Some loose thoughts on the challenges of change in Mozambique
I have followed the debate on the current situation in our country in various networks , both in these and in other media platforms . Most of these interventions have been debate about how to force or encourage, ending the war . There are numerous ideas , from peaceful demonstrations , paralysis of the country, the leader of Renamo detention and seizure of their property , seizure of power by the people , etc. . Etc. . Every mind with his analysis and his sentence . The most common proposal I have seen is a demonstration on a national scale with paralysis of the country until both parties understand . Until now there is a proposal to date for this event. One proposed by academics gathered in Maputo document advances another important point , that peace , security and development can not be held hostage by two actors , Government / Frelimo and Renamo , but such results conducivo process should involve all the people , because nobody should have the right of life or death, or sharing of resources and wealth, on the other . Even though there are different approaches and proposals , I think that " war " is everyone's priority .
But there are two issues to consider . First , the war has causes that are not JUST the stubbornness of two leaders . There are political , social and economic causes , historically constructed . Does not deal with the causes and remove these hypothetical peace that will eventually be regained will prevail? Peace is not merely the absence of war . In a sense , we live 21 years of no war and no peace 21 years . Second , society that we live , how we want to be and live , so not only to prevent the emergence of new war but actually creating prosperity for all ( not only for social , economic and political elite ) , the so that everyone willing and able to live in peace ?
More than half of the people live in absolute and more than half of the remaining half is poor poverty. Mozambicans in 4 at least 3 are poor . The kind of economic growth we are having , tapered , disjointed and kind of enclave , can achieve high rates but is not inclusive , comprehensive and to address basic needs of society and the economy . Therefore, it is ineffective to fight poverty, unemployment and marginalization . In the areas of investment and rapid growth , the standard of living of the people not directly employed in the projects worsened - the cost of living soared , people lost their land and way of life , the future is an absolute unknown , although they can integrate both mega projects have potential to improve your life .
Imagine the discontent of Tete , Nampula , Niassa , Cabo Delgado and even around the sugar industry ( and others) in the south to be channeled into violence against the regime - we will not have peace as well .
So we have to think more broadly in the kind of social project that would end the war and its causes and to build an inclusive society - not only for elites , national and local , but for everyone.
Renamo is not serious in the current negotiations , it is continually changing demands , rules , constraints , and does not respect the most basic rules of democratic coexistence .
But the government does not seem interested in unlocking the situation - seems more interested in peering for an opportunity to strike a lethal blow against the RENAMO than in ensuring peace and democratic coexistence - and it's not serious with regard to democratic rules ( partisanship the state , the media , the legal and judicial system and the way of life of society as well as electoral fraud , are not conducive to democracy , freedom, peace and inclusive development ) .
The issue of peace and development can not be left to decide for themselves these two actors - they may not have the right of life and death over the people or sharing of resources , opportunities and wealth between them . In your hands the lives of Mozambicans little worth - were shot by a travel or if they dare to cross them , and others dare protest against the aberrations of the system . Therefore , it is imperative that the entire society to take care of their destinations - to arise , manifest and impose their will .
However , you need to create alternative based on the collective , organized , dynamic and progressive social citizenship projects . How do we do all these things and who are you gonna do , beyond us all ? Demonstrations and street protests always have some impact , but the greatest impact occurs when there is an action program , with vision, concrete, that makes sense and inspire and mobilize everyone - not just the educated , social , economic and political elites , but all . Do not just go to the street protest is building clarity and accountability to generate alternative ways of doing different things . In practice , what advice they have to give , or the requirement that we have to express , and how we can implement a and satisfy the other?
7 I will mention specific problems of the economy ( I am not arguing that they are the only problems , not just the economy that I'm only interested in identifying seven key issues that show how serious you need to think of alternatives when we speak . )
( 1 ) the cost and access to water , transportation , sanitation and trash removal in the city of Maputo is proportionally much higher for poor households than for the families of the middle class and rich . Not only can we say we want to change the governance of Maputo - the ruling party - but we have answers to these questions .
( 2 ) the basic food items are the category of consumer goods and services whose prices have risen faster in the last two decades , more intensely hurting the poor and middle and low , that not only have less income as well as middle-class families spend a much higher proportion of their income on these basic goods that suffer more rapid inflation . Our economy is growing rapidly and can extract and export natural resources , but paradoxically can not feed the inhabitants of the country at low cost . Why? How this problem relates to the more general pattern of play in the national economy ? What we have to do to solve this problem ?
( 3 ) the quality of public health services , education and transport has deteriorated more or less in proportion to the increase in private services , but the poor and lower middle classes are dependent on public services and do not have access (or only rarely have access) to private services . For the poor , there are private shoddy , like the famous "my love " . Does spending so many billions of Meticais in the circular road in Catembe bridge in more international airports in war are priorities when we can not afford decent teachers , doctors and nurses , to maintain decent public transport systems in operation , support the expansion of education and health services ? We have no means to everything - so , what we choose to do first ?
