On Wednesday Dec 2nd we went to Port Louis to attend a youth parliament. The session was greatly interactive by many youth who have passion to change their country and Africa. It was also honored by some diplomats from Mauritius. I have learned a lot from those talks and arguments, one of the most interesting arguments I liked the one talking how we can govern people in a country either by making laws or education or morality. The question was raised here whether which technique we should use to have a good governance and allow the right conduct of the citizens. My personal opinion is that we should have a mix of the three things mentioned above, they are all dependent on each other. You can’t live in a country where there are good morals but not law because you can’t depend on morals so much because at a certain point morals are relative from one to another. Some people their morals and ethics would be derived from their religious background and others can have their values derived from their culture or heritage. Whether we like it or not, morals and ethics would always be relative from one to another and we can’t have this as a general platform to have good governance. But on the other hand, we can’t deny the effect of morals on the citizens, it’s the inside power that drives people actions, if you have good morals in a society, less crime, less corruption and less problems. As mentioned in the parliament by George that Japan his country is a great example of people living with their morals and ethics based on the way they got raised and lived in home. Therefore I would suggest that reaching to good governance would first start from the families that raise their children with ethics and morals to make them reliable citizens that do good for the country and for others around them. But get back to the point that morals won’t be enough; morals should be governed by set of laws that is above morals. Laws come in at a point where morals could be different because they are relevant as mentioned before. I see law is a cutting sword that sharpens the morals and state what should be legalized and what shouldn’t. Looking around the countries, we can’t find well developed countries without having a set of laws that governs people actions. Laws are essential to make a general platform that people can all be equal and treated fairly under its umbrella. But let’s get back to my start point that stated that morals, education and laws are dependent on each other, because in the case of having laws we need people to enforce those kind of laws that is why now morals and ethics kick in and help out laws. Because if we don’t have ethical people who enforce those laws, then there is no need for laws because people who enforce law can easily take bribes and forgets about the law. Our third corner is education, and I see this as a very important pillar to reach the good governance as with Education you direct people ethics and moral to a more civilized and developed ethics. It also gives more credibility to the laws set out because they are set by well educated people who have well developed mentalities that by education made them more responsible for the government. Education sets in us integrity, responsibility and smartness that we need to develop a good governance.
Sarah-Leigh Elago: Evaluating Five Arguments of the Mauritius Youth Parliament Session 3
The Revolution
- Samuel spoke about the first and second revolution in his home country of Egypt. The first revolution was mostly religion based as it was headed by the Islamic brotherhood, and the second one was military motivated. Now, I could not help but to notice how the first revolution had more bloodshed. Because, according to Samuel “over 700 people were dying in a day at the hands of the Islamic Brotherhood.” This boils back to the essence of religion. I kept asking myself why more people died during a religion based “Revolution” then the military motivated “Revolution”. These are my thesis;
- I would start off by defining “El Revolucion”, and how it can affect the economy of the country. According to Wikipedia, A revolution (from the Latin revolutio, “a turnaround”) is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time. Aristotle described two types of political revolution: Complete change from one constitution to another. 2. Modification of an existing constitution. In other words, someone rises to the occasion of creating a shift in power and constitution. Currently, the status quo is very much the same after two very different revolutions. Not much change has taken place, as Egypt is still in conflict. Samuel was honest enough to say that “Nobody really cares about the aftermath of these revolutions.” Also, proving that inasmuch as a citizen knows their power, few plan for what happen after the revolution ends.
- Secondly, the need of violence in revolutions is a reality that has left many people died, a nation in distress and the economy down. Violence should not be condoned as the case in Afrika. Hundreds and thousands of people lost their lives but bodies like the AU are quiet on the matter. Is it because northern Afrika regards itself more Middle Eastern then Afrikan? The biggest reason raised was that northern Afrika relates with Middle Eastern due to the religion shared. Again, the religion factor has proven over and over how dividing and dangerous it can be.
