Addis Ababa, 26 January 2014:During the Ministerial retreat of the

African Union’s Executive Council beingheld in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, from 24th to 26January 2014, the Chairperson of the AU

Commission, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma outlined her vision of Africa in 50 years’

time, through “an email from the future”.

Written to a hypothetical Kwamein the year 2063,

the full email is attached below:

Date : 24 January 2063To : Kwame@iamafrican.comFrom : Nkosazana@cas.govSubject : African Unity

AUC Chairperson’s E-mail from the Future

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The AFRICA We Want

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AU Anthem

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1Agenda 2063 The AFRICA We Want

MydearfriendKwame,

Greetingstothefamilyandfriends,andgoodhealthandbestwishesfor2063.

IwritetoyoufromthebeautifulEthiopiancityofBahirDar,locatedonLakeTana,aswefinalizepreparationsfortheCentenarycelebrationsoftheOrganisationofAfricanUnity,whichbecametheAfricanUnionin2002andlaidthefoundationsforwhatisnowourConfederationofAfricanStates(CAS).

Yes, who would have thought that the dream of Kwame Nkrumah and hisgenerations,whentheycalledin1963onAfricanstouniteorperish,wouldonedaybecomeareality.Andwhatagrandreality.

Atthebeginningofthetwentyfirstcentury,weusedtogetirritatedwithforeignerswhentheytreatedAfricaasonecountry:asifwewerenotacontinentofoverabillionpeopleand55sovereignstates!But,theadvancingglobaltrendtowardsregionalblocks,remindedusthatintegrationandunityistheonlywayforAfricatoleverageitscompetitiveadvantage.

Infact,ifAfricawasonecountryin2006,wewouldhavebeenthe10thlargesteconomy in theworld!However, insteadof acting as one,with virtually everyresourceintheworld(land,oceans,minerals,energy)andoverabillionpeople,we acted as fifty-five small and fragmented individual countries. The biggercountriesthatshouldhavebeenthelocomotivesofAfricanintegration,failedtoplaytheirroleatthattime,andthatispartofthereasonsittookussolong.Wedidnotrealizeourpower,butinsteadreliedondonors,thatweeuphemisticallycalledpartners.

Thatwasthecasein2013,butrealityfinallydawnedandwehadlongdebatesabout the form that our unity should take: confederation, a united states, afederationoraunion.

As you can see,my friend, those debates are over and theConfederation ofAfricanStatesisnowtwelveyearsold,launchedin2051.

WhatwasinterestingwastheroleplayedbysuccessivegenerationsofAfricanyouth.Alreadyin2013duringtheGoldenJubileecelebrations,itwastheyouththat loudly questioned the slow progress towards integration. They formed

2 Agenda 2063 The AFRICA We Want

AfricanUnionClubsinschoolsanduniversitiesacrossthecontinent,andlinkedwitheachotheronsocialmedia.Wethussawthegrandpushforintegration,forthe freemovementofpeople, forharmonizationofeducationandprofessionalqualifications,with thePanAfricanUniversityand indeed theuniversitysectorandintelligentsiaplayinganinstrumentalrole.

Wewereayouthfulcontinentatthestartofthe21stcentury,butasouryouthbulgegrew,youngmenandwomenbecameevenmoreactive,creative,impatientandassertive,oftentellingusoldiesthattheyarethefuture,andthatthey(togetherwithwomen)formthelargestpartoftheelectoratesinallourcountries!

Of course this was but one of the drivers towards unity. The acceleratedimplementation of the Abuja Treaty and the creation of the African EconomicCommunityby2034saweconomicintegrationmovedtounexpectedlevels.

Economicintegration,coupledwithinfrastructuredevelopment,sawintra-Africatrademushrooming,fromlessthan12%in2013toapproaching50%by2045.Thisintegrationwasfurtherconsolidatedwiththegrowthofcommodityexchangesand continental commercial giants. Starting with the African pharmaceuticalcompany,PanAfricancompaniesnownotonlydominateourdomesticmarketofovertwobillionpeople,buttheyhaveovertakenmulti-nationalsfromtherestoftheworldintheirownmarkets.

Evenmoresignificantthanthis,wasthegrowthofregionalmanufacturinghubs,around thebeneficiationofourmineralsandnatural resources,suchas in theEasternCongo, north-easternAngola and Zambia’s copper belt and atmajorSiliconvalleysinKigali,Alexandria,Brazzaville,Maseru,LagosandMombasa,tomentionbutafewsuchhubs.

Myfriend,Africahasindeedtransformedherselffromanexporterofrawmaterialswithadecliningmanufacturingsectorin2013,tobecomeamajorfoodexporter,a global manufacturing hub, a knowledge centre, beneficiating our naturalresourcesandagriculturalproductsasdriverstoindustrialization.

PanAfricancompanies,fromminingtofinance,foodandbeverages,hospitalityandtourism,pharmaceuticals,fashion,fisheriesandICTaredrivingintegration,andareamongstthegloballeadersintheirsectors.

