Why I Support Zoning (1)
In an ideal society rewards should be based on performance. Reward should be based on merit acquired through competitive advantage in a level playing field. It is a fact that the societies that have made appreciable progress in human and material development are also those that reward excellence and innovation.
Even among such 'successful' societies, they still have to grapple with the problem of inequity due to social and historical dislocations and dysfunctions that confined a significant section of their society, at the bottom of the development ladder.
In United States which many regarded as the bastion of democracy has in recent times have to deal with the problem issue of remedying the deplorable condition of those left behind due to historical and economic disadvantages as the country progresses. That was how affirmative action entered the political lexicon of that country.
Affirmative action originated in the United States in President John F. Kennedy's Executive Order 10925. Affirmative Action refers to policies that take "race, colour, religion, sex or national origin" into consideration. The focus of such policies ranges from employment and education to public contracting and health programmes. It is action taken to increase the representation of women and minorities in areas of employment, education and business from which they have been originally excluded.
Following what many considered a success of the policy in the United States and because every society has to address the needs of the excluded within its borders, there aroused the International Convocation on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination which also agreed with the United Nations Human/Animal Rights Committee which states that, "the principle of equity sometimes requires states parties to take affirmative action in order to diminish or eliminate conditions which cause or help to perpetuate discrimination prohibited by the covenant. For example, in a state where the general conditions of a certain part of the population prevent or impair their enjoyment of human rights, the state should take specific action to correct those actions. Such actions may involve granting for a time to the part of the population concerned certain preferential treatment in specific matters as compared to the rest of the population. However, as long as such action is needed to correct discrimination, in fact, it is a case of legitimate differentiation under the covenant."
In Brazil, Universities (States and Federal) have created systems of preferred administrations (quotas) for racial minorities (black and native Brazilians), the poor and people with disabilities. There are already quotas up to 20% of vacancies reserved for the disabled in the civil public services.
The equality section of the Canadian Charter of Rights and freedoms explicitly permits affirmative action and supports any laws, programme and activities that has as its object the amelioration of conditions of disadvantaged individuals or groups including those that are disadvantaged because of race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physically disability.
In 1971, the standardization policy of Sri Lakan Universities was introduced as an affirmative action programme for students from areas which had poor educational facilities due to 200 years of discrimination by British colonialists. The British was accused of favouritism towards Christians and the minority Tamil Community for about 200 years that they had controlled the country, as part of a policy of divide and rule.
China's "Preferential Policies" required some of the top positions in governments be distributed to ethnic minorities and women. Also, many universities are required by government to give preferred admission to ethnic minorities.
The Malaysian New Economic Policy or NEP serves as a form of affirmative action. Malaysia is believed to be the only country in the world which provides affirmative action to the majority because in general, the Malays have lower income than the Chinese who have traditionally been involved in business and industries.
In many European countries, including Finland, France, Germany, Norway, Republic of Macedonia, Slovakia, Sweden and United Kingdom among others, there are laws that have been made to bring the disadvantage to the mainstream of society's economic and political sphere.
In South Africa, where the defunct apartheid government favoured white-owned companies at the expense of other race, there was an urgent need to address the imbalance created after the country embraced majority rule. The ANC government decided to implement an affirmative action to correct previous imbalances. Therefore, the Employment Equity Act and the Broad Based Economic Empowerment act aim to promote and achieve equality in the workplace, by not only advancing people from designated groups but also specifically dis-advancing the others. Those specifically hindered are the white minority.
Here in Nigeria, we like other nations of the world have to figure out ways to address discrimination and injustices that are very glaring in the distribution of our national resources. This is because Nigeria was far from being an ideal society where justice and equity reigns. In fact, from the onset the differences between the diverse people of the country created suspicious among the various people of Nigeria and their leaders.
The early political leaders of the country like Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, first president of the country; Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Premier of Northern Nigeria and Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Premier of Western region, have different takes in the best way to put this diverse ethnic-religion amalgam together to the benefit of all.
Taking a cursory look at the country largely constituted by various ethnic nations with different religious persuasions between them, Awo declared that he was looking at what was a "mere geographic expression," that lacked the necessary ingredients to be a united nation. Sir Ahmadu Bello, want a united Nigeria but also insisted that we must recognize our differences and ensure that such differences are respected in the relationship between the various nations that made up the country.
