DEATH OF A PRESIDENT IN TOGO AND EXTRA CONSTITUTIONALITY

AFRIPOL.ORGIDEAS HAVE CONSEQUENCES

HOLLYWOOD AND AFRICA: THE MISREPRESENTATION OF REALITY

Film is not to be played with. It may be our most powerful medium and should be treated as such
- Spike Lee (Film writer, director & producer)

Hollywood point of view and perspective on Africa are whopped, illogical and misguided. The image of the true Africa are eclipsed, deformed and in some cases vilified. This must change.
Hollywood has a limited understanding of the continent and its people, or maybe it has cultivated the culture of ignorance on the truth which has become the casualty. The movies have reduced the humanity of Africa to one dimensional stereotype based on their perceived notion of Africa, that are mostly negative, primordial, biased and unbalanced.
The concept of the noble savage compassed their philosophy on movies dealing on African issues.
The Hollywood approach to Africa based on the premise of the bucolic and pristine nature of the continent is sophomoric . They based this on the cultivated ignorance and the poor comprehensive historical perspective and understanding of the African people.
Hollywood do not suppose to engage in propaganda nor become an authority in African history and geography, but she can be meticulous and respectful enough to tell a story without ulterior motives or preconceived notion.
Yes, some nations of Africa are experiencing instability, hunger and existential problems but this is not the total picture of the whole continent. Africa may not be technological advanced, yet some areas of the existence, including family sociology and communal decency are first rate superior and highly sophisticated.
Hollywood fundamental motivation is the bottom line. Money is determinant in the film industry. Movies that appeal to the market and customers are made by the producers. When they are accused of being bias and too ‘liberal’, we know quite well that Hollywood does not exist in the vacuum. The desire of the market becomes paramount, therefore reflective of the movies which are sustaining and maintaining the stereotype held by the society. The shortcomings of the society which limits their scope of the understanding of the world are reinforced in the movies. Hollywood is not challenging the stereotype that the society held as truth, which are in most cases baseless and rooted in half-truths or outright lies and fabrication. Society ethos are hard to change especially when it is profitable and an acceptable abnormality, but Hollywood can do better by challenging the status quo and the peculiarities.
Albeit, Hollywood is not in the business of disseminating true history, which nobody is holding them to that standard but sticking to the facts can do justice to our collective humanity.
What can Africa do to change this phenomena?
First and foremost, Africans are primarily responsible for her image and the representation of the image.
The latest development is heart warming particularly the emergence of robust film industry in Africa, especially Nollywood of Nigeria. Now Africa have a medium to start defining who they are and the way they want people to perceive and understand them. Movies coming from Africa can be both profitable and entertaining ( which they are) but also can be a significant medium of presenting a fair and balance image of Africa. African movie writers and producers must not make propaganda movies, No! It is not acceptable, but to tell the true story without slanting and to be devoid of preconceived notion.
Nollywood must be commended for its achievement but must be encouraged to do better. These movies are powerful cultural exchange that detailed the inner functioning of a society and they are literally holding a mirror to Nigeria and for that matter African culture for the entire world to see. This responsibility cannot be taken lightly, they must reinforce the positive aspect of the African culture in a complex, intricate and entertaining methodology. There must be diversity in Nollywood and African movie productions, which must be compassing all the aspects of African society and culture. One dimensional movie cannot help the industry in achieving a sustainable bottom line and affirmative image for Africa.
African people, even to certain extent the governments must take responsibility to lodge complain to Hollywood when deemed necessary. They must write to producers and challenge their perceptions and offer a logical criticism and commend them when changes occur in future.
Hollywood must strive to be fair and balance.
© 2006 AFRIPOL.org

J. Lo To Speak At Inaugural Ball Despite Reported Obama Snubs

J. Lo, who has donated to Hillary Clinton in the past, is planning to speak at the Latino Inaugural Ball on Sunday night and her husband Marc Anthony will sing. The announcement has reportedly ruffled some feathers in the Latino community. One power player called them "vile opportunists for worming themselves into anything Obama related even though they had nothing to do with his win." According to the source, Anthony refused to perform for Obama during a crucial get-out-the-Latino-vote event in Orlando, Fla., two weeks before the election and Lopez refused to endorse Obama unless he called her himself, which he didn't. The Orlando event went on without them and featured Bill Clinton and Jimmy Smits. The Huffington Post | January 12, 2009 01:08

