G-8 and Live 8 Don't Help The Poor

Every summer in our parish, we have a priest from Africa assist our pastor for approximately two months. Last Sunday, Immaculate Conception parish welcomed Father Isaac from Ghana to our church, which serves many newly arrived immigrants who come to Staten Island from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Ghana, and Liberia.

The recent Live 8 concert and the G-8 conference have been covered in the news, but nosy me was curious to learn what these Africans had to say about the issue of poverty in their native continent.

A tall young man named Cisco said he was from Liberia. When asked for his opinion about the Live 8 concert, he sighed a bit and said: "I suppose it was a good thing, because people will listen to celebrities more than they will listen to someone like me. But ultimately, the answer to poverty must come from us: the Africans. It is our responsibility."

Another man standing nearby wore the dashiki that many parishioners wear to church. He gave his name as Joe and said he had come from Liberia several months before. I asked if their former president, Charles Taylor, was indeed a corrupt man. He nodded vigorously and said, "Very corrupt, but the man who replaced him is even more corrupt."

As for his opinion on the G-8 conference, he said these conferences have been going on for years without doing much good. He shrugged his shoulders as if to suggest that they were all a waste of time. The money, he said, just goes to the government, and the poor never see any of it. I mentioned that President Bush pledged to double aid should these countries reform. Shouldn't the aid go to governments that are not corrupt? I asked.

"There are none," he said. "The only African country that is not riddled with corruption is South Africa, and that country is just emerging from colonialism. It is now run by blacks, and we will have to learn how to govern ourselves."

Father Isaac was busy speaking to other parishioners, but I caught up with him again on Tuesday when he had more time. "It is good," he said, "that they are talking about debt relief for the poor countries, but as soon as they start to attach conditions, then they are tying up the hands, and nothing will get done."

Then he expressed the essential weakness of all foreign aid: "The trouble is that governments and politicians are not really in touch with the poor Africans. They have no connection with the grass roots. What would work better is donating directly to those organizations that are in direct touch with the poor and know their needs. There are Catholic, Anglican, and other missions already in place. Helping them is the way to end poverty."

My sentiments exactly, Father.

I may have queried only three Africans about the G-8, but they concur with other Africans who've expressed skepticism about the Western world's commitment to end poverty. In an interview with the German magazine Der Spiegel, a Kenyan economist, James Shikwati, made startling statements that in effect said, stop helping us: "Such intentions have been damaging our continent for the past 40 years. If the industrial nations really want to help the Africans, they should finally terminate this awful aid. The countries that have collected the most development aid are also the ones that are in the worst shape. Despite the billions that have poured in to Africa, the continent remains poor. Huge bureaucracies are financed [with the aid money], corruption and complacency are promoted. ... In addition, development aid weakens the local markets everywhere and dampens the spirit of entrepreneurship that we so desperately need. ... If they really want to fight poverty, they should completely halt development aid and give Africa the opportunity to ensure its own survival."

This is more or less what Mr. Bush has been saying, but who listens to him or to Africans like Cisco? Americans want to be entertained by celebrities, who may have their hearts in the right place but who are woefully naive. As Father Isaac said, they are like the African politicians: out of touch with the grass roots. Their visits to "the dark continent" are usually prearranged through governments or the United Nations rather than through private missions that are actually accomplishing something.

I would have supported the Live 8 concert with more enthusiasm if Bono and Bob Geldof had pleaded with the crowds to reach into their own pockets to donate directly to organizations that deal with the poor. Expecting the government to do our charitable duty won't get anybody into heaven.