[Toyin]

Ok. So I woke up and the dream was real. Somehow I’ve been elected leader of a new African state and the people are praying that my government and I are the one that will bring a new era of peace and prosperity to the region.

My partner and elected chief adviser enters the room and asks ‘where is the revolutionary draft 10 point constitution’ you promised the electorate?

I pick up a piece of paper and scribble…

1. Leadership: The maximum age for president is 50 with a maximum of three elected terms of three years each. No person who has ever had intimate relationships with a non African can stand for presidential election (ie. they can be in the cabinet but NEVER run the country).

2. Political Structure: The permanent structure will be that of a coalition government with a minimum of two mandatory parties (Youth/PanAfr) and two national parties committed to balanced gender representation and leadership. Each party will have same weight voting rights with only the elected main national party having majority or veto rights. All political members are to be housed by the state and paid a wage equivalent to that of a state worker. One of the mandatory parties must be a youth led (18 – 28) the second party must be Pan African with equal representation from Africans on the continent and the Diaspora. These two parties are not put up for national election and can never be the main governing party.

3. Education: Swahili is taught as the national language (with english available only as a foreign language in secondary education). Pan Africanism, World history and culture made mandatory subjects for all.

4. Social: Every African citizen is entitled to free education, health care and state food programmes without exception. All wages are capped at three times the state worker average.

5. Energy: All energy and agricultural resources will be sourced only from African nations.

6. Housing and Employment: All housing property and land becomes state owned with training and employment (eg. farming, production jobs) administered, allocated and paid for by the state.

7. Business: Private African owned enterprises will not be possible without granting a 25% ownership stake to the state. Non African owned businesses are prohibited without a state ratified African (Corporate Social Responsibility) CSR license which includes granting the state a 50% ownership stake.

8. Transport: The state commits to the long term development of a low cost pan African (car, rail and air) transport system. All transport costs are heavily reduced for Africans subsidised by a 500% surcharge to non African customers.

9. Citizenship: All African’s including those born in the Diaspora have the ‘right of return’ and can claim a Pan African passport granting citizenship. Those with needed medical, agricultural, scientific and cultural credentials will be fast tracked.

10. Immigration: Non Africans can only live and work only if they have a state license renewable after every election term.

I would like to have added more but I had to limit it to my ‘manifesto’ ten.

Challenge my list or add your own.

[Taysense]

Well it is a dream... I guess

But what incentives would people have of owning private enterprises when 25% of their hard earned money goes to the state? Don't get me wrong, I am all for income redistribution, but I think your getting out of hand with that.




Media: Foreign media will be regulated, and only shown when their is African or people of African ancestory present.

Education: Technology based education and teaching students about how to intrepret media. Separation of male and female students from grades 6 to the end of high-school. Universities are publicly owned.

Political: An elected male head of state, but proportianal representation in an appointed senate and judiciary. 50% male and 50% female. That way female issues are addressed behind the scenes.

Laws: Although would be more extensive than this: 1) Ban on homsexuality in public. 2) Mandatory 20 year sentences for rape and other heinous crimes. 3) Death penalty nation wide.

Trade and commerce: Develope free trade agreements with fellow African countries. Also seek cordial relations with Asia and South American countries. Large taxes on foreign investment.

Non-religious Hollidays: African day.

This post has been edited by Toyin: 25 January 2006 - 10:21 PM

[Toyin]

But what incentives would people have of owning private enterprises when 25% of their hard earned money goes to the state? Don't get me wrong, I am all for income redistribution, but I think your getting out of hand with that.

What I said is that the state would have 25% ownership in all privately owned African enterprises. This does not necessarily mean 25% of profits. The intent is that that business taxation (which would be scaled on profit levels) and wage capping would prevent anyone earning an obscene amount than their neighbour and encourage projects which benefit the nation and not just the directors.