Sarah Obama, Barack's Kenyan Grandmother, Heads To Washington With Gifts Sarah Obama, Barack Obama's Kenyan, paternal grandmother, will soon arrive in Washington DC for her grandson's inauguration on January 20. A three-legged stool and a traditional Luo oxtail fly whisk are some of the household items that could bring a new feel to the Oval Office, courtesy of Barack Obama's Kenyan grandmother.
Quoted in the Standard newspaper Monday, she said she had hoped to bring him a traditional spear and shield from her Luo tribe when she flies to Washington on Friday with some other family members.
The AP reports that Sarah will attend an unofficial inauguration ball with representatives from the Kenyan government. The article also mentions that President-elect Obama is not well-acquainted with his grandmother, who is actually the stepmother of his Kenyan father. In "Dreams from My Father," Obama described meeting Sarah Obama during his 1988 trip to his father's homeland, earning a handshake as a greeting and awkwardness as they struggled to communicate.
"Our mutual vocabulary exhausted, we stared ruefully down at the dirt until (half-sister) Auma finally returned," Obama writes in "Dreams from My Father."
"And Granny then turned to Auma and said, in a tone I could understand, that it pained her not to be able to speak to the son of her son." Sarah Obama made headlines during the presidential campaign when she denounced the sillier rumors about Barack, including the rumor that he is a muslim. (AFP)/Huffington Post

Jennifer Aniston on Africa and shower I learned that every two minutes in the shower uses as much water as a person in Africa uses for everything in this life for a whole day - drinking, bathing, cooking, and cleaning - everything !
- Jennifer Aniston on SHOWER SAVVY
The above quotation exposes Jennifer Aniston ignorance about Africa. Probably she has never been to Africa. In most cases, Hollywood point of view and perspective on Africa are whopped, illogical and misguided. The images of the true Africa are eclipsed, deformed and in some cases vilified. Enlightenment on Africa is very necessary in Hollywood movies.

George Clooney: United Nations Security Council Address on Darfur
Oscar-winning actor George Clooney, a Hollywood movie star used his influence and fame to turn the spotlight on Sudan's war-torn region of Darfur.(click)

A Film Star in Kampala, Conjuring Amin’s Ghost
On Saturday, none other than Forest Whitaker, a leading contender for best actor, parted a crowd of paparazzi in front of a chic hotel here in Uganda’s capital, and then strutted down a stretch of genuine red carpet for the official opening of “The Last King of Scotland.” (click)

HOLLYWOOD'S GREATEST FRIENDS OF AFRICA 2009

(1). Oprah Winfrey : She has given so much to Africa. From the school she is building for girls in South Africa to the showcasing of the plights of children in Africa. Ms Winfrey is among the best friends of Africa.
She is a true Zulu and a great daughter of Africa.



(2). Angelina Jolie: A Goodwill Ambassador for United Nations, commissioner for Refugees. Her frequent travels to Africa‘s hot spots including Sudan, Liberia, Ethiopia have shown her continuous devotion to humanity and amity to Africa. Recently, she adopted an Ethiopian child, making it the second adoption. The first to a Cambodian child.
Ms Jolie has visited many refugees camps and participated in dialogue of making life more ease for children around the world and Africa in particular. She said “Africa is beautiful, marvelous, smart people, strong people ... It’s magnificent and it has so much hope, so much possibility.”
Jolie is a good friend of Africa. Yes! an African daughter indeed.


(3) Danny Clover: A humanitarian and social activist. He was named a United Nations Development Program Goodwill Ambassador in 1998. In one of his movies, he exposed the evil of Apartheid South Africa with his co star Mel Gibson. He is a board member of Trans Africa, an organization committed to Justice for Africans around the world. He has committed time and resources to many African causes. A true gentleman with a warrior soul and a great son of Africa.



(4) Will Smith: He has become so close to Africa that you hardly see Nelson Mandela without him somewhere in the vicinity. Mr. Smith had played an active part in the Mandela war against AIDS and POVERTY. He has traveled so much, so frequent to Africa that we can rightly call him a true son of the soil.



(5)Brad Pit: Nothing about him will give him in as a friend to Africa. But this man is a great soul that is committed to helping sick children in Africa. He is part of Nelson Mandela campaign and awareness on HIV and AIDS in South Africa.



(6) Stevie Wonder: A pillar and a symbol of pan-Africanism. He is in everything and anything to do with Africa. Stevie Wonder fought against Apartheid and the release of Nelson Mandela from prison. He participated in WE ARE THE WORLD & LIVE AID FOR AFRICA concerts. Stevie Wonder is a great African son.



