Africa Cannot be healed overnight by hype and rock
Mon, 2005-07-04 10:51
#1
Africa Cannot be healed overnight by hype and rock
from Today's FT...echoes exactly my feelings
You could argue that any publicity for Africa's cause is good. But sometimes it comes across as patronising, even insulting. A particularly cringe-making example was the presentation of the Commission for Africa's report at the British Museum in March, where African culture was paraded in the form of a gospel group prancing around in leopard skins and furry boots, singing evangelical songs - a debatable choice to represent a continent that has more Muslims than the Middle East. Even Sir Bob's colourful vocabulary failed to endear him to everybody, especially his reference to the "stupidity" of African leaders.
jude
...
The Commission for Africa report, now out in paperback, sets out the huge amount rich countries could do to remove obstacles and help redress the balance by providing more predictable flows of funds, getting to grips with infrastructure requirements and trade distortions, bringing transparency to the exploitation of natural resources and returning ill-gotten gains stashed in western banks.
What appeals most to African governments, of course, is the idea of doubling the aid money. But even that will not dispel poverty overnight, any more than Africa will be saved by passé rockers. Change will not be delivered from the top down. It is Africans themselves who must bring it about and who, in the meantime, have to live with the continent's failures.
david floyd
"Change will not be delivered from the top down. It is Africans themselves who must bring it about and who, in the meantime, have to live with the continent's failures."
Yes, interestingly enough, one of the most effective forms of aid at moment is African immigrants working in Western countries and sending money back to their families back home.
With ageing populations in the West, there's a lot of sense in allowing larger numbers of younger people from developing countries to come and work in the West, to earn money that will then be used to stimulate their own local economies.
Although obviously any politician that supported this policy wouldn't want to mention it at election time.
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