Perpetuateing a Culture of Dependency

Many leaders in Africa want to keeep the status quo, they like events like Live 8. They like this because, it guarantess, money in there pockets!

According to a leading think tank researcher "British and EU policy on foreign aid is likely to perpetuate a culture of dependency in the continent, which will impede rather than accelerate the positive changes needed to haul Africa into the 21st century. Significantly, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned last week that increased levels of foreign aid will not boost economic growth in Africa.

There is no guarantee that Western aid will be used properly by Third World countries. All too often, foreign aid has enriched political elites in Africa and Asia, while failing to benefit ordinary people. A perfect example has been that of Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria, whose rulers for 40 years squandered the wealth of an oil rich nation that possesses vast natural resources. Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, set up in 2002, recently revealed that the country’s previous rulers misused or stole £220 billion ($400 billion) in the period between independence from Britain in 1960 and 1999, when the country returned to civilian rule.

Advancing Economic and Political Freedom in Africa
Africa’s problems cannot be solved simply by spending more money on development assistance, and President Bush should not hesitate to convey the message that the United States will not support a huge increase in foreign aid.At the G-8 summit, President Bush should argue that the specter of poverty in the African continent can best be challenged through open trade, increased foreign direct investment (FDI), and sustained political pressure on African governments to liberalize their economies and advance economic and political reform. The greatest gift the West can give to Africa and the developing world is not yet another short-term handout measured in dollars, pounds, or euros, but the seeds of liberty and freedom and a long-term commitment to holding African leaders to account for corruption, misrule, and human rights abuses.