(7) Bob Geldof : Africa will forever be grateful to this great Irish soul. Geldof an Anti-poverty campaigner organized the LIVE AID ‘85 & LIVE 8. Geldof sees no boundary in human affairs and his humanity has no bound. A great friend of Africa. He is nominated for 2006 Noble Peace Prize Award.

(8) BONO of U2 : In true sense of it, he is a humanitarian and philanthropist. A debt cancellation activist for poor nations. He devoted his music, resources and time to save lives in Africa. He is beyond a friend, this great Irish rocker can be called a great son of Africa. Yes he truly is !!!



(9) Quincy Jones: Before charity cause for Africa becomes hip, Mr. Q was ahead of the game. He understood Africa and her problems. When drought and famine roamed the horn of Africa especially Ethiopia, he organized WE ARE THE WORLD concert. This is a true African son.

(10) Don Cheadle : He starred in the movie RWANDA HOTEL, that delineated the Genocide in Rwanda. Don have been to the hot spots in Africa including Sudan. He has recounted his observations to the US Congress. He is an American that never forgets his root. He is a true son of the soil. May you lineage endures !



(11) Chris Tucker: A perfect gentleman and a great friend of Africa. On his initiative he had studied about Africa’s problems. Tucker has engaged in the battle against Aids and poverty in the Africa. He has accompanied former Secretary of State Collin Powell to the continent to encourage economic development . He has traveled widely and extensively in Africa including South Africa, Ethiopia, Gabon and many others.
Chris Tucker is a true son of the soil.




12) George Clooney: A humanitarian who actively participated in “live 8," which drums attention to poverty in developing world. Clooney artistic proficiency has been liken to Clark Cable the Hollywood icon. He supports the ONE campaign which called attention to poverty in Africa and the detrimental ramification of African foreign debt. He subscribe to the philosophy that poverty can be significantly reduced in Africa by increasing international aid, debt remission and fair trade. Clooney is an important friend to Africa.




© 2006 AFRIPOL.org

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OPRAH WINFREY IN PARIS: A VICTIM OF RACISM?
Oprah Winfrey the American talk show queen was reported snubbed in Paris France by the swanky and exclusive boutique Hermes.
The published reports claimed that Ms Winfrey was denied entry into Hermes in Paris. Oprah is one of the most recognized people in the world. Her daytime talk show is beamed around the world thanks to the ultra modern satellite. Her show is seen in six continents of the world.
The source said “when she tried the door, they refused her entry because they have been having trouble with North Africans.”
Is Oprah Winfrey a billionaire, one of the richest and most powerful black women in the world a victim of discrimination and racism? AFRIPOL-APESC chose to report this because of who Ms Oprah Winfrey is and what she represents to Black and African world. Here is a well accomplished woman of African descent and a first class citizen of the world, yet she cannot be accorded her due respect. This buttresses the nadir state of race relation in France.
France is the first nation state to declare the independence of individual rooted in freedom and liberty. The word liberty has a special place in the minds of the French. This became the central thesis of the Declaration of French Revolution on the Rights of Man and the citizen: “All men are born free and with equal rights, and must always remain free and have equal rights.”
French gave us the great minds on liberty and freedom including Montesquieu, Rousseau and Locke who inspired the framers of American constitution. France honored American liberty by giving her one of the greatest gift, the Statute of Liberty, a symbol of freedom and Justice.
Hermes the boutique store must not soil the face of Paris with its intolerance and callousness. Paris the city of light is known for her tolerance and openness. We still want to appreciate Paris for her renaissance and modernity.
Not to let Hermes in Paris off the hook, but lets look at the big picture. Maybe when African nations start achieving economic and political stability, then Africans both continental and Diaspora will be accorded their over due civil and human rights. Oprah Winfrey or any African for that matter will shop anywhere she or he wishes without fear or intimidation.
This must be made crystal clear, Hermes in Paris must be held responsible for its action. © 2006 AFRIPOL.org

LIVE AID FOR AFRICA: DOES IT HELPS OR HURTS AFRICA ?
It’s a way live aid does that: It doesn’t make you feel closer to Africa, it treats it like
it’s a failing, ill, sick, tired place.My personal experience of Africa is that yes, I have witnessed all those things there,
but it’s incredibly sophisticated - the society and the structure of people's lives is as sophisticated in some ways, than in the West
- British singer Damon Albarn

