In The News

Malawi's “Free Trade” Revolt

Benjamin R. Barber January 14, 2008
“Free trade” conditions accompany foreign aid, forcing the poor farmers in developing countries to compete with subsidized crops produced by powerful wealthy nations. In following the strict conditions to secure aid, Malawi had to battle starvation. Frustrated, Malawi defied World Bank policy in recent years by subsidizing fertilizer and seed programs for its farmers, allowing crops to expand...

African Aid Projects That Work: Partnerships on the Ground, Not Donations From a Distance

January 1, 2008
Donors who want to help Africa, by sending funds or supplies, must do research about the real needs and support systems in any community: Funds can go unspent or into the pockets of corrupt officials; sending electrical devices to communities that lack power or office supplies to organizations lacking desks or office space can often end up frustrating both donors and Africans alike. Gifts that...

A Young Tinkerer Builds a Windmill, Electrifying a Nation

Sarah Childress December 31, 2007
Forced to drop out of school at age 14 because his family could no longer afford tuition, William Kamkwamba of Malawi set out to study energy and build windmills on his own. “Energy poverty” limits development, economies and jobs in the world’s poorest nations, explains Sarah Childress for the Wall Street Journal. Kamkwamba, now 20, built his windmill, by lashing blue-gum tree trunks together for...

A Bad Idea Is About to Deploy in Darfur

Julie Flint December 19, 2007
As reports of atrocities pour out of the Darfur region, activists have great expectations for a peacekeeping force led by the United Nations. But author Julie Flint, writing for the Daily Star in Lebanon, questions whether a small peacekeeping force, with minimal equipment, can end the violence. The numbers are staggering: The UN force numbers about 26,000, expected to assist 2.5 million refugees...

Sudanese Teddy Saga Lays Bare Islamic Inferiority Complex

Waleed Aly December 6, 2007
People of one culture can never perfectly understand the fine points of another culture, and extreme reactions to any mistakes or misunderstandings only widen the divide. A British teacher in Sudan devised a class project that required her students to name a toy bear, take turns bringing it home, caring for it and writing about the experience. After the children named the bear Muhammad, police...

Visit Africa. Bring Checkbook.

Jonathan Power November 15, 2007
The West has viewed Africa as an undifferentiated mess of war, disease, corruption and poverty for some time. The International Monetary Fund, however, estimates that sub-Saharan will grow at 7 percent in 2008, largely due to investment by Chinese and Indian companies. US and European experts are divided about Asian influence in Africa, whether India and China engage in mutually beneficial...

Globalization Offers Potential Boon for Africans

Dianna Games November 7, 2007
African countries, writes South African consultant Dianna Games, cannot afford to let globalization be foisted upon them. Instead, governments on the continent must actively engage in global trade and politics, so that “the benefits of the global order” will no longer elude Africans. Governments must move beyond international links built primarily to exploit Africa’s natural resources. That...