( 4 ) domestic and external public debt is increasing very quickly with great implications in the short and medium term , the incapacitation of the state to pursue comprehensive social and economic policies . This debt is largely the result of five fundamental factors ( among others ) : tax subsidies to multinationals , public-private partnerships in expensive projects to the state but profitable for big business ( as directed below to the energy and mineral complex structures urban infrastructure luxury ) , targeted investment priorities for big business , not diversification of the production base and disconnect between tax base and expansion of the productive base because of tax subsidies . Who pays for that is the bane of public services for the population and the inability of public intervention in the diversification of the productive base and articulation , generate decent employment and reproduction of cheap and quality public services for all . We are always talking about the need to manage ( or reduce ) the expectations of the poor , local communities , the dispossessed and the unemployed ( who form the majority of the population ) in order to meet the needs of shareholders, expropriated , etc. .. Is this is the way that serves the majority of the population of this country , or we have to change this state of affairs ? And if we change , we change to what and how?
( 5 ) the growth of the domestic public debt , principally through the sale of shares of public debt in the capital markets , is encouraging financial speculation and make it more expensive and scarce money to small and medium enterprises . This problem , coupled with a focused public investment strategy in mega projects and the inability to provide basic consumer goods at low prices , prevents the development of small and medium businesses and the diversification of the productive base and articulation , playing the tax base and ability of private investment , and the massive generation of decent employment. Therefore , fundamental to take into account in our analysis, which may not be limited structural problems or accelerate growth or hospice - for example, while persisting structural and dynamic inconsistency between fiscal and monetary policies initiated by the fiscal pressures created by multinational tax incentives , will be difficult to stop the growth of public debt and guide the national capital for investment expanded , diversified and articulated , low-cost basis.
( 6 ) given the concentration of the productive base and taper around the mineral energy complex , or employment is created for skilled or semi -skilled , or almost informal , casual and work in appalling conditions . The first type of employment is not comprehensive in Mozambican society , and the second is miserable .
( 7 ) given the economic porosity generated by our model of economic growth annually Mozambique loses the equivalent of 6 % -9 % of its gross domestic product ( GDP ) by means of licit and illicit capital outflows . I mean, the bulk of economic growth is adequate for large international capital and national economic elites .
The current model of economic growth - oriented training of national financial oligarchies allied to foreign capital through the construction of an extractive economy - can not solve these problems . Even if the economy grows faster and faster , while this is the model the economic , social and political problems for most people will tend to worsen .
But this growth model is not changed just replacing one party by another , doing demonstrations or stopping the war . All these elements can be ingredients necessary but not sufficient . Therefore , we must seriously consider the political, economic and social agenda , and not just on how to overthrow a regime and install another .
I repeat , this time , the priority of all of us is to end the war and, therefore , the general public have to act , they can not expect the two belligerents understand . You need to force them to stop killing people . But war and other forms of violence have their economic , social and political causes . To have any chance of stopping the war and eliminate future threats of war , we have to remove the causes of war , and create a society in which all want to live in peace and can live in peace .
About Peace : Peace is not merely the absence of war, but requires the removal of obstacles to peace and social , economic and political causes of the war . In elections , the first questions to each political candidate or political party and each party or candidate should be : 1 ) what made concrete to avoid war , and because he thinks it was successful or not ? 2 ) what made concrete to regain peace, and what was the impact of his action ? 3 ) once again regained the absence of war , how do you build peace and preserve it ? Chumba , or should flunk , and resoundingly , who respond evasively , or speeches about peace , with declarations of intent , with the arrogance of those who have any power or have weapons , with the attitude to life of the people use as currency exchange with rhetoric about development and democracy , or objections to the other parties .
About racism : Racism is never against a defined by skin color race. Skin color does not define any race. Only racists think so . Racism is always against one race - the Human race . Be anti racist does not mean promoting racism against racists , but end up with racism. Being anti -racist means not judging anyone - what it does, thinks , says or how it is - according to skin color or place of origin . Does not mean being anti racist hate racism just by being or have been personal victim of racism, but hate racism itself and not be a racist , period.
About the political persecution : We are so many accused of everything - from critics of warlords , the complainants of warlords , agitators servants of the people to demonstrate against the war, insecurity, land expropriations , and inequality and social injustice , economic and political advisers of the land law , proponents of economic , social and political changes , denigrating the image of the head of state (as if this time it was necessary to denigrate someone already so ruined this picture) , etc. . - That we are all investigated and prosecuted four events will happen : 1 ) it will take a long time until the organs of justice can occupy the real issues of violation of the law and practice of injustice , starting with the financial illegalities committed by the government , a political fraud committed by dedicated escovadores the unpunished murder committed by police protesters , the systematic murder of defenseless civilians committed by the warlords , the expropriation of land without regard for the law , the tax subsidies and other multinationals in exchange access to the collections of local elites , without respecting the need of the people , etc. . 2 ) the judiciary and police , and with it the power of the state and who holds , will get even more discredited and weakened , 3) if we are prisoners , prisons will be transformed into revolutionary centers - as in all systems dictatorial , including colonializado in Mozambique , and 4) the fight will not stop .
Will come the pipes justice for organized crime (eg , kidnapping , robbery , rape ) , political crime (eg , partisanship of the state , the media and electoral fraud , political repression ) , crime against public funds (eg , grants multinational tax and contraction of unnecessary debt and without respect constitutional and budgetary established ) procedures , crime against the people's resources (eg , forest destruction and privatization of control and the benefits of natural resources ) , and crime against the people (eg , war , the killing of protesters , illegal expropriation of land and destruction of livelihoods without options ) . Use criticism as a source of inspiration and not as an escape valve and a target of repression . An old saying goes : who warns you , your friend is . ( Facebook account E.Comiche )
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