by fatoki taiye timmy
Published on: Mar 27, 2007
Topic:
Type: Opinions

The Commonwealth of Nations comprises of about 53 independent sovereign states of the world. Some of are among the richest, while most are among the most wretched, and are poverty stricken. The Commonwealth of Nations which has about one-third of the world population-with a population of a bit below 2 billion people. Its objectives include among others, the advancement of democracy, human rights, promotion of sustainable economic growth and social development within its member’s state and other countries. But one tends to wonder how possible it is to achieve these in the face of neglect of poor member states, especially its Africa members, by the same organization that could have done better.
This led one to question the motive behind its existence, if majority of Commonwealth of Nations members are still in the same socio-economic status years after establishment. One tends to quarry its usefulness to the people Africa majority of whom daily life is full of miseries, poverty, lack of good education, depleting health infrastructure, and of recent the scourge of HIV and AIDS, which has been taking lives daily across the continent. The commonwealth of nations has no other time but now, to fight the pandemic seriously in all ways, before it eats up the very people who are members of the commonwealth of nations.

Today, the most threatening problem confronting the commonwealth of nations is that of HIV and AIDS, or how else could one describe ‘most threatening’ if nine of the most heavily infected nations in the world are found in such an organization. Most of the HIV/AIDS heavily infected nations are its Africa members. Even India, a very strong member of the commonwealth is a leading nation of people living with HIV and AIDS. It is therefore very timely for Commonwealth of Nations to take a very drastic action to this rapidly spreading global problem that is eating into every fabric of our society. And one good way of doing this is to fight poverty head on. Another is a very good research into the vaccine that could alter its spread, as well as facilitating the provision of cheap drug for ‘poor’ people living with HIV and AIDS among its members. It is of pertinent interest to know that the sub-Sahara Africa has so far recorded the greatest losses to AIDS, with a record of 84% of all AIDS death (UNAIDS/WHO1999).The commonwealth of nations should be reminded that a growing continent like Africa that’s just taken steps to build its economic growth and development, needs huge support and assistance, in order for it to reach a satisfactory level of socio-economic status.
The Commonwealth of Nation should come up with a decisive action plan with immense political determination coupled with openness, and strong socio-cultural, political and economic support. As the commonwealth celebrate yet another year of existence, it should wax stronger with a strong and sustained commitment to heal the Africa continents of its wounds before it becomes scars for the rest of the world. Up till today, Africa, with a big chunk of Commonwealth of Nations membership still record thousands of deaths resulting from HIV and AIDS. One tends to wonder what our affiliation with a body like Commonwealth of Nations has achieved. If the majority of the 68 million people that will be lost to the pandemic by 2020 would be from Africa, then no other time is the best time to act but now. The Commonwealth of Nations should take responsibility for more than 20 million people in need of drug to assuage their pain as people living with HIV and AIDS. This is the time to show that we are brothers, and not only for the rich members to wait and share our commonwealth, but also our common pain and suffering. The Commonwealth of Nations need not wait for more African lives to be lost before something is done. Our life as African is not less than that of other human from the rich commonwealth states. The gory tale of Africa today could be likened to what Carol Bellamy called “a nightmare world of children without parents, of classrooms without teachers, and of school without students, a place where grand parents outlived grandchildren and orphans are object of fear and abuse”. This could be likened to unnecessary neglect and gross carelessness by the rich members of the Commonwealth of Nations. One would tends to conclude that if the rich nations of the world-Canada and Britain inclusive could raise over 100 billion dollars to fight terrorism at a G8 conference. Then it amounts to a deliberate negligence and moral lapses on their part to forget about the poor people of Africa who are daily been hunted by HIV and AIDS pandemic. The Africa continent should not be treated like an alien continent. We should remember that no one is safe until all are saved.
As the people of the commonwealth of Nations celebrates another year of togetherness, the rich nation of the commonwealth should not fold its arm and wait for the future to see what would happen to Africa in the next 20 years, when almost all our productive age group would have been decimated, and more children‘ll have been dying everyday in their thousands. The moral void should be bridged now. As members of the Commonwealth of Nations, the right time to share and proffer solution to our common sufferings in Africa is now. It is until we share our burdens and sufferings together, that we can truly be brothers from different nations sharing a commonwealth. Then can be truly proud to be members of the common wealth of nations.


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