- According to Doaa S. Abdou*, Zeinab Zaazou’s “THE EGYPTIAN REVOLUTION AND POST SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACT 2013, The Egyptian revolution carries a challenging transition phase, starting out with problems such as low foreign direct investments (FDI), a high budget deficit, a high debt rate, a high unemployment rate, a high poverty rate, and a low standard of living. In addition, the budget deficit is expected to rise from 8.1% in 2009/10 close to 10% in 2010/11, as the interim government boosts spending to offset the impact of the political unrest. The temporary supply shortages that followed the upheaval, coupled with rising international prices of food and fuel have been adding to the pressure on the domestic price level since early 2011. Thus the inflation rate is expected to increase from 11.7% in 2009/10 to 13.4% in 2010/11. This paper tries to answer the following questions: How long will the transition period last? What are the drastic impacts on the political/economic conditions (after revolution), and also the social/sociological environment in Egypt? And what about these impacts within the governance framework? What effect does all that have on neighborhood countries? At last, what are the solutions and remedies that can be suggested to overcome this period and start a new flourishing era? We are aiming to tackle these important topics and examine them through theoretical and descriptive study, hoping to come up with adequate answers and solutions.” These aftermaths are clearly evident 2 years after both revolutions.
- Lastly, has the world legitimized violence via political enthused acts? I argue that in most parts of the world, YES! The world has witness numerous violent attacks that were religious based and of course politically enthused. Nigeria, France, Egypt, Burundi, Libya and South Afrika have seen the violence that is accompanied with “El Revolucion” yet nobody denounced it. When is it okay to okay violence and when is it not?
After my evaluation, I realize there is still so much to be done in conflict resolution for Afrika and the world at large. Also, successions plans ought to be a must to ensure a smooth transaction of power.
Véronique Labonté: A critical review of ”Athal,K. 2015. Ramrajya: Chapter 7: Good Governance
The good governance start at oneself, honesty, integrity, accountability are important in the functioning of the public and private sector to minimize corruption we need to be honest in ourselves don’t do anything wrong, respect opinions and views. Efficient and effective methods are important, transparency in all things we do, give the right information to public. I am very interested with this topic and want to learn more. In the book of K.Athal I learn the basic meaning of good governance.
Good governance has 8 major characteristics. It is participatory, consensus oriented, accountable, transparent, responsive, effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive and follows the rule of law. It assures that corruption is minimized, the views of minorities are taken into account and that the voices of the most vulnerable in society are heard in decision-making. It is also responsive to the present and future needs of society[1].
Need to walk the talk, don’t wait others to do something, think about what I can do to contribute in my country.
Participation by both men and women is a key cornerstone of good governance. Participation could be either direct or through legitimate intermediate institutions or representatives. It is important to point out that representative democracy does not necessarily mean that the concerns of the most vulnerable in society would be taken into consideration in decision making. Participation needs to be informed and organized. This means freedom of association and expression on the one hand and an organized civil society on the other hand. Rule of law Good governance requires fair legal frameworks that are enforced impartially. It also requires full protection of human rights, particularly those of minorities. Impartial enforcement of laws requires an independent judiciary and an impartial and incorruptible police force. Transparency means that decisions taken and their enforcement are done in a manner that follows rules and regulations. It also means that information is freely available and directly accessible to those who will be affected by such decisions and their enforcement. It also means that enough information is provided and that it is provided in easily understandable forms and media. Responsiveness Good governance requires that institutions and processes try to serve all stakeholders within a reasonable timeframe. Figure 2: Characteristics of good governance Consensus oriented There are several actors and as many view points in a given society. Good governance requires mediation of the different interests in society to reach a broad consensus in society on what is in the best interest of the whole community and how this can be achieved. It also requires a broad and long-term perspective on what is needed for sustainable human development and how to achieve the goals of such development. This can only result from an understanding of the historical, cultural and social contexts of a given society or community. Equity and inclusiveness – A society’s wellbeing depends on ensuring that all its members feel that they have a stake in it and do not feel excluded from the mainstream of society. This requires all groups, but particularly the most vulnerable, have opportunities to improve or maintain their wellbeing. Effectiveness and efficiency Good governance means that processes and institutions produce results that meet the needs of society while making the best use of resources at their disposal. The concept of efficiency in the context of good governance also covers the sustainable use of natural resources and the protection of the environment. Accountability is a key requirement of good governance. Not only governmental institutions but also the private sector and civil society organizations must be accountable to the public and to their institutional stakeholders[2].
