Sunny future

Through dryness, hunger and lack of rainfall Africa is suffering enormously from climate change, while it only contributes 2% to the greenhouse effect. China, the USA and Europe are the biggest polluters. Therefore Mr Akinwumi Adesina, CEO of the African Development Bank (AfDB), asks for effective leadership and a willingness of the world to honour the existing commitments of Paris. His appeal is an convinced invitation to neck the thinking in terms as my own interest, America First or Brexit. Adesina underlines the triangle of threats: extreme rural poverty, high youth unemployment and climate and environment problems. Together they bring terrorism to Europa and fleeing young people of whom many drown in the Mediterranean. “The future for them doesn’t lie in Europa but in Africa” Mr Adesina said.

In our time, a disproportionate amount of attention goes to the stupid and immoral ‘world leaders’ who mainly think about themselves. It’s refreshing to listen to original suggestions from sensible and involved experts. The sun can do more than grow vegetables. With this motto in the coming 10 years the AfDB wants to create 25 million ‘Youth Jobs’ and use renewable energy to ban polluted fuels.

Common solutions

Doing this Africa also offers solutions for European problems. In turn we can contribute to a prosperous Africa with good prospects. With a courageous climate policy and responsible use of human talents, natural resources and an open attitude to our colleagues in other countries. So-called world leaders still think the sun revolves around them. Because of Galileo (1597) we know that we turn around the sun. With this modesty and knowledge we are able to work across frontiers on a better world.

I wish all of you a sunny 2019.

Henk Bruning