Old Wine in New Skins: A Marshall Plan for Africa?

摘要

The arrival of the Commission for Africa Report—"Our Common Interest"—in the spring of 2005 could not have been more timely. 2005 was a year of euphoria, reminiscent of the moments leading to political independence in many African countries. It was a year when the world spotlight seemed to finally and triumphantly train itself on Africa and African people, joining them in their fight against poverty. The report reflected the mood of the people and their readiness to engage with the complexities of the "dark continent". And it was not only Western governments or the G8 summit. The year promised to unite the global community, civil society organisations, African governments and local communities to the centre from which their voices could at last be heard. The moment in itself was euphoric. The British prime minister and his close allies sought to take advantage of their chairmanship both of the European Union but also of the G8 summit to bring Africa to the centre. The report in itself was both comprehensive (in seeking to undertake a forensic examination of causes of Africa's continued marginalisation, from slavery to colonialism, to corrupt leadership, to humanising poverty in terms of gender and other vulnerable groups) and participatory (because it involved African thinkers, practitioners and communities).