Who is accountable to who varies depending on whether decisions or actions taken are internal or external to an organization or institution. In general an organization or an institution is accountable to those who will be affected by its decisions or actions. Accountability cannot be enforced without transparency and the rule of law. Conclusion From the above discussion it should be clear that good governance is an ideal which is difficult to achieve in its totality. Very few countries and societies have come close to achieving good governance in its totality. However, to ensure sustainable human development, actions must be taken to work towards this ideal with the aim of making it a reality.
“Mauritian governance needs willing and passionate men and women from all walks of life to actively and constructively participate and this means that the subject needs to be opened up and education needs to take place. It is about educating the young minds and reassuring them that their word and actions can count towards a better country. I feel strongly that this principle when looking at an ideal Mauritian model because it boils down to opening the topic up fully, particularly to the youth of the nation. We should not be treading lightly regarding this topic, we need to trail blaze and inform to encourage passionate and willing men and women to be more involved in their country’s affairs”.[3]
Ramrajya: An Enigmatic Leader’s Rise to Power
Chapter 7 : Good governance p222
I fully agree with Krishna Athal when he mentions that for good governance to work out we need individual involvement of both men and women. The need to change our mindset is becoming a must in order to reassure the youth who are the prospective leaders. They will certainly develop the sense of responsibility and be fully involved. Finally I thank Krishna Athal for bringing such an impactful piece of work that will certainly make readers more conscious about their responsibilities.
[1] What is good governance?, http://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/good-governance.pdf, accessed on 01.12.15
[2] ibid
[3] Krishna Athal, Ramrajya: An Enigmatic Leader’s Rise to Power (Yougen Publishing, 2015), page 222
http://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/good-governance.pdf, accessed on 01.12.15
Sharfaa Muthy: A critical review of ”Athal,K. 2015. Ramrajya: Chapter 7: Good Governance
As the term suggests, good governance means governing the people in a way that the interests of the people of all sections are preserved rightfully.
A good and generous government is one where all the individuals, in today’s world say almost all the individual’s rights are protected and they feel that they are not discriminated from one another on the grounds of cast, creed, sex, race and religion. The simplest proof of good governance is found in a state or a country if poverty and illiteracy is absent. But we are all aware of the fact that poverty and illiteracy has not yet been diminished from the developing and underdeveloped countries.
As a matter of fact, poverty has not been diminished from the best developed countries of the world such as United States of America and Europe. Yes it is true that it is impossible to diminish all these problems in a day but a little bit of proper management can solve the problems to a great extent.
It is essential to clear one thing; the term “good governance” does not only signify the government of a country or state but it signifies proper governance in any organization or institution. Good governance should be present in families at the first place. The head of the family or the eldest member should be respect by all the other members and a proper code of conduct and decorum should be maintained so that the individuals are disciplined.
When an individual witnesses good governance in his or her family and in the school he or she studies or the company he or she works for. These individuals go ahead and govern the country if selected as the representative of the people. Good governance at these primary institutions helps the individual to turn out to be a disciplined human being as a result of which he or she is bound to follow the system of governing the country in a rightful manner. It is true that the government today at times is dependent on the selfish interests of the politicians but the citizens are also not free of faults.
Most of them are least interested in what goes on in the state and society and society and are only involved in their own daily routine activities. It is only when the government and the citizens join hands together that good governance in any state and country becomes possible. Democracy cannot flourish in the absence of good governance. The pre-condition for good governance is effective democratic institutions for democratizing the society. Improvement of the living standard of people cannot happen where people cannot participate in governance, human rights are not respected, information does not flow, and civil society and the judiciary are weak. What is corruption actually? It is an unethical method used by a person to gain advantage over others. Today, corruption is one of the greatest factors hindering development and stifling the realisation of democracy. Corruption affects the growth of a nation adversely. It reduces the Government’s income, and creates inequalities in distribution of income and wealth. Corruption affects a nation’s development, economically, socially and politically. Corruption may come in many forms, often in politics and sport. Politicians on a quite regular basis have been found guilty of corruption, as with sports persons. Politicians use unethical techniques to gain an advantage in an election, to gain more money, votes or to acquire gotten wealth. There is corruption in the police force, in law and order and even in the management of the Olympic Games. The infamous episode of match-fixing in cricket was also a case of corruption. Similar is the case with sportspersons caught using drugs. Corruption is caused mainly by the desires of power and want. Corruption creates a negative atmosphere. Detrimental corruption does not bring about any good, As Shakespeare said,” The best things corrupted become the worst.” Corruption begins at home. Parents use baits to make children listen to them.
