I was sent the link to the Kevin Myers article in the Irish Independent (that 'fine' Irish Tabloid that has done so much for our country). It really makes my blood boil.
I would love to know if the opinions expressed in this article are the opinions people genuinely hold in Ireland. If they are we truly have lost the plot.
The problems in Africa are extremely complex and there is no doubt they can seem insurmountable but that aside, the really disturbing aspect of the article to me is the assumption that unless you are giving something of value to the western world then you are worthless.
In other words, anything that contributes to the sustenance of our way of life is good - anything that challenges it is bad.
That is pretty much the same attitude of a crocodile. As long as it is fed (including even eating its own children) all is OK. If its life is threatened then it kills the threat.
The other incredibly naive assumption is that just because we gave 'some' money to Ethiopia 20 years ago that all its problems would be solved and Ethiopia would never be in need again.
Imagine giving a severely abused child pocket money when she was 6, telling her to spend it wisely on her future, going off on a world trip for the next 20 years and then coming back and being surprised that the child has grown up quite dysfunctional and in even more dire need of help.
For me development projects should never be about just giving - development intervention should be about partnership, education and commitment for the long-term. There are no simple, magic solutions - every intervention takes time, resources, expertise and serious commitment to see it through.
Its easy to write diatribe like the Myers article. Its frustratingly hard to do something constructive about the challenges Africa faces. Articles like the above just make those challenges harder.
Its no wonder that toilet paper costs more than our newspapers.
No comments:
Post a Comment