Is Africa an opportunity or a threat?
Should we be worried about being flooded with refugees from Africa? Worried about being swamped by people fleeing because their already tenuous income base is disappearing in tandem with climate change? I don't know, but I do know that the conditions in the countries where Molly's Heart operates worsen significantly year by year – almost month by month.
What can we do to prevent human misfortune and migration to Europe? If you ask me, there's only one thing to do. Creating tolerable and dignified lives in Africa. How do we do it?
We do this through more trade and more investment. It creates jobs. We must therefore work to ensure that both Denmark and the EU become far more active in Africa.
Things went better, but then…
Many believe that Africa is a bottomless pit to pour money into without development and prosperity as a result. But in fact many African countries were making strong progress, until they were set back by the financial crisis, the Corona pandemic and climate change. Human-caused climate change is hitting Africa hard with more extreme weather, drought and extreme rain, which is causing soil erosion and a decline in food production. Africa is probably the continent most affected by climate change - and at the same time the continent that has contributed the least to it.
Africa is strategically important to us
We must look at Africa's strategic importance. We must understand how important the continent is in the security architecture and the UN, how central it is in the green transition, and how important it is that Africa does not only trade with China and Russia. We should make a plan that is in line with Denmark's foreign and security policy strategy.
And Africa offers considerable trade potential. We often forget that. Strategic investments and supporting policies can significantly improve trade and economic growth on the continent and in Denmark (EU). That means we all win!
So is Africa a threat or an opportunity? If we behave properly, it is definitely a possibility.