Mauritius is often referred to for its economic success story. Many economists and other researchers have marveled at the spectacular transformation of the country, from a poor monocrop economy only a few decades ago, into a well diversified one, resilient enough to withstand the various shocks that the world is now facing. The Mauritian success story, he says, is not an accident, but the result of careful planning and policies, as well as an ‘exceptionally productive interaction’ between strong public sector and private sector institutions. It is difficult to say whether the Mauritian miracle can be attributed solely to good governance, but when contrasted with many other countries, including the highly developed ones, it is quite tempting to believe that this may well be the case.
And, for good corporate governance, we have accountability ; fairness ; transparency and Independence. But does Mauritius have all these factors working in its favour? The question is to be set.
Humaira Kayamdy: A critical review of ”Athal,K. 2015. Ramrajya: Chapter 7: Good Governance
GOOD GOVERNANCE. New term in Africa but yet a myriad of definitions have been out. While the Oxford University defines it as ‘the action of style governing something’, the World Bank in a report defines it as ‘the manner in which power is exercised in the management of a country’s economic and social resources for development.’
I believe good governance starts at oneself. Firstly let’s conserve qualities like honesty, integrity, accountability which are important in the functioning of the public and private sector. Secondly, as we empower ourselves with knowledge about good governance, we must pass on the knowledge to the young people outside such that they develop good qualities and adopt good governance in their daily life. Thus, education forms part and parcel of good governance programme. We need to walk the talk, don’t wait others to do something, think about what I can do to contribute in my country.
Participation by both men and women is primordial for good governance. We should without doubt train more women to help in decision making and also,not reduce them to inferior as men.In the aim to emancipate women, we must not create low jobs such as entrepreneurship of artisanals only but instead allow them to have the skills to be a good citizen,to be one of the white-collar job employee.Equality between genders will allow to reach a Good Governance.
Good governance requires a fair legal framework. It also requires full protection of human rights.An important issue to witness by Mauritians whereby the Minister of Good Governance has put forward that whoever is not able to prove his property of 7 years old ,his property may be seized.This act is to be voted by the Assembly. I am neutral on this issue but still, if It’s a good governance issue which is to help our people, why so many questions are arising? This act should be made more explicit such that some people do not believe that our system (Mauritian) is violating human rights and that it is a fair one.Moreover, the Assembly will vote , not the whole population.It is more the decision of ministries(voice of voters but not the each individual) who will be applied rather than the decision of the population. Did we not learn about ‘VOX POPULI’?
Transparency? Transparency is much needed to settle good governance in a country. This would mean that decisions taken and their enforcement must be done following rules and regulations. It also means that information is freely available and readily made at the disposal of those who will be affected by such decisions. It also means that enough information is provided and that it is given well presented by the array of media available. Good governance requires that institutions need to serve all stakeholders within a reasonable time-frame.
Effectiveness and efficiency of Good governance means that resources of the people are used efficiently. The concept of efficiency would also mean good use of natural resources and the protection of the environment. Accountability is very much important in good governance. Governmental institutions, the private sector and civil society organizations must be accountable to the public and to their institutional stakeholders.
It is crystal clear that good governance is an ideal which is difficult to achieve .It is to be noted that few countries and societies have come close to achieving good governance .However, to ensure human development, actions must be taken to work towards Good governance which may give us a beautiful era.
Sarah-Leigh Elago: A critical review of ”Athal,K. 2015. Ramrajya: Chapter 7: Good Governance
This chapter mainly focuses on good governance in and around Mauritius. The author (Krishna Athal 2015, Ramrajya: An enigmatic leader’s rise to power, Chapter 7: Good Governance, YouGen Publishers, Port Louis, Mauritius, p. 201) starts with giving his views on good governance and question’s whether good governance is a broken dream? He ignites critical thinking not only to the Mauritian citizen but to the global citizen as well. I find the analysis imperative as many governments in Afrika are YET to understand the importance of good governance.
