What is it about?
‘Bridging Uncompromising Borders’ discusses the insurmountable problems of politics and governance based on political parties, which use ethnicity to threaten the existence of each African country; it then proposes as alternative, a new and unifying system that is grounded on the use of non-governmental organizations, trade unions and professional associations that are formed on the basis of interests and concerns. Unlike political parties that restrict membership to one party only and also inadvertently promote inter-ethnic rivalry/hostility especially during national elections, the new system drawn from the old traditions of governance will function on the basis of interests and concerns of the society. Government will be run by non-governmental organizations, civil society associations and trade unions that have inter-related interests and concerns. Associations that could participate in the new politics and democracy, among others, would be unions of traditional/ethnic authorities, peasant workers, health and social workers, teacher associations, transport workers, and cash crop farmers.
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Photo by Samuel Regan-Asante on Unsplash
Why is it important?
It is a new idea of politics, governance and democracy based on non-governmental associations and not any more on political parties that have divided each African country (especially in sub-Saharan Africa) on the basis of ethnic groups and cultures after their leaders since independence in the 1960s.
Perspectives
This publication differs from my earlier publications that supported the one party political system that dominated the political landscape in Africa from from the time of independence until the military began to seize power in those countries. I hope that the new system I am proposing in this article, if accepted and adopted, can save the continent from the chaotic governments owned by political parties.
Prof/Dr Verkijika G. Fanso
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Bridging Uncompromising Borders: Ethnicity, Party Politics and Democracy in Africa, The African Review, January 2023, Brill,
DOI: 10.1163/1821889x-20235002.
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