October 31, 2025
The planet is undergoing massive change–the political and economic tectonic plates are shifting. As we go through this incredible phase change across our planet, Africa is in a position to help determine its own direction and how it will cooperate with other nations. The western centered rules-based international order is no longer the dominant determinant force in the world. Its power and control are weakening. The emergence of the Global South, which represents the overwhelming majority of the world’s population, resources, and number of nations, is on the rise. In many ways, the leader of the Global South is the BRICS, and China in particular.
This creates an opportunity for Africa to develop its full potential, which will require massive investments in infrastructure, particularly energy and rail. Africa needs at least one thousand gigawatts of additional energy, and an additional 100,000 kilometers of rail lines. Despite what some people think, we will not achieve democracy or so-called good governance, without an improvement in the standard of living of the majority of the population of African nations. This requires an increase in the production of physical goods to satisfy the material needs of a population projected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050. All the hundreds of billions of dollars spent fighting violent extremism has not worked.
President Franklin Roosevelt had intended the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development-the World Bank, to lend capital to the developing sector, to assist in building up their economies. After his death, the Bretton Woods system rejected Roosevelt’s outlook, with the Western financial institutions refusing to provide the necessary credit for economic growth.
Therefore, we need a new paradigm. A paradigm that understands that the most important aspect of our global economy is the improvement in the material standard of living of the world’s population. This will require a new credit system, a new financial architecture dedicated to bringing about economic growth and development. The West has done nothing to reduce the poverty level in the world. China has, by lifting over seven hundred million people out of poverty. Either out of ignorance or intention, the so called advanced sector has allowed world poverty to reach almost seven hundred million people—a crime against humanity. The extreme poverty level in Africa is approaching five hundred million people, which is immoral!
As a result, in our multipolar world, with the emergence of the Global South, we may come into a new phase where we will have two systems operating at the same time. The failed rules-based international order and Bretton Woods will compete against a new system, one based on development and led by the Global South and the BRICS. Andsupported by the majority of nations. During this process, the rules-based international order with its zero-sum ideology has to be weakened to the point that nations will no longer be treated like pawns on a chess board. The ideology of the rule-based international order is extreme. Their belief structure, that only the strongest should dictate policy according to their rules is actually evil. It is against the natural ordering of the world.
The essence of foreign and domestic policy must be the elevation of human life. Human beings are the only species uniquely endowed with the power of creativity. If policies are not promoting the development of the material existence of human beings, which is the prerequisite for the nurturing of his or her creative powers; it is the wrong policy and will fail. It is only the human species bequeathed with the power of the creative imagination that is in harmony with the development of our planet.
Read below, my earlier post. Africa Determining Its Own Future in a New Multipolar World
Lawrence Freeman is a Political-Economic Analyst for Africa, who has been involved in economic development policies for Africa for 35 years. He is a teacher, writer, public speaker, consultant on Africa, and an analyst of global strategic relations. Mr. Freeman strongly believes that economic development is an essential human right. He is the creator of the blog: lawrencefreemanafricaandtheworld.com, also publishes on: lawrencefreeman.substack.com, “Freeman’s Africa and the World, and on X @lfreemansafrica