http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/world-report/2014/12/26/bob-geldof-and-band-aid-30-should-back-off-let-africans-help-africa
Africans Should Help Africa
Western charity efforts like Band Aid 30 are well intentioned but misguided.
By Mariéme JammeDec. 26, 2014 | 1:00 p.m. EST+ More
As Bob Geldof revives his '80s-inspired African charity efforts this
holiday season related to poverty and Ebola, one thing is clear among
many Africans: We neither want nor need these campaigns in 2015.
It is true that three countries have been afflicted by Ebola and many
parts of Africa still face socioeconomic challenges related to poverty
and livings standards. Most Africans will remember Geldof as the
Africa aid guy who co-founded the charity supergroup Band Aid. In
1984, the group released the hit “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” – a
song which, despite initially being about poverty in Ethiopia, Geldof
brought back to the airwaves as a new celebrity-sung remix to raise
awareness about the Ebola crisis. The Irish singer-songwriter,
formerly of The Boomtown Rats, also plans to link Band Aid 2014 to his
2005 Live 8 concert to “Make Poverty History,” marking the concert’s
10-year anniversary in 2015.
Much of Geldof’s fame has come from his passion of telling people how
poor Africa is and how everyone should fight poverty (now Ebola) by
getting up and buying concert tickets or a Band Aid CD. While Band Aid
and these concerts may be somewhat effective in raising money and
awareness, they have had an exclusive attitude, and have included few
African individuals and musicians. Instead they have served as a forum
for Geldof to insert himself into Africa’s music and charity scene.
Both Live 8 and Band Aid have benefited from the fact that most
African musicians do not have the same extensive network to quickly
and effectively mobilize millions of people from across the world. Few
musicians have the marketing capacity and power of persuasion to rally
the support of world leaders in a blink of an eye. But even if
concerts like Live 8 and Band Aid are effective in reminding the world
that people should care about the future of Africa, they are
ultimately counterproductive and unhelpful. After all, the future of
Africa rests in African, not Western, hands.
Africa in 2014 is indeed a very different continent than Geldof
approached with Band Aid 1984. It has seen an unprecedented economic
boom and upswing of tremendously talented Africans taking charge of
their own business, development and altruistic agendas. Earlier in the
recent Ebola crisis, African business leaders from a variety of
sectors, such as banking and mining, committed $28.5 million and
logistical support during a meeting in the Ethiopian capital of Addis
Ababa. Leaders have promised that the money will be managed by the
African Development Bank – which has also provided over $220 million
in support – and overseen by the African Union. The money will be used
to support doctors, nurses and lab technicians.
In this new era for the continent, Africans are dissatisfied with the
way celebrities such as Geldof try to project themselves and their
agendas into the African situation.
Geldof and others want to help Africa and Africans in times of
trouble, just like millions of people around the world. They have
African friends that they wish to support in any way that they can.
They are doing their best to get Africa in to the public eye and
reaching out to world leaders to make them more aware of Africa’s
problems – one of the many benefits of these celebrities’ money and
connections. But it is no longer appropriate to simply organize
concerts or come up with a new song every time there is an outbreak of
famine or disease in Africa.
Even if there is a need to raise awareness or educate the West on why
they should care about Africa, when should “raising awareness” stop
and action begin? Africa is not an educational project for the West;
rather, it’s a growing continent and should be respected as such.
Africans can help the continent progress without constant
intervention. African leaders don’t want NGOs to take over health or
infrastructure services; those responsibilities rest with the
governments.
[ALSO: Actual Hunger Games]
Not all of the continent is in dire poverty, either; it’s home to 55
billionaires, whose collective net worth totals $161.7 billion. The
Africa that Geldof and others knew in the '80s and '90s has changed
dramatically. We have our own philanthropists – individuals like Aliko
Dangote, Tony Elumelu, Mo Ibrahim and Daphne Mashile-Nkosi – more
keenly aware of our issues and their solutions, endowing African-run
foundations with billions of dollars. The African diaspora has
matured, and the African people have progressed. They are working hard
both in and outside Africa, and they believe a constructive discussion
about the future of the continent cannot take place with outsiders
like Geldof at the helm. There are steps, though, he can take to step
down without sacrificing his legacy.
First, Geldof should focus on empowering and promoting African
musicians effectively. This means engaging them in discussions,
sharing his expertise while bearing in mind that Africa need partners,
not masters. Africans don't want, and definitely don't deserve, to
have solutions imposed on them.
Second, he should speak to and learn from the African diaspora and the
many amazing Africans who are already successful. Some may be critical
of his views, but Africans must be able to argue and disagree with
these programs without being dismissed. Celebrities have influence,
but do not necessarily have the answers. And they can no longer pursue
their own agendