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Contribution on Migration for ICAE
Virtual Seminar:
What’s interesting about this reflection on African
migration is that it describes how African civilizations were formed.
What’s more, it helps understand population movements around the world.
In our continent, these population movements have been and are still
intense, to such an extent that some thinkers have turned it into one of
the main features of African history.AFRICA, SETTING FOR HUMAN MIGRATION Babacar Diop Buuba PAALAE 1. Ancient migrations Claudio Moffa considers that one of the determining factors in African history is “the struggle among opposing sectors, lineages or ethnic groups, and, particularly, in primitive Africa, the fights for control over natural resources: rivers and lakes, productive land and/ breeding or hunting areas, mines, etc.” (Claudio Moffa, Africa in the periphery of history, Paris, Harmattan, 1995). The Italian author, historian and reporter, expresses his simplistic concept of the African history. Considering the importance of African migrations it is possible to find the link of the continuum, without forgetting the disruptions in this large evolution. A. Mabogunje, in a document called “historic geography: economic aspects” insists on geographical factors that explain the extent of migration flow in certain parts of the continent. “… African prairies provided considerable resources to ancient human beings. Not only were they easy to plow, but also easier to move along. Easy displacement was a key factor for peoples’ settling. Africa is, par excellence, a continent with huge human migrations, some of which have been reconstructed thanks to archaeological, ethnological, linguistic and historic testimonies. These huge population movements were significant due to the fast dissemination of new ideas and, particularly, of tools and techniques. This spread has been so fast that recent research frequently faces difficulties to determine the origins of certain innovations. People’s mobility has always been a vital factor for the organization of population in political bodies. African savannahs have played a beneficial role because they favored the necessary conditions for the birth of states in Africa” (General History of Africa, UNESCO, op.cit. p. 372) These migrations can be violent or non-violent, and they have caused different results. “On one hand they promote progress because their subsequent and convergent layers ensure, little by little, the possession, and even command over the continent, and thanks to the emerging exchanges, they exalt the innovations by virtue of some kind of cumulative effect. But, on the other hand, as population density has diminished in an excessively huge space, migrations prevent human beings from reaching the threshold of concentration that forces them to go beyond their own capacity to invent survival methods. Dissolution in geographical environment increases the influence of the latter and tends to take the first African tribes back to their obscure origins where human beings traced a painful concept through the opaque crust of the unintelligent universe” (J. Ki Zerbo, “From gross nature to freed humanity, in HGA, UNESCO, op. cit. p. 778-780). These movements that were already strong in prehistory were sometimes accelerated in ancient times, in intermediary times up to modern and contemporary times. 2. Recent migrations In 2002, statistics of the High Commissioner for Refugees (HCR) mentioned 19.8 million people who were under their jurisdiction, of which 4.2 were in the continent (3.3 million refugees, 500.000 displaced people and 267.000 repatriates, OACNUR, May 2002, Africa, facts and figures). “These population flows, qualified as involuntary, are frequently a consequence of civil Wars, governmental oppression, political disorder, ethnic, political or religious chases, as well as environment catastrophes such as drought and famine. These factors are combined in a regional system, distorted by the new international order that emerged by the end of the cold war, the weak level of economic development, the repeated violations to human rights or even the circulation of several arms in all the region”. (cf. Donata Gnisci, Marie Trémolières and Karim Hussein, "interaction between conflict and involuntary migration in Western Africa: for an integral and concerted regional approach, october 2003, Paris 2003, publication Sahel Club and Western Africa, scopying study, p. 12). In view of this situation, different responses either from the States or from civil society come up. 3. State response The New Association for the Development of Africa (NEPAD) that has somehow raised hope before states, even before African and international opinion, paradoxically, has not dealt with the issue of African migration. Ultimately, the issue of the elimination of non-tariff barriers could be mentioned. (cf. part V of Action Programme, point C of resource mobilization and C2 Initiative for the access to markets and sub-point IX). Point B could also be exploited. Sectoral priorities, B2, remark human resources, sub-point III reverse the tendency of brain drain. Lack of focus on the issue of migration is confirmed when we analyze the discourse of President Obansanjo at the “sectoral Program Overview”, (2003/2004), as well as the report from the President of the Executive Council and Executive Director of the Secretariat, Professor Wiseman Nkuhlu: not one word about migration. We must recognize that the African Union, in return, clearly perceived what’s at stake and President Konaré launched the idea of an African passport. 4. Stay or leave The heroes of the Aminata Sow Fall’s novel called “Douceurs du bercail”, chose to return to their countries but with a clear perspective: to reconstruct their homeland. Their conviction is also presented. This return movement that was registered from the beginning of the 70s was illustrated by a Safrana movie of Sidney Sokona from Mauritania; NGOs such as the GRDR (Research Group for Rural Development in the Third World, in France and Africa), training centers such as the Bakel Center whose activities take place in Senegal, Mali and Mauritania, are, at least, an outgrowth of this dynamic. NGOs such as USE (Union for the Solidarity and Mutual Help in Senegal, that has just celebrated its 50th. anniversary, in 2005), foundations such as FRAO (Rural Foundation of Western Africa) engage in sustainable activities in the so-called, co-development. CONCLUSION We have also proved, in the light of our reflections on inter and extra African migration, that migrations reveal ecological, socio-political, economic and cultural trends. They are or can be, sources of progress, cause regression or a statu quo factor. We can take the opportunities offered within the framework of globalization if we reach a consensus that “must result in a common action plan. All this process has the objective of making migration a social and economic development vector” (the point of view of the International Organization for Migrations, expressed during the GRDR Seminar in 2000). The FORIM (Forum of the International Solidarity organizations resulting from Migrations), created in 2002, called the attention on the “double feeling of belonging” by promoting actions carried out in France around integration, cultural exchange and development actions for the country of origin”. The world commission on the social dimension of globalization, implemented by ILO, whose report was published in 2004, makes recommendations on international people’s movements”. These recommendations comprise 3 levels: - Conventions and International obligations - dialogue between countries, distinction made by virtue of the great common gender issues - a more general institutional Framework for the International people’s movements (cf.op.cit.p.110) The report invites to reinforce the power of multilateral organizations that are in charge of people’s movements (in particular ILO, IOM, the UN Human Rights organizations and the HCR) and to better coordinate among them. The participation of civil society organizations in the reflection and in the action plans could be a decisive contribution as long as they can coordinate by themselves their actions.
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