New Economic Democracy graduates in Cameroon

The monetary reform solution developed by  Scottish engineer Clifford Hugh Douglas, and advanced by the Louis Even Institute for Social Justice and the MICHAEL magazine, is taught in several African educational institutions, and is part of the academic program at the Ekounou campus of the Catholic University of Central Africa (CUCA) in Yaoundé, Cameroon, under the direction of Father Clément Aboudi.

We are pleased to announce the first graduates of the subject on the continent of Africa!

The first class had 12 students, and four other classes were taught. In total, 150 students were exposed to the principles of Economic Democracy.  The group graduated on March 19, 2024.  Father Clément's remarks, which follow, expresses both hope for the future of the continent and an understanding of Economic Democracy.

by Father Clément Nola Aboudi

Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Legal and Political Sciences

In the presence of the Rector's delegate, the graduation ceremony of 12 students from the Louis Even Institute for Social Justice, before a crowd of students of various nationalities (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Congo) was a providential ceremony.

What some considered a dream became a reality. The certificates were awarded after more than one year's training. This is an ideal opportunity to thank the Institute's President, Miss Caya, Mr. Alain Pilote, our trainer and guide, and Mr. Philbert Bagilimana, the organizer. We will present the global context of this training and the important issues at stake in accepting Economic Democracy as one of the few authentic formulas capable of enlightening the continent and being a compass on the path to social justice and integral development.

Since the second half of the first decade of the 21st century, the question of development has become, in most African countries, a crucible for articulating and defining strategies to escape poverty. With the return to steady growth, on average higher than the population growth rate, a new hope was born: to achieve in less than 20 years what had not been possible in 50.

Africa, once seen as a continent of despair, hunger and war, seems to be rising from the ashes. Africa is now perceived by some objective minds as a continent "full of hope". The strategic geo-economic, geo-political and geo-strategic issues of the day show that Africa, despite its apparent poverty, is not just impoverished, but remains in more ways than one the cradle and granary of humanity in terms of resources.

 Africa is rich in quality human capital, treasures, values, knowledge and wealth, but it is considerably short of money. Between those who have wealth and those who have money, who is richer? This is where the Louis Even Institute's clear vision comes in to lift Africans out of ignorance and a magical, superstitious mentality about wealth.

The perceptions that determine the assessment of Africa's level of attractiveness as a competitive space for investment that is both profitable and conducive to development have in common that they are generally exogenous to Africa, expressed by international experts who are certainly citizens of the world, but possibly only residually citizens of Africa.

In view of the above, the Louis Even Institute, in collaboration with the CUCA, wishes to discuss the impact of Economic Democracy on development and the fight against poverty.

This theme is at the heart of all the development problems facing Africa. Success in governance in general, commonly referred to as good governance, depends in part on political vision and the quality or morality of the men who run institutions.

In view of the prevarications and staggerings of sub-Saharan African states, including Cameroon, and in memory of Jean Jacques Rousseau's assertion in 1743 in his draft treatise on "political institutions", he wrote: "I have seen that everything depends radically on politics, and that, however one goes about it, no people will ever be anything other than what the nature of its government would make it be."

In other words, the face of the African continent is nothing but a photocopy of the ideology of its rulers.  It's a question of talking about democracy, procedural democracy, substantive democracy, to arrive at this pioneering concept of Economic Democracy, with all the ethical baggage that this entails. In the same vein, the bishops of RECWA (Regional Episcopal Conference of West Africa) believe that "demolishing ethics is a crime against humanity."

With social inequality, poverty in the face of abundance, debt, anguish and anxiety on the rise, and families living in increasingly difficult times, the Louis Even Institute for Social Justice, based in Canada, has taken the initiative to teach and train people in the main principles of Economic Democracy so that people can rediscover their dignity, the joy of living, and participate in the construction of true social justice.  We are all concerned by the recurring misery and poverty of our peoples. How can we understand the lack of basic necessities in a bountiful land?

The right to development and the right to be protected from complete destitution are two indivisible and interdependent rights. There is therefore an intimate relationship between the right to development and the right to a decent life. Didn't St. Thomas indicate the necessity of sufficient material goods in order to practice virtue?

On May 14, 1953, Pope Pius XII said: "The use of temporal goods is necessary for the exercise of virtue and, consequently, for leading, on earth, a Christian life worthy of man." This is not to say that the mere fact of possessing a sufficiency of material goods makes man virtuous. All that remains is for him to practice virtue. But the absence of the prerequisite, the beginning of material conditions, creates an obstacle that it's up to the economy and society to remove.

The need for the Church to promote human resources was expressed as follows: "We want to remind all those involved that the main actor in development is man. The real wealth of a nation is its people, but Africa doesn't know how to make the most of its resources." Aware of all this, this ceremony, overseen by Mr. Philbert in all its nooks and crannies, aims to put man and his dignity at the heart of all development, and to harmonize the issue of work in both its subjective and objective senses.

Paul VI stated that "development is the new name for peace." Development cannot be built on conflict, the perversion of banking institutions, the appalling burden of debt, the denaturing of the environment, discrimination and institutionalized corruption. It requires an economy at the service of man and all mankind, respect for subsidiarity, preferential love for the poor, solidarity, the common good, justice, respect for the dignity of the person and his or her rights. But it also means that development is a source of social justice and peace, for where prosperity reigns for all and resources are equitably distributed, peace and understanding flourish.

Finally, speaking again of Economic Democracy, we are invited to revisit the teachings of the Scottish engineer Clifford Hugh Douglas (1879-1952), who developed the financial proposals that have been taught to our students. This teaching is still relevant today. Purchasing power must be provided to consumers. In the same vein, young Africans need to get away from pursuing "money at any price and by any means" and making money a master.  Does money alone bring happiness? Isn't there a popular saying: "Money is a good servant, but a bad master?" Doesn't money serve to create the basis for the acquisition of goods?

Subsequently, Louis Even, in the spirituality of his work, agreed with the Second Vatican Council that the laity have a mission in the world and an opportunity to transform the temporal order. In other words, a diploma is by no means an end in itself, but is a means to equip and arm learners for a commitment to bring about societal conversion.

Economic Democracy opens the door to a vision of a more humane civilization, if, as Douglas said, by civilization we mean the relationships between people, and living conditions that facilitate the development of each individual's personality. By leaning on the values and principles of the Church's social teaching, Social Credit, as taught by Alain Pilote from the Louis Even Institute, is a timeless concept that needs to be made known in our communities for an Africa that can be helped. v

          Father Clément NOLA ABOUDI