Youth, Democracy and Africa

• WILLIAM GUMEDE

DEFENDING DEMOCRACY can be likened to the fight against colonialism and apartheid.

It is one of the greatest causes of our times and young people must devote themselves to it.

In Africa and across the globe, there is an undeclared war within countries – between those who support democracy and the forces of authoritarianism.

The challenge for young people is to defend democracy against its opponents at home and abroad.

Almost all African governance systems that dictate people’s day-to-day life – such as traditional systems, religious systems, communal beliefs – have deeply autocratic elements which compete with democracy.

Africa’s main political systems – military juntas, dictatorships and dominant parties – are often authoritarian and compete with democracy.

Africa’s dominant political ideologies such as African-style socialism, populism and tribalism also compete with democracy.

Political parties are organised along tribal lines, whether based on ethnic, religious, or regional lines. When an ethnic, religious, or regional group has national political power, they often exclude others.

Sadly, people often also vote along ethnic, religious and regional lines. This undermines democracy.

Further, in African-style populism, minorities, non-nationals or foreigners or former colonial powers are often blamed for self-inflicted governing failures.

In African-style populism, there is often scapegoating of one ethnic community for the lack of advancement of another community.

The ideology of some African liberation and independence movements are based on African-style socialism and are often organised along democratic centralism lines, which stipulate that what party leaders decide must be followed uncritically by members and supporters.

This, of course, undermines democracy.

PATRIARCHY

All of Africa’s governance systems, dominant political systems and ideologies are underpinned by patriarchy.

Patriarchy is based on gender inequality, social status inequality between elites and ordinary citizens, and discrimination against the youth. It undermines equality, which underpins democracy.

Then there are those African countries that have African-style ‘democracy’, where countries are declared democratic based narrowly only on whether they hold elections.

This has not only undermined genuine democracy building, but increased ethnic divisions and retarded development.

Intimate, personal, and communal relations in almost all African countries are based on patriarchy, whereby women and young people must defer to men.

The basis of African societies is therefore deeply undemocratic.

The challenge for young people is to give life to democracy by democratising every aspect of society, and fostering a culture where widely shared democratic beliefs, values, and commitments ‘shape how individuals and society act’.

The youth have often been at the forefront of campaigning for democracy.

Because of patriarchy in Africa’s governance, cultural and religious systems, young leaders rarely rise to the top of politics.

Although constrained by patriarchy, the continent has nonetheless recently seen the rise of dynamic younger leaders.

FIGHT OF A LIFETIME

They must fight to democratise every aspect of life, whether intimate relations, religious, or traditional, as well as political institutions they are involved with.

They should fight to democratise authoritarian aspects such as customary law, sharia law, traditions, and communal beliefs.

These African governance systems must either be abolished or be democratised to align with human rights, gender, social and generational equality. Patriarchy needs to be fought in every sphere of life.

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