What the past few weeks have reinforced in popular perception is the absurd simplification of an entire continent so that it is explicable in terms of just four adjectives picturesque, pitiful, psychopathic and above all passive. This is the formula used by such TV interlocutors as Bob Geldof and Rolf Harris.
                            -Madeleine Bunting ( Guardian Unlimited)

The ‘Live 8' concerts in June, along with other high-profile humanitarian initiatives, reinforce ‘outdated view of Africa’ ... as simply a basket case, a place where there are famines and wars. Not a single African leader, teacher, doctor, or nurse was featured on the Live 8 stages. But Africa ‘s leaders in all walks of life are not passive objects but active players with influence over the dynamics in their region.
                            - TASK FORCE ON AFRICA Council on Foreign Relations

Money and celebrity gestures won’t solve Africa’s problems ... Africans themselves to volunteer in the same way that foreigners have done for decades.                       - Paul Theroux NEW YORK TIMES

Live Aid for Africa which involves the gathering and performance of musicians for charity for Africa is being organized by the vintage charity rocker Bob Geldof.
Geldof a British singer has an established track record for organizing charity concert including the 1985's Live Aid especially for developing world and Africa in particular. His latest project is to coincide with the gathering of the G8 nations to dialogue principally on debt relief for the world s’ most indebted nations. Geldof said the purpose of the event is to raise awareness, consciousness and solidarity with the global poverty as the leaders of the richest nations gathered for the meeting in Scotland. Bob Geldof and Live 8 committee called for one million people march and dubbed the march “The long walk to justice.”
Many people are criticizing the event including another British singer Damon Albarn, for the projecting and showcasing of Africa as a “failing” continent. Albarn also criticized the predominance of “Anglo-Saxon”stars which include Paul McCarthy, Madonna, The cure and others that are slated to perform. Africans were critical of the exclusion of many African stars and one venue in Africa which was granted after the criticism of the event planning. The events of six free concerts will take place in London, Paris, Berlin, Rome Philadelphia and Johannesburg which was added later.
Damon Albarn asked the participating performers to pressure their record labels to donate the revenues from the increased sales as result of the exposure from the events in order to prove that they have nothing to gain. Albarn said the organizers of Live Aid undermine the project by excluding Blacks and Africans: “If you are holding a party on behalf of people, then surely you don’t shut the door on them .. It’s insensitive and it also perpetuates this idea that Africa is separated in some way.”

The pace of change is far too slow and Africans excuse their own complicity in exactly the same way as our politician.
- Bob Geldof ( member of Commission for Africa)

Bob Geldof is an Anti-poverty campaigner, who relentlessly advocate for welfare of the poor with his music, which has the potential of assembling a massive audience for the good cause. He is also a member of Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Commission for Africa. Geldof and Live Aid committee have to be very careful on how they choose to manage the events. They have good intentions but the project must buttressed that without leaving any doubt. Certainly, Africa needs help but she has her pride and dignity to uphold. As Africa is going through a trying time, this will not be exploited. Subsequently, Africa will take her rightful place, the legacy of slavery and colonialism notwithstanding; Africans are not beggars nor different from the rest of God’s humanity and they will not be isolated nor segregated. Africa has contributed immensely to global development with her great civilization and history. This must be acknowledged by reasonable people including our well wishers. Friends of Africa including Live 8 committee have good intentions and deserve our support. A poverty-free Africa is good for the world and a credit to our collective struggle.
The initial exclusion of African musicians and without a venue in Africa displayed poor judgment. In Peter Gabriel’s concert arrangement unlike Live 8, African musicians and activists will be numerous and visible. Their voices will be heard and their faces will be seen.
Popular music with all its emptiness and rosy lyrics can still be a force for good.
Conclusively, Africans must take charge of their destiny and image, which ought to be portrayed in the affirmative. This is a responsibility that is worth safeguarding.
© 2006 AFRIPOL.org

