smritiweb.com

“Stop trying to ’save’ Africa”

Earlier I had pointed to an article by an African economist complaining about how aid to Africa is doing more harm than good. Now Uzodinma Iweala an African author has another interesting article that is in a similar vein, but makes a slightly different point:

Why do the media frequently refer to African countries as having been “granted independence from their colonial masters,” as opposed to having fought and shed blood for their freedom? Why do Angelina Jolie and Bono receive overwhelming attention for their work in Africa while Nwankwo Kanu or Dikembe Mutombo, Africans both, are hardly ever mentioned? How is it that a former mid-level U.S. diplomat receives more attention for his cowboy antics in Sudan than do the numerous African Union countries that have sent food and troops and spent countless hours trying to negotiate a settlement among all parties in that crisis?

See the full article. It makes some rather interesting points.