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Originally Posted by Mynydd
I'm not sure if you are aware of the large number of young medical doctors, teachers, engineers and other volunteers from European countries helping out in Africa. It is not just free food. At least not with the Catholic Church aid agencies.
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Yes, that's a totally different thing, of course. My comment was specifically about material aid.
One alternative to material aid would be to give them jobs instead. I mean a large scale practice of establishing factories in Africa, factories that would produce different kind of export items like genuine African handicraft for Western yuppies and hippies, would not compete with the local entrepreneurs and disturb local markets, and would not strive to make profit but just to keep people employed under a certain set of rules. This in order to teach the people the basics of modern society - going to work on time, having a good working moral, not stealing, etc. - that are preconditions of a developed society. Perhaps it would be hard not to disturb markets anyway, but at least the benefit (wages) would go directly to the people instead of the pockets of some spineless ruler or bureaucrate.
At least I'm running out of ideas what else to do ...except to build a high wall around the continent and not letting anyone or anything in or out.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mynydd
Which brings me again to the issue of what do Africans settled in developed countries do for their own people. Do they gain knowledge that allows them to go back to Africa and help their own?
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I think they do send a lot of money to their families back home. Which is an indication of the tribal/family centered culture in Africa. "Their people" to them means a radically smaller unit than it means to us, which brings in the question if it's even possible or sensible trying to form European style nations in Africa.