AFRICA A HOT DESTINATION FOR THE FAMOUS. A new kind of fauna has appeared on the vast, sun-burned expanses of Africa: Celebrities
The baby born in Namibia to Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt probably put that south African desert nation on the map for many of her parents' fans. And possibly for other celebs as well: on Friday, a government official there was quoted as saying that Britney Spears is considering a Namibian birth for her next baby (which the pop singer's rep denied later in the day).
George Clooney's recent trip to the conflict-wracked Darfur region got more media attention than the millions of refugees who continue to be harassed, raped and killed there.
When actor Matt Dillon tried to visit Darfur, the Sudanese government denied him a visa, perhaps weary of the celebrity limelight. The government denies accusations it unleashed a genocide by backing counterinsurgency militiamen known as janjaweed, who are blamed for most of the atrocities in Darfur's three-year conflict that has left more than 180,000 people dead.
"If celebrities can attract some attention by coming here, all the better," said actress Mia Farrow, a United Nations Children's Fund goodwill ambassador who this week was on her second trip to Darfur.
"If I thought it was useless or self-serving to come, I certainly wouldn't be here," said Farrow, who toured humanitarian projects and met with local leaders during her four-day stay.
Celebrity activism — from protesting the Vietnam war to rallying opposition to gun control — certainly isn't new. Bob Geldof 1985's Live Aid concert may have been a high point for stars and Africa, but recent events show interest is still strong.
Some celebrities come for professional reasons, then find their charitable impulses stirred by what they see on the world's poorest continent. After filming on location, the cast and crew of "The Constant Gardener," a thriller starring Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz involving corruption in Africa, set up a charity to try to improve conditions in Kenyan slums.
Jolie has traveled to Africa frequently as an actress and as a goodwill ambassador for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. But her recent trip was purely personal — she and Pitt retreated to Namibia for private family time for the birth of their daughter. The Namibian government was more than accommodating, telling journalists seeking visas to cover the celebrity birth that they needed permission from Pitt and Jolie in writing before they could be allowed into the country.
The government arrested photographers, confiscated film, set up large barriers on the beach to shield the couple and ringed their hotel with heavy security.
After Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt was born May 27 in a private Namibian clinic, her parents donated $300,000 to Namibian government-run hospitals to help other babies in the impoverished country.
In Sudan, Farrow said she had been involved in helping developing world children for several decades.
"By reaching out to others, I've found a life that is meaningful," she said.
She described how her own privileged childhood in Beverly Hills as the daughter of film director John Farrow and movie star Maureen O'Sullivan was interrupted when she caught polio at the age of nine.
"It gave me some perspective and made me discover the other world, of pain, and fear," she said.
After her first marriage to singer Frank Sinatra, she began adopting children from poor countries, beginning in 1973 with an orphan from the Vietnam War. Farrow, who had three sons with her second husband, musician Andre Previn, and one with film director Woody Allen, is the mother of 14.
"These children were the first significant commitment I made to others," said the actress, who also became active in the campaign against polio and in a charity headed by Nelson Mandela before becoming a Unicef ambassador 10 years ago.
While visiting Angola with Unicef after the war there in 2002, she caught malaria and nearly became deaf because of subsequent treatment.
She brought her 17-year-old son, Ronan, along to Sudan. He recently underwent a knee operation and hobbled by her side on crutches as the pair visited several volatile refugee camps.
"I don't think I'm reckless, and I hope I'm a responsible mother," she said, acknowledging that she knew there were some dangers to traveling through Darfur.
"There are certain risks worth taking, and there are certain inactions that are inexcusable," she said. "You've got to stand with what you believe in."
Farrow recalled one woman in Darfur telling of witnessing janjaweed militia killing her husband and two of her children, and then turning on her.
"She couldn't even remember how many times they raped her," Farrow said, clutching a necklace of amulets the woman gave her, telling her they would keep her safe.
"I was speechless, I had nothing to give back to ensure her own safety," Farrow said. She said she could only promise to tell her story to the world, hoping such accounts would force the world to take action. She said she would plead for the international community to hasten the arrival of U.N. peacekeepers here.
"Her story is sacred," Farrow said.
"I just wish I could be more famous, or more powerful, so that my voice would carry further when I speak about Darfur," she said.
By ALFRED de MONTESQUIOU, Associated Press Writer

Oprah Winfrey, Bono promote clothing line, iPod
By ASHLEY M. HEHER (AP) October 13, 2006
Irish rocker Bono, frontman for U2, and talk show host Oprah Winfrey walk down Chicago's 'Magnificent Mile' Thursday, Oct. 12, 2006, for a shopping spree to promote his new Red product line that will be put on sale in the coming weeks by retailers Gap, Apple, Motorola, Converse and Emporio Armani. Gap will donate 50 percent of sales to Bono's Project Red to fight AIDS in Africa.
(AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

