African Union
The origin and foundation of African union came as a result of a vast enormity in the development of the African continent. The African union seeks to be concerned with the political and fiscal assimilation among its fifty three member countries. It aims at enhancing development, eradicating poverty and conveying Africa into the international economy (Wafula, 2009, p. 134). It also aspires in supporting harmonity among the African nations, enriching high-quality governance and democracy and finally upholding sustainable growth and expansion at the monetary, societal and cultural plane in addition to the assimilation of African economy
The African Union has a diversified number of roles and functions that define its objectives. First it is based on a general image of a unified Africa as well as on the requirement to put together an association among governments and all the sections of general development, concerning the youth, women. It then aims at supporting and guarding the human and populace rights in harmony with the African charter on human being and peoples rights and additional related persons rights (Martorana, 2000, p. 45). The African Union plans in the advancement of the development of the African continent by approving the exploration in the entire fields of study, concentrating more on science and technology. The African union works together with other related global allies in the control of the avoidable complaints and the endorsement of good quality health.
Many of the functions of the AU relate to the development and the wellbeing of the member states. The entity aims at defending the sovereignty, terrorism integrity and independence of its member states and to fight against neo-colonialism in all forms. From the due declaration of the human rights the AU principles reaffirms the adherence and the provision of a solid foundation for the peaceful and positive cooperation among states (Udombana, 2004, p. 128). This is done by inspiring a common determination to promote an understanding among the people and cooperation among the African states in response to the aspirations of the people for the brother hood and unity to reduce the ethnic differences.
Another function of the union is aimed at accelerating the political and socio-economic integration of the continent. Some of the grounds that are based on this issue include increasing the intra-African trade with the focus on the tariff barriers. This is important because many traders move across borders most of the time and carry with them currency of carrying the goods at home (Mike, 2004, p. 16).
The African Union has got a court of justice that helps out in the settling of disputes between member states and securing of neutrality against separate human rights cruelty any place in Africa. It gathers documents and undertakes revision and investigates on human being and peoples rights in the member states. It also puts down some regulations that are intended at resolving the lawful problems connecting to human rights. This court justice also guarantees fortification of a person rights and construe all the requirements of the human rights charter (Melber, 2001, p. 122). In addition to that it promotes integration and socio- economic development, heartens collaboration and harmonization of actions among members in the grounds of common concern.
This court of justice helps out in the settling of disputes between member states and securing of neutrality against separate human rights cruelty any place in Africa. It gathers documents and undertakes revision and investigates on human being and peoples rights in Africa and puts down regulations intended at resolving the lawful problems connecting to human rights (Mike, 2000, p. 20). It also guarantees fortification of a person rights and construe all the requirements of the human rights charter.
The AU establishes necessary conditions which enables the continent to play its equitable role in the integration of African economies. The units of African government are entitled to build the necessary institutional and financial capacities that meet regularly to prepare for the international negotiations (Udombana, 2004, p.132). This is in order to foster cooperation with the international organizations and also to maximize liaising with them.
The role of the African Union is to attract and hearten the complete contribution of the African Diaspora as a vital part of the continent and in the structuring of the African Union. The African Diaspora is defined as people living in Africa who are of its origin and also people living overseas but are enthusiastic to add to the progress of the African continent and structuring of the African Union (Martorana, 2000, p. 47).
The some of the issues looked upon by the AU include health issues such as fighting malaria and AIDSHIV endemic. Malaria associated deaths occur in African counties and is usually linked with poverty as a result of basis of poverty among the nations of Africa. This reduces the African countries weakness that are affecting its populace and worsening of the wellbeing and informative structures and also the incapability of many countries to make available essential services for their populace.
The AU is responsible for the coordination and harmonization of the policies that exist between the existing and the future regional economic communities for the gradual attainment of the objectives of the union (Wafula, 2009, p. 143). This assists in the African states development in their social-economic endeavors.
The AU calls for the customs union, common market and the monetary union and sets the ultimate objective as the birth of a political federation of the member states. This is important in the development of the African trade and the economies of the member states.
The AU has established the National Drug Control and Prevention Coordination bodies that are responsible for the following up and implementing the AU plan on the drug control and the crime prevention. The member states are required to establish the anticorruption commissions that are responsible for the detection and dealing with crime. This body is responsible in the reviewing, revising and proposing of the drug control and crime prevention policies and programmes in line with the AU plan of action on the control of crime and drug abuse.
The AU has been having a major function of resolving disagreement among the African countries which are having some conflicts. The African Union is developing an ability to avoid brutal conflicts that arise within the member states. The AU therefore initiates its member states to developing essential associations facilities to anticipate conflicts from becoming cruel and threatening thus causing civil wars (Melber, 2001, p. 126). The accomplishment in the resolution of the existing conflicts may pledge to maintain peace, safety and steadiness in the African continent. Therefore the African Union has put into effect regulations in the member states to foresee the flare-up of aggression and solidity. The key issue here is to endorse political structures within the African countries that can be strong enough to house dissimilarity without, rotating them into basis of aggression.
