Audit of the african union original: English the high level panel

CONCLUDING REMARKS

502. 
     There is no gainsaying the fact that Africa is in dire need of accelerated continental transformation and integration. But unless it is aided and guided by common transformational ethical values, it will be unachievable and unsustainable. The search for the realisation of pan-Africanism will continue to elude the peoples of Africa. As repeatedly stated in this report, it will remain no more than a mere dream.
     

503. 
     In a continent where the establishment of strong ethical and moral values in the conduct of public affairs at the national level is proving extremely difficult, establishing it on a pan-African basis looks like a mission impossible. Yet, establishing strong ethical moral values in pursuit of pan-African transformational goals is the only way of promoting solidarity and the acceptance of the oneness of the African humanity. Instead of the pursuit of hegemonistic policies, no part of Africa and no group of African societies or individuals should be marginalised or rendered incapable of effective participation.
     

504. 
     This is not to deny the reality that the African society is diverse and is made of many different groups and layers. But such diversity and multiple layers will need to be harnessed as a whole towards the common good in conformity with the principle of subsidiarity. Unless and until ethical and moral values constitute the foundation of political, economic, social and cultural activities at the national, regional and continental levels, the common good of Africa will remain compromised and jeorpadised.
     

505. 
     It must, however, be emphasised that solidarity is not just the profession of good intentions. Accordingly, no society in Africa will be absolved from bearing its share of the burden and responsibility of the political and economic transformation of the continent. Through the democratisation of the development process, all peoples in society will, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, take charge of promoting their own development, empowering their own people and pursuing their own democratic paths in accordance with universal norms and standards. The AU will take off their shoulders all international and continental impediments and burdens, and by so doing, the process will be accelerated.
     
506. 
     If this becomes the consensus goal among all African leaders, there will be no problem in mobilising the people. Without doubt, Africa’s major resource is its peoples. Africans need no education about self-reliance. It will, therefore, not be too difficult to base pan-Africanism on the fulcrum of collective self-reliance and self-sustainment. This will motivate the people to participate actively in all the efforts aimed at achieving Africa’s political and economic transformation. And most importantly, self-reliant processes of political and economic development will inevitably result in the transformation of the people themselves  their culture, their attitudes to work, their skills and their social systems, during the course of which shared values will be more broad-based as the self-transformation of the people becomes deep and widespread. And most important of all, the long-desired psychological paradigm shift needed to deliver the peoples of Africa from the naïve belief that somehow deliverance will come from outside the continent, will begin to happen.
     

507. 
     The African Union must, therefore, be a Union of the peoples of Africa and not only a Union of African States and Government.
     

Appendices

INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWS

African Union Commission