Why is Africa so messed up?? (that's the only way I could think of putting it)?

Question

Our school has been donating thousands of dollars raised by a Benefit Concert held each year. Every time we go to nominate our candidates for the coming year's recepient, our minds always seem to travel to the ones that need it most-for the past quite a few years, the recipieants have been cayses to help out Africans (Africa Project twice, Save Darfur Coalition, now Doctors Without Borders for Plumpynut malnourished aid).

Is it the faulty governments? Even so, how can that many countries-all in proximity-have one thing in common-chaos?
Fatal Epidemics here (Ebola Virus/HIV?AIDS), genocide there (Sudanese Janjaweed genocide).

Most of all, why isn't there anything being done by governments of the more privileged countries? (such as us, the US). Okay, so we've tried...but has anything really been done? Is Africa going to keep surviving on minute help from comparatively insignificant aid (such as school fundraisers and small volunteer groups)?

www.doctorswithoutborders.org

By the way, I'm truly sorry if I offended anyone with this question. I really don't have a full understanding of whats going on in Africa, that's why I asked this question...based on what I know and feel. :\

Answer 1

You should be more intellgent than to say why is Africa messed up? What are you a kid? You should know that there are more polite ways of asking this type of question. As an African, i find that Africa is in their state of poverty because of debts, lack of medicine and technology and also illnesses. It is NOT africas fault that it is in its currenct economic situation it is because of ignorant people like you that don't know the facts straight to help the continent prosper, it humanities fault that africa is how it is because people don't want to spend money to save people and educate them because its a whole lot cheaper to have them dead.

Answer 2

Africa is messed up because it is populated with Africans. Same reason why Mexico is a Third World country because it is populated with Mexicans. Those people have IQs under 85....you aren't going to get much out of an 85 IQ.

Answer 3

The reward difficulty is because of the historical past of colonialism in Africa which has been from the seventeenth century very greatly a tale of exploitation of the usual assets of the continent by means of different countries certainly from Europe and America despite the fact that the Chinese are actually stepping into at the act. Most of the international locations of Africa are only synthetic entities that have been created by means of executive officers in Europe drawing instantly strains on a map and not using a connection with the tribal loyalties or tradition of the indigenous peoples. The effect is plenty of international locations have ethnic tensions which make it intricate for a democratic society to position. During colonial instances the African used to be stored uneducated in order that he might be subservient to the white guy with the effect that after those international locations finally bought independence there used to be infrequently any center elegance and vigor grew to become focused within the arms of corrupt despots who had been more commonly subsidized by means of the ex colonial vigor. The effect of all that is that the usual assets are nonetheless getting used for the advantage of overseas companies and a small ruling elite whilst the vast majority of the individuals are living in poverty and sickness. You might believe that overseas governments might aid however they have got their possess time table that is a want to manipulate the usual assets in order that they in general manage the corrupt ruling categories and so the issues of colonialism are perpetuated.

Answer 4

yea, mabey it was the slave trade. But i do not believe that was the ONLY reason that Africa is behind the rest of the world. Honestly, i think the slave trade STARTED the regression of the African continent, but if you look back at Africa's history and the rest of the world, Africa has never been unified as a whole country. There are many different tribes, within the countries that hold Africa. The tribes have conflicts with each other, and so not even the individual countries are unified. Also, africa has been taken over by different European governments therefore futher debilitateing Africa, and makeing it harder for them to stand on their own feet. Then when the European countries left, the wrong people took over the individual counties. (Such as the LRA in Uganda today) As a result, with the wrong political leaders, you end up with a very poor, very unstable, and very behind country. Also, i believe that privelaged counrties are TRYING to help the africans. Mabey not as hard as they should, but i know they are. There are so many fundraisers and stuff for africa its almost insane. But, if you think about it, what else can we do as a priveleged country? if we try to impose a better government, wich could help them overall become better countries with improves systems and societies, they might reject our means and plans, and we'll have another war of Iraq on our hands. Im sure that if a country was in a VERY desperate need and they ASKED us what they wanted, we would proboly give it to them.

((BTW: I am NOT African, i just love history! lol!))

Answer 5

I don't think you can answer a question like this simply - you could write a _library_ of books about what went wrong in Africa. But I think the most significant factors are due to the exploitative attitude of powers outside of Africa, toward the continent and its people, which you can further break down into:
*The fact that Africa had the historical misfortune to live right next door to the crucible of some of the most powerful civilisations in history... the Middle East, Levant, and Mediterranean spawned Mesopotamia, Egypt, Persia, Babylon, Greece, Carthage, Rome, etc. They set the pattern of demand for African resources (like gold and slaves), and by creating "client kingdoms" the pattern of dependence and disempowerment.
*The pattern was followed by every other major power that "took up the baton" from these civilisations - Arab, French, British, Belgian, Dutch, American...
*Repressive colonial governments in the "modern" era... I strongly advise you google the words _"Belgian Congo"+atrocity_ if you are in any doubt just how unspeakably awful human beings can treat those they regard as inferior to themselves.
*rapacious exploitation of Africa's natural resources - oil, minerals, diamonds, tropical hardwoods, you name it.
*arms dealing, arms dealing, arms dealing... if the French, the Russians and all the other countries pouring arms into Africa could just agree to _stop doing so_, it probably woudn't stop the violence in Africa, but it would certainly limit the damage that a malevolent minority are doing.
*Systematic manipulation of the political affairs of the continent by foreign powers, to suit their own foreign policy agendas (i.e. supporting repressive regimes just because they supposedly "oppose Communism").

Answer 6

Ask me it's because of eroupe and the Berlin confrence in 1884

Answer 7

No answer as no solution I have seen so far.

Answer 8

only Africa ?? what about the rest of the world ??

Answer 9

lack of significant natural resources and tillable land. potentially genetically inferior inhabitants