Academics are concerned about the future of Mozambique

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Academics are concerned about the future of Mozambique

7:16 CAT | 06 Jul 2016

Voa

Mozambicans have been expressing their concern about the current economic situation and the resurgence of political and military tension in the country at the ‘Thinking Mozambique’ conference organised by the Youth Parliament in Maputo yesterday.

“The cost of peace and democracy in Mozambique” was one of topics debated by academics and young Mozambicans of diverse social backgrounds at the conference.

Some spoke about setbacks while others say the country is simply being a good weapons buyer.

Among the latter is sociologist and dean of the Technical University of Mozambique, Severino Ngoenha, who argues that the country has become a good customer for armaments instead of investing the equivalent amount in the welfare of its citizens.

“A war mobilises much knowledge and will. It requires logistics, information services, major technologies, large tanks, many weapons. War is supported by the psychological theories of those who think that the nature of man necessarily leads us to confrontation, one against the other,” Ngoenha argued.

The Youth Parliament expressed concern about the slow pace of the dialogue about peace, which for Salomão Muchanga, meant a steady worsening of the country’s economic situation.

“In terms of democratic values, we have regressed. In economic terms, we have regressed. In terms of tolerance to difference, we have regressed and in terms of national unity, we have regressed,” Muchanga said.

For their part, university professor Irae Lundi from NGO Diakonia and academic Hermenegildo Mulhovo advocated more visible and energetic intervention by young people in the cause of peace.

Source: Voa Portugues