EDITORIAL - How rich are you?
If I ask you to give me a quick answer to that, you are likely to start pondering over the amount of wealth you have (property, cars, money, etc). But in this edition of INSPIRE, with its very new layout, give it a new thought. We are only as rich as the poorest guy next to us. Does that make any sense to you? Hope it does. I will leave you to think it out for a while. Am positive that you will soon join us to think that our lives will be collectively much better if we sincerely commit ourselves to positive changes around us. I have tried to understand why African nations are so tilted towards conflicts and wars.

Paul Collier, a professor at Oxford who has been profoundly interested in the subject says economy plays a major role in the outbreak of conflicts in Africa. In an essay on “Natural resources and conflicts in Africa” he says in the economy, one outstanding factor is natural resources, which is a fertile ground for corruption and secessionist tendencies. In the first instance, some minority grab for themselves what should trickle down to every other member of the community and in the second case, the neglected are encouraged to think life will be better if they break off. The end result is that a bunch become richer, the majority poorer and we are not far from general dissatisfaction and conflict.

More than three decades ago, Botswana and Sierra Leone had the same level of per capita income. Then they both received huge diamond income. The government of Botswana succeeded to harness the revenues for the good of the nation. In Sierra Leone, the revenues fomented violent political and egocentric conflicts that brought the economy to its knees. Today the differences lie in terms of per capita income. The government officials of Botswana were thinking all along of how to make every national benefit from the resource rents, instead of individuals. They were seeing riches as a community thing, not an individual’s issue. It’s like in chemistry. The stronger solution draws on the weaker one. Help make your environment richer, not necessarily in money, but in values too. And believe me that your riches will be more valuable. Pochi Tamba