Bono: “Aid is a leg-up, not a hand-out”
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Bono continues his live blogging today from UN Special Summit on the Millenium Development Goals. You can see all his posts on the FT.com Blog site.
Below are some excerpts from his blogging late last night.
Aid is a leg-up, not a hand-out
“Lots of speeches etc going on inside the UN… President Bush, President Sarkozy. We’re on the outside today, meeting activists from Africa, India and Europe to talk about holding the people on the inside accountable for their promises.
The promises in question this week are the Millennium Development Goals or MDGs….
For those of you, the many of you, questioning aid on this site, you’re not wrong to suggest that it’s not the only answer. Of course it’s not. It’s trade, it’s governance, it’s private investment. But aid is critical… ask Germany, ask Ireland. See it as a leg-up, not a hand-out.
I’m not talking about the aid of the 20th century by the way. For too many years, much aid was wasted and ended up redecorating presidential palaces instead of building hospitals. That was our corruption as well as theirs. Handing over billions of dollars to a corrupt dictator because he isn’t a Commie, knowing he will use it to suppress discontent and swell personal bank accounts – that makes you complicit. But, this is a new century, and a new understanding of aid and partnership means that we are starting to see different results.”
Read his full post here.
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September 24, 2008 at 12:26 pm
It’s great that he’s clarified this. I’ve seen so many objections from people who believe poorer countries are looking for a hand-out, whereas there’s so much more complex work being done, and many responsible governments doing great work with what they’re given.
The new focus on transparency is also reaping dividends, so it’s time people got the word. : ]
September 24, 2008 at 9:27 pm
Actually, what Bono said in this blog entry is exactly what he has been saying for years about aid. There’s really nothing new here.
But there is no better time than this week with the UN summit of the MDG’s and the Clinton Global Initiative forum at which Bono spoke today to re-emphasize the points which Bono makes in his blog entry.
Thanks for sharing this here with us in the ONE Blog, Virginia.
ONE HEART, ONE HOPE, ONE VOICE, ONE LOVE – debbie
http://www.mpwn-uganda.org
September 26, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Screw the other “poor countries” of the world; what about taking care of things here at home in America? How about getting Healthcare under control here first?… How about stemming poverty in the United States first?… Who’s going to come to the aid of America once our society “implodes”; which it’s on the very edge of ecomomically, politically, resource-wise, healthcare-wise, employment-wise, illegal-immigration/iinvasion-wise, militarily, and so on. Let’s get America in propper shape first before helping strangers of the world. C’mon.
October 1, 2008 at 7:38 pm
To Concerned American:
Our Poverty doesn’t even come close to the poverty that exists in the rest of the world. How many families do you know, where their most prized posession is a wooden bowl? A bowl that they MAY get some rice in that day if their lucky! Our country is full of resources, people just need to seek them out.
And another thing, We were put on this earth to LOVE….you don’t sound loving at all. I feel sorry for you.
October 5, 2008 at 12:43 pm
In 2008, isn’t the time right for the United States of America to re-focus attentions and resources to aid and assist the needs of our Domestic poor and those in need, and finally begin to give less to those in foreign lands?
October 9, 2008 at 8:26 am
Problems of poverty is everywhere and in America, too, of course, but there is not a mass phenomenon. We must understand that for countries such as Africa – abject poverty in huge scale – it is a death sentence. While in Europe and in America a person has a chance to go to work and all areas of the country established – the economy, the law…
I live in Ukraine and we have much corruption, but still, our poor people have the opportunity to earn a living. The world is now experiencing a difficult time, but developing countries with unestablished economies are yet heavier! Thanks to people who remember about this.