Sunday, July 15, 2007

Butt Out, Great White Hope

Africa, the “dark continent” individuals are led to believe, needs saving, and the great white hope which is the West is always sallying forth with their life ring of aid ready to be tossed to the poor teeming masses of Africans.

Rock stars, movie stars, ideological college students, and of course Western politicians, all clamor for more, more, more aid for whatever crisis they perceive Africa is currently undergoing, which is akin to giving one dose of medicine to a patient for an illness which actually requires an extended course of treatment.

Uzodinma Iweala, an actual African, opines on this subject in a piece published by the Washington Post titled Stop Trying To ‘Save’ Africa. From Iweala’s piece.

...the West has turned to Africa for redemption. Idealistic college students, celebrities such as Bob Geldof and politicians such as Tony Blair have all made bringing light to the dark continent their mission. They fly in for internships and fact-finding missions or to pick out children to adopt in much the same way my friends and I in New York take the subway to the pound to adopt stray dogs.

And this.

...News reports constantly focus on the continent’s corrupt leaders, warlords, “tribal” conflicts, child laborers, and women disfigured by abuse and genital mutilation. These descriptions run under headlines like “Can Bono Save Africa?” or “Will Brangelina Save Africa?” The relationship between the West and Africa is no longer based on openly racist beliefs, but such articles are reminiscent of reports from the heyday of European colonialism, when missionaries were sent to Africa to introduce us to education, Jesus Christ and “civilization."

Iweala ends his piece by noting that Africa can save itself through global business partnerships.  The question is, though, will the great white hope of the West, instead of throwing a life ring, bring them a business contract and a pen?

Posted by John Venlet on 07/15 at 09:00 AM
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