How the Social Economy Can Contribute to Africa s Development The Consumer Perspective

Transcription

1 19th Sessin f the ACP-EU Jint Parliamentary Assembly Tenerife, Spain 29 March - 1 April 2010 Presentatin n Hw the Scial Ecnmy Can Cntribute t Africa s Develpment The Cnsumer Perspective By Mr. Kimera Henry Richard, Chief Executive, Cnsumer Educatin Trust (CONSENT) and Cnsumers Internatinal (CI) Africa Representative n the ACP-EU Fllw-up Cmmittee f the Eurpean Ecnmic and Scial Cmmittee 31 March 2010 Yur Excellencies, C-presidents and Members f the Jint Parliamentary Assembly, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is with great hnr that I jin Mr. Luca JAHIER the President f ACP-EU Fllw-up Cmmittee f the Eurpean Ecnmic and Scial Cmmittee t cmpliment his speech n a tpic Hw the Scial Ecnmy Can Cntribute t Africa's Develpment The Cnsumer Perspective. Intrductin The scial ecnmy and its numerus institutins like frmal and infrmal cperatives, scial cmmunity grup arrangements amng thers exist in Africa and cntribute t the welfare f the citizens and develpment n a big scale irrespective f nt being frmally dcumented. Scial ecnmy is understd and appreciated in Africa and ther regins in many frms and delivers gds and services irrespective f scietal and natinal challenges. Majrity f us are beneficiaries f respective scial ecnmy arrangements directly and/r indirectly as we cnsume a number f its prducts. Scial ecnmy has been arund and will be arund lng enugh t cntribute t human, scietal and natinal develpment glbally. Examples are seen in challenging times within sciety. It played a rle in absrbing effects f fd and financial crisis where beneficiaries f the scial ecnmy were nt greatly impacted due t cllective scial inclusiveness actins and slutins in sciety that enabled cnsumers sharing the limited resurces available and accmmdating thse in need.

2 Africa s Scial Ecnmy in Actin Prpsals t recgnize, dcument and supprt frmal grwth f Africa s scial ecnmy and the rles it plays in scietal develpment is greatly appreciated. As there are many cases where Africa s scial ecnmy has been and is still the answer t cnsumer and scietal needs and challenges. Where the frmal sectr as in public and private sectr fails t deliver gds and services as bligated and/r cntracted entities, Africa s Scial Ecnmy (ASE) prvides slutins t ignred sectrs and/r t inadequate cnsumer basic needs. Africa s scial ecnmy arrangements and appraches play a paramunt rle in prmting and sustaining inclusive scieties irrespective f the endemic pverty and frmal mechanism failures. Sme f the examples thrugh which the scial ecnmy in Africa fills gaps include: Cultural institutinal arrangements: Deliver fd t cnsumers and guiding fd prductin; Prmte fd security practices: cultural and cmmunity leaders mbilize cmmunities t prduce, stre and market respnsibly. In Uganda the Buganda Kingdm and culture has a mandatry garden reserve practice cde named the King s Garden that is nly access by the family when they are fd insecure. Unfrtunately the practice is nt that effective these days, but it has a lt f ptential in addressing fd security; Prmte health, hygiene and sanitatin practices: cultural and cmmunity leaders mbilize cmmunities t clean hmes, cnstruct pit lanterns, maintenance water surces spring wells amng thers; Cultural and cmmunity leaders mbilize cmmunities t maintenance infrastructure rad netwrks, cmmunity establishments husing. In Uganda the Buganda Kingdm and culture has a practices named Bulungi Bwansi meaning its gd fr the cuntry. Cmmunity and cllective land usage and fd prductin thrugh prvisin f human resurce fr land - farm preparatin, planting, weeding and harvesting. Where there are n frmal health care medical facilities and dctrs, the traditinal facilities are up and running prviding cnsumers accessible and affrdable alternative services. They d save a number f cnsumers irrespective f cases f death and unscrupulusness; Scial ecnmy infrmal arrangements als play a rle in cnsumer access t knwledge as in Indigenus Knwledge /r Traditinal Knwledge that helps in addressing a number f scietal challenges and maintenance f effective agricultural practices and prductin, saving f gd varieties f crps and animals (that are prductive, nutritius, resistant and pest cntrl measures), sustainable envirnmental utilizatin, healthcare and vital knwledge fr scietal develpment and c-existence in diversity.

