Africa: A Continent of Failure

[Advocate of Truth]

Despite billions of dollars in charity, Africa is still falling apart! Are
all African governments corrupt, solely out of racism?

Africa aid policy a failure, PM says
Poverty not reduced: Progressive nations will be rewarded under new plan

Sheldon Alberts
National Post

ABUJA, Nigeria - Jean Chrétien, the Prime Minister, acknowledged yesterday
that Canada's African aid policy has failed in its primary goal of reducing
poverty and he promised sweeping changes designed to provide progressive
nations with the bulk of development assistance.

Mr. Chrétien's proposal -- part of a larger initiative being developed by
the G8 in tandem with African nations -- was endorsed by one of the
continent's most influential leaders. Olusegun Obasanjo, president of
Nigeria, said Africans are tired of going "cap in hand" to rich countries
for assistance.

Following meetings yesterday with Mr. Obasanjo and several other west
African leaders, Mr. Chrétien said future Canadian aid will be based on a
system that rewards progressive nations that embrace democracy, human rights
and social reforms.

"I don't think that in the last 10 years the programs in Africa of poverty
reduction have been successful. Africa has regressed over the last 10 years
rather than progress economically," Mr. Chrétien told reporters yesterday,
adding that "we have to reward improvement."

Canada spent $696-million on development aid to Africa last year and has
averaged between $500-million and $700-million annually in recent years.

But critics have charged that Ottawa's foreign aid has been ineffective
because it is provided with few strings attached, primarily to corrupt,
poorly governed nations.

Mr. Chrétien, as chairman of this June's G8 summit in Kananaskis, Alta., is
on an 11-day tour of Africa to consult leaders about developing criteria to
rank the nations most deserving of aid.

African leaders last year asked the G8 to help them overcome decades of
poverty, violence and decreasing living standards by working together on a
comprehensive development plan that puts the onus on them to introduce
government and societal reforms.

Mr. Obasanjo agreed the "carrot-and-stick" approach offers incentive for
corrupt or dictatorial regimes to introduce democratic, legal and human
rights reforms.

"Assistance should be based on need and on reward.... I believe the two
should go together, made so that you actually take care of the need of
individual countries and reward others to encourage healthy competition,"
said Mr. Obasanjo. "If you perform, you get encouragement."

Mr. Obasanjo was a key player in the development of the New Partnership for
African Development (NEPAD), which serves as the blueprint for the G8's
upcoming African Action Plan.

Africa will never emerge from poverty if rich nations such as Canada simply
write foreign aid cheques and do not work as partners in development, he
said.

The African proposal to G8 nations includes requests to forgive foreign debt
and reduce agricultural subsidies and trade barriers that hamper African
exports.

"We have said that one of the things that marks NEPAD out from other
programs of the past is that it is not a program where you go cap in hand
and say, 'Put money here,' " said Mr. Obasanjo.

"Almost every day we have one thing or the other that is given to us. We
don't even know what they are. And when we fail in the process, we are told
that we have failed."

Canada has committed an extra $500-million in foreign aid to Africa to help
implement the G8 plan once it is finalized.

Mr. Chrétien said Canada will still support the neediest nations, but money
will be targeted at countries that implement "the rule of law, respect for
human rights, peace and security and democratic rights."

"That will make it possible for the capital to come and develop the great
potential of Africa."

Mr. Chrétien flies today to South Africa for meetings with Thabo Mbeki, the
country's President.

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?f=/stories/20020406/560773.html

[Devil's Advocate]

Well mister Advocate of Truth, why is is that you fail to leave out the rest
of the world? Central America, South America, most of Asia, etc. are all
continents in which billions of dollars of aide has been given, and they are
still poverty stricken. In fact, there are still many countries in Europe
that are still poverty stricken. It's not a white or black or racial thing
at all... So mister Advocate of Truth, mention those countries in your next
posting.

"Advocate of Truth" <Tu...@thetruthofmanythings.net> wrote in message
news:EJRs8.20937$QC1.1...@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...