In the West, it’s popular to depict Africa as a perpetually demanding charity case. Recently, however, the continent has begun to demonstrate economic progress of the sort Western cynics can’t easily dismiss. As today marks the middle of the International Student Association-sponsored Africa Week on campus, it’s important for us to keep in mind that there’s much more to Africa than the common perception of rampant violence and instability.

In the four years I spent living in South Africa, nothing struck me more than the pervasive culture of hope, even in the face of sometimes dire conditions. In my eyes, it is this persisting optimism and unbounded hope that are now seeing tangible results. The International Monetary Fund forecasts a 6-percent gross domestic product growth rate across the continent this year, a remarkable figure considering the sluggish growth rates that continue to dog the rest of the world. More impressively, countries such as Ethiopia and Rwanda are generating more than 7 percent growth annually without any dependence on commodities. Vast potential for growth awaits the already growing continent. Within the continent’s shores lies 60 percent of the world’s uncultivated farmland, and with a median age of just 20, Africa is soon to benefit from a “demographic dividend” of the sort that inspired Asia’s unprecedented growth during the last 30 years.

The most promising aspect of the ongoing growth, however, is that it’s no longer as reliant on commodity prices. Wal-Mart’s recent acquisition of South African supermarket chain MassMart for $2.4 billion reflects a growing trend of Western companies attempting to enter African retail markets precisely because there is now a rapidly growing middle class to act as a customer base. According to Standard Bank, 60 million Africans earn $3,000 a year, with 100 million projected to make that amount by 2015. The velocity of this growth is unparalleled and has resulted in a new middle class with an insatiable thirst for housing, education and phones. (There are currently 600 million mobile phone users in Africa, according to the Economist — more than the U.S. or Europe.)

This positive economic outlook has resulted in substantially higher levels of foreign investment. With less room for growth in traditional markets, more and more investors are seeing Africa as a bet worth taking. The movement toward political stability across the continent has also buoyed investors. Since 1991, there have been more than 30 peaceful and democratic government changeovers. When compared with the one country that managed it in the 30 years following the end of colonialism, this represents a tremendous achievement. Indeed, just over a month ago, Senegal’s veteran president stepped aside after conceding defeat to his challenger, embodying a democratic tradition in that country that has existed since 1960.

Before we get carried away with optimism, however, it clearly must be acknowledged that there’s a lot of progress still to be made. The majority of the continent’s one billion people still live on less than $2 a day, and the continent’s strongest economic performers such as Angola still rely on oil for the majority of their growth. Moreover, while we consider Africa to boast impressive growth and trade figures, there are undoubtedly areas of the continent being left behind. Although it’s often convenient to display Africa as a hegemon for the purpose of analysis, in reality, doing so neglects the great diversity that the continent possesses. In many countries, corruption remains a part of many Africans’ everyday lives, and while African dictators are a dying breed, more than a few remain firmly entrenched in office. One only has to look to the recent coup d’etat that befell Mali’s president to see that democracy in Africa still has a long way to go.

But the process of reform has irrefutably been initiated. The continent that bore the birth of mankind now has a chance to be at the world’s forefront once again. It’s an opportunity it needs to seize.

In 20 years, Dartmouth’s steady stream of budding investment bankers may well opt for the booming markets of Johannesburg and Lagos, Nigeria in place of the depressed halls of Wall Street. As a result, Dartmouth students should now embrace the chance to learn more about Africa. Attending an Africa Week event seems like the least one should do.