Down to the basics of good governance
- The author (Krishna Athal 2015, Ramrajya: An enigmatic leader’s rise to power, Chapter 7: Good Governance, YouGen Publishers, Port Louis, Mauritius, p. 203) explains good governance to his readers whilst reiterating how there isn’t necessarily an ideal definition on good governance. Good governance is basically a terminology first used by the West to Afrika as a control mechanism. The reason why I say this is because Afrika first heard the term “Corruption” over ten years ago. What does that say? International bodies want to prescribe how Afrika should be run. Krishna Athal made a lot of references to international bodies and their definition to and of “Good Governance” making it categorically clear that Afrika is yet to define “Good Governance”.
- “Perhaps this is why the concept of good governance is deemed controversial because the term was simply needed and created to combat political issues. More so in terms of Afrika as a continent facing high corruption levels, mismanagement and authoritarian regime abuse. It was clearly identified that telling country’s their governance policies and practices were not good enough was too harsh a criticism, so a term was given to the problem and everyone jumped on board to make seem that it was a collective improvement strategy rather than targeted move to stop the abuse happening in Afrikan countries.” (Krishna Athal 2015, Ramrajya: An enigmatic leader’s rise to power, Chapter 7: Good Governance, YouGen Publishers, Port Louis, Mauritius, p.208) confirms yet again how supervision is given to Afrika to ensure good governance and it’s practices to the people of this great continent, Afrika.
An Ideal Mauritanian Model
- Krishna Athal 2015, Ramrajya: An enigmatic leader’s rise to power, Chapter 7: Good Governance, YouGen Publishers, Port Louis, Mauritius, p. 211 candidly expresses his ideal Mauritius. He articulates in thoughts and desires for women’s participation in the political sphere as it is yet to gain impetus in this era and time, as worrisome and genuine as that sound, it is attainable. I completely agree that in order for good governance to take place and be effective, all parties need to be involved as women play a very crucial role in the development of any democracy.
- In p 212, Krishna Athal puts emphasis on execution, education, culture and religion. These are indeed key factors that are barriers towards good governance. When dealing with a diverse nation as Mauritius, all factors ought to be considered to ensure balance, stability and peace.
- The media needs to take their place and play their role towards a good governed country. Government officials need not to dictate what is to be written and printed, as this can easily lead to censorship and dictatorship.
- Women and youth need to be introduced to entrepreneurial backgrounds (as early as 6 years) to ensure that the Ideal Mauritian model doesn’t remain on paper but that is carried out via implementation. Otherwise, this will remain a dream and dreams ought to be chased and executed before they become a mirage.
Anticipating the coming crisis
- “Good governance in Mauritius will only successfully be fulfilled to its full capacity when the policies set about by the government cater for the Mauritanian people as a whole. “ – (Krishna Athal 2015, Ramrajya: An enigmatic leader’s rise to power, Chapter 7: Good Governance, YouGen Publishers, Port Louis, Mauritius, p.222) this statement gives me the impression that there is some level of tribalism in Mauritius. A people that see the need to first say their tribe then nation needs a serious awakening call as true and genuine governance can only be achieved as a collective. The author in this regards cannot stress enough on the importance of and or promotion of national identity and collectiveness.
The future of Mauritanian political leadership
- As a young Afrikan leader who has had political exposure, I fully fathom Krishna Athal disappointment in the future of Mauritius Political Leadership as this is also an issue globally. However, the author could have focused more on mechanisms on how to ensure a possible future in the political arena of the Republic of Mauritius. Also, how can the old and young integrate for the development and growth of their country? Shouldn’t we look at mentorship programs and succession plans to avoid all the greed and corruption linked to political leaderships?
Better leaders and governance for a better tomorrow
- In this subsection, I agree with the author that good governance is an ideal, however, good governance is possible, and it is within reach. More focus needs to be put on mechanisms certifying the realization of good governance. What policies are in place to safeguard good governance? What is the role of youth and women in good governance in Mauritius?
