I refuse to add my name to the Live 8 List to be presented to the leaders of the G8 at the summit on July 6th. My reason is quite simple: pouring endless amounts of money into Africa is, in my opinion, a huge waste.
Live 8 has three steps for the G8 leaders to follow:
- double the aid sent to the world’s poorest countries,
- fully cancel their debts,
- change the trade laws so that they can build their own future.
The only one of these points I agree with is #2 – I am entirely in favor of forgiving debts owed by the nations of Africa, and of any “third world” nation for that matter. As for the other two points, I just don’t agree.
Mr. Geldoff is quick to point out that 20 years after Live Aid, the African continent is no better off. Billions and billions of dollars have already flowed into Africa, and yet things have not improved. I don’t think the way to solve a problem is to throw more money at it.
Why not spend billions of dollars at home? Drastically decrease the cost of post secondary education at home. Improve the availability of health care at home. Get people off the streets at home. There are many reasons to spend that huge amount of money at home first.
As for changing the trade laws – that’s just not necessary. Take an International Economics course, and then tell me if you still think we need to change the trade laws. What we really need to do is increase the level of education in poor countries, not make it easier for them to trade with nothing.
A common argument for giving so much money to Africa is that if we narrow the gap between first world and third world, everyone will benefit. Why is it then, that whenever I hear that argument I am left waiting for some evidence or facts to back it up?
The fact that you can get some celebrities up on stage, or in a commercial, or on a website, and millions of people will blindly do whatever you want them to is a big problem, don’t you think? I wonder how many people who have signed the list actually thought about it before doing so. More likely, they signed the list because their favorite musical stars were a part of the big concerts, not because they think that signing will make a big difference. I don’t think it’s too hard for anyone who spends more than five minutes thinking about it to see that pledging money is not enough. The world’s poorest nations need a lot more than money to improve from their current situation.
Ask everyone who signs the list if they would personally contribute to the billions of dollars going into Africa. I am willing to bet the number of people who say yes would be quite low. Or ask if they’d be willing to go to Africa, not to tour the poor nations, but to dig wells, build schools and hospitals, to do the things that really need to be done. I bet even fewer people would say yes.
To think that we can be “the generation that made poverty history” is extremely arrogant and short-sighted. Throughout history, there has always been poverty, even if it has been more visible at certain times than others. Throwing a bunch of money into a growing problem isn’t going to change that.
Read: Live 8
MasterMaq's Blog 
Your absolutely correct that aid provided should not go to the governments, it has been proven that does not work. Any aid provided MUST go to directly the people of those countries. The aid should be provided as investments into infrastructure (i.e. roads, bridges, pipelines, water treatment, sewage plants) and as mini-loans directly to small businesses within those countries.
The problem that must be solved, is who is to build the infrastructure, who is to provide the loans??? Once we answer that question, the rest of it becomes a simple matter of time.
I’m with you on this post, but I didn’t read anything about the distribution of said donations, I think that’s the biggest thing. Did you know: Out of every $23 that you donate to Red Cross, the actual people working on the front line, only see about $4? Reason? Sure there are a lot of volunteer relief workers, but who looks after the papers, and administrative stuff in an office building? Paid workers, of course, that’s just how it is, you can’t expect people to work for free.
Sorry, that was a bit off topic, this whole "GIVE MONEY! FEEL BETTER!" stuff has me so frustrated. People don’t realize that all the money they give to Africa is almost useless when corrupt governments are seizing aid (in forms of food, money, supplies, etc). Ironic that the very things we’re giving to help, are being given to tyrants to further their bloody campaigns…
Anyway, to make my point concise, there’s no hope for Africa unless they somehow miraculously rid their continent of corrupt governments, rebels, outdated Catholic teachings (anti-birth control), and AIDS, Africa is on a deathward spiral, and no amount of money is going to save it. Maybe if they got rid of corruption, then maybe I’d pitch in a few dollars and my name on a petition.
Oh, and kudos to Prime Minister Paul Martin for saying that it’s unrealistic and foolish to think that we could reach that 2015 0.7% GDP donation goal in time, 10 years?! You want me to donate money? Fine, but not as the expense of my country. Let me fix things here while you get your act together is what I say.
When Nelson Mandela talks, people listen.
Nelson Mandela? yeah, please, there’s a lot of talking going on, and not a lot of doing, and now? there’s singing, and still no doing, people just don’t get it, the solution starts with Africa first.