African Economics and AIDS
I just read an excellent interview of James Shikwati, an African Economics expert. He argues convincingly that Western Aid is destroying Africa, and if the West would completely stop sending food and money and worrying so much about an ‘overstated’ AIDS problem Africa would gradually be able to stand on its own feet. Even though the interview is about two years old, I think its relevance is undiminished.
Excerpts follow (emphasis added):
SPIEGEL: Stop? The industrialized nations of the West want to eliminate hunger and poverty.
Shikwati: Such intentions have been damaging our continent for the past 40 years. If the industrial nations really want to help the Africans, they should finally terminate this awful aid. The countries that have collected the most development aid are also the ones that are in the worst shape. Despite the billions that have poured in to Africa, the continent remains poor.
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.
What do you think?
I’m not nearly educated enough on the issue of What to Do about Africa, but I do know that these sorts of criticisms have existed at least since the days of the Green Revolution (basically, Western farming practices transplanted (pun intended, I admit) to the developing world) of the ’50s.
I’ll also say anecdotally that the only sorts of African aid programs I’ve heard of that work have been extremely -localized in nature: teaching villagers new farming methods or getting them new or better access to water, or the promotion of eco-tourism, or the practice of giving micro-loans for small-business start-ups. It’s a slower process, but localized efforts speak more directly to what the community needs; they don’t presume to know what’s best for an entire nation, which seems to be at the heart of Shikwati’s critique. And, lest we forget, the civil rights movement in this country started at the community level as well.
But, as I say, I speak without a broad knowledge of the problem, much less with any ideas as to how to improve the current nation-to-nation aid distribution system.
A relative of my wife was in charge of German government aid to Ethiopia in the 80′s. (We Are The World, and all that.) He said the western nations would ship in food aid which would remain on the docks until Russian arms freighters would roll in. Off came T-72 tanks; on went the food in payment for AK-47′s. The relative tried to get the German government to stop the aid because none was getting to the hungry people. The government refused as it didn’t want to face the international backlash of “not caring” about hungry Africans.
It’s all B.S. really.
Cheers.
Good thoughts, both.
Our Church is hosting another World Aids Day Event this fall, and I’ll be actively involved again. Of course, sub-Sahara Africa will be a focus, so for me a critique and examination of African issues and proposed Western solutions is in order. I’m not quite sure what to think, but I have my doubts whether things are being handled the right way.