The Foreign Policy Centre took stock of this year’s eventful debate about Africa’s future with the 2002 Labour Party Conference Fringe Event: ‘Africa – is the West just walking by?’
Many have claimed that the consolidation of the New Economic Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), the launch of the African Union and the commitment to the Millennium Development Goals are setting the path for a new beginning on the continent. But the West’s engagement with these initiatives has been mixed, ranging from the Tony Blair’s stirring description of Africa as a ‘scar on the conscience of the West’ to the G8’s lukewarm response to the proposals put forward by African leaders themselves.
The event was a rare opportunity for a free and open debate among those who can make a difference.