3Agenda 2063 The AFRICA We Want

Wearenowthe third largesteconomy in theworld. As theForeignMinister’sretreatinBahirDarinJanuary2014emphasised,wedidthisbyfindingthebalancebetweenmarket forcesandstrongandaccountabledevelopmentalstatesandRECStodriveinfrastructure,theprovisionofsocialservices,industrializationandeconomicintegration.

Letmerecallwhatourmutualfriendrecentlywrote:

“The (African) agrarian revolution had small beginnings. Successful businesspersons (and local governments)with roots in the rural areas startedmassiveirrigationschemestoharnessthewatersofthecontinent’shugeriversystems.Thepan-Africanriverprojects-ontheCongo,theNile,Niger,Gambia,Zambezi,Kunene, Limpopo andmany others – financed by PPPs that involvedAfricanandBRIC investors, aswell as theAfricanDiaspora, released the continent’suntappedagriculturalpotential.

By the intelligent applicationof centuries-old indigenous knowledge, acquiredandconservedbyAfricanwomenwhohavetendedcropsinallseasons,withinthefirstfewyearsbumperharvestswerebeingreported.Agronomistsconsultedwomenaboutthequalitiesofvariousgrains–whichonessurvivedlowrainfallsandwhichthrivedinwetweather;whatpeststhreatenedcropsandhowcouldtheybecombatedwithoutunderminingdelicateecologicalsystems.

The social impact of the agrarian revolution was perhaps the most enduringchangeitbroughtabout.Thestatusofwomen,thetillersofthesoilbytradition,roseexponentially.Thegirl child,condemned toa future in thekitchenor thefieldsinournottoodistantpast,nowhasanequalchanceofacquiringamoderneducation(andowningafarmoranagribusiness).Africanmotherstodayhaveaccesstotractorsandirrigationsystemsthatcanbeeasilyassembled.

The producers’ cooperatives, (agribusinesses) and marketing boards thesewomen established help move their produce and became the giant foodcompaniesweseetoday.’

We refused to bear the brunt of climate change and aggressively moved topromotetheGreeneconomyandtoclaimtheBlueeconomyasours.WelitupAfrica,theformerlydarkcontinent,usinghydro,solar,wind,geo-thermalenergy,inadditiontofossilfuels.

4 Agenda 2063 The AFRICA We Want

And,whilstI’montheBlueeconomy,thedecisiontoformAfrica-wideshippingcompanies,andencouragemininghousestoshiptheirgoodsinvesselsflyingunderAfricanflags,meantamajorgrowthspurt.OfcoursethedecisiontakeninDakartoformanAfricanNavalCommandtoprovideforthecollectivesecurityofourlongcoastlines,certainlyalsohelped.

Letmequotefromourmutualfriendagain:

‘Africa’sriversystem,lakesandcoastlinesaboundwithtonsoffish.Withfundingfrom thedifferent states and theDiaspora, youngentrepreneursdiscovered…thatthemouthsofvirtuallyalltheriversalongtheeastcoastarerichinaspeciesofeelconsideredadelicacyacrossthecontinentandtheworld.

ClevermarketingalsocreatedagrowingmarketforNileperch,aspecieswhoseuncontrolled proliferation had at one time threatened the survival of others inLakeVictoriaandtheNile.

TodayNamibiaandAngolaexploittheBenguelacurrent,teamingwithmarinelife,throughthejointventuresfundedbysovereignfundsandtheAfricanDevelopmentBank.”

On the east coast, former island states of Seychelles,Comoros,MadagascarandMauritiusareleadinglightsoftheBlueeconomyandtheiruniversitiesandresearchinstitutesattractmarinescientistsandstudentsfromallovertheworld.

Dearfriend,youremindedmeinyourlaste-mailhowsomemagazineoncecalledus ‘The hopeless continent’, citing conflicts, hunger andmalnutrition, diseaseandpovertyas if itwasapermanentAfricancondition. Fewbelievedthatourpledge in the 50th Anniversary Declaration to silence the guns by 2020 waspossible.Becauseofourfirsthandexperienceofthedevastationofconflicts,wetackledtherootcauses,includingdiversity,inclusionandthemanagementofourresources.

IfIhavetosingleoutoneissuethatmadepeacehappened,itwasourcommitmentto invest in our people, especially the empowerment of young people andwomen. By 2013we said Africa needed a skills revolution and thatwemustchangeoureducationsystemstoproduceyoungpeoplethatareinnovativeandentrepreneurialandwithstrongPanAfricanvalues.

5Agenda 2063 The AFRICA We Want

Fromearlychildhoodeducation,toprimary,secondary,technical,vocationalandhighereducation–weexperiencedatruerenaissance,throughtheinvestmentswemade,asgovernmentsandtheprivatesectorineducationandintechnology,science,researchandinnovation.

Coupled with our concerted campaigns to eradicate the major diseases, toprovideaccesstohealthservices,goodnutrition,energyandshelter,ourpeopleindeed became and are ourmost important resource. Can you believe it myfriend,eventhedreadedmalariaisathingofthepast.

