Saviour Chishimba: Global Vote Winner

Saviour Chishimba is the President of the United Progressive People (UPP) Party of Zambia. He was previously chairman of Zambia’s National Youth Development Council, a body under the Ministry of Youth and Sports which oversees several youth related programs and projects.

Dr Chishimba’s views on the international role of Zambia’s next President are set out at length in a statement he has submitted to the Global Vote, which can be downloaded using the link under the candidate's photograph above.

Questions were also put to this candidate by Simon Anholt, and we have summarised Dr Chishimba’s answers here:

SA: If you are elected, what will you do for the rest of us, around the world?

SC: As President of Zambia, my vision is to reposition Zambia in the Community of Nations to collectively meet the tidal waves of challenges that incessantly pound on the Global Agenda from every part of the spectrum of human need and endeavour in the 21st century.

Issues of disarmament, environment (global warming), human rights, poverty eradication, HIV/AIDS, human trafficking, child labour, human conflicts in various parts of the globe, large-scale displacements of civilian populations, cybercrime, contemporary forms of racism, crimes of honour against women, the nexus of drug trafficking and many other such weightier issues, all of which transcend national boundaries require that Zambia plays her part under my Presidency.

A myriad of States is exercising military, economic, diplomatic, cultural and technological power in various continents. I believe that, together, we can face the realities of these challenges while being cognisant of the fact that the pace of these challenges is relentless.

To actualise this vision, I shall lead my country in working within the inter-governmental organisational arrangements that state members engage in for conversations or narratives, not in monologues, to tackle structural issues on the global agenda that have disowned respect for national boundaries. I shall also create a platform to work with various independent organisations that work towards a better world for all.

In the main, I shall ensure that Zambia regains her leadership status in international diplomacy in Southern Africa and a force for good in Africa and the world stage. I shall place high premium on having best relations with all countries in the world. I believe that peace anywhere in the world is peace everywhere in the world.

SA: What is your vision for your country's role in the world?

SC: I will work at the following three levels:

1. Intergovernmental Framework

(a) I will innovatively lead my country to contribute to any international effort designed to enhance world peace and security, using all available international fora, including sending Zambian troops for peace keeping missions anywhere in the world; making financial, human and material contributions towards poverty eradication, reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation and enhancing carbon stocks; ending human trafficking, etc; speaking as a voice of conscience to fellow presidents and world leaders on issues that affect humanity in the world; and lobbying and campaigning for gender mainstreaming and equal opportunities for women in intergovernmental organisations.

(b) I will lead my government in joining the international community to fight the bloodthirsty scourges plaguing international peace and security.

(c) I shall be an advocate for the reformation of the United Nations. The UN enjoys the unassailable credential of internationalism, and provides an independent voice in global affairs for all, but it could do far more if it were to be more adapted to the needs and circumstances of the 21st Century. I shall campaign for these reforms for the benefit of all the citizens of the world.

(d) I shall strategically apply multilateral diplomacy to campaign for fairness in global trade opportunities. The aim will be to get the WTO regime to enact an equitable solution in which benefits of free trade will be extended to all the least developed countries. I will advocate for equity in the WTO framework.

(e) I will provide leadership to campaign against the arms race. Disarmament and international security are critical elements in the global strategy for world peace and security. My government shall support global efforts to urge the pursuance of a general and complete disarmament in all its manifestations---nuclear and conventional, releasing billions of finite resources currently spent on the arms race to be ploughed into humanitarian causes of socio-economic and infrastructural development.

(f) I shall contribute to peace initiatives in the Middle East. As President of Zambia, I shall lead my government in creating the first ever international diplomacy initiative for peace and economic development. The initiative called New Initiative for Africa and Middle East Development (NIAMED) will be pioneered by my government and promoted within the African Union. This initiative will seek to bring understanding and promote co-existence among all faiths (Jews, Christians, Moslems, Hindus, etc) so that Africa and the Middle East can focus on what is good for the people and this will eventually bring about the free movement of the people and goods from Cape-to-Cairo and Cairo-to-Jerusalem.

2. I will lead my government in creating the first ever agency which will seek to put Zambia and Africa on the world map in efforts to give aid. Africa is known for receiving aid, but this must change – Africa must also learn to give within the limits of its potentialities and capacities. The agency which I will create shall be called the Zambia Agency for International Cooperation (ZAIC). This way, I shall implement a focused aid programme through which all contributions shall be channelled to support various interventions that are within Zambia’s capacity to implement for the benefit of the needy around the world. The programme areas of ZAIC shall include sending Zambian professionals as volunteers to offer technical support to other countries that need technical assistance for accelerated development; food aid to hunger-stricken countries; refugee support initiatives; interventions to reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation; and initiatives to end human trafficking. ZAIC will undertake some of the projects through local and international civil society organisations that shall be contracted to implement projects in foreign nations.

3. Individual Level At an individual level, I shall work passionately towards leaving a lasting legacy as the first leader in Africa to break away from the culture of building personality cults of “strong man” to a new culture of building strong institutions of democracy that put the destiny of nations in the hands of the people. I shall open the door to international activists so that we can work together to make our world a better and safer place for everyone everywhere. To this end, I shall ensure that I am available to support progressive initiatives in my capacity as President and citizen of the world.