Agenda 2025 - The Nation's Vision and Strategies

Preface

This work is intended to be a guide for the development of Mozambique up to 2025.

After achieving independence in 1975, our Country trod difficult paths for defending its sovereignty, the fundamental rights of citizens, for affirming national unity and identity, and for promoting development of its people. Agenda 2025 is a unique opportunity for Mozambicans to celebrate with optimism, in Peace, Harmony and Solidarity, by 2025, 50 years of their existence as a Country, under uninterrupted economic and social progress.

Agenda 2025 is more than a national guide to address the set of problems related to development and is a pioneering initiative whereby a group of citizens representing the most diverse sectors of society prepared, in an independent, non-partisan and professional manner, a document with such a significance that is intended to become a benchmark for both rulers and the people, professionals, various civil society organisations and, in short, the whole Nation, as well as the co-operation partners.

Due to the lack of background in national long-term perspectives studies (NLTPS) in the Country, the exercise of preparing Agenda 2025 became a veritable national learning process whereby, through participation, inclusion and permanent dialogue for seeking consensus on the great challenges of the Nation, it was possible to identify the expectations of all Mozambicans concerning the future of the Country, which were focused on the pursuit of solutions and viable options for fighting poverty, indigence and illiteracy, on overcoming economic underdevelopment, on progress and sustainable development.

The expectations brought together in a spontaneous and genuine manner were at the basis of the studies that ensued, laid upon a logical strategic information matrix. Based on those studies, and more specifically on the situational analysis, it was possible to prepare possible scenarios for the future of Mozambique, taking into account that such scenarios should be the result of the objective situation, so that they could guide a shared national vision.

Such a reflection takes into consideration transformations that occurred and may occur in the Country, the Southern Africa region, which we incorporate, and the World, where globalisation has been dictating new relationship dynamics and rules between countries, economic and financial blocks, and even between cultures and peoples.

Each people has a right and an obligation to foresee a future integrating their expectations and dreams. This is what Mozambicans did throughout the Agenda 2025 preparation process. Thus, farmers, labourers, students, children, women, the youth and the elderly, scholars, experts, officials, clergymen, and other citizens expressed their ideas and suggested solutions.

It should be noted, however, that despite the Vision appearing as a key element for guiding expectations and dreams, it would remain dead letter if the development strategies, a vital instrument for materialising the shared national Vision under the desirable and realistic scenario, were not implemented.

The Agenda 2025 resulted from a process of dialogue and relentless search of consensus, laid upon a foundation of technical and scientific research. Thus, the Agenda 2025 integrates the Vision and the Strategic Options which, materialised in a pocket book, will enable each citizen to better face the challenges Mozambique will come across in the 21st century, dominated by the revolution in science and technology.

The Agenda 2025 formulation experience is, in fact, one of symbiosis of methodologies. This is the only experience in the world where an exercise of such magnitude was prepared by such a diverse and comprehensive autonomous group, fully alien to the governmental context, albeit articulating with the Government and the political and party forces in a positive manner.

To each and all Mozambicans, and in particular to the young and future generations, we lay down the challenge of using Agenda 2025 in a creative and innovative manner, working harder and better, so that by the 50th anniversary of the National Independence,Mozambique has changed into an enterprising and successful country, to achieve a desiredaverage level of development.