Talk show host Oprah Winfrey and humanitarian rocker Bono hit the city's "Magnificent Mile" on Thursday for a shopping spree to promote a new line of clothing, accessories and gadgets, including a special-edition iPod, that will raise money to fight AIDS in Africa.
Dozens of "(Product) Red" items will go on sale in the coming weeks by Gap Inc., Apple Computer Inc., Motorola Inc., Converse Inc. and Emporio Armani.
Portions of the product sales will go to The Global Fund, an organization that fights AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
"Some people won't put on marching boots, so we've got to get to people where they are at, and they're in the shopping malls," Bono said in a phone interview. "Now you're buying jeans and T-shirts, and you're paying for 10 women in Africa to get medication for their children with HIV."
The Gap, which will debut its Red line in stores on Friday, will donate half the profits to The Global Fund.
Apple will contribute $10 from the sale of each new red-colored iPod nano. The model, priced the same as its $199 cousins, goes on sale Friday.
The celebrities, who arrived at the downtown Chicago Gap store in a red Ford Thunderbird, got a sneak peak at the products during a private shopping stint that will be broadcast Friday on Winfrey's show.
After visiting the Gap, the duo walked along Michigan Avenue to an Apple store and picked up the red iPod, the first music product from the Cupertino, Calif.-based company designed to raise money for charity.
The two also stopped at Armani and Motorola stores.
"Shop 'till it stops," said Bono as he walked out of the Apple store clutching bulging shopping bags.
So far, the (Product) Red initiative, which began this spring in Britain, has raised more than $12 million for African AIDS programs, said Doug Piwinski, a spokesman for (Product) Red.
With Apple's iPod alone, The Global Fund stands to raise millions of dollars. During the holiday quarter in 2005, Apple sold 14 million iPods. The iPod maker also plans to donate some proceeds from a $25 iTunes Red gift card to the organization.
"I love the fact that Bono is trying to do something about this problem," Apple's CEO Steve Jobs said in a phone interview. "I've never been to Africa, but you don't have to go there to know there are a lot of people dying of AIDS there. In a small way, this is something we could do about it."
Bono, who knows the difficulties of raising awareness for social causes, was thrilled with the retailers' efforts for the campaign.
Gap had its four-story store in Chicago decked out in red banners. Apple planned to light up its flagship 5th Avenue store in New York in red on Thursday night.
"We've moved from the philanthropy budgets to the marketing budgets, and guess what, there's no comparison in size," Bono said. "We now have some of the most creative people in commerce — Steve Jobs, the marketing people at Gap and Motorola — all working for the world's poor. That is so so cool."

ANALYSIS BY AFRIPOL-APESC: UNDERSTANDING BONO
The greatest spokesperson for the needy and poor of this world is without doubt is Mr. Bono. He has done more for the less privilege of our globe more than their native leaders. He has given voice to the voiceless and spoken truth to power without any hinge. He is an agent of compassion and a Good Samaritan.
Bono must be next Nobel Peace Prize winner, if not the relevance of the award will be questionable. History will never deny Bono his place, when it chronicle the battle against poverty and AIDS in his generation and in the contemporary twenty first century .
There is on going debate among experts in the intellectual community on whether Trade or Aid is best for Africa and rest of developing countries in alleviating poverty and raising the quality of life. The analysis of the chequered history of aid is not encouraging, for aid cannot replace trade and industrialization as engine of development and progress.
There is no conundrum to this, Africa must trade with the rest of the world to raise its standard of living and GDP. Handout as in foreign aid cannot be the panacea to penury poverty eradication. But there must be an initial concession by the industrialized nations to the paradigm of free trade that guarantees level plain field for Africa to compete. Africa must not continue to implore for financial aid that can be easily be mismanaged by some of their leaders. Africa must be given the chance to trade with rest of the world through trade liberalization and removal of impediments that discourage free trade.
How can this be possible? Africa must embark on the area of trade specialization where she has the greatest comparative advantage. It seems that agriculture is the best possible for Africa. The Western World must take the initiative of lowering trade tariffs and removal of agricultural subsidies. This is the logical way developing nations and poor countries especially in Africa can participate and compete.
Free trade must work for every nation and World trade Organization must implement trade policy that is doable, workable and inclusive . Foreign aid is all good and dandy but history has shown us that aid have not improved nations nor ameliorated the well beings of the fabric of the needy class at the long run.
Foreign aid can be given via reduction of medicine price, pharmaceutical equipments and reduction of essential commodities needed for survival in the less technological nations. We cannot downplay the role of foreign aid when fully utilized and when it goes to the required projects and the needy. But it cannot be the cornerstone of poverty reduction.
A comprehensive battle against poverty and disease, must include Trade and targeted foreign aid which are intrinsic if not inevitable for victory.
© 2006 AFRIPOL.org

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