Overview
- Lesson Title: Meeting of the African Union-This is a report on the African Union from a Chinese scholar's point of view.
- Language: Hausa
- Topic: Culture/Society
- ILR Level: 2+/3
- ACTFL Proficiency: Superior, Advanced-High; This ACTFL rating is an approximation based on the ILR level
- Modality: Reading
- Learning Objective: Maintenance & Improvement
- Subject Area: Language
- Material Type: LLO
- Publication Year: 2009
- ObjectID: T8RHA19
Transcript
| Original | Translation |
|---|---|
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Masanin batun Afirka na kasar Sin ya hangi makomar kungiyar AU Daga ranar 1 ga watan Faburairu zuwa ranar 3, shugabanni da wakilai na membobi kasashe 53 na kungiyar gamayyar Afirka ta AU, sun hallarci taron kolin kungiyar, mai taken 'gina kayan more rayuwa a Afirka', wanda aka yi a Addis Ababa, hediwatar kasar Habasha, inda suka tattauna kan yadda za a raya aikin gina kayan more rayuwa da ya shafi sufuri, da makamashi, da kuma aikin zuba jari, haka kuma, sun yi bitar tasirin rikicin hada-hadar kudi kan Afirka, da hanyar da za a bi don tinkarar matsalar. Dangane da taron, wakilinmu ya yi hira da Xu Weizhong, darektan sashen Afirka na cibiyar nazarin dangantakar kasa da kasa ta kasar Sin, inda Mista Xu ya yi tsokaci ga kuduri niyyar dakatar da kafa hadaddiyar gwamnati ta Afirka da membobi kasashen kungiyar AU suka yi, ya ce, kafa wata hadaddiyar gwamnati ta nahiyar buri ne na shugabannin kasashen Afirka na zuriyoyi. Yana kuma da wajibci, ta la'akari da aikin raya nahiyar Afirka na yanzu da na nan gaba, amma ba cikin kwanaki daya ko biyu za a cimma burin ba. "Da farko dai, tun lokacin da mazan jiya na nahiyar Afirka suke kokarin neman 'yancin kan al'ummominsu, sun riga sun mai da aikin kafa hadaddiyar gwamnati ta nahiya ya zama babban burinsu. Na biyu, kawo yanzu bayan da aka samu rikicin hada-hadar kudi, musamman ma, cikin shekarun baya da ake kokarin ganin dinkuwar kasashen duniya a waje daya a fannin tattalin arziki, shugabannin Afirka sun fara ganin bukatar hada karfin kasashen nahiyar don raya kansu. Shi ya sa aka riga aka kafa majalisar dokoki ta nahiyar Afirka, kuma tuni har an fara la'akari kan kafa hadaddiyar gwamnati. Na uku, ana kara samun hadin gwiwa a tsakanin shiyyoyi da kasashen da ke nahiyar Afirka, shi ya sa ana bukatar wata hukuma kamar hadaddiyar gwamnati da za ta iya daidaita aikin. Duk da cewa ya kasance da butaka, amma ba za a samu cimma burin cikin sauri ba, sai dai a bi matakin sannu a hankali." Game da rikicin hada-hadar kudi da ke addabar duniya, Mista Xu ya nuna cewa, 'Ba nan take ne za a iya ganin tasirin rikicin hada-hadar kudi kan nahiyar Afirka ba, amma a nan gaba ka iya samun mummunan tasiri a wasu fannoni. Da farko, faduwar farashin dayun kayayyaki za ta haifar da faduwa kan tattalin arzikin kasashen Afirka. Na biyu, jin radadin rikicin hada-hadar kudi, zai sa kasashe masu arzikin masana'antu su yi rangwame kan tallafin kudin da suka alkawarta baiwa kasashen Afirka, yadda zai haifar da tasiri mai muni kan wasu kasashen Afirka marasa cigaba, wadanda ke dogaro kan tallafin kudin.' Duk da cewa, za a samu raguwar tallafin kudi, amma Mista Xu Weizhong na ganin cewa, kasahen Afirka za su iya yin amfani da wannan dama don kawar da dogaron da ake yi kan kasashen da suka cigaba a fannin masana'antu, ta yadda za a samu 'yancin kai a fannin tattalin arziki. 'Kalubale ka iya kawo sauyin yanayi. Tare da bunkasuwar tattalin arzikinsu, kasashen Afirka na kara samun kwarewar raya kansu. Sabo da famar da ake yi da rikicin hada-hadar kudi, kasashe masu cigaban masana'antu na shan aiki sosai, watakila ba za su samu damar tsoma baki cikin sha'anin kasashen Afirka, ko kuma yi musu katsalanda ba. Wannan zai ba kasashen Afirka damar zabar hanyoyin kansu don raya tattalin arziki. Wasunsu ka iya samun hanyoyin da suka dace da halayensu.' |
Chinese Expert on African Affairs Ponders the Future of the African Union (AU) Leaders and representatives of the 53 member states of the African Union (AU) attended the organization’s assembly meeting entitled “Infrastructure Development in Africa” in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa from February 1 to 3. [At the summit] they deliberated on how to advance the work of developing infrastructure related to transportation, energy, and capital projects; reviewed the effect of the financial crisis on Africa; and examined ways of confronting this problem. Our correspondent discussed the meeting with Xu Weizhong, director of the Africa Department at the China Institute of [Contemporary] International Relations. Mr. Weizhong touched on the AU member states’ resolution to postpone the formation of a united African government, saying that the formation of a united continental government has been a goal of the older generation of African leaders. [He claimed that] although it is a necessary step given Africa’s present and future development work, it will not be achieved overnight. “First of all, ever since the days when Africa’s former statesmen