ROME (Dire Agency) – Dialogue tables directly in the countries, valorisation of human capital and more dedicated resources: these are some of the suggestions for improving the Mattei Plan for Africa, arrived fromOrganization of international cooperation and solidarity (Aoi), platform which represents over a hundred civil society entities in Italy. Nine months after the presentation of this ambitious “political framework of the Italian strategy for the continent“, Aoi, as a member of the control room, has disclosed a document through which it is possible to draw conclusions. Therefore, the equal approach between Italy and “the many Africans“, which is replaced by that “predatory“, but be careful to limit yourself to the nine priority countries chosen for the “pilot projects“.
The delegitimization of Europe and the arrival of new actors. The point is made by Francesco Petrelli, of the Aoi executive: “The African continent is a complex world that will determine a part of the world’s geopolitics. The long Ukrainian and Middle Eastern events have obviously diverted attention, but in recent years, especially in In the Sahel area, there have been military coups d’état that have produced a delegitimization of Europe, with the arrival of new actors”, in particular Russia and China.
Africa’s explosive demographics. At the same time, Africa is increasingly a continent with “explosive” demographics: by 2050 it will host 25% of the global population, mainly under 25, with repercussions in terms of opportunities that new generations will ask for and pressure on resources natural. According to the International Monetary Fundbetween 2000 and 2017 Africa recorded an average growth of 4.7%. Numbers which – Petrelli highlights – “Europe dreams of”, but which nevertheless “do not fill enormous inequalities between cities and internal areas between and within individual countries. Approximately 462 million people live in extreme poverty”. Without forgetting that “wars, climate crises and poverty cause 40 million forced migrants, of which 93% remain in Africa.”
How to establish relationships with such a complex world. Given these elements, how do you build a relationship with such a complex world? “By enhancing that enormous social capital”, replies the expert, “made up of religious people – present in Africa for centuries – and lay people – who arrived starting from the 1960s – engaged in cooperation”. Italian civil society currently mobilizes 1.3 billion euros, of which 40% from private funds and 60% from institutional funds, of which 55% from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (Maeci) and 45% from international financiers including the EU and the UN. But beyond this, “there is a capital of knowledge, relationships with the territories, skills and experiences that are worth considering”.
Working tables directly in the countries. The second proposal consists in “creating working groups directly in the countries, a formula already adopted many times by Italian cooperation in emergency situations”, focusing on that “model of territorial and decentralized cooperation that distinguishes Italy, and which knows how to mobilize actors public and private, institutions and local bodies, confindustria, universities, centers of excellence”.
The voice from the “control room”. Silvia Stilli, from the Piano Mattei control room for the network of Italian NGOs, highlights: “The Mattei Plan is not in itself a problematic project. It can be not only a challenge, but also a resource for strengthening Italian public development assistance towards 0.70 of national wealth in 2030”. Furthermore, the expert continues, “it satisfies a request that has been coming from the world of solidarity for development for some time: to establish a partnership project for Africa.
Aspects to improve. However, the Plan presents various aspects to improve”. Among these, Stilli suggests a greater involvement of “regions and local authorities”, which in our country constitute “fundamental actors of Cooperation, with a network of relationships and a considerable volume of resources”. Furthermore, it would be important to establish dialogue tables with “NGOs and representatives of civil society from the beneficiary countries, also to better keep an eye on the situation where fundamental freedoms are not always guaranteed”.
The resources of the Mattei Plan. Stilli then reviews the topic of resources: for the Mattei Plan, approximately 5.5 billion euros have been indicated deriving from two funds already allocated, of which 3 billion from the Climate Fund and 2.5 billion from Fund for public development assistance: “There are no additional funds,” emphasizes the expert. “There is therefore no greater commitment to implement this project”, to which a further issue is added: “Since 2017 the funds for international cooperation have not increased, on the contrary they have been in a certain way ‘inflated’ because they it has been decided to also count the reception programs for migrants and asylum seekers in our country”.
Third critical aspect: I am outside the Middle East and Latin America. “The Mattei Plan – adds Silvia Stilli – outlines the priorities of Italian foreign policy which, if on the one hand focuses attention on Africa, on the other hand leaves out the Middle East and Latin America”. Areas in which Italy boasts historic cooperation and a heritage of experiences and relationships that “risk being lost in a historical moment in which the situation in those countries becomes increasingly conflictual”. In terms of geopolitical balances, then, “Italy could lose authority, leaving the final say to other state actors”.
The opinion of the Diasporas. “The Mattei plan is good news for Africa, a great initiative to grasp and grow”, which will allow “strengthening Italy’s geopolitical position – states Ibrahim Kobena, of Italian coordination of diasporas for International Cooperation (Cidci). He has the task of relaunching the appeal that the Coordination has been making since the Mattei Plan was presented: that of including this body in the control room. “Foreign communities – recalls Kobena – are a bridge with countries to enhance opportunities of growth, because they have relationships in the territories and can contribute to orienting the areas to focus on”.
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