2020 marks 75 years since the liberation of Auschwitz, the end of the unimaginable genocide that killed 6 million Jews at the hands the Nazi regime – the Holocaust. In remembrance of the victims of the heinous crime, the United Nations has pledged to “never forget” the defining point in history and has marked January 27th as ‘The International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust’.
The day of commemoration was observed in Ethiopia by the United Nations Ethiopia, the German Embassy and the Embassy of the State of Israel to Ethiopia on January 27th 2020 at the UNECA in Addis Ababa. The theme to mark this year’s commemoration was “75 years after Auschwitz – Holocaust Education and Remembrance for Global Justice,” coined by the United Nations department of Global Communications.
Anteneh Aklilu
The start of the new decade also marks 75 years since the birth of the United Nations.
The commemoration program began with opening remarks by Dr. Catherine Sozi, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator followed by words from the Ambassadors of Israel and Germany to Ethiopia.
“The liberation of the death camps has ended the carnage but horrified the world as the full scope of the Nazi’s crimes became clear. Out of these horrors, the United Nations was created to bring countries together for peace and our common humanity and to prevent any repetition of such crimes against humanity,” said Dr. Catherine Sozi, on behalf of the UN Secretary General, António Guterres.
Raphael Morav, Ambassador of the State of Israel followed with a speech.
“On the 27th of January, 1945, today, 75 years ago, the sun broke through above Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp after five years of darkness. A long line of people liberated by the Red Army left the valley of death. However, so many have already perished there, so many lives lost,” said Ambassador Raphael.
He noted that although the world is commemorating the termination on an “unparalleled crime”, anti-Semitism and racism are unfortunately still very much alive in our present surroundings; he cited genocides in Cambodia and Rwanda as examples. The Ambassador went on to say that hate speech and discriminatory, anti-Semitic images have found a new platform to exist in, the internet and social media. According to the Ambassador, the way to combat this is through education and awareness. He further stated that it is the responsibility of every country and citizen to preserve the memory of the Holocaust and join the battle against anti-Semitism.
“We need to be vigilant. We need to invest in education and youth. We need to strengthen social cohesion so that people feel that diversity is a plus, an advantage not a threat,” he continued.
Anteneh Aklilu
Brita Wagener, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany’s words mirrored those of Ambassador Raphael as she noted the shocking resurgence of anti-Semitic sentiments on social media and even in some parliaments. The Ambassador said that Germany has made a vow not to forget the crimes perpetrated by Germans and that the country is dedicated to ensuring remembrance of the Holocaust never stops.
“Auschwitz, that one word stands for millions of individual stories. Each one speaks in its own way of incomprehensible suffering, of unspeakable cruelty culminating in systematic murder,” she expressed.
A representative from Ethiopia’s German Embassy School, Heran Dawit Mengesha, closed the speech portion of the program with words on behalf of her school. Heran reminded the audience of the importance of acknowledging the intolerable genocide and its victims.
“We should remember them by their names and not by their numbers. Yes numbers. During the industrialized destruction of nearly a whole people, names did not count.”
The program concluded with a Jewish Prayer by Rabbi Eliyahu Habib and a screening of the documentary film “Numbered” – a documentary with testimonies from Aushcwitz survivors who were tattooed with serial numbers and the meanings these tattoos took on years after the war.
On 31 January 2020, the United Kingdom left the European Union. We lost a member of our family. It was a sad moment for us, for European citizens – and, indeed, for many British citizens.
Nevertheless, we have always respected the sovereign decision of 52% of the British electorate, and we now look forward to starting a new chapter in our relations.
Emotions aside, 1 February turned out to be historic but also undramatic. This is largely thanks to the Withdrawal Agreement that we negotiated with the UK, which enabled us to secure ‘an orderly Brexit’. One that – at least for now – minimises disruption for our citizens, businesses, public administrations – as well as for our international partners.
Under this agreement, the EU and the UK agreed on a transition period, until the end of 2020 at least, during which the UK will continue to participate in the EU’s Customs Union and Single Market, and to apply EU law, even if it is no longer a Member State. During this period, the UK will also continue to abide by the international agreements of the EU, as we made clear in a note verbale to our international partners.
So, with the transition period in place, there is a degree of continuity. This was not easy given the magnitude of the task. By leaving the Union, the UK automatically, mechanically, legally, leaves hundreds of international agreements concluded by or on behalf of the Union, to the benefit of its Member States, on topics as different as trade, aviation, fisheries or civil nuclear cooperation.
We now have to build a new partnership between the EU and the UK. That work will start in a few weeks, as soon as the EU27 have approved the negotiating mandate proposed by the European Commission, setting out our terms and ambitions for achieving the closest possible partnership with a country which will remain our ally, our partner and our friend.
