Do you think it's time the rest of the world got serious about creating some long term permanent changes?

Question

In Africa?

There is so much starvation, disease, civil wars and extreme abuse of the general population in so many Africian Countries.

Do you think it's time for long term solutions instead of quick fix bandaid solutions?

What are some of the changes you think would more the situation forward?

Answer 1

Africa is not easily solved. It has become so rooted in corruption and levels of inflation are so high its a deep pit where its not easy to escape. Not to mention, the debt they owe to Western nations is paid back gradually whenever they earn a bit of money, but that said debt has accumulated so much interest its now more than what it was when it started back in the 1970s.

Financial and food aid is not straight forward either. Its easy for a government to just say to its people "just rely on the aid" and thus have become dependant on it. Even then though, Africa is such a large economic black hole when it comes to aid due to the large amounts of corruption. However some countries get large revenues from tourism, e.g Kenya.

The biggest problem for African nations is that they are being ravaged by rampant AIDS infections, due to Catholic beliefs by many and lack of contraceptives for the others.

The best solution would be these:

1.Write off all existing debts by all Western nations.
2. Encourage leaders to spearhead programmes into routing out corruption. The people can do little and the UN are unable to deal with the bulk of it.
3. Reduce aid and instead replace it with schemes to develop infrastructure ( a bottom-up scheme) and for governments to set up continguencies when famine hits.
4. Curb the spread of AIDS. The WHO have been trying to manage this for years but it is always difficult. Provide as many contraceptives as possible for its people, and encourage their use (they can also appeal to the Catholics through religious teachings, eg GOD HATES AIDS STOP THE SPREAD etc)
5. Many African economies rely on exporting only primary materials, often of only one or two types. They need a multi-source form of income, the best being tourism. Later they can try and manufacture using their large resource base.

Answer 2

Well isn't that just ducky!!!!!!!

Who messed it up in the first place? The Spanish? The French? The Dutch? The Portuguese?The British? Colonialism is a nasty thing.

There were some ten thousand Kingdoms, Confederacies and other distinct Indigenous groups in on the continent of Africa prior to the above invaders. These people had boarders laid down accross them with no consideration for the ramifacations on these poeple whatsoever! Then, as the Colonial powers slowly departed after years of oppression, they left a mess behind. Their mess.

Missionaries have also created conflicts where there were none. They may feel they are doing good, but in the long term are they really? Yes! help feed and cloth people! But step back respectfully and support people in nursing their own cultures and beliefs back to health.

Know as a woman, I do have some concerns there. But I am here. I don't know the details. But, I believe that African women are making their way to equality and better health as we speake! I honour these great women! I have heard amazing things about what the women of Africa are doing. If we can support them in any way, that! would be a 'good' idea!

Today, there are some fifty four nations in Africa. So much healing is needed. I pay homage to people like Nelson Mandela, and others, most whose names those of us elsewhere in the world will never know!

The answer as to what will help the people of Africa has to come out of Africa. Having said that, one of the greatest advocates for Africa and the African people that I have ever heard, and very much in touch with the people of Africa, is Steven Lewis. Look him up on the Internet. He is a really amazing man with a powerful message. One of my heroes!

We, in the Western world can do our part. We can stop unscrupulous companies from our own countries from going over there and exploiting labour by setting better guidlines for them!and enforcing those guidlines! We can make sure some how, through legislation, that unscrupulous companies do not dump products that our own countries deem unsafe on these struggling nations! DDT is an example.We can educate ourselves as to the real historical background to this situation so that we don't do these stupid things that we do over and over and over again.


Peace and understanding!

We can be involved, but we must stop dictating.

Go to find The Steven Lewis Foundation...Grandmothers to Grandmothers: the dawn of a new movement.

You will love this, it is awsome and beautiful!


Peace and respecting one another.

Answer 3

Gee, I don't know how to tell you this, but there are many incidents of starvation (or, at least hunger), disease (or at least those whose illnesses aren't covered by insurance), civil wars (except we call it political dissertation), and extreme abuse (such as Howard Stern's degradation of women, and Rush Limbaugh's Hitler-like hatred spewed over our airwaves every day) - all right here in the good ol' U.S. of A. I think it's time for the U.S.A. to get serious about creating some long term permanent changes in our own country. How about Americans trading hatred and bigotry for love and compassion? How about the U.S.A. paying more attention to the environment and the delicate ecological balance between all humans, plants and animals? How about the U.S. putting a stop to abortion and the death penalty? Maybe we should be repairing our own glass houses before we start being too critical of "the rest of the world".
-RKO- 05/06/07

Answer 4

From what his career had already been, he probably knew it was not going to be an 'easy life', he may be rich but he was in the public's eye 24/7. Plus everyone wanted a peice of him, and truly where trying to control him. It's hard to not consider organizations like the Illuminati to not be real when you rip apart some of his lyrics.

Answer 5

yes yes, you're concerned about the children in africa. and what the hell do you propose? that everybody puts down their weapons? the world is not that simple! if there is to be peace in africa, tribal militias will need to be eliminated first, which means more violence. There is never a flower-power-happy-go-lucky solution to evil in the world. Suffering has always existed and always will. But remember, "if you seek peace, prepare for war".

Answer 6

Gandhi had a beautiful answer:
"Be the change you want to see in the world."

Give your time, resources and love to those you want to Love and Serve. Be an example.


Namaste

Peace and Love

Answer 7

Maybe in a few hundred years, most of our governments are corrupt and work only for the wealthy and powerful.

Answer 8

Yeah, lets start the movement.

Answer 9

I agree with Chris W and couldn't put it any better.