Ms. Dambisa Moyo's recent Huffington Post article exposes the confusions that underlie her slashing attacks on aid. Most importantly, she seems to believe that sub-Saharan Africa was economically prosperous and then was pushed into poverty by aid. She makes the following statement: "No surprise, then, that Africa is on the whole worse off today than it was 40 years ago. For example in the 1970's less than 10 percent of Africa's population lived in dire poverty -- today over 70 percent of sub-Saharan Africa lives on less than US$2 a day."
Let's parse that statement for a moment. World . . . [more]
In a posting on the Global Brief blog, Millennium Promise CEO John McArthur questions the Canadian government's commitment to foreign aid and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
This week Canadian Development Minister Beverley Oda made a policy speech outlining Canada’s renewed emphasis on improving the quality of its foreign aid dollars. A focus on efficacy is commendable and important, since taxpayer dollars should of course be subject to strict scrutiny in advancing key development objectives in the poorest countries, particularly the Millennium Development Goals. But an emphasis on quality cannot be presented as a false choice against quantity, . . . [more]
This past Tuesday, I had the pleasure of attending a dinner event to mobilize support for the Show Me Campaign. Founded by 5-time Grammy Award winner John Legend, a longstanding supporter of Millennium Promise and our community-level partnership with the people of Mbola, Tanzania, the mission of Show Me is to end poverty through sustainable development, education and service at the individual, family and community . . . [more]
In a posting on the Global Brief blog, Millennium Promise CEO John McArthur addresses recent criticisms of foreign aid and answers questions about its continued viability in difficult economic times.
Spurred by a fragile global economic psyche and some controversial recent writings, foreign aid has entered a new cycle of scrutiny in recent months. This is not altogether surprising in light of widespread market malaise and the tendency of many to turn inward during times of crisis. But it is nonetheless risk-ridden at a time when intensified international collaboration is required. It is also ironic since rich countries were already . . . [more]
Editor's Note: This post was originally published on the State of the Planet Blog
When holding a hammer in your hand, every problem can look like a nail. Dambisa Moyo’s book Dead Aid gives fresh meaning to this old adage, applying the perspective of a top-tier investment banker to the plight of the poorest people in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Economist recently panned the book by likening it to caricature. The underlying weaknesses are found in both its diagnosis and prescription.
On . . . [more]
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