Comments on: Advancing African Development: The Necessity for Aid and Trade http://africanarguments.org/2009/03/advancing-african-development-the-necessity-for-aid-and-trade/ Mon, 19 Jul 2010 08:01:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Tim Cooke http://africanarguments.org/2009/03/advancing-african-development-the-necessity-for-aid-and-trade/comment-page-1/#comment-10184 Tim Cooke Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:25:24 +0000 http://africanarguments.org/?p=217#comment-10184 Aid is not dead and humantarian relief is still required. However Tim Klein is right and aid must be the responsibility of African's and not foreigners. At present too much Aid advances dependency and saps local iniatives. Africans themselves must take resposnibility for whether specific projects/ programmes deliver benefits to the indended recipients.  Many INGOs and foreign charities merely want to maintain the status quo. An example is the continued 'dumping' of traditional computers onto the continent which invariably break-down and in effect become toxic waste. Aid is not dead and humantarian relief is still required. However Tim Klein is right and aid must be the responsibility of African’s and not foreigners. At present too much Aid advances dependency and saps local iniatives. Africans themselves must take resposnibility for whether specific projects/ programmes deliver benefits to the indended recipients.  Many INGOs and foreign charities merely want to maintain the status quo. An example is the continued ‘dumping’ of traditional computers onto the continent which invariably break-down and in effect become toxic waste.

]]> By: Tim Klein http://africanarguments.org/2009/03/advancing-african-development-the-necessity-for-aid-and-trade/comment-page-1/#comment-9515 Tim Klein Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:12:23 +0000 http://africanarguments.org/?p=217#comment-9515 If we are waiting for U.S./European governments or INGO's to create economic development in Africa, I believe that it won't happen. After spending six months filming the documentary "What are we doing here?", which looks at this subject, I truly believe that this development can only come from Africa's who are responsible for social, political and economic change in their communities or their country. The U.S. State Department (which USAID is apart of) will always protect its own interests - with both trade agreements and with how we use foreign aid. I believe a fundamental shift needs to be made in the development community, where we start supporting the best ideas that are coming out of Africa as opposed to supporting the best ideas coming out of the U.S. or Europe for Africa. Traditional aid (i.e. food aid coming from the US) has failed, as have elaborate Western created development projects - there are many examples that we came across and are in our film. It is time to start supporting the best businesses; artists, community leaders and local aid projects that are already in Africa and stop try to solve Africa's problems from abroad. The other side of the coin is that our businesses and government often support very corrupt and backward African governments (i.e. Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia...) because they serve our national/corporate interest (oil, war on terrorism, corporate profits...) - Western activists should start looking within and look at how we are causing harm. Our film, "What are we doing here?" contains a few such projects - check out the trailer at www.whatarewedoinghere.net If we are waiting for U.S./European governments or INGO’s to create economic development in Africa, I believe that it won’t happen. After spending six months filming the documentary “What are we doing here?”, which looks at this subject, I truly believe that this development can only come from Africa’s who are responsible for social, political and economic change in their communities or their country. The U.S. State Department (which USAID is apart of) will always protect its own interests – with both trade agreements and with how we use foreign aid. I believe a fundamental shift needs to be made in the development community, where we start supporting the best ideas that are coming out of Africa as opposed to supporting the best ideas coming out of the U.S. or Europe for Africa. Traditional aid (i.e. food aid coming from the US) has failed, as have elaborate Western created development projects – there are many examples that we came across and are in our film. It is time to start supporting the best businesses; artists, community leaders and local aid projects that are already in Africa and stop try to solve Africa’s problems from abroad. The other side of the coin is that our businesses and government often support very corrupt and backward African governments (i.e. Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia…) because they serve our national/corporate interest (oil, war on terrorism, corporate profits…) – Western activists should start looking within and look at how we are causing harm. Our film, “What are we doing here?” contains a few such projects – check out the trailer at http://www.whatarewedoinghere.net

]]> By: onesource http://africanarguments.org/2009/03/advancing-african-development-the-necessity-for-aid-and-trade/comment-page-1/#comment-2505 onesource Thu, 14 May 2009 02:28:19 +0000 http://africanarguments.org/?p=217#comment-2505 You make valid point in you arguments.  However, I am not sure the USA can afford to give Africa are recycled aluminum cans at the moment.  The reference to WW2 really does not apply to this issue. The USA was growing and had an abundance of resources.  The war was over and the economy was stronger than it is today.  There is no question Africa economy needs some help.  So does ours, do we borrow money from China to help them? How much more can the USA take on for debt?  We have not even paid for Katrina yet. You make valid point in you arguments.  However, I am not sure the USA can afford to give Africa are recycled aluminum cans at the moment.  The reference to WW2 really does not apply to this issue.

The USA was growing and had an abundance of resources.  The war was over and the economy was stronger than it is today.  There is no question Africa economy needs some help.  So does ours, do we borrow money from China to help them?

How much more can the USA take on for debt?  We have not even paid for Katrina yet.

]]> By: the happy medium. « http://africanarguments.org/2009/03/advancing-african-development-the-necessity-for-aid-and-trade/comment-page-1/#comment-272 the happy medium. « Mon, 09 Mar 2009 19:04:28 +0000 http://africanarguments.org/?p=217#comment-272 [...] happy medium. Posted in Africa, Development by sanstis on March 9th, 2009 Trade or aid? It’s not one or the other. Let me use some examples. The great success stories of development in the post world war II period [...] [...] happy medium. Posted in Africa, Development by sanstis on March 9th, 2009 Trade or aid? It’s not one or the other. Let me use some examples. The great success stories of development in the post world war II period [...]

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