were trying to achieve freedom for their people, they were promoting the step of establishing a united continental government, and this was one of their major goals. Secondly, now that the financial crisis has occurred—and especially in recent years as we have attempted to comprehend economic globalization—African leaders have begun to realize the need to join forces in order for African countries to develop. This is why an African parliament has already been established, and it is only a matter of time before people begin to consider establishing a unified government. Third, the regions and countries that make up the continent of Africa are starting to cooperate, and this is why we need an authority such as a unified government that will be able to coordinate these activities. All this is to say that it has become necessary, although this goal will not be achieved quickly. It will have to be undertaken slowly and deliberately.” Regarding the financial crisis that is gripping the world, Mr. Weizhong noted, “The effects of the financial crisis on the continent of Africa will not be seen immediately, but going forward you may have adverse effects in certain quarters. First, the falling price of raw materials will bring about a decline in the economies of African countries. Second, the pain caused by the financial crisis will cause the wealthy, industrialized countries to cut back on the development aid they have promised to provide African countries, and this will have adverse effects on some less advanced African countries that depend on development funding.” Although assistance funding will be reduced, Xu Weizhong believes that the countries of Africa could use this opportunity to move away from their reliance on the advanced, industrialized countries and toward economic independence. “A challenge can bring about change. Along with the growth of their economies, the countries of Africa are gaining increasing expertise in their own development. Because of the suffering that the financial crisis has caused, the advanced, industrialized countries have a lot of things to attend to, and it is possible that they will be distracted from getting involved in African countries’ affairs or interfering with them. This would give the countries of Africa the opportunity to choose their own paths to economic development. Some of them could find paths that are appropriate to their circumstances.” |
Glossary
| Hausa | English Meaning |
|---|---|
| mai taken | the heading or topic of the meeting |
| hadaddiyar gwamnati ta Afrika | joint government of Africa, single government of Africa |
| mazan jiya (also mazan dauri) | (lit: men of the old days) heroes
In this context it means the previous generation of African leaders who initiated the idea of a united Africa. |
| na zuriyoyi | (lit: from descendants) from generations, of generations |
| a bi sannu a hankali | (lit: to go, to move slowly) gradually
In this context it implies a task that is not easy to achieve. |
| shan aiki sosai | working very hard, busy
This expression is commonly used in a conversational context to imply that one is involved in many activities. |
| tsoma baki cikin | to take part in a conversation without being invited, to interfere in other people's dealings |
| hanyoyin da suka dace da halayensu | ways or measures that correspond to their specific situation |
Notes
1. The African Union
The African Union (AU) was established in 2002 and is a reconfiguration of the prior body, Organization of African Unity (OAU). It is an organization whose goals are to promote unity and peace, to encourage democracy and good governance, to foster sustainable development, and generally, says Stephanie Hanson in her article "The African Union," published by the Council on Foreign Relations, “to protect the security of the continent, rather than the sovereignty of individual states” (Hanson, 2008). It intends to eradicate poverty and integrate Africa into the global economy. The AU is composed of political and administrative bodies. The Union’s administrative branch, the African Union Commission, was to be converted into the African Union Authority at the Union’s twelfth summit in February 2009. One of the extensive plans of the AU is the vision of a union government modeled after those of the United States and the European Union. However, according to a Wikipedia article, some critics question the AU’s ability to be more competent than the OAU, which was pejoratively called the “Dictators’ Club,” considering the presence of some of the same leaders and former members in the new Union (“African Union,” 2009). For instance, the AU’s current chairperson is the Libyan president, Mu‘ammar Gadhafi.
Hanson, Stephanie. (2008, April 29). "The African Union.” Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved May 22, 2009, from http://www.cfr.org/publication/11616/african_union.html
“African Union.” (2009, May 21). Wikipedia.org. Retrieved May 22, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Union