In conclusion, I would like to thank Krishna Athal for the opportunity to critically review Chapter 7 on Good Governance, (Krishna Athal 2015, Ramrajya: An enigmatic leader’s rise to power, YouGen Publishers, Port Louis, Mauritius). There are a few things I would have loved to read on good governance, I.E. How does good governance influence change? How does good governance strengthen the economy of the country? What are the advantages of good governance? Overall, it was interesting to learn about good governance from a Mauritian perspective. The chapter is ground breaking in terms of transformational leaders. It was indeed a good read! Congratulations on this well-articulated piece and well done! There is indeed light at the end of the tunnel for Afrika and her children. More Power to the Krishna Athal and all the youth all over the world. We are torch bearers and heirs to the world’s leadership.
Pooja Bhatoo: A critical review of ”Athal,K. 2015. Ramrajya: Chapter 7: Good Governance
Good governance is a topic of growing concern both at the national and international level. In Ramrajya’s 7th chapter the author attempts to provide an overview of how political agents use and influence the concept of good governance to woo the electorate in order to gain votes. More so, it paints the picture of the Mauritian case in terms of what it is, should have been and would ultimately end up as a matter of fact; hence investigating whether this very concept will ever be concretized and establshed or will it remain a beautiful myth?
Conceptually, governance can be defined as the rule of the rulers, basically within a given set of rules. In other words, governance is the process – by which authority is conferred on rulers, by which they make the rules; ultimately enforced and modified. Typically, good governance is defined in terms of the mechanisms thought to be needed to promote it. The five dimensions of good governance are public sector management, competitive private sector, structure of government, civil society participation and voice, and political accountability. This definition goes well beyond effective delivery of public services and goes well beyond the notion of “economic governance”.
As per the World Bank, governance is the manner in which power is exercised in the management of a country’s economic and social resource for development while conventional definition outlines the notion of development that underpins a strong pillar of what good governance should actually stand for. This international institution therefore is using financial assistance as leverage to promote good governance in developing and less developed countries. The idea put forward by the author is basically questioning whether or not the whole process of encouraging good practices in any country through financial aid is a democratic practice. He draws our attention towards the fact that some of the world’s least cooperative country in good governance are from Africa and also forces us to reflect on significant questions of good governance being simply a cyclical concept and deliberately choosing not to do the right things first.
There are important questions that have direct bearing on the quality of Mauritian democratic governance. For a country that is often celebrated in the African continent for its excellent democratic and governance indices (WB indicators, Ibrahim Governance Index, Freedom House), Mauritius is far from being the picture perfect example as evidenced by the successive high profile corruption related events the recurrent wastage / mis-management of public funds detailed by the annual audit report as well as the growing culture of political patronage and cronyism causing many of the best Mauritian brains to migrate to greener pastures.
In fact, what is worrying is that the above mentioned features are becoming an integral part of the Mauritian setup where there is a deliberate collusion between the politicians, certain public servants and a section of the business world. Such a scenario crowds out the population who often has to pay a heavy price for the corruptive practices or incompetence of a small clique.
A first reading indicates essentially a supply –side governance framework which provides for the establishment of independent institutions to promote accountability and good governance principles. Furthermore, Mauritius along with the aging population problem also faces the excessively firm rooting of older politicians into the political process whilst discouraging youngsters to participate into same. The author finds that Mauritius faces the change of consistency and its ability to maintain it. However, it is worth noting that innovative ideas work best when past experiences are studied and taken into consideration; at the time of implementing the new ideas.
State legitimacy and good governance do not only depend on regular elections but a good functioning of institutions which articulate well with citizen engagement. Such articulation can help towards democratic consolidation and can contribute to making societies more cohesive and sustainable. Such societies are more likely to turn into poverty-free spaces and hence more just and fair. Ethical governance is central to all of this. Effective governance is obtained by going into the heart of all developmental processes within a country and having collective participation.
As such, democracy is not a precondition for good governance. As individuals, we should instead take up the responsibility collectively and get involved in the policy and accountability of government to bring about the change.
