Ethnicity First and Country Last - The “Third World” Mindset
- SitiTalkBlog
- Jun 25, 2016
- 3 min read
Photo credit: www.enca.com
By definition, the term “Third World” countries are the nonaligned nations — which are often developing nations — of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. They are in a “third” group of nations because they were allied neither with the United States nor with the former Soviet Union.
Here, we would like to focus on Africa as example to illustrate the mindset of ethnicity first and country last. In 2008, Crisford Chogugudza, a UK-based political commentator wrote an article, Ethnicity Main Cause of Instability, Civil Conflict and Poverty in Africa. In this article published at www.africaresource.com, Crisford stated, “…It is a pity to state that political conflicts in Africa are synonymous with ethnicity which is often abused or manipulated by failed politicians lacking credible agendas for their people and countries’ development. These politicians have in some instances bribed and coerced traditional leaders, thereby tarnishing or destroying the credibility of these once respected traditional institutions. It is a fact that ethnicity or issues related to it are essentially the major cause of political instability, chaos and bloodshed in Africa. Unfortunately, in some countries these ethnic tensions are instigated by powerful foreign elements with vested interests in Africa...Contemporary African politicians are faced with the huge task of trying to balance ethnic consciousness and national patriotism as well as ensuring that development surges ahead within the same context. However, some believe that ethnicity can only be effectively addressed or possibly tamed by having a leadership that embodies good governance, education and awareness, inclusive policies, social justice and economic development policies that guarantee equal opportunities for all.”
Crisford also stated that “Unless and until Africa develops to a stage where ethnicity becomes irrelevant in politics and political organisation, regrettably, poverty, instability and the cycles of conflict will continue to inflict the continent. Lessons should be learnt from how the Europeans have dealt with ethnic group, race and development.””
Read more at: www.africaresource.com
Eight years later in 2016, Crisford perspective remains accurate and in fact ethnic conflicts in Africa have worsened over the years, and politicians continue to capitalize on ethnic primordial thinking to cause huge divide in votes to their advantage. The average voter in most African countries is ethnically-driven and does not vote based on socio-economic issues that need to be addressed. Unfortunately, helped by rigging elections as well, the politicians capitalize on ethnic rivalry to get into positions with the mindset and plan to enrich themselves which they do. In the end, regardless of their ethnicity, the majority of the voters never receive the election promises of the politicians. Some have also argued that the demise of most countries in Africa is due to lack of servant leaders, such leaders with true love and vision for their countries. Unfortunately, African countries have had greedy, self-centered and seemingly "vision-less" rulers (not leaders) who lack understanding of good governance and could careless about putting in place systems with proper checks and balances. They have ravaged their countries and sucked them dry like vampires, only they are vampires that loot the wealth and treasury of nations.
The question remains, are Africans in their individual countries ready to shelve their ethnicity-focused obsession and agree to work together, regardless of ethnicity, for the common good of the citizens of their respective nations?
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