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George AyitteyGhanaian economist, author and president of the Free Africa Foundation in Washington
Country:
 USA |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Academic and Research Career
- The Free Africa Foundation
- Africa's Poverty: A Product of Unfreedom
- Proposed Strategies for African Liberation
- - Implementing reforms in the correct sequence.
Early Life and Education
George Ayittey was born in Ghana in 1945. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Ghana, Legon, followed by a Master's degree from the University of Western Ontario in Canada and a PhD from the University of Manitoba.
Academic and Research Career
Ayittey is a professor at American University and an adjunct scholar at the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI). He has taught at Wayne State College and Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. In 1988-1989, he was a research fellow at the Hoover Institution. He later joined the Heritage Foundation as a resident scholar.
The Free Africa Foundation
In 1993, Ayittey founded the Free Africa Foundation, an organization dedicated to promoting reforms in Africa. The foundation advocates for intellectual, political, economic, and religious freedoms, as well as resisting the "infiltration" of foreign ideologies into the continent.
Africa's Poverty: A Product of Unfreedom
Ayittey argues that Africa's poverty is rooted in its lack of freedom, primarily caused by autocratic rulers. He contends that colonialism weakened Africa, but it is internal oppression that has kept the continent impoverished.
Proposed Strategies for African Liberation
Ayittey believes that rescuing Africa from tyranny requires:- Forming coalitions of non-partisan "elders" to monitor opposition groups.
- Controlling state institutions such as the civil service, security forces, judiciary, electoral system, and central bank.
- Implementing reforms in the correct sequence.
Recognition and HonorsIn 2008, Ayittey was named one of Foreign Policy magazine's "Top 100 Intellectuals." He currently resides in Lorton, Virginia.