Of course this shift could not happen without Africa taking charge of itstransformation, including the financing of our development. As one esteemedForeignministersaidin2014:Africaisrich,butAfricansarepoor.

Withconcertedpoliticaldeterminationandsolidarity,andsometimesonestepbackand two steps forward,wemadefinancingourdevelopment and takingchargeofourresourcesapriority,startingwithfinancingtheAfricanUnion,ourdemocraticelectionsandourpeacekeepingmissions.

TheGoldenJubileecelebrationswerethestartofamajorparadigmshift,abouttakingchargeofournarrative.

Agenda 2063, its implementation and themilestones it set,was part ofwhatbroughtaboutthisshift.WedevelopedAgenda2063togalvanizeandunite inactionallAfricansand theDiasporaaround thecommonvisionofapeaceful,integratedandprosperousAfrica.Asanoverarching framework,Agenda2063provided internal coherence to our various sectoral frameworks and plansadoptedundertheOAUandAU.Itlinkedandcoordinatedourmanynationalandregionalframeworksintoacommoncontinentaltransformationdrive.

Planningfiftyyearsahead,allowedustodream,thinkcreatively,andsometimescrazyasoneoftheMinisterswhohostedthe2014Ministerialretreatsaid,toseeusleapfrogbeyondtheimmediatechallenges.

AnchoredinPanAfricanismandtheAfricanrenaissance,Agenda2063promotedthevaluesofsolidarity,self-belief,non-sexism,self-relianceandcelebrationofourdiversity.

6 Agenda 2063 The AFRICA We Want

Asoursocietiesdeveloped,asourworkingandmiddleclassesgrew,aswomentook their rightful place in our societies, our recreational, heritage and leisureindustriesgrew:artsandculture, literature,media, languages,musicandfilm.WEBduBoisgrandprojectofEncyclopediaAfricanafinally saw the lightandKinshashaisnowthefashioncapitaloftheworld.

Fromtheonset,theDiasporainthetraditionsofPanAfricanism,playeditspart,throughinvestments,returningtothecontinentwiththeirskillsandcontributingnot only to their place of origin, butwhere the opportunities and needswerefound.

Letmeconcludethise-mail,withsomefamilynews.Thetwins,aftercompletingtheirspacestudiesatBahirDaruniversity,decidedtotakethemonthbeforetheystartworkattheAfricanSpaceAgencytotravelthecontinent.Myoldfriend,inourdays,tryingtodothatinonemonthwouldhavebeenimpossible!

But,theAfricanExpressRailnowconnectsallthecapitalsofourformerstates,andindeedtheywillbeabletocrisscrossandseethebeauty,cultureanddiversityofthiscradleofhumankind.ThemarveloftheAfricanExpressRailisthatitisnotonlyahighspeed-train,withadjacenthighways,butalsocontainspipelinesfor gas, oil andwater, as well as ICT broadband cables: African ownership,integratedplanningandexecutionatitsbest!

ThecontinentalrailandroadnetworkthatnowcrisscrossAfrica,alongwithourvibrantairlines,ourspectacularlandscapesandseductivesunsets,theculturalvibesofourcities,maketourismoneofourlargesteconomicsectors.

Our eldest daughter, the linguist, still lectures in KiSwahili in Cabo Verde, attheheadquartersofthePanAfricanVirtualUniversity.KiSwahiliisnowamajorAfricanworkinglanguage,andagloballanguagetaughtatmostfacultiesacrosstheworld.OurgrandchildrenstillfinditveryfunnyhowweusedtostruggleatAUmeetingswithEnglish,FrenchandPortugueseinterpretations,howweusedtofighttheEnglishversionnotinlinewiththeFrenchorArabic.Nowwehavealinguafranca,andmulti-lingualismistheorderoftheday.

RememberhowweusedtocomplainaboutourvoicenotbeingheardintradenegotiationsandtheSecurityCouncil,howdisorganized,sometimesdividedandnationalisticweusedtobeinthoseforums,howweusedtobesummonedbyvariouscountriestotheircapitalstodiscusstheirpoliciesonAfrica?

7Agenda 2063 The AFRICA We Want

Howthingshavechanged.TheConfederationlastyearcelebratedtwentyyearssincewetookourseatasapermanentmemberoftheUNSecurityCouncil,andweareamajorforceforglobalstability,peace,humanrights,progress,toleranceandjustice.

My dear friend, I hope to see you nextmonth in Haiti, for the second roundofunity talksbetween theConfederationofAfricanStatesand theCaribbeanstates.Thisisalogicalstep,sincePanAfricanismhaditsrootsamongstthoseearlygenerations,asamovementofAfricansfromthemothercontinentandtheDiasporaforliberation,self-determinationandourcommonprogress.

Iendthise-mail,andlookforwardtoseeingyouinFebruary.IwillbringalongsomeofthechocolatesfromAccrathatyousolove,whichourchildrencannowafford.

Tillwemeetagain,Nkosazana.

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AU Anthem

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