USA Africa Dialogue Series - Re: [Leonenet] Nota Bene: Africa Peace And Conflict Journal, Vol. 4, No. 2, Dec 2011

Karmoh Sagba, your points are well noted. A whole lot had to be cut out because of the journal's page limit. It was intellectual torture, but the referees and the editors hold the keys to publishing heaven.---:) Actually, the initial essay was twice the size of the one that appears in the journal.

-----Original Message-----
From: Toegondoe Sagbah
Sent: Dec 26, 2011 9:27 PM
To: "leonenet@lists.umbc.edu" , "USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com" , Abdul Bangura
Subject: Re: [Leonenet] Nota Bene: Africa Peace And Conflict Journal, Vol. 4, No. 2, Dec 2011

Dr. AKB,

Congratulations for the effort and recognition. I have read a few pages of your essay, and I must say that I disagree with some points you raised, actually its rather the points you either consciously omitted or refused to mention in your critical analysis. I have argused these points with you a few times on this net and here you advanced those same points in this important essay. Here are just a few so far:

 

1. Definiton of DEMOCRACY:  (P. 3?)  You mitigated the much widely known conceptual definition of DEMOCRACY by narrowly limiting it to Joseph Shumpete'r definition, and yet, you gave a greater insight ino the Soviet/Communist definition of Democracy than even Schumpeter's definition. Even though Schumer's defintion itself is limited in the definition of Democracy as is widely known in Political Science. You even refered to Schumpeter's definition as "other" forms of definition, when, in fact, it is much closer to the worldwide accepted than even Communist definition that you seemed to give greater credence to. 

 

And you went on to mitigate Democracy (western style) by quoting Jame's meaning that limits "democracy" only to a "competition for peoples votes". Wstern Democracy is far more complex than that. It involves not just a selectuion by voting but also by mere conscensus or even direct appointment, as long as the appointee has legal, conventional or socisl authority. The Queen or the President can appoint jus like how a Chief can be "selected" by virtue of inheritance...all those processes are considered dmeocratic as long as there is general social consensus and acceptance.

 

2. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: (P. 4?)  I dont think you established greater objectivity in your reasons for the stagnation of development in African countries. You completely negelected talking about the effects of greed and selfishness of the leadership, and the impact their corrupt activities hamper development. You merely attacked external forces including governments, intenational organizations and multinational corporations...BUT NOT THE SELFISH AND GREEDY AFRICAN LEADERS WHOSE CORRUPT ACTIVITIES LEAD TO THE EXTRACTION OF MILLIONS OF MONEY PROVIDED FOR SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENT THAT WINDS UP IN THEIR POCKETS, RATHER THAN BE WHOLELY DEDICATED FOR THE PURPOSES THE MONEY ARE DESIGNATED FOR.

 

I stop so far

 

  Toegondoe Sagbah,  FAT / IDOF

         Fighting Against Tribalism

           In Defence Of Fairness

From: Abdul Bangura <theai@earthlink.net>
To: "USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com" <USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com>
Cc: leonenet <leonenet@lists.umbc.edu>
Sent: Monday, December 26, 2011 4:35 PM
Subject: [Leonenet] Nota Bene: Africa Peace And Conflict Journal, Vol. 4, No. 2, Dec 2011

Nota Bene:

 

It is with great joy that I share the good news with you that my essay titled "The Nexus among Democracy, Economic Development, Good Governance, and Peace in Africa: A Triangulative Analysis and Diopian Remedy" appears in the current issue of the Africa Peace and Conflict Journal   (vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 1-16) published by the United Nations University for Peace. The entire issue can be accessed and downloaded from the following URL:

 

http://www.apcj.upeace.org/issues/APCJ_Vol4_Num2_WebOnly.pdf

 

Hard copies of the journal are also available from the University. There are other excellent essays and great opportunities announced in the journal as well.

 

My sincere gratitude to those listserv family members who offered suggestive evaluations while I was writing the essay.

 

In Peace Always,

Abdul Karim Bangura/.