Samuel Nasralla: A critical review of ”Athal,K. 2015. Ramrajya: Chapter 7: Good Governance
This chapter focuses mainly on good governance; different definitions, similar techniques and some comparison within the Mauritius model. The chapter starts with wondering if there is one definition for good governance or not. But before, he was stating that good governance can be just a term without any implementation, whereas this is kind of reality as people would talk about good governance and just idealize it but then never do any practical implementation of good governance. He refers that people just talk about good governance because they are apathy about their country and they feel they are weak to do any changes. Apathy is the root cause to kill good governance, if citizens themselves didn’t feel responsible for their countries and communities who would feel responsible then? He refers to the definition of good governance according to one of the worlds’ biggest development organization such as World Bank defined good governance as the manner in which power is exercise in the management of a country’s economic and social resources for development. The World Bank has been referred as one of the key players to make sure that good governance has been practiced not just a term. Therefore we should put in consideration its definition of how good governance related to the economic and social resources for the country. The chapters also refers that the term good governance wasn’t mentioned before 1990’s but then there was an approach for several international organization to direct the term as because they realized the vast resources that African countries have. The thing about international organizations that sometimes it serve a certain agenda, so I am not sure if the writer should have used those organization as a standard of how good governance should be or not. Since that international organization would serve a hidden agenda, we would be in the middle of not trusting their words or even procedures. Getting back to good governance, he refers that good governance is directly related to the development happening in the country, so they are both directly related to each other. We also have to pay careful attention to the administration hand in the government as this the one responsible for acting the good governance acts. By controlling and giving more empowerment to the administration part of the government would ease the process of good governance implementation. One more important pillar for good governance as mentioned by GDCR that good governance should be able to identify and respect differences within the community, they should not only make one rule for everyone but instead to make a huge umbrella that can take different people along the same line. But still here lies some responsibility on the citizens themselves, as they need to compromise a little bit for the benefit of the general rule of the country. Good governance to be modeled should have civic engagements and civil society as this the main outlook you would be looking for, this tells a lot about how a good governance society behaves.
We now move to maybe a second part of the chapter, we start talking now about some principles that need to be followed in order to ensure good governance given by the United Nation Development Program. We start by legitimacy and voice for sure stating that we should have a legalized channel in which people can vote freely without any interruption from external factors. It is also mentioned that we should pay more attention to women in Mauritius not just by telling them they should vote but there is more into this by telling them why they should vote by empowering them and let them know how important are they to the government and they are helping in the development of their own country that would benefit their children in future. Some techniques and mechanics should be followed in order to settle good governance such as accountability and transparency
I admire how the book have started with definitions of good governance and then went all up to techniques and mechanisms. It was also very beneficial that the book modeled Mauritius and showed real life examples and compared to what should be done in good governance. But I still was lacking some information of the political life in Mauritius so I couldn’t relate so much with what’s going on. The chapter didn’t mention any other success stories from other countries followed a good governance model, even though he mentioned that each country is different and has its different circumstances but I thought it would be interesting and benefited just to know how different countries approached the model in different ways and maybe learn more creative ways.
Seechurn Sandya: A critical review of ”Athal,K. 2015. Ramrajya: Chapter 7: Good Governance
The concept of good governance is an indeterminate term that describes how public institutions manage public affairs and public resources. It relates mostly to the process of decision making and by which these decisions are implemented. However, if we relate the same with the politics and politicians, it is only just a term on which the latter wholly relies to build up the concept of good governance.
The major characteristics of good governance are that it involves participation, accountablility, transparency, responsiveness and follows the rule of law. However, from the creation of policies to their implementations, one can see that glimpse of relunctancy while other institutions are being pushed to adopt the same. In short this reflects the policies as being a tool in the hands of the policy makers.
In the African regional context while many countries are still emerging from colonial rule, the shift in power structures towards independence has had adverse effects like dictatorship, corruption and mismanagement. It also added to the dire economic state of the continent whereby poverty and famine was on rise. As such international institutions brought about the concept of good governance to establish cooperation that in turn result to good management and also provided finance as leverage for complying with the concept of good governance.
Further the three aspects of good governance mentioned by the world bank namely: the form of political regime, the process by which authority is exercised and the capacity of the government to design, formulate and implement policies, originates possibly from their interest in funding developmental and sustainable projects. So it is visibly beneficial and profitable for the World Bank. So the whole concept of good governance is still controversial. Again, while on one side the African Development Bank believes that it is beneficial for the development of African countries, can we still not fall prey to corruption or power emergence?
