There's more to Africa than debt
If I ever get to meet Wangari Maathai, I imagine I'll geek out like a 1981 teenager meeting Leif Garrett.
Earlier this week, Maathai spoke to reporters about the mammoth campaign underway by Bob Geldoff, Bono, Madonna, Nelson Mandela, Brad Pitt, the janitor at the local high school, two bakers from Seattle, and pretty much everyone in the entire world to call attention to Africa's debt through either the One Campaign or Live8. She said something profound that has been weighing on my mind these past few days:
"Cancelling the debt is not the panacea. But there are a lot of people who think it would be, because we keep saying 'debt, debt'."
She's right. Cancelling debt isn't going to end poverty in Africa. It may not even make a significant dent. As this article from Reuters points out, Maathai said Africans must also fight for good governance, an end to corruption, and for education that gives citizens more than just basic schooling. She also pointed out some of the horrible hypocrisies that exist in the First World that keep people in the Third World poor. Things like laws in European countries that allow (or ignore) dictators in Africa stealing money from their people and shoving the money into European bank accounts. Or trade policies that allow First World countries to pay next to nothing for Africa's goods.
"A lot of resources that are extracted out of Africa are not paid for at an adequate price, such as timber from the Congo, to European countries," Maathai said.
All of this isn't to say that Live8 and the One Campaign aren't worthy endeavors. They are, for sure...anything that calls attention to the crisis facing Africa is worthwhile, even if it's one person shouting at the top of their lungs from atop a maple tree. But it's so important for our culture, that suffers from acute attention deficit disorder, to not lose sight that debt cancellation is only one small component of helping to empower and aid African people.
Anyway, there's the rant of the day. Hope everyone has a good weekend. I'll try to post more next week.
Earlier this week, Maathai spoke to reporters about the mammoth campaign underway by Bob Geldoff, Bono, Madonna, Nelson Mandela, Brad Pitt, the janitor at the local high school, two bakers from Seattle, and pretty much everyone in the entire world to call attention to Africa's debt through either the One Campaign or Live8. She said something profound that has been weighing on my mind these past few days:
"Cancelling the debt is not the panacea. But there are a lot of people who think it would be, because we keep saying 'debt, debt'."
She's right. Cancelling debt isn't going to end poverty in Africa. It may not even make a significant dent. As this article from Reuters points out, Maathai said Africans must also fight for good governance, an end to corruption, and for education that gives citizens more than just basic schooling. She also pointed out some of the horrible hypocrisies that exist in the First World that keep people in the Third World poor. Things like laws in European countries that allow (or ignore) dictators in Africa stealing money from their people and shoving the money into European bank accounts. Or trade policies that allow First World countries to pay next to nothing for Africa's goods.
"A lot of resources that are extracted out of Africa are not paid for at an adequate price, such as timber from the Congo, to European countries," Maathai said.
All of this isn't to say that Live8 and the One Campaign aren't worthy endeavors. They are, for sure...anything that calls attention to the crisis facing Africa is worthwhile, even if it's one person shouting at the top of their lungs from atop a maple tree. But it's so important for our culture, that suffers from acute attention deficit disorder, to not lose sight that debt cancellation is only one small component of helping to empower and aid African people.
Anyway, there's the rant of the day. Hope everyone has a good weekend. I'll try to post more next week.
posted by MikeJ at
5:13 PM
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