Stop Saving Africa
Such campaigns, however well intentioned, promote the stereotype of Africa as a black hole of disease and death. News reports constantly focus on the continent's corrupt leaders, warlords, "tribal" conflicts, child laborers, and women disfigured by abuse and genital mutilation. These descriptions run under headlines like "Can Bono Save Africa?" or "Will Brangelina Save Africa?" The relationship between the West and Africa is no longer based on openly racist beliefs, but such articles are reminiscent of reports from the heyday of European colonialism, when missionaries were sent to Africa to introduce us to education, Jesus Christ and "civilization.
There is no African, myself included, who does not appreciate the help of the wider world, but we do question whether aid is genuine or given in the spirit of affirming one's cultural superiority. My mood is dampened every time I attend a benefit whose host runs through a litany of African disasters before presenting a (usually) wealthy, white person, who often proceeds to list the things he or she has done for the poor, starving Africans. Every time a well-meaning college student speaks of villagers dancing because they were so grateful for her help, I cringe. Every time a Hollywood director shoots a film about Africa that features a Western protagonist, I shake my head -- because Africans, real people though we may be, are used as props in the West's fantasy of itself. And not only do such depictions tend to ignore the West's prominent role in creating many of the unfortunate situations on the continent, they also ignore the incredible work Africans have done and continue to do to fix those problems.
" (Uzodinma Iweala)
on the other hand, Africa is still a fucking mess
"After deteriorating between 1998 and 2005, governance in Africa appears to have improved somewhat in the last year. However, governance standards for the continent are far from ideal.
After a serious deterioration between 1996 and 2005 governance in Africa has improved over the past 12 months, according to the World Bank?s latest Governance Matters survey, released in July. Even so, the aggregate index for 48 African countries is no better than in 2003 and is still some 4.5% worse than a decade ago.
Indeed, of the six governance indicators compiled by the Bank Africa?s scores for four?corruption, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, and voice and accountability?have declined. Only in political stability and (marginally) the rule of law have the continent's scores improved." (Economist)
posted by Dody G. at 10:48 AM
6 Comments:
props
3:34 PM
dody beat me to it...
6:55 PM
i think the great paradox for west africa is that it is the region with the purest form of entrepreneurship yet the best way to amass wealth is by obtaining a military or government sinecure and then using your influence to gain extra money.
10:50 PM
Iweala's argument really pisses me off. Either Africa is the worldwide capital for female genital mutilation, HIV/AIDS and corruption, or it isn't.
Reporting on this reality isn't racist, and if the reports of it are "reminiscent of European colonialism", then bad frigging luck.
The fact that there are few things more idiotic than people like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie spending some spare time swanning around in Africa trying to "save" the place before heading back to their mansions and ludicrous lifestyles is not something that has escaped the attention of the western press.
Did Iweala bring this up to actual contribute something meaningful to the discussion, or was it, in his words, "given in the spirit of affirming one's cultural superiority?"
3:07 PM
Imagine the African mother who has only one mosquito net and has to decide each night again, which of her children she can put under its protection.
Would she agree to Mr. Iweala's elitist argument?
10:13 AM
From: http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,363663,00.html
SPIEGEL: Even in a country like Kenya, people are starving to death each year. Someone has got to help them.
Shikwati: But it has to be the Kenyans themselves who help these people. When there's a drought in a region of Kenya, our corrupt politicians reflexively cry out for more help. This call then reaches the United Nations World Food Program -- which is a massive agency of apparatchiks who are in the absurd situation of, on the one hand, being dedicated to the fight against hunger while, on the other hand, being faced with unemployment were hunger actually eliminated. It's only natural that they willingly accept the plea for more help. And it's not uncommon that they demand a little more money than the respective African government originally requested. They then forward that request to their headquarters, and before long, several thousands tons of corn are shipped to Africa ...
SPIEGEL: ... corn that predominantly comes from highly-subsidized European and American farmers ...
Shikwati: ... and at some point, this corn ends up in the harbor of Mombasa. A portion of the corn often goes directly into the hands of unsrupulous politicians who then pass it on to their own tribe to boost their next election campaign. Another portion of the shipment ends up on the black market where the corn is dumped at extremely low prices. Local farmers may as well put down their hoes right away; no one can compete with the UN's World Food Program. And because the farmers go under in the face of this pressure, Kenya would have no reserves to draw on if there actually were a famine next year. It's a simple but fatal cycle.
---
I would also recommend reading "The White Man's Burden : Why the West's Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill And So Little Good" by William Easterly
12:12 AM
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