The EU and the UK are bound by history, by geography, culture, shared values and principles and a strong belief in rules-based multilateralism. Our future partnership will reflect these links and shared beliefs. We want to go well beyond trade and keep working together on security and defence, areas where the UK has experiences and assets that are best used as part of a common effort. In a world of big challenges and change, of turmoil and transition, we must consult each other and cooperate, bilaterally and in key regional and global fora, such as the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, NATO or the G20.
It is perhaps a cliché but the basic truth is that today’s global challenges – from climate change, to cybercrime, terrorism or inequality – require collective responses. The more the UK is able to work in lockstep with the EU and together with partners around the world, the greater our chances of addressing these challenges effectively.
At the very core of the EU project is the idea that we are stronger together; that pooling our resources and initiatives is the best way of achieving common goals. Brexit does not change this, and we will continue to take this project forward as 27.
Together, the 27 Member States will continue to form a single market of 450 million citizens and more than 20 million businesses.
Together, we remain the largest trading bloc in the world.
Together, at 27, we are still the world’s largest development aid donor.
Our partners can be sure that we will stay true to an ambitious, outward-looking agenda – be it on trade and investment, on climate action and digital, on connectivity, on security and counter-terrorism, on human rights and democracy, or on defence and foreign policy.
We will continue to live up to our commitments. We will continue to stand by the agreements that link us to our international investment partnership and we will continue to develop multilateral cooperation frameworks around the world.
The European Union will continue to be a partner you can trust. A steadfast defender of rules-based multilateralism, working with our partners to make the world more secure and fair.
Global leaders from public sector, private sector, civil society and academia met this week in Davos, Switzerland for the 50th Anniversary of the World Economic Forum. Africa.com has curated hundreds of keynote speeches, panel discussions, focused spotlight talks, exhibits, and sideline events to bring you an understanding of what happened at WEF from the Africa perspective. The theme this year was Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World. The theme addressed the current fractured nature of the international solidarity that has prevailed over the last couple of decades. The divisive world requires a change in mindset and behaviour in order to reconcile. WEF’s historic role has been a platform where institutions and individuals go to address the economic, environmental, social and technological challenges of a complex, interdependent world.
The theme was addressed in six topic areas:
ECOLOGY: Acting Now on Urgent Climate and Environmental Challenges
How to mobilize business and government to act now on urgent climate, water and biodiversity challenges.
ECONOMY: Anticipating Challenges to Global Economic Stability
How to create a more inclusive and sustainable economy while managing risks for global financial stability.
SOCIETY: Investing in Human Capital for Inclusive Societies
How to invest in human capital, reskilling 1 billion people in the next decade and reigniting optimism about the equality of opportunity.
How to create a global consensus on deployment of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies and avoid a “technology war”.
INDUSTRY: Transforming Markets towards Sustainable and Inclusive Capitalism
How to transform businesses and markets to target global challenges while navigating technological and political uncertainty.
GEOPOLITICS: Navigating Geo-economic Shifts toward a More Cohesive World
How to build multi stakeholder institutions that can restore trust, reduce tensions and resolve conflicts in global hotspots.
Below please find our executive editor’s view on the most important Africa-related events that took place at WEF 2020.
#1 The Biggest African Player in the House
The largest African private sector participant at WEF is Standard Bank. With operations in over 20 African countries, and a market cap of over $20 billion USD, Standard Bank plays an important leadership role in this environment. We had an opportunity to sit down with Sim Tshabalala, their CEO, and discuss some important questions about how the bank thinks about leadership, sustainability, and its responsibilities to its various stakeholders.
In a panel featuring youth activists, the youngest panel ever assembled at WEF, everyone expected renowned climate change activist Greta Thurnberg to be the shining light among the four speakers. While Greta, no wall flower by any measure, certainly held her own and reiterated her compelling talking points on the need for urgent action, the surprise was Natasha Mwansa. Natasha stole the show, and had the audience on the edge of their seats to hear her every word. This eighteen year old Zambian girl has her own foundation, and is a most compelling advocate and activist for girls and women’s reproductive rights. She has used her voice to spark political action to address underfunding of maternal health and forced marriages of young girls. Mwansa explained that young people want more than to simply speak at conferences or become spokespersons for meaningful causes: they want to become partners in political change.
Intergenerational partnerships are necessary to help translate youth mobilization into political change.
“The older generation has a lot of experience, but we have ideas. We have energy,” said Mwansa.
#3 Debate Rages Over Motsepe’s “Africa Loves You” Remark to Trump
Twitter was in a melt-down over Patrice Motsepe’s remark to Trump that “Africa Loves You.” Motsepe was invited to a White House hosted dinner at Davos, at which the attendees were approximately 25 global CEOs of companies including Volkswagon, Sony, Shell, Nokia, Barclays, etc. When asked to introduce himself, Motsepe remarked to President Trump, “Africa Loves You.”
