Thanks for a good article At least someone on the African continent clearly sees the jargon " wishing - well " for what it is. That the mind-set of wishing some one well is not dependant on the persons needs but on the “well-wishers” partial judgment of what is needed. On Mon, 25 May 2009 10:06:06 +0400, A Jallow <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >Africa’s own road to prosperity > >By Paul Kagame > >At recent meetings of the Group of 20 and the International Monetary >Fund, world leaders have gathered to discuss the global economic >crisis. > >Unfortunately, it seems that many still believe they can solve the >problems of the poor with sentimentality and promises of massive >infusions of aid, which often do not materialise. > >We who live in, and lead, the world's poorest nations are convinced >that the leaders of the rich world and multilateral institutions have >a heart for the poor. But they also need to have a mind for the poor. > >Dambisa Moyo's controversial book, Dead Aid, has given us an accurate >evaluation of the aid culture today. The cycle of aid and poverty is >durable: as long as poor nations are focused on receiving aid they >will not work to improve their economies. > >Some of Moyo's prescriptions, such as ending all aid within five >years, are aggressive. But I always thought this was the discussion we >should be having: when to end aid and how best to end it. > >Aid has not only often failed to meet its objectives; it has also >rarely dealt with the underlying issues of poverty and weak societies. > >We see this with our neighbour, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. >There, 17 000 United Nations peacekeepers - the largest and most >expensive presence of its kind in history - treat the symptoms rather >than addressing the issues of capacity, self-determination and >dignity. > >Often, aid has left recipient populations unstable, distracted and >more dependent; as Ashraf Ghani, the former finance minister of >Afghanistan, has pointed out, it can even sever the relationship >between democratically elected leadership and the populace. > >Do not get me wrong. We appreciate support from the outside, but it >should be support for what we intend to achieve ourselves. > >No one should pretend that they care about our nations more than we >do; or assume that they know what is good for us better than we do >ourselves. They should, in fact, respect us for wanting to decide our >own fate. > >At the same time, as I tell our people, nobody owes Rwandans anything. >Why should anyone in Rwanda feel comfortable that taxpayers in other >countries are contributing money for our wellbeing or development? >Rwanda is a nation with high goals and a sense of purpose. > >We are attempting to increase our gross domestic product by seven >times over a generation, which increases per capita incomes fourfold. >This will create the basis for further innovation and foster trust, >civic-mindedness and tolerance, strengthening our society. > >Entrepreneurship is the surest way for a nation to meet these goals. >Michael Fairbanks' book, In The River They Swim, which uses Rwanda as >one of its examples, highlights the need to respect local wisdom, >build a culture of innovation and create investment opportunities in >product development, new distribution systems and innovative branding. > >Government activities should focus on supporting entrepreneurship not >just to meet these new goals, but because it unlocks people's minds, >fosters innovation and enables people to exercise their talents. If >people are shielded from the forces of competition, it is like saying >they are disabled. > >Entrepreneurship gives people the feeling that they are valued and >have meaning, that they are as capable, as competent and as gifted as >anyone else. Asking our citizens to compete is the same as asking them >to go out into the world on behalf of Rwanda and play their part. > >We know this is a tremendous challenge given our status as a >land-locked nation emerging from conflict, with few natural resources, >little specialised infrastructure and low historical investment in >education. > >But, in fact, we have reasons to be optimistic: we have a clear >strategy to export based on sustainable competitive advantages. > >We sell coffee now for high prices to the world's most demanding >purchasers; our tourism experience attracts the best customers in the >world and market research reveals that perceptions of Rwandan tea are >improving. > >This has resulted in wages in key sectors rising at more than 20 >percent on an annual basis. We have cut our aid as a percentage of >total GDP by half over the past decade, and last year we grew at more >than 11 percent even as the world entered a recession. > >While this is encouraging, we know the road to prosperity is a long >one. We will travel it with the help of a new school of development >thinkers and entrepreneurs, with those who demonstrate they have not >just a heart, but also a mind for the poor.. > >l The writer is President of Rwanda > >— Financial Times > >¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ ¤¤¤ >To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface >at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html > >To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l >To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: >[log in to unmask] >¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ ¤¤¤ ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