The Poorest

The Britannica book of the year 2005 highlighted Nine Richest countries; this comparism is based on its male life expectancy and literacy level.

lNINE RICHEST COUNTRIES

Life expectancy (yrs) Literacy (%)

lBelgium _______ 75.1 __________ 100

Canada ________ 76.4 ___________ 96.6

Denmark ________ 74.9 ___________ 100

Iceland ________ 78.4 ___________ 100

Japan ________ 78.4 ___________ 100

Luxembourg _____ 79.4 ___________ 100

Norway ________ 76.5 ___________ 100

Switzerland _______ 77.7 ____________ 100

United States ______ 74.4 ____________ 95.5

The Eighteen Poorest country

Male expectancy yrs Literacy

lBenin 50.4 37.5

Burkina Faso 43 23

Burundi 42.5 48.1

Chad 47 53.6

Congo Rep 49 80.7

Ethiopia 47.3 38.7

Guinea Bissau 45.1 80.2

Madagascar 53.8 80.2

Malawi 37.6 60.3

Mali 44.7 40.3

Mozambique 38.9 43.8

Niger 42.3 15.7

Nigeria 50.9 64.1

Rwanda 45.3 67

Sierra Leone 40.3 36.3

Tanzania 43.3 75.2

Yemen 59.2 46.

Zambia 35.3 78

POVERTY

(A poor man has no friend)

This is a glaring indicator when it comes to indicators that show whether governance is working or not. There is the concept of absolute poverty as well as relative poverty.

Social definition of poverty: A tack of essential items like shelter, food, rather clothing.

About 1.1Billion people line on less than $1 a day while 2.7 billion live on less than $ 2 a day.

In sub-Saharan Africa 50% of the people live on less than $ 1a day and of the 48 poorest countries of the world 32 are in Africa. Unlike Latin America only 11% live on less than $11,Southeast Asia 37%, Eastern Asia 17%.

A hint

Africa is plague by conflicts without functional governance, since 1982 improvised people doubled.

Health

Health care is seriously limited, whereas the richest countries beast on 1 physician for every 242 to 539 inhabitants, the 18 poorest countries fall far behind with just 1 physician for every 3707 to 49118 of their citizen.

Yet 70000 professionals live Africa including medical Doctors (in fact there are about 10000 Nigerians medical doctors in the USA).

HIV/Malaria are major problems in sub-Saharan Africa. With no new HIV/AIDS in USA and almost eliminated malaria, Nigeria alone has 3.5 million people living with HIV (like the whole population of plateau state) In Africa we are estimating 28.5 million with 12million children orphaned throughout the continent as a result of both parents dying from HIV/AIDS.

Infant Mortality Rate
This measures the number of infants who die per 1,0000 live births before their first birthday, is a good indicator to measure the health of the nation since children are the most vulnerable. In Africa is between 103 to 85 in 1000 live births “under 5”measure those who die before their 5th birthday standing at 148 in 1000 (almost 15%) from malnutrition.

Malnutrition-At least 11 million children die in developing countries yearly (not Africa alone) While in developed nations spending on food for a day is $10 while in developing nations mostly sub-Saharan Africa is 29 cents.

Hunger-About 852 millions do not receive enough food of this number of people 2.14 millions people chronologically malnourished.

-Where governance works the issue usually how to contain excess sugar and fats.

The Africa World

In 2004, of the 30 least livable countries 28 are in Africa and all of the 28 are in the sub-Saharan Africa-could we being cursed?

Despite all the “negatives” about Africa, Africa is a continent with unimaginable abundance.

Natural Resources
Africa is the second largest continent on earth second only to Asia, Her land mass covers 30,22,000sq kilometers, which is 22.3%of the world total land area.

The Sahara desert alone, home to seven African nations, represents approximately 6% of earth total land area. Africa is larger than the combinable land mass of China, India, western Europe, Argentina, New Zealand and the continental United states- with a population of 3.3 billion or 54% of the worlds population Unlike Africa layer in land mass with only 874 million people 14%-What does it tell you about Governance in Africa, Zambia Zimbabwe and Congo have the potential to feed the entire continent.

Water-it has the greatest rivers in the world, Nile, Congo, Niger and Zambezi. The Nile the longest in the world has a basin that covers 80% of the continent.

Minerals-90% of cobalt

85% of platinum

Titanium

Diamonds

50% of the gold

Tantalite/columbine-circuit boards of computers and laptops, telephone.

Congo largest supply of radium used in the treatment of cancer.

Energy –it has 40% of electric potential

7% of worlds proven oil reserves

7% of worlds proven gas reserves

6% of worlds proven Coal reserves

Our excuses

Colonialism
No doubt colonialism affected Africa, but many of the worlds richest countries were former colonies. E.g. Australia, Canada, New Zealand, USA, Hong Kong. While some of empowered nations were never colonized. Afghanistan, Thailand, Ethiopia etc. But also rampantly developing Asia countries achieved independence from their former European colonizers as the same time as many African countries e.g. Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Today Singapore is one of the wealthiest nation in the world.

Africa American Walter Withans argues this way

'Before independence, Every African country was self-sufficient in food production today most depend on imports and other stand at the brink of famine. At the time of independence, the average growth rate among Africa countries was 3% by 1980 it has fallen to 1% by 1990, a negative 2.8%

Lack of Natural resources
The truth we must hold about resources is that they are actually product of human creativity E.g. crude oil was nothing of importance until human creativity found productive and economically in creative uses.

Human ingenuity and creativity are the keys that unlock,
Take this example. Somalia and Japan both do not have natural resources; Japan also has 26 times population density of Somalia. Today Japan is wealthy, Somalia simply existing.
Take Congo (perhaps the richest country in the world in terms of natural resources)
And Holland is relatively rich in natural resources. Congo has 18 times less population of Holland. If there is a correlation between economic prosperity and natural resource who do you think should be richer?

The Cold War
The cold war between the two super powers USA and Soviet Union has been highlighted by some African leaders as a reason for our poor state. But the battle ground was in Asia, not Africa countries like Korea and Vietnam were war almost eliminated Korea is developed, Vietnam is making progress

Adequate Foreign Aids
Between 1980-1988, sub -Saharan Africa received $83 billion dollars in foreign Aid, yet living standards and GDP declined at the same period in the region. As for its debt burden - in '98 Western nations wrote off $50 billion in African debt, nearly as much as the World Bank loaned it in the prior 50 years, and in '05 another $40 billion was canceled.

Over Population
With all its large mass of land under- utilized some leaders postulate this reason (over-population) for our poor state. Taiwan has 5 times population density of over- crowded China, Hong Kong has 45 times the population density of the China-Yet people prefer to live in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Tribalism
Multi “racial Switzerland once was walked with ethnic division but today, the German, French, Italian and Romanish Swiss live together harmoniously –this should be a model

Corruption
Yet, just like tribalism is a major problem. Yet Richburg make distinction between productive corruption and malignant corruption.

Poverty
Must people see Africa as poor, including Africans but history shows that the pre-industrial Europe was vastly poorer than contemporary Africa.

Leadership
Yes people talk about this, but we forget that the leadership of a nation is born from the people. So the people deserve the kind of leadership they get

Pillars of Good Governance
The rule of law

Civic responsibility/duties-

Visionary leadership-thinking of the next generation.

Transparency and accountability

Patriotism-elected/appointed with the mindset of “its about the good of the society”

Feed back barometer

Fair representation/collective responsibility