Ramaphosa: fight against extreme nationalism
PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has called on governing parties in the BRICS economic bloc to rise above their national interests and work on fighting the rise of narrow and extreme nationalism.
Ramaphosa was delivering the opening address of the BRICS Political Parties Dialogue in Pretoria yesterday.
The dialogue – aimed at discussing economic and political challenges within BRICS and African countries – was attended by about 200 delegates from the bloc and from former liberation movements on the continent.
BRICS, currently chaired by South Africa, also includes Brazil, China, Russia and India.
Ramaphosa said that while the governing parties represented at the gathering had their national interests, they had to use their internationalist outlook to work on reversing extreme nationalism, which he said was taking root in some parts of the world.
“This we must do because narrow nationalism serves only to undermine the rules based on a multilateral system of global governance. We ought never to forget that when extreme nationalism rises, so does the potential for one country or a small group of countries to arrogate to themselves the right to determine the fate of the entire world,” he said.
US President Donald Trump has been slammed for being one of the chief campaigners of nationalism.
Ramaphosa said the parties must also assert and defend sovereignty and equality of states including those that lacked military strength and economic power.
“As progressive formations, we must work tirelessly to the extent possible for the peaceful resolution of conflict whenever threats of violence emerge in the world. We must see it as our duty to ensure the peace and stability of the world and build a truly harmonious community of nations,” Ramaphosa said.
He also called for an analysis of the implications of the fourth industrial revolution for the economies of BRICS and the developing world, including how countries can take advantage of the digital age to benefit its people.
ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule said it was important to devise how the negative impact of artificial intelligence would be managed on the bulwark of unskilled and semi-skilled workforce around the world, especially in developing countries.
He stressed that developing countries would have to be united if they were to make significant progress economically.
“Together we share a proud history of ideological work that has sought to clarify the reading of our individual histories, interpretation of our present and our aspirations and utopia.
“This is the bond which has kept the unity of the developing and emerging countries together during the difficult dark period of oppression, domination and mechanisation of imperialism.”
Magashule said the expanded influence and sphere of BRICS political parties was now an important platform to reposition all progressive forces of the world to strengthen their solidarity.