Check out this interview (part 1 and part 2) with Michael Maren in “The African Executive,” a magazine published by CIPE partner Inter Region Economic Network (IREN). Michael Maren has some strong statements in the interview, but it all comes down to one thing – his major argument seems to be that development organizations need to recognize the potential of people and help create environments within which people can realize their potential. In the battle of aid and investment, Maren argues, investment wins.
People know what’s best for themselves. They can do what they need to do. In most of these countries-I’m thinking of Africa-people are not developing economically because they’re not being allowed to. They’re being oppressed politically. If you look at the development that’s taken place in Asia in the past 15 or 20 years, none of that can be attributed to foreign aid. It’s all investment, it all came about through change in government policies that allowed people to invest their money. If the Asian model is going to apply to Africa, it’s got to start slowly, and it has to start with good government. To a certain extent, NGOs and aid organizations in these countries now help fortify a lot of bad governments.
In related news, the land reform in Zimbabwe continues to produce results – now the country is running out of wheat. The government blames it on drought, while the opposition blames food shortages on the land reform initiated several years ago, which is allowing the government confiscate from private ownership and redistribute the agricultural land.
Also, Edgar R. Batte explores how food aid puts local farmers out of business in Africa.
Published Date: March 06, 2006