Ayer se publicó una noticia mediante la que se informaba de la publicación de un libro en el que se manifiestan cosas como que “la ayuda de los países occidentales está matando a África”, como que “la ayuda es un desastre absoluto, tanto en lo político, económico y humanitario, por lo que debería terminar”, o como que “los habitantes, sólo pueden sobrevivir gracias a la caridad, no aportan nada a las economías de los países y carecen de la mentalidad adecuada para exigir a sus gobernantes que cumplan con sus deberes”.
Quien esto afirma no es un presuntuoso varón blanco anglosajón, sino una mujer llamada Dambisa Moyo, o sea, la de la foto (tomada de Libertad Digital), nacida y criada en Lusaka (Zambia), es decir, lo que antes se llamaba África Negra, según ella misma cuenta al principio de su libro.
El libro se inicia con un prefacio que empieza hablando ilusionadamente de sus padres, de cómo se graduaron y conocieron, y del ambiente existente entonces: “The 1970s were an exciting time to be African. Many of our nations had just achieved independence, and with that came a deep sense of dignity, self-respect and hope for the future.”
En la noticia de Libertad Digital que he enlazado, se enlaza a su vez, a un artículo de Dambisa Moya publicado este pasado 21 de marzo en The Wall Street Journal, titulado “Why Foreign Aid Is Hurting Africa” y subtitulado “Money from rich countries has trapped many African nations in a cycle of corruption, slower economic growth and poverty. Cutting off the flow would be far more beneficial”.
El principio del artículo es como sigue:
“A month ago I visited Kibera, the largest slum in Africa. This suburb of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, is home to more than one million people, who eke out a living in an area of about one square mile (…) It is a sea of aluminum and cardboard shacks that forgotten families call home. The idea of a slum conjures up an image of children playing amidst piles of garbage, with no running water and the rank, rife stench of sewage. Kibera does not disappoint.
What is incredibly disappointing is the fact that just a few yards from Kibera stands the headquarters of the United Nations' agency for human settlements which, with an annual budget of millions of dollars, is mandated to "promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all." Kibera festers in Kenya, a country that has one of the highest ratios of development workers per capita.”
Y algunas de las frases del mismo son las siguientes:
“Giving alms to Africa remains one of the biggest ideas of our time -- millions march for it, governments are judged by it, celebrities proselytize the need for it.”
“Yet evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates that aid to Africa has made the poor poorer, and the growth slower.”
“Aid is an unmitigated political, economic and humanitarian disaster.”
“Few will deny that there is a clear moral imperative for humanitarian and charity-based aid to step in when necessary, such as during the 2004 tsunami in Asia.”
“This kind of aid [aid-supported scholarships] can provide band-aid solutions to alleviate immediate suffering, but by its very nature cannot be the platform for long-term sustainable growth.”
“Over the past 60 years at least $1 trillion of development-related aid has been transferred from rich countries to Africa. Yet real per-capita income today is lower than it was in the 1970s, and more than 50% of the population -- over 350 million people -- live on less than a dollar a day, a figure that has nearly doubled in two decades.”
“The most obvious criticism of aid is its links to rampant corruption.”
“A nascent economy needs a transparent and accountable government and an efficient civil service to help meet social needs. Its people need jobs and a belief in their country's future. A surfeit of aid has been shown to be unable to help achieve these goals.”
“A constant stream of "free" money is a perfect way to keep an inefficient or simply bad government in power. As aid flows in, there is nothing more for the government to do -- it doesn't need to raise taxes, and as long as it pays the army, it doesn't have to take account of its disgruntled citizens.”
“The aid system encourages poor-country governments to pick up the phone and ask the donor agencies for next capital infusion.”
“It is the rare investor that wants to risk money in a country that is unable to stand on its own feet and manage its own affairs in a sustainable way.”
“Civil clashes are often motivated by the knowledge that by seizing the seat of power, the victor gains virtually unfettered access to the package of aid that comes with it.”
“The good news is we know what works; what delivers growth and reduces poverty. We know that economies that rely on open-ended commitments of aid almost universally fail, and those that do not depend on aid succeed.”
Y concluye:
“Governments need to attract more foreign direct investment by creating attractive tax structures and reducing the red tape and complex regulations for businesses. African nations should also focus on increasing trade; China is one promising partner. And Western countries can help by cutting off the cycle of giving something for nothing. It's time for a change.”
