Ghana as well other countries in Africa are often referred to as Developing countries due to the fact that, millions of Africans live in abject poverty, and lack very basic amenities. However, the Member of Parliament for Klottey Korle Constituency, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman Rawlings has charged Africans to define Development using their own criteria.
@zanetorofficial made these pronouncements on e.tv Ghana’s African Women’s Voices with Eunice Tornyi.
“We have to define what development means to us, using our own criteria so that people in our villages will understand it” She said.
As an Agriculture Activist Dr. Zanetor Agyeman Rawlings is not enthused about the constant cutting down of trees and shrubs to make way for high rise buildings.
‘’Definition of development should not be getting rid of all greens to put up high rise buildings’’ she said
Like the Guyanese intellectual Walter Rodney, Dr. Zanetor Rawlings believes that Europe underdeveloped Africa, through exploitation, her point of divergence however, is that Africa has the wherewithal to rescue itself from the repercussions of European colonialism.
‘’Europe truly underdeveloped Africa. The question is what are we doing about turning things around for our development? That is why I disagree with Walter Rodney that Africa doesn’t have the ability to develop’’ she stated.
For Dr. Zanetor Agyeman Rawlings she believes a continent with 54 sovereign states, 75% of the world’s coltan, 35% of the world’s uranium, 2/3 of the world’s manganese, 1/2 of the world’s gold supply, 90% of the world’s colbalt supply, 17% of the world population and 9.6% of global oil output such a continent has the power to develop and also define development according to its own criteria.
To commemorate African Union Day, Eunice Tornyi sat with Zanetor Rawlings who launched a National Agriculture Capacity Building and Business Setup Roadshow (NACB), to talk development, women empowerment and her ambitious NACB project which is expected empower about 27, 500 youth, vulnerable women and the disabled.
Dr. Zanetor Rawlings is a member of parliament for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). She is committed to environmental activism, and as a strong advocate of inclusivity and empowerment for all people, she serves as a Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Environment, Science and Technology, and the Standing Committee on Gender.
By: Bridget Mensah
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