After a flood devastated the landscape of Burkina Faso, scholars realized that a new discussion was needed about Africa’s economy and that discussion was brought to Howard’s Ralphe Bunche Center on Wednesday.
“It has gone beyond the problem of Africa. It is a problem of the world,” said Chika Enzeanya, who gave a presentation on the devastating impact of climate change in Africa.
In September 2009, a flood destroyed the main hospital of Burkina Faso, killed eight people, damaged the infrastructure and left hundreds of thousands of people homeless causing the United Nations to appeal for millions of dollars to help the country. Despite the appeal, UN.org released a statement that said, “United Nations agencies are facing a huge shortfall in funding to help well over a million flood victims.”
According to presenter Francois Lapis, “disasters are an actualization of social vulnerability.” He said present conditions spawn out of past hazardous conditions, and we need to address the contributions of humans to those conditions.
“You may sit here in Washington, D.C. and not know that people are starving because of climate change. These are real people with real problems. We need real change. There are people that are suffering because of the impact of national companies and waste,” Enzeanya said. “Undeniably, Africa is the worst place in terms of global warming.”
Enzeanya said it is shameful that it has become an African problem when it is not a problem generated in Africa. She said outside assistance is needed.
Presenter Kofi Kissi Dompere, Ph.D., challenged Enzeanya on her plea for outside help for Africa. Dompere said Africa must unite to ward off those imperialistic forces. He revived the old Pan-African ideology that an African Union was needed to protect the economy of Africa.
“Burkina Faso does not have to appeal to France for anything… the United Nations is the problem,” Dompere said. He said the UN, World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) were made to maintain the imperialist system of the West. “The World Bank is a bank; it has to maintain its interest.”
“The world is split into mega-groups. It works with power. Without power, you are not counted,” Dompere said. He said Europeans already speak for Africans. “It’s a power game.”
Dompere related the conversation back to Howard University and said it should not try to emulate the mission of the Ivy League institutions or try to be them. He said Howard should build itself internally and stand apart. Africa should stand apart, he said.
“Don’t you find it shameful to see people dying trying to cross the Sahara Desert to get to Europe?” Dompere asked. “How do we solve the race question? How do we solve the colonial question? How do we develop? These three questions are yet still with us… It is a power game.”
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