Hoy, Jueves Santo, la Iglesia Católica celebra el Día del Amor Fraterno.
Dicen que “quien bien te quiere, te hará llorar”: tal vez sea ya el momento de que las lágrimas de África tengan otro motivo.
Quien esto afirma no es un presuntuoso varón blanco anglosajón, sino una mujer llamada Dambisa Moyo, o sea, la de la foto (tomada de Libertad Digital), nacida y criada en Lusaka (Zambia), es decir, lo que antes se llamaba África Negra, según ella misma cuenta al principio de su libro.El libro se inicia con un prefacio que empieza hablando ilusionadamente de sus padres, de cómo se graduaron y conocieron, y del ambiente existente entonces: “The 1970s were an exciting time to be African. Many of our nations had just achieved independence, and with that came a deep sense of dignity, self-respect and hope for the future.”
En la noticia de Libertad Digital que he enlazado, se enlaza a su vez, a un artículo de Dambisa Moya publicado este pasado 21 de marzo en The Wall Street Journal, titulado “Why Foreign Aid Is Hurting Africa” y subtitulado “Money from rich countries has trapped many African nations in a cycle of corruption, slower economic growth and poverty. Cutting off the flow would be far more beneficial”.El principio del artículo es como sigue:
“A month ago I visited Kibera, the largest slum in Africa. This suburb of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, is home to more than one million people, who eke out a living in an area of about one square mile (…) It is a sea of aluminum and cardboard shacks that forgotten families call home. The idea of a slum conjures up an image of children playing amidst piles of garbage, with no running water and the rank, rife stench of sewage. Kibera does not disappoint.
What is incredibly disappointing is the fact that just a few yards from Kibera stands the headquarters of the United Nations' agency for human settlements which, with an annual budget of millions of dollars, is mandated to "promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all." Kibera festers in Kenya, a country that has one of the highest ratios of development workers per capita.”
Y algunas de las frases del mismo son las siguientes:
“Giving alms to Africa remains one of the biggest ideas of our time -- millions march for it, governments are judged by it, celebrities proselytize the need for it.”
“Yet evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates that aid to Africa has made the poor poorer, and the growth slower.”
“Aid is an unmitigated political, economic and humanitarian disaster.”
“Few will deny that there is a clear moral imperative for humanitarian and charity-based aid to step in when necessary, such as during the 2004 tsunami in Asia.”
“This kind of aid [aid-supported scholarships] can provide band-aid solutions to alleviate immediate suffering, but by its very nature cannot be the platform for long-term sustainable growth.”
“Over the past 60 years at least $1 trillion of development-related aid has been transferred from rich countries to Africa. Yet real per-capita income today is lower than it was in the 1970s, and more than 50% of the population -- over 350 million people -- live on less than a dollar a day, a figure that has nearly doubled in two decades.”
“The most obvious criticism of aid is its links to rampant corruption.”
“A nascent economy needs a transparent and accountable government and an efficient civil service to help meet social needs. Its people need jobs and a belief in their country's future. A surfeit of aid has been shown to be unable to help achieve these goals.”
“A constant stream of "free" money is a perfect way to keep an inefficient or simply bad government in power. As aid flows in, there is nothing more for the government to do -- it doesn't need to raise taxes, and as long as it pays the army, it doesn't have to take account of its disgruntled citizens.”
“The aid system encourages poor-country governments to pick up the phone and ask the donor agencies for next capital infusion.”
“It is the rare investor that wants to risk money in a country that is unable to stand on its own feet and manage its own affairs in a sustainable way.”
“Civil clashes are often motivated by the knowledge that by seizing the seat of power, the victor gains virtually unfettered access to the package of aid that comes with it.”
“The good news is we know what works; what delivers growth and reduces poverty. We know that economies that rely on open-ended commitments of aid almost universally fail, and those that do not depend on aid succeed.”
Y concluye:
“Governments need to attract more foreign direct investment by creating attractive tax structures and reducing the red tape and complex regulations for businesses. African nations should also focus on increasing trade; China is one promising partner. And Western countries can help by cutting off the cycle of giving something for nothing. It's time for a change.”
Hoy, Jueves Santo, la Iglesia Católica celebra el Día del Amor Fraterno.
Dicen que “quien bien te quiere, te hará llorar”: tal vez sea ya el momento de que las lágrimas de África tengan otro motivo.
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