Even among such 'successful' societies, they still have to grapple with the problem of inequity due to social and historical dislocations and dysfunctions that confined a significant section of their society, at the bottom of the development ladder.
In United States which many regarded as the bastion of democracy has in recent times have to deal with the problem issue of remedying the deplorable condition of those left behind due to historical and economic disadvantages as the country progresses. That was how affirmative action entered the political lexicon of that country.
Affirmative action originated in the United States in President John F. Kennedy's Executive Order 10925. Affirmative Action refers to policies that take "race, colour, religion, sex or national origin" into consideration. The focus of such policies ranges from employment and education to public contracting and health programmes. It is action taken to increase the representation of women and minorities in areas of employment, education and business from which they have been originally excluded.
Following what many considered a success of the policy in the United States and because every society has to address the needs of the excluded within its borders, there aroused the International Convocation on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination which also agreed with the United Nations Human/Animal Rights Committee which states that, "the principle of equity sometimes requires states parties to take affirmative action in order to diminish or eliminate conditions which cause or help to perpetuate discrimination prohibited by the covenant. For example, in a state where the general conditions of a certain part of the population prevent or impair their enjoyment of human rights, the state should take specific action to correct those actions. Such actions may involve granting for a time to the part of the population concerned certain preferential treatment in specific matters as compared to the rest of the population. However, as long as such action is needed to correct discrimination, in fact, it is a case of legitimate differentiation under the covenant."
In Brazil, Universities (States and Federal) have created systems of preferred administrations (quotas) for racial minorities (black and native Brazilians), the poor and people with disabilities. There are already quotas up to 20% of vacancies reserved for the disabled in the civil public services.
The equality section of the Canadian Charter of Rights and freedoms explicitly permits affirmative action and supports any laws, programme and activities that has as its object the amelioration of conditions of disadvantaged individuals or groups including those that are disadvantaged because of race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physically disability.
In 1971, the standardization policy of Sri Lakan Universities was introduced as an affirmative action programme for students from areas which had poor educational facilities due to 200 years of discrimination by British colonialists. The British was accused of favouritism towards Christians and the minority Tamil Community for about 200 years that they had controlled the country, as part of a policy of divide and rule.
China's "Preferential Policies" required some of the top positions in governments be distributed to ethnic minorities and women. Also, many universities are required by government to give preferred admission to ethnic minorities.
The Malaysian New Economic Policy or NEP serves as a form of affirmative action. Malaysia is believed to be the only country in the world which provides affirmative action to the majority because in general, the Malays have lower income than the Chinese who have traditionally been involved in business and industries.
In many European countries, including Finland, France, Germany, Norway, Republic of Macedonia, Slovakia, Sweden and United Kingdom among others, there are laws that have been made to bring the disadvantage to the mainstream of society's economic and political sphere.
In South Africa, where the defunct apartheid government favoured white-owned companies at the expense of other race, there was an urgent need to address the imbalance created after the country embraced majority rule. The ANC government decided to implement an affirmative action to correct previous imbalances. Therefore, the Employment Equity Act and the Broad Based Economic Empowerment act aim to promote and achieve equality in the workplace, by not only advancing people from designated groups but also specifically dis-advancing the others. Those specifically hindered are the white minority.
Here in Nigeria, we like other nations of the world have to figure out ways to address discrimination and injustices that are very glaring in the distribution of our national resources. This is because Nigeria was far from being an ideal society where justice and equity reigns. In fact, from the onset the differences between the diverse people of the country created suspicious among the various people of Nigeria and their leaders.
The early political leaders of the country like Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, first president of the country; Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Premier of Northern Nigeria and Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Premier of Western region, have different takes in the best way to put this diverse ethnic-religion amalgam together to the benefit of all.
Taking a cursory look at the country largely constituted by various ethnic nations with different religious persuasions between them, Awo declared that he was looking at what was a "mere geographic expression," that lacked the necessary ingredients to be a united nation. Sir Ahmadu Bello, want a united Nigeria but also insisted that we must recognize our differences and ensure that such differences are respected in the relationship between the various nations that made up the country.
Comments
Post a Comment