If the government and policy makers apply the concept that every action has an equal and opposite reaction and everybody applies the same , i.e, I think about other person’s needs before mine, it will definitely improve the life of the citizens and in turn result to development. The ideal Mauritian model would therefore, be the one who’s not only fair and equal but also demonstrates its actions as a result of reaction. In other words one should not only stop after formulating policies but go further and involve the citizens in cooperating, working together and implementing these policies.
Today the image of politics and political leaders is surely grey but with a positive approach promoting cooperation, transparency, information and participation, we are sure to over that greyness. The involvement of one and all including women shall not only provide the experience needed but also enhance their capacity to perform better and thereby result to sustainable development.
An ideal is definitely difficult to achieve but if we equip the younger generation with the tools that instils civic engagement, optimism and inspiration and add to it the guidance and experience of the older generation of politicians, we are sure to have better leaders and better governance in future.
Finally, one always has the power to take the responsibility of the future of the country and bring a change to the lives of one and all.
Davina Chowreemootoo: A critical review of ”Athal,K. 2015. Ramrajya: Chapter 7: Good Governance
The main focus is to take Mauritius in a fundamentally new direction by applying the principles of good governance. Participation being one of them highlights equality in decision making and freedom of expression and association. Participation is important for public services to be efficient. There is also much concern on the undemanding trend of women involvement in the political arena and in decision- making related to state affairs. There should be constitutional reforms to uphold women rights and ensure admissible access to the political arena.
While the basis of good governance is to promote human rights and decrease corruption, countries and their leaders tend to cause a deformity to the interpretation of good governance and its principles so as to adapt to their own personal schedules. This causes breakdown of the economy and brings about more corruption. When we think of fairness which relates to justice, it doesn’t to show a clear pattern. The government and its nominees do not seem to be subjected to the very same law as the citizens of the country are. Good governance will be achieved in totality only when the strategies adopted to tackle any form of defect is methodical. The restriction from civil servants on freedom of information is acting as a hindrance for the media to perform efficiently and as a result, they tend to publish information which is biased. This again digresses us from good governance as the government’s works and decisions require constant analysis from external bodies and the public.
Recent elections have shown that a bitter tie exists between our politicians, where they feel they can do or say anything to demean their opponents or win an election. This kind of anachronistic politics is unfortunately still ongoing. It is a kind of politics that is using religion as a pawn to feed the habit that prevents us from existing as one nation, by creating cultural rifts among us. A politics that believes that its young people are aimless and laid-back. This shows that there is a high level of communalism in our politics. We have at the moment, politicians who can go to any extent to cling to power. The type of politics is only holding behind our progress and creating divides among us which will take time to heal. This will unfortunately lead to an ingrained crisis in this country. Good governance will only be promoted when sound policies are systematically executed.
An unwillingness of the younger generation is greatly threatening our democracy. This is indicative of a political malaise targeting the country. This encourages our politicians to highlight centralized power in the government. The disinterest of our politicians also sends the message that their views are passive and not valid. Also, prior to the advent of the Mauritius Youth Parliament initiated by YUVA, there were no adequate platform for youngsters to express their views on the ongoing political matters of the country. Youngsters need to learn how to restore democracy.
A chief quality of good leadership is having a sharp acumen. The best leaders are those who embrace challenges and focus on the task at hand. They take national interest at the center of their hearts and are able to democratically pass power to the next leaders in line. Also, good politicians serve in representative democracy and show no form of partiality. Good leadership and good governance are inter-related and it is important to identify the synergy between them.
Mauritius needs leaders who are able to fight their own doubts and cynicism. We require a politics which is not between religion or gender, we require a politics which is anchored to its principles, which brings us closer to a futuristic approach of handling state affairs. Leaders need reach a politics of shared vision and sacrifice which will heal the cultural rift which is holding back our progress. Most importantly, we are to educate the population on the importance of bringing a transformational change to this country. Youngsters need to be trained on how to restore democracy and innovate smart strategies to achieve good governance in totality.