Book Review - Dead Aid

Dead Aid by Dambisa Moyo: Economist Moyo, in simple and frank language, appeals to us in the west to stop pouring aid money into Africa since there is little to show for the billions that the continent has received over the last fifty years. She contends that charitable aid is worse than no aid at all since it fosters dependency and corruption in the governments which receive it. Dependency eliminates African entrepreneurship and stymies good governance when African governments must only answer to foreign donors and not to their own people. In short, aid has worsened African poverty. To pull donor money out of Africa is an opinion that I hear more and more, but it contends with the entrenched conviction that donor aid must actually be increased. In the second half of her book, Moyo, who was born and raised in Zambia, proposes solutions which work better than charity – including that of investing commercially in the continent as the Chinese are doing. That subject alone - the Chinese presence in Africa, is it helping or hurting? - is sure to create more heated discussion.

14-10-2009

Music - Long Way Down

Long Way Down: this is the official soundtrack to the motorcycle adventure series of the same name which appeared on BBC TV last year. The series chronicles actor Ewan McGregor's and his action buddy Charley Boorman's travels through Africa on their bikes. There are some familiar and famous African musicians in this compilation – such as Geoffrey Oryema, Ayub Ogada, and Thomas Mapfumo – but I was also pleased to be introduced to the Afro Celt Sound System (a UK group) and Somalian singer Maryam Mursal. I loved the series. (Who can't like Ewan McGregor?) I love this soundtrack even more.

14-10-2009

Tidbit

"Perhaps the most convincing argument for conservation is that we simply don't know enough about our world to allow its careless destruction. Apart from all the philosophical debate about the dignity of animals, can we be sure that we will not some day miss them? Isn't the mystery of being alive enough of a riddle? And doesn't that go for the lives of all of us on the planet: mammals, reptiles, birds, and the whole crawling, fluttering, buzzing, sliding and striding lot of us?"

Vic Guhrs, The Wild Life

14-10-2009