History, democracy, values

At the 11th General Assembly of CODESRIA, which was held in Maputo in December 2005, Adame Ba Konare presented the Leopold Sedar Senghor Lecture, casting her historian eye on democracy and its values. Konare calls for the enshrinement of democracy in Africa, where citizens are free to participate responsibly in decision-making on matters of common interest, and in ways that simply do not mimic externally induced notions or reflect unquestioningly the will of heads of state. According to her, for citizens to exercise the fullness of their democracy in humility and mutual respect, they must have the freedom of association and mobilisation in the interest of all, and in tune with African values that have stood the test of time.