Indeed philosophers from Plato to Hegel and Marx Henry D Thoreau, Mitch Albom, Og Mandino, and Alfred N Whitehead have augured purpose in life as the primary engine that drives human growth, development, and well-being … the way you get meaning into your life is to devote your life into loving others, yourself to your community around you, and yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning – arts, music, intellectual development and service of the community...

1. Dr. BT Costantinoslectures at the School of post Graduate Studies, AAU African Union Board on the Convention to Prevent and Combat Corruption in Africa

2. Determinants of the African State Failure Real/imagined threats to power Material well-being of citizens International influences Regime type and re-building country vs. the state De-africanisation of polity

3. Purpose in life from Plato to Marx the way you get meaning into your life is to devote your life into loving others, devote yourself to your community around you… … devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning – arts, music, intellectual development and service of the community

4. Democratic Citizenship Meaning and context of citizenship ‘liberty’ ‘equality’ ‘fraternity’: 17th and 18th Century Revolutions “a state founded on the will of the people” Political Rules and Institutions: thatpromote, and protect rules of peaceful participation and competition

5. Advancing enlightenment Western state model and political domination failed; Alienation of the State -- informal polities parallel to and competitive with the state; Each community has rights and deserves respect; Irrupting into History to a new life;

6. Tools for enlightenment: Quality education & learning throughout life Shifting concepts of scholarship

7. Enlightenment: Rules and organisations Strength of organisations determines the rules of the game The learning organisation could increase effectiveness Nevertheless, “move ‘beyond’ the ‘learning organisation’” into the ‘developing organisation’

8. Philosophical sagacity Ethno-philosophy -the uniquely African world view customary systems, rules,, procedures establish accountability and link the to rights and responsibilities shifting relations: competition, co-operation, and hegemony during enlightenment

9. African renaissance distinctive and shared elements, concepts and rules of governance, national and cultural values, traditions of discourse and