3 Cmmunity slidarity and inclusiveness thrugh cllective appraches in times f need, saddens and danger thrugh cnstructin f hmes, arranging funerals, harvest amng thers. Cllective prductin, marketing and purchase by cnsumers, in particular small scale farmers engaged in subsistence farming: Saving and sharing f agricultural inputs like seed. Cautin shuld be taken nt t criminalize them thrugh Intellectual Prperty framewrks develped and thers underway. Infrmally and cllectively saving their small earnings t meet their basic and prductin needs. The examples abve shw hw the scial ecnmic arrangements in Africa plays an imprtant rle in delivering a number f cnsumer basic needs, scial amenities and cntributing t develpment plicy bjectives thrugh: Mbilizatin, develpment and maintenance f inclusive sciety and active citizenship; Prvisin f human resurce fr prductin emplyment and markets; Prmtin f slidarity and scial inclusiveness enabling individuals and cmmunities t wrk twards imprvement f their sci-ecnmic welfare and better sciety; Challenges and Way Frward With all the gd said abut the ptential and deliverances f Africa s scial ecnmy, then why call fr supprt and why are there endless sci-ecnmic challenges evident in nearly every cmmunity n the cntinent? The challenges are valid and it is wrth nting that the infrmal scial ecnmy caters fr sizeable cnsumer ppulatin using inadequate and limited resurces and capacities. Subsequently, rendering the scial ecnmy institutins effrts inefficient n the surface but, in reality they have significatin impact in respective scieties. Incrpratin f Africa s Scial Ecnmy in the varius EU Prtcls and Agreements will g a lng way in enhancing their cntributin t cnsumers welfare, prtectin and prductivity in Africa. The Cntunu Agreement, EU-Africa Partnership, ACP-EU Jint Parliamentary Assembly, ACP-EU Cuncils and Cmmissins recgnizing and putting the scial ecnmy as ne f the pillars fr Africa s develpment n the glbal develpment bardrm agendas will greatly cntribute t imprving appraches in addressing scietal challenges faced by cnsumers. Interventins in Africa s scial ecnmy and supprt mechanisms shuld cntribute t facilitating respective institutins in Africa t effectively engage in the develpment agendas by supprting: stakehlder mapping and their respective activities. stakehlder institutins needs assessment as alternative institutins. stakehlder dialgue n relevant scietal develpment needs fr sustainability.

4 capacity building f cultural and infrmal institutins in institutinal develpment and management. capacity building f cultural and infrmal institutins t effectively deliver gds and services in evlving times s that they becme mre effective in meeting cnsumer needs. capacity building f cultural and infrmal institutins t prvide services in times f emergencies as they are always in the cmmunities. cultural and infrmal scial ecnmy institutins develpment prgrams in agricultural and fd prductin, educatin, healthcare, ecnmic prductivity, marketing, apprpriate technlgies, infrastructure develpment and sustainable envirnmental utilizatin t effectively deliver and drive develpment. cultural and infrmal scial ecnmy institutins t increase stakehlder participatin and inclusiveness including the f cnsumers. cultural and infrmal scial ecnmy institutins effrts f mbilizing resurces t supprt scial ecnmy prgrams fr Africa. In cnclusin, Africa s Scial Ecnmy (ASE) has a rle t play in realizing the bjectives f the respective develpment agendas like the Millennium Develpment Gals (MDGs), Natinal Develpment Prgrams, climate change, sustainable cnsumptin and develpment amng thers. Thus ASE urgently needs recgnitin and supprt t effectively cntributin t imprvement f cnsumer welfare, prtectin, prductivity, cntribute t natinal develpment and prmtin f sustainable, prgressive and inclusive scieties. Lastly, Yur Excellencies, C-presidents and Members f the Jint Parliamentary Assembly, Ladies and Gentlemen, healthy and prductive cnsumers are assets and fundatins f natinal ecnmies and have the frce and ptential t reduce pverty with enabling plitical envirnments. Thank yu fr listening t me. CONSENT is a cnsumer - civil sciety rganizatin in Uganda that strives and wrks fr a scially infrmed, equitable and just sciety thrugh empwerment f cnsumers, advisry services, prmtin f ethical practices amng businesses, advcacy and engagement f plicymakers t enact pr-peple plicies fr present and future generatins. Designs and implements awareness, dialgues, plicy research and advcacy prgrams thrugh partnerships fr effective plicies t enhance cnsumers safety and welfare, ethical practice, gd gvernance, sustainable cnsumptin and develpment. CONSENT is a member f Cnsumers Internatinal (CI). Cnsumers Internatinal (CI) is the nly independent glbal campaigning vice fr cnsumers. With ver 220 member rganizatins in 115 cuntries. Building a pwerful internatinal cnsumer mvement t help prtect and empwer cnsumers everywhere. At 50 years in 2010, CI has campaigned and advcated fr cnsumers since ILO definitin f Scial Ecnmy is a cncept designating enterprises and rganizatins, in particular cperative, mutual benefit scieties, assciatin, fundatins and scial enterprises which have the specific features f prducing gds, services and knwledge, while pursuing bth ecnmic and scial aims and fstering slidarity. Wikipedia definitin - Scial ecnmy refers t a third sectr in ecnmies between the private sectr and business r, the public sectr and gvernment. It includes rganizatins such as cperatives, nn-gvernmental rganizatins and charities.

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