Foreign Aid or 21st-century Imperialism?
In 1885 the Berlin Conference concluded, and the European superpowers divided up African territories amongst themselves. One of their motivations was the “white man’s burden”, the belief that white man has a duty to civilize the savage, barbarian natives of Africa and abroad. They used this mantra as justification for their actions, colonizing and conquering Africa in the pursuit of this “moral mission”. In much the same way that Europeans felt obligated to civilize the native Africans, developed countries today feel obliged to pour money and support into African countries to help them develop more quickly and rise out of the worst poverty in the world. The foreign aid, while intended for good use, has had a variety of effects on African society, ranging from benefits in education and health to inefficient and disconnected governments. The question becomes, what is the role of international aid in Africa, and should countries continue to provide the support that they are now?
On one hand, international aid provides useful and necessary support to African countries in need. BBC News acknowledges that African residents are being provided with medical care, water, and education as a result of the foreign aid coming in from the U.N. and individual countries (Akwagyiram). This aid is helping those in poverty live longer and have the opportunity to escape poverty through education. Additionally, the Spectator claims that aid works to improve physical infrastructure in Africa, with roads being a primary example of development (Acemoglu-Robinson). According to the MCC, a group responsible for foreign aid in the U.S., a U.S.-sponsored aid program has helped over 5 million Tanzanians with their roads, water, and sanitation projects (Glassman). Infrastructure, health care, and education all represent important branches of government and society, and the aid that is being supplied to these areas is having a positive impact on many Africans.
On the other hand, foreign aid is having a large negative impact on African countries, as it makes their governments inefficient and too dependent on support. The Washington Post reports that African governments are not accountable to their citizens any more, because instead of having to tax their citizens for income, they get billions in aid from foreign governments (Swanson). As a result, the aid is not reaching those who it is intended for, the citizens. A writer on CNN insists that with every promise of aid, “the development challenge was always on somebody else's shoulders and governments have been eager receivers, rather than clear-headed managers of Western generosity”(Calderisi). Because of the deluge of foreign aid coming in from all over the world, leaders of African countries are becoming too dependent on the aid to function independently, and rather than work on building better infrastructure or a better economy, leaders would instead depend on foreign aid to buoy them through their financial problems.
As these adverse effects are becoming more apparent, organizations that supply aid are beginning to question their involvement in African affairs. Countries such as the U.K. have cut foreign aid to particular African nations, as they have seen that the money is not being used for its intended purpose(Acemoglu-Robinson). In fact, there are a variety of proposed solutions to this issue, yet none of them have gathered much support from governments that provide aid Countries need to reevaluate their aid initiatives if they want the aid to used appropriately, and in this way, they make strides towards solving the situation in Africa. The truth is that this a pressing issue that demands our attention now, lest more money be poured into the sinkhole of Africa.
Works Cited
Acemoglu, Daron and Robinson, A. James. "Why Foreign Aid Fails - and How to Really Help Africa." The Spectator. The Spectator, 27 Jan. 2014. Web. 17 Mar. 2017.
Akwagyiram, Alexis. "How Can Africa Move Away from Aid Dependence?" BBC News. BBC, 01 May 2013. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.
Calderisi, Robert. "Why Foreign Aid and Africa Don't Mix." CNN. Cable News Network, 18 Aug. 2010. Web. 06 Mar. 2017.
Glassman, James K. "Foreign Aid: The Good And Bad." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 30 May 2011. Web. 06 Mar. 2017.
Swanson, Ana."Why Trying to Help Poor Countries Might Actually Hurt Them." The Washington Post. WP Company, 13 Oct. 2015. Web. 08 Mar. 2017.
Great article Henry! You really showed the two sided edge of giving foreign aid. Do you know what specific countries are abusing the foreign aid?
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ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your article. My favorite aspect of your article is the introduction because it really drew me in and made me more interested in your article's topic. My main take-away is that foreign aid actually harms Africa's government independence and has long term negative effects. How will Africa take the first step to overcome their dependency on foreign aid?
ReplyDeleteIt was really interesting to see both sides of the story and to explain that a balance is needed. By doing so, it sounded informative and I learned a lot about the impact of foreign aid without being persuasive about taking a specific route. Do you know why much progress hasn't been made regarding this issue?
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading this article because of the way it showed how complex the issue is and how there may not be a clear answer. I did not know that countries had become less connected and accountable because of foreign aid. If foreign countries were to cut of aid spending to the governments that misuse it, would it be fair to the citizens of those countries?
ReplyDeleteGreat article, I thought your introduction was great because it really captured my attention and showed the extent of what is happening. I learned a lot about the impact of foreign aid, something I've never really thought about. Do you have any ideas on how Africa will begin to retract their dependency on foreign aid.
ReplyDeleteI really like the title, because it is creative and it captivates the reader. I learned a lot about how foreign aid can actually impact a country, which isn't something I knew anything about. What is Africa going to do to improve this?
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