The African Union is working towards the provision of reasonably priced drugs this is therefore enhanced towards behavior change of populace of Africa and the endorsement of the exploration of a vaccine of HIVAIDS and also Malaria drugs. The African Union has tightened the mores of tranquility, egalitarianism and forbearance in the African civilization (Wafula, 2009, p. 149). This ought to be done by putting emphasis on the reality that in any humanity, natives can vary and even do so heatedly, devoid of being offensive
The AU has developed a body in it called the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) that is responsible for many activities including the promotion of accelerated growth and sustainable development and the halting of the marginalizing of the African community in the globalization process. All this is in the achievement many of its objectives in the development of the African states.
This union has brought about much significance in the African member states in accordance to globalization. It has therefore remained an individual and collective effort that has brought about the interaction and of the member countries. This is a challenge to these countries for reversing the trend that has been of major concern to them which is the exploitation of the natural resources (Martorana, 2000, p.52). By this integration the countries they are able to work together and sacrifice together with the enthusiasm to build a new continent of which the future generation will be proud of.
This integration of the African economies, this is important in the present economic and political crisis. This therefore provides the best option to be able to free them from the current western exploitation of the continent. The African community will be feared by the western communities for breaking into the system of exploitation and most importantly they will be able to challenge the basis of slavery and colonialism in Africa.
The African community through its set up integration will be able to safeguard its vast resources that the westerners had to prop up dictators, as well as the ignition of civil war around the continent so that while the Africans fought each other, their resources were exploited and looted.
The African Union has realized there is a need for political will to make strong decisions by the African leaders and the courage and determination to implement them in their countries. Since there has been a slow speed in the execution and assimilation and lack of interest of the continent, the African Union has ensured that its members put forward institutions that foresee crucial movement towards harmony and mutual aid of the African countries (Mike, 2004, p. 28). Globalization is the process of integration of the world economies through trade, financial flows, the exchange of technology and information and the movement of people.
Globalization has brought about many advantages to the African economies. It has led to the interconnection of the African states, within themselves and with the outside world. This is because the closed system of governance that existed in these economies has been broken to bring about a free world.
Responding to this issue by the AU has led to a significant rise in the importance of trade and the capital flows in the African economies. An increasingly large share of the world GDP is generated in the activities that are linked directly with international trade. Also there has been a phenomenon in the growth of the cross-border financial flows, particularly in the form of private equity and portfolio investment, compared to the past (Wafula, 2009, p. 150).
On the same issue the revolution of the communication and the transportation of technology have brought about the much improved availability of information have allowed the individual countries to base their economic success throughout the present world. Moreover, the globalization has brought about the greater openness and the participation of these countries in the competitive international trade. This has brought about the increased employment opportunities for most countries that are experiencing large cases of unemployment.
As a result of this phenomenon those African countries that participate in the globalization issue and that have developed the open markets have attracted new investment and have advanced their technologies. This is essential for these countries for the participation in the international trade competitively and hence improve their wealth by eliminating poverty which is a major concern in the counties (Martorana, 2000, p.58).
In the early 1990s globalization and the end of the cold war, all these had compelled the African states to recognize the structural weaknesses that had prevented the AU from responding to their intrastate conflicts. At the same time it was found out that the west and the western council was not responding to the African problems.
Another hindrance towards globalization is culturallocal resistance. Since globalization is the phenomenon that was brought about by the western culture and imposed to the African countries, local resistance is being build up to prevent the harmonization of this culture (Mike, 2004, p. 34).
To respond to the issue of globalization the African Union should oversee the formation of institutions that foresee the conservation of the surroundings by creating progress such as tourism, development, and reserve use, site endorsement through the founding of sheltered vicinity that normalize reserve utilization and esteem ecology carrying capacity. The African Union should also increase populace involvement aspiring at increasing ecological responsiveness.
There are many ways in which Africa can be able to respond to the issue of globalization. The key option for this is to cover the core areas of influence. The debates on the democratization, respect for the rule of law, political stability and some related issues such as the gender quality and environmental management and also how the AU can shape the future directions are closely examined.
In order to develop a globalize society the African countries should first realize its significance. Therefore, the intensity and the breadth of the interactions within the political, technological, economic, social, and the cultural domains that characterize the globalization should be their major emphasis (Wafula, 2009, p. 162). They should see the AU foundation as a major tool for the continent to face the multifaceted challenges.
To overcome problems of globalization, the African leaders who represent the various countries in the African union should comprehend with the intention of moving from a unification of states to a unification of the populace. This indicates putting the people first or as a priority. To achieve a good union of the people of Africa, there should be unrestricted movement of people across countries (Smith, 2002).
There is the need of institutional transformation. This aspires at intensification of the African Union and intensifying the ability of the African Union so as to administer and synchronize effectual relations with the diverse parts and other important communities in the whole world. There should also be an existence of a local assimilation with the countries in continent of Africa since it supports the African union in implementing its role as the controller and catalyst of interactions between its member states in the steady continental assimilation in the different African countries (Udombana, 2004, p. 134). Through this the African countries can be able to compete to the outside world.
In order to globalize there should be a common vision between the different leaders of the African countries. With communal vision, there is an understanding with Africa and her countries between the African union objectives and policies Kennedy, 2001, p. 14). The African Union should strive at attaining a common vision among its member countries so as to promote the development of the African countries and also promote economic integration, good governance, improve the quality of health, reduce or completely abolish corruption.
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