In this endnote address delivered at the 11th General Assembly of CODESRIA, held in Maputo in 2005, Sundaram notes that over three decades of economic stagnation, contraction and increased poverty have taken a huge toll on Africa's economic, social and political fabric; and pro-active efforts are urgently required in order to build new capacities and capabilities for development. He argues that much of the ostensible conventional wisdom regarding African development and poverty is often both erroneous and harmful; and calls for greater 'policy space' for African governments to choose or design their own development strategies, as well as implement more appropriate development policies. (This dual language edition is in both English and French).