6.27.09
I’m glad I was introduced to Dambisa Moyo and her talks on global development. For those of us who knew that the paternalistic approach to global aid and the BS that surrounds it with celebrities adopting African children and rock stars glamorizing their support.
Here is a great series of videos of an interview she conducted with the National Review. She really makes an impact. Some interesting points she makes:
- There are many roadblocks to aid but ways to do it
- The Chinese are big investors in Africa and likely they will be Africa’s best partner
- Some people give money to try to coerce African nations to their way of belief wheras China simply invests and allows countries to run their own affairs, creating jobs
- The wrong kind of foreign aid supports the wrong kinds of leaders and creates further dependency of African people on handouts but doesn’t help them help themselves
- She prefers Hu Jintao (Chinese president) and his investing/job creation to Bono and Bob Geldoff (Live Aid)/handouts
See the video here:
Perhaps there is room for both aid and investment as Dambisa has said in her interviews – aid for the most desperate people but investment for those who can work and want to be educated or have education. She worries though about those people that are addicted to being the “savior” of others instead of enablers of others – a common problem found not only in service work but also often in the fields of counseling/psychology/coaching.
Enjoy!
Chris Grande
