SEEKING PEACEFUL TRANSFORMATION

I look at the world today and lament the rate at which peace is being eroded at every turn. Conflict appears to be the new world order. Socio-economic transformation has suffered as a result.

Trying to explain the situation to our children becomes more difficult by the day but, because there are people in our midst who do not allow themselves to be drawn back by discouraging developments, we are able to use their efforts to speak about the possible light at the end of the dark tunnel. Last week, the country played host to one such light-bearer, a visitor from London who has dedicated her life to trying to help countries find the best possible ways to succeed rather than fail –in a SMART Partnership way. Despite the many challenges that governments face, Dr Mihaela Smith has consistently pursued the objective to place SMART partnership dialogues at the heart of national transformation.

She is the Chief Executive Officer of the Commonwealth Partnership for Technology Management (CPTM), which coordinates and facilitates international dialogues and think-tanks around the world. She has not tired of getting world leaders under the Commonwealth label to continue to embrace the SMART concept for its unique approach to development. South Africa is the next big stop for this international engagement.
Led by the Secretary to Cabinet, Mbuso Dlamini, Dr Smith – who was accompanied by Elly Tumwine from Uganda, SMART partnership local Director Gideon Mahlalela and new Head of Secretariat Moses Zungu - paid a courtesy call on His Majesty the King and senior government officials.

Her visit was part of the ongoing preparations for the International Dialogue 2014, to be held in South Africa for the first time towards the end of this year. The actual dates are subject to confirmation by the President Jacob Zuma-led government that goes to the polls in a month’s time. South Africa accepted the host flag at the end of the 2013 International Dialogue held in Tanzania, where the theme was “Leveraging technology for socio-economic transformation.” Her arrival coincided with ongoing dialogues at Tinkhundla level (among other developments), where locals are making inputs to the National Vision 2022 that is currently under review, given the new mandate to transform this country to stand among First World countries.

The engagements have adopted the SMART concept, which promotes the philosophy and practice of win-win solutions and prosper-thy-neighbour relationships, as opposed to the ‘beggar-thy-neighbour’ practices that too often prevail in the world.
The SMART Partnership is about changes of attitude and new ways of looking at things. Ten factors lie at the core of SMART Partnership philosophy and practice: a shared vision, cultural diversity, code of ethics, trust, longevity, networks, transparency, equity, fair play and values. Governments will always remain with the challenge of fully adopting and applying the core values of the SMART dialogue and that of seriously looking into the contributions of the people and utilising them more effectively in national development initiatives; then sharing the rewards of this cooperation.

Swaziland can be credited for her efforts towards continued consultation with the people, but has a lot more to do in turning the output from these dialogues into meaningful outcomes. A full application of SMART principles could speed up our transformation.
Our participation in international dialogue forums has brought back valuable solutions to choose from.
The country is in the process of building a Science and Technology Park for the simple reason that we have learnt through the sharing of ideas that this has played a vital role in driving the massive growth and transformation of developed countries.

We cannot be expected to play the role of beggars of technology forever and still call ourselves an independent country. Malaysia, which pioneered the SMART partnership philosophy, has not been selfish in sharing the success of its transformation from an agricultural economy to an industrialised economy through technology, and is now moving very quickly towards meeting their target of becoming a First World country by 2020.
The other lesson learnt is the need to strike a balance between the introduction of technological advancement and replacing human capital. Malaysia’s growth has seen it outgrow its human capital, which necessitated the importation of labour from other countries.
So, as we gear ourselves for another dialogue in South Africa, let us take stock of how we as a country have learnt, shared, adopted and applied the SMART philosophy in our national development initiatives. We can no longer afford to allow good ideas to go to waste.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY:
“Smart Partnership is just one element in the formula for success, which depends on many other factors including the political and economic environment both inside and outside the country, the culture and the value system of the people.”- Dr Mihaela Smith.


Martin Dlamini is the Managing Editor of the Times Group of Newspapers.

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