Other benefits are that the state could never be forced to relinquish ownership of any enterprise so if a business creates a product/service which is deemed of national benefit then the state can also act as an investor/partner and help keep the business going even long after the proprietors have passed.

Q1: Could a male who practices same gender sex in private be elected head of state over a married African woman with husband and children?

[Sankofa]

Great topic.

1. Economy: Integrate our economies, so we trade and share the wealth amounts ourselves a lot more.

2. Give the option to Caribbean countries to have full membership of the African Union (a modified version), making them African Countries.

3. Encourage an African passport system which allows members to travel and settle where they choose in the African domain.

4. Move towards full co-operation in Education, and research

5. Create an African Union Armed forces, where people of African ancestry can join, there regiments will highlight the cultural background of all Africans e.g. Black panther regiment, Mau Mau regiment....ect

6. Champion more research into African history

7. Create a day where we give thanks to all those who have made a difference for African people

8. Have measures in place to prevent any real Uncle Tom activity

9. Communicate with and trade (more often) with areas of the world we historically (recent) have not had links with.

10. Encourage freedom of expression and creativity, artistically, intellectually....ect

This post has been edited by Sankofa: 26 January 2006 - 12:57 PM

[Voo]

Sankofa, I am definintely feeling the idea of the Caribbean islands being fully incorporated into the African Union. I have long referred to Grenada as an African state.

Few more ideas...

Form/Empower trade unions to represent the majority labour workforce, too often marginalised.

Protect the indigenious languages of every nation by institutionalising them. Introduce an option into schools to learn one African language that is not indigenious to the countries population.

Address the inequalities faced by indigenious peoples whose land has been compromised occasionally by majority populations in various regions but also by foreign forces. Such measures must incoporate a method by which the profits from foreign ventures (safari trips etc) on their land directly benefit the local people.

Young girls and boys have equal access to education.

A system is set up whereby students are given grants to study abroad on the condition that they return to the country.

It must be enshrined in law that no non-African corporate entity can buy land in African countries. Land can be made available on a leaseholders contract only and for limited terms not exceeding 10 years. At any point, the government may request the land back.

Any foreign company is requested to have a minimum of a 60% of employees sourced from the African population. This is essential and Board and Executive level.

African nations should endeavour to actively promote international exchange as a part of its curriculum. Students should be enabled to study for a set period of time (say 3 months) in another African state, including the Caribbean. Similarly, they should, with the assistance of the AU support similar exchange programmes for Africans in the Diaspora.

The bridge between wealthy centres and poor villages and areas must be addressed in terms the of transport, resources, funding, development and opportunity. Any transport programme should concertedly focus on linking rural areas with main cities and towns as well as improving the links between rural areas themselves where there is a need.

African nations must address the rate at which they are being exploited i.e. where valuable resources are being virtually taken for free. The cost of such resources must be substantially increased to external nations and lowered to African, Caribbean and South American nations.

The teaching profession must have an added incentive to remain in the country, albeit financial initially. Teachers from the outside the Continent must also be actively recruited to fill any voids, particularly in subjects such as engineering, medicine etc etc

Any land redistribution programmes must be accompanied by an agressive education programme that empowers the African population and those who may have worked on the farms of european settlers to ensure that their knowledge of agricultural/technical developments and other managements skills are able to cope with the transfer of business. There have stories of european settlers specifically destroying machinery and systems that may aid in the development of land. Education and funding set aside for the purchase of any necessary machinery and/or training should help to address this.

There is a notable discrepancy between the number of students who graduate from college and universities and the number of jobs available to them. I am not qualified to suggest the best way of dealing with this but perhaps something such as encouraging students to undertake development projects as part of their studies that can be realisitically implicated in their local area e.g. building of a school, environmental conservation etc etc This should be subsidised by the governments and perhaps corporate companies should be compelled to contribute a percentage of their annual profits towards supporting these schemes??

More later...

[Taysense]

@Toyin

(Are you guys having server problems? or maybe it's my connection..)

anyways

I see what you mean about the 25% ownership, but are you suggesting that all privately owned companies be forced to sell stocks/bonds? because not all companies are corporations.

The government should distance itself from african private enterprises and give them the choice to sell shares of their companies or not, that way innovation and growth is cultivated in african business.


As far as your question on the head of state being gay, well if he's practising secretly, their is no way to impeach, but if it leaked out, then he will be swiftly removed from office.

The head of state will be mostly ceremonial anyways, with limited amount of power. Womens efforts will be more served in the senate and judiciary where they can effect change.

[Toyin]

@Taysense

Sorry about delay in response, am totally mashed so will get back on topic soon.

Peace

[N.A.T.]

1. Leadership: The African workers. An African socialist system that works from bottom up. All leaders are subjected to the group they represent. Only through democracy can you oppose imperialism. The central figure/rep would be the one and only Omali Yeshitela. Although elected heads n chairs would be elected by a spread sheet result of their work efforts before obtaining power, there will be no campaigns or adverts, only a few TV programs which will be air in bars, resturants, and public arenas, that way all governments gain a fair chance of exposure to the public and not baised western sponsorship competition.

2. Political Structure: All prisons will be destroyed, rehabilitation groups will be formed with a 5 strike warning of being shipped to europe. All embezzlements, theft, severe fights, bodily harm acts, will enter the five strike deportation program. Crimes such as rape, pedophillia, pimping (in stripping, prositution, etc) murder, will either lead straight to deportation or execution. There will be two presidential reps, which will always consist of a woman and man, the woman would represent internal affairs(health cae, education, etc), and the man will rep external affairs(trade, war, etc). All goverment forces will have to learn to live amongst the common people. All expensive house would be restructured. There will be no class disrespect or class power that will exist.

3. Education: All education would be based on communal survival, anything related to that would be decided by the community and added into the eduction curriculum. 50% or more of these issues will also be integrated into everyform of media publication that is created or enters into the nation. Any book printed and produced oveseas will be burnt and imports will be ceased. All computers will have programs that will disable specific sites in support of white medium.

4. Social: Every corporation will be state owned, considering its a socialist state, it will be owned by the workers. All produces will not directly go to workers. A determined limit of salary will go to every worker regardless of the job and capability. The rest of the profit/resources will be in the hands of the government with the public having access to the financial progress. Community meetings wth reps and parlimentary debates will be a stringing process to decide what the nation uses this financial wealth for. All overseas calls will be monitored. Any form of porn, prostitution, stripping will be banned. Much investment will go into the fun, enjoyment, and pleasure of the community. Various fashion, music and expression shows in big arenas which will happen regularly. Architects will be highly occupied with constructing very artistic geographical sites through out the nation.

5. Energy: Solar inductors will be a major investment.

6. Housing and Employment: Second Toyins comment in this field. + Payment will only increase by the development of the sector your adhere to. eg. Doctors pay will only increase based on the reduction of illnesses, deseases, etc. That way, doctors will not gie you medicine only to cause more problem so u pay them more.

7. Business: All business would be owned by the government, no one man will be rich and wealthy of the lands resources and peoples labour, only the whole nation will.

8. Transport: Transportation for education and work..free! These passes to specific locations will only be able to be permitted by the facory, field, plant or school one attends. All of destinations, forms of transport that are not recorded on ones transport card will have to be paid for.

9. Citizenship: Any African who travels abroad without working for Africa overseas will loose their citizenship in 2years. Africans born overseas will have to swear an oath in the name of great past African leaders and the masses of their homeland Africa, and sign a 5 year working contract before recieving full citizenship in Africa. All newcomers will be monitor for 5years or more, you never know who the crackas will send.

10. Immigration: Foriegners (Non blacks- arabs, lebanese, whites, etc) will only be able to stay by pay regardless how many Afrian partners theyve had. If they have to be shipped back and their African partner and family got a problem with it, we'll ship their family over too back in the cold.




IT IS NO FANTASY, BUILD IT NOW.... www.asiuhuru.org

UHURU means FEEDOM!

This post has been edited by N.A.T.: 10 February 2006 - 02:15 PM

[N.A.T.]

No person who has ever had intimate relationships with a non African can stand for presidential election (ie. they can be in the cabinet but NEVER run the country).

I guess I missed your boat of presidency!...So has Malcolm X...and Nkrumah! I figured that one will score you a lot of votes from the sistas !

UHURU mans FREEDOM!

[Toyin]

@Taysense

I see what you mean about the 25% ownership, but are you suggesting that all privately owned companies be forced to sell stocks/bonds? because not all companies are corporations.

My country would not allow the issue of stocks and bonds. Any individual could set up a business but it would be under license (not management) to the state. Imagine a person wanted to run a business, they would first have to produce a workable plan showing their intended development cycles, sustainability plans and the social/cultural need for their product/service to procure a license, if their application was successful then the state would inject capital (not a loan) to establish the business using the estimated projections as a guide. The business owners would reap the initial benefits (capped as explained before) if successful, the state would then guarantee renewing the license as long as the owners used their experience to generate more employment opportunities for others in the venture.

The government should distance itself from african private enterprises and give them the choice to sell shares of their companies or not, that way innovation and growth is cultivated in african business.

My government would reward innovation and growth by allowing unfettered access to state distribution channels for all licensed businesses. This means access to any African nation which we have established an aid, trade and open migration treaty with. If a business developed a successful product which was of no use to us internally but instead was a great export commodity then we would us it to trade with fellow African nations or simply donate it to struggling regions. What should the business owners care as long as we gurantee their standard of living. I suspect you will believe this approach is economically untenable or will scare away businesses, but I am convinced it will do the opposite. Africans from across the continent and world will flock to us, and in return for their skills, we will offer them and their family a permanent place to live, basic food provisions and free education and health care. In short we will guarantee their human right to live with dignity even if they have no capital.

As far as your question on the head of state being gay, well if he's practising secretly, their is no way to impeach, but if it leaked out, then he will be swiftly removed from office.

Agreed.

The head of state will be mostly ceremonial anyways, with limited amount of power. Womens efforts will be more served in the senate and judiciary where they can effect change.

Not a bad compromise. Our countries may be able to do business.

The main stumbling block we have is that we would require all our citizens to be exempt from the death penalty. Our policy with three strike criminals would be to permanently expel them from our country, with the most persistent instances of crimes like theft we would send them to europe. Perhaps we could agree to send them to you if they were found guilty in our courts of murder or any form of rape?

@ Sankofa and Voo

Fantastic responses. But you are both cheating and making continental decisions which you would not have the authority or power to do. The scenario is that you are the head of a single African state. Perhaps we need to stake our claims to make this work. I am choosing Nigeria.

My first act would be to immediately rename Nigeria back to Nok or Nok-Ife.

My second act would be to immediately expel all western oil companies.

My third act would be to cease all western debt repayments and trade oil only with African / African Caribbean / South American nations to bypass the effects of any UN sanctions.

@N.A.T

Wow.. we share many similar views including our lack of prisons and choice of deportation. Can we do business?

I guess I missed your boat of presidency!...So has Malcolm X...and Nkrumah! I figured that one will score you a lot of votes from the sistas !

Nope. Sistas are included with the rule. It’s a strategic cultural safeguard. It is imperative that the international representative of our nation never compromises our heritage in the eyes of our people, and African children all over the world will also grow up knowing that if they stray even once then they can never ever become the head of state in Nok. They like Malcolm, Nkrumah and you can still work in government though.

The choice is simple.

[N.A.T.]

Wow.. we share many similar views including our lack of prisons and choice of deportation. Can we do business?

Well what are you waiting for???? PS: Lets not call it business, they might mistaken us for corrupt governments.

UHURU means FREEDOM!!

[Toyin]

Lets not call it business, they might mistaken us for corrupt governments.

LOL

You need to claim a country bro. The scenario of the thread means youve got work within the resources available to you. With over 160 million Nok citizens im gonna need assistance to maintain order when i restart the economy and confiscate land and assets. Do i have you assurances that you will send a significant contingency of peace keepers to help keep any of my reluctant peace keepers in order.

Will you also accept (and then arrest) the small influx of refugees im expecting to leave NOK to take ownership of their funds in British banks?

What do you need from us?

[Taysense]

sorry toying in my country, we do not do the dirty work of others who don't have the fortitude(testicular or ovarian) to justly punish evil doers.

Your modeling your nation after scandanavian countries with their slap on the hand and phsycological therapy session penal system, so I don't think we can do business.

grr rehibilitations he says... imagine my money going to some murderer/rapist who in all likelihood given the chance to murder or rape again, would not hesistate.

[Voo]

@ Toyin

I think most of the points I have made can very easily apply to individual nations. Which ones do you see being problematic?

[The Mighty Mos Def]

1)Law

A. Anyone that undertakes interests deemed subversive or counterproductive to Africentricity or the state is a traitor, therefore, an enemy of the state.

B. Religious freedom. Freedom of speech. Freedom of the press. Artistic freedom.

C. We only involve ourselves in international matters when they pertain to or threaten African interests.

D. Pro-Choice

E. Death penalty for child molesters and cold-blooded murderers of fellow Africans.

F. Interracial relations are disallowed.

2)Education

A. Schools populated by both males and females, for the sole purpose of developing social interaction skills, but the classrooms themselves are separated on the basis of gender, with the exceptions' being teachers and counselors.

B. School uniforms

C. 8 hr class days; 5 days a week.

D. A curriculum of technology(mathematics and science), history(told from an Africentric perspective), sociology and philosophy(better start early) and in school study hall. Each part of the curriculum lasting 1:30 minutes; breakfast and lunch 1:00 combined.

E. An A average is rewarded with 3 months summer vacation; a B average with 2 months summer vacation; a C average with a 1 month summer vacation; and failing students attend school year round.



3) Government

A. Instead of one leader, every branch of government is ruled by an elected body of representatives.

B. Parties breed division between the populous and stagnate freedom of thought amongst those that become their ideologues; hence, they are disallowed.

C. Lobbies are not allowed. Financial donations are capped and closely monitored; bribery results in jail time for all parties involved. Anyone caught giving or taking a bribe has their right to donate to candidates and run for office permanently terminated. A cap is placed upon how much can be spent on political campaigns.


4) Socially

Universal health care(medical and physical fitness) and education.

5) Military

Surely, any African state functioning without seeking Western input will need one.

A. The goal is to become the most powerful military in the world, technologically and strategically, for the sole reason of protecting ourselves(all Africans).

B. Whatever technological advances we make, we are not allowed to sell it to non-Africans or African states that we deem a threat to do so.

6) Immigration

Non-African immigrants aren't allowed to become citizens or land owners.

7) Economics

There is no earnings cap, but a maximum tax of 33% of their earnings is imposed on the most well-off and a minimum tax of 7% is imposed on the less fortunate. The government is allowed to ask for a vote by the people to increase taxes, but only when their is a substantial national debt. Foreigners will be allowed to invest in our economy, but only if we're allowed to do the same in theirs. Trade must be a two way street; we'll only import goods from nations that allow and have a high buy rate from ours.

8) Social Initiatives

A. Our academic institutions strive to educate all Africans; furthering the knowledge base of our history through their own scholarship, which will be exported to our people throughout the Continent and Diaspora.

B. Our medical institutions become prominent in the study of the diseases that disproportionately afflict our people (diabetes, sickle cell, HIV and Aids, untreated mental illnesses and high blood pressure), in hope of finding cures for the diseases and further educating all of our people on those diseases.

C. A state run international African news network. Its purpose will be to provide not only an alternative to the largely anti-African outlets that our people are being spoon-fed; but to keep all Africans informed of the issues important to our community.

D. With the financial resources at our disposal, we increase trade and investment among Africans on the Continent and within Diaspora.

9) Holidays

A national MMD day. MMD month is January. Educate our children about the man that started our country and the sacrifices he made with songs like "happy birthday, MMD," various murals throughout the country and memorials honoring him. J/K

[PantherWoman]

9) Holidays

A national MMD day. MMD month is January. Educate our children about the man that started our country and the sacrifices he made with songs like "happy birthday, MMD," various murals throughout the country and memorials honoring him. J/K [/color]

Very funny. I've missed you MMD!

[The Mighty Mos Def]

Very funny. I've missed you MMD!

It's nice to know you appreciate my sense of humor, PantherWoman. I've missed you as well, lady.

[Sekhmet]

@MMD

5) Military

Surely, any African state functioning without seeking Western input will need one.

Damn Right!!!!


@All
Great topic will come back when I am fully focused but first thing that springs to mind is

- some programm to be implemented that encourages a healthy balance of certain professions vital to our country that will encourage students to take up these professions such as Doctors Nurses Teachers Scientist etc. So we are not faced with the current western pattern of celebrity stardom more in favour of important worthy professions.

This post has been edited by Sekhmet: 16 February 2006 - 01:01 AM

[Toyin]

@ Taysense

sorry toying in my country, we do not do the dirty work of others who don't have the fortitude(testicular or ovarian) to justly punish evil doers.

LOL… I hang my head with shame… you are right. My heart strongly tells me no death penalty but my mind keeps telling me but…

Your modeling your nation after scandanavian countries with their slap on the hand and phsycological therapy session penal system, so I don't think we can do business.

grr rehibilitations he says... imagine my money going to some murderer/rapist who in all likelihood given the chance to murder or rape again, would not hesistate.

Youre wrong here. My nation does not do rehabilitation. We expel. Permanently. The plan was you could be our ‘australia’ taking in our criminal rejects and deviants. If you as the state chose to kill them then that would be an internal affair of which we would not intefere

[Toyin]

@Voo

Okay so it was more some of Sankofa’s responses.

Only the AU could ratify your points;

It must be enshrined in law that no non-African corporate entity can buy land in African countries. Land can be made available on a leaseholders contract only and for limited terms not exceeding 10 years. At any point, the government may request the land back.

African nations must address the rate at which they are being exploited i.e. where valuable resources are being virtually taken for free. The cost of such resources must be substantially increased to external nations and lowered to African, Caribbean and South American nations.

And Sankofa’s points 2, 3, 5.

2. Give the option to Caribbean countries to have full membership of the African Union (a modified version), making them African Countries.

3. Encourage an African passport system which allows members to travel and settle where they choose in the African domain.

5. Create an African Union Armed forces, where people of African ancestry can join, there regiments will highlight the cultural background of all Africans e.g. Black panther regiment, Mau Mau regiment....ect

If they (the AU) disagreed then the individual nations could form a collective of states where we agree these principles amongst us. That way if either of us in the coalition directly partnered an African nation on the Caribbean then all the others would agree to the universal passport scheme. Likewise our armed forces would have to be made up by a permanent union of all the coalition nations. For example if the US attacked Haiti and they were part of the coalition then we would send our single united armed forces to counter whilst simultaneously interning or deporting all US citizens in our respective nations that could pose a threat to our internal security.

Your points about land ownership and allocation of resources could then be part of a core constitution which all the coalition members must adhere too…

I would sign up…

Ps. Now would either you or Sankofa be prepared to take my undesirables.