G8 Summit Raised Poverty Awareness But Crisis Remains

Although the G8 Summit of top world leaders in early July provided unprecedented attention to poverty, Christian organisations are raising concern that aid alone may not be enough to resolve long-term problems.

The G8 meetings concluded with increased annual aid from 25 to 50 billion dollars per year, along with debt relief for the poorest 18 nations worldwide with a majority of those nations were in Africa. However that aid must still make its way through through the bureaucratic process to reach those affected.

Citing previous experience with humanitarian aid, veteran missionary Mark Hatfield told IMB news that simply providing aid doesn't result in permanent results.

"Subsidy causes dependency – and stifles true social growth,” said Hatfield. He is an International Mission Board strategist for central, eastern and southern Africa.

In the days prior to the G8 meetings from July 6-8, Africa's leaders held meetings regarding aid to the nation. Some had called for total debt relief for the continent. Uhuru Kenyatta, a leader in the KANU party of Kenya said such measures could possibly stifle methods for a self supporting Africa.

“You can give a man a fish and he’ll eat today,” Kenyatta said. “Or you can teach the man to fish and he’ll eat forever.”

However, future programs for aid reform will not alleviate the suffering of the present situations. One of the major current crises in Africa is taking place in Niger where 3.5 million people, one third of the nation's total population, are in need of food aid. An estimated 150,000 children are facing severe malnutrition according to UK-based Christian Aid.

Alex Whitney, the international programs officer for World vision reports that a US$30 million appeal for funds in May had been largely ignored; two months have passed and only one third of the requested funds had been delivered.

"Less than a month ago the G8 leaders promised more and better aid for Africa," Whitney said. "And now as 800,000 children under the age of five face a massive food crisis, the international community has failed to respond adequately."

A problems that has raised concerns amongst donors is the fear that funds could be mismanaged by corrupt governments. During the G8 meetings, Prime Minister Tony Blair acknowledged that without strong leadership, no amount of monetary aid could resolve the problems of the continent.

"In the end, only Africans can lead and shape Africa," he said in concluding remarks at the summit.

The situation remains tense. Church groups are among those keeping up the pressure on international bodies to help ease the situation. The upcoming general council meeting of the World Trade Organization that regulates global commerce will provide a clear opportunity to continue raising the issue of world poverty in terms of fairer trade for poor countries.

Addressing trade imbalances the Rev. Robert Aoagye-Mensah of the Christian Council of Ghana said indicated that current trade rules put poorer nations at a great disadvantage when competing with richer countries.

"International trade between my country and the West is like an antelope and a giraffe competing for food which is at the top of a tree. You can make the ground beneath their feet level, but the contest will still not be fair."





Francis Helguero