In 2018, Trump referred to the citizens of assorted African countries by saying, “Why do we want these people from all these sh#thole countries here [in America]?” He has not renounced that statement, and many in Africa remain offended and puzzled at Motsepe’s unqualified praise for the person who referred to Africa in those terms.
While some came to Motsepe’s defense, there didn’t seem to be agreement on the issue.
#4 Motsepe’s Philanthropy on Display
Patrice Motsepe and his wife Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe, the newly elected Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Town, hosted several events showcasing the success of their work through their Motsepe Foundation. Five years ago, The Motsepe Foundation, headed by Dr. Moloi-Motsepe, joined forces with the Schwab Foundation, founded by WEF founder Klaus Schwab and his wife Hilde. The work of the two foundations is centered around social entrepreneurship – they support people who are developing innovative business models delivering social or environmental good. The Motsepe Foundation’s contribution marries Dr. Moloi-Motsepe’s affiliation with the Harvard Kennedy School of Government by funding an executive education component for Schwab social entrepreneur awardees at the Kennedy School. Many social entrepreneurs have been acting instinctively, doing what they felt was right, until they experience the Harvard Kennedy School programme. There, they receive academic input, training, exposure and peer learning; it’s an important continuous learning opportunity for them.
Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe and Wanuri Kahiu, Filmaker, Afrobubblegum, Kenya
#5 Ghana – the African Economy to Watch
At previous Davos meetings, the economic darlings have been Nigeria and South Africa, the two largest economies on the continent. With each country dealing with its own domestic political and economic challenges, Ghana took center stage as the African economy to watch at this year’s WEF.
The presidents of Nigeria and South Africa quite conspicuously did not attend Davos this year. However, Ghanaian President Akufo-Addo was in attendance along with a strong delegation of his economic team. President Akufo-Addo declared that the programme of economic recovery that his government put in place when he was elected three years ago, has been highly successful. He delivered a large number of data points to support his assertion, including the following:
“The deficit we inherited on 7th January 2017 was 9.3%. Today it is 4.5%. Inflation was at 15.4% when we came into office, today it is 7.9%. We have, for the first time, a positive trade balance. The nation’s reserves, which was at 2.5 months import cover in 2017, has grown to 4.5 months in the period of these three years,” he added.
The President continued, “Generally, the growth, of course, has grown from an average of 3.6% to an average of 7% in the last 3 years. You see an economy that has somehow reversed the decline, and is moving on an upward trajectory. It has also meant that these improving economic indices have us touted as the country that receives the largest investment in the ECOWAS/ West African Region.”
Africa.com had an opportunity for an exclusive interview with Ghana’s Finance Minister, the honorable Ken Ofori-Atta. Minister Ofori-Atta, who holds a bachelors in Economics from Columbia and an MBA from Yale, is the founder of Databank, one of Ghana’s leading brokerage and asset management houses.
For the world’s most vulnerable, climate change is not a distant existential threat: it is killing people right now. Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, President of the Association for Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad, gave a powerful reality check.
‘In my region people are dying because of climate change’
In the video below, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim explains what it’s like to live in a place where the effects of climate change are already being felt.
Part of what makes Davos spectacular is access to knowledge. One area of knowledge is the latest technological innovations. In this regard, our Executive Editor, Teresa Clarke, had a chance to demo what is being called Deepfaked. Deep Fake is the use of artificial intelligence to learn how a person’s face moves with speech and expresses emotion. In this fascinating video, a live stream of Teresa’s face transformed into the face of various famous people including Theresa May, Michelle Obama, Will Smith and George Bush. This technology introduces many possibilities, and many more challenges.
Bruktawit Tigabu Tadesse gave a talk on the work that she is doing with her husband to educate Ethiopian children on a mass scale. She was originally a primary school teacher in Addis Ababa who has now developed Whiz Kids Workshop, a multimedia enterprise that delivers programmes such as “Tsehai Loves Learning,” a television programme for pre-school children.
Began professional career as a primary school teacher in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa. Determined to improve the conditions of children in the country, looked for ways to educate children on a mass scale. In 2005, with husband, co-established the educational multimedia enterprise Whiz Kids Workshop. Working from their living room, using sock puppets, computer graphics and their own voices, began producing Tsehai Loves Learning, the first educational preschool television programme in the country. Whiz Kids Workshop went on to develop further programmes and win numerous international awards such as the Next Generation Prize at Prix Jeunesse International (2008) and the Japan Prize International Contest for Educational Media (2008, 2009). Named a Rolex Young Laureate in 2010 and one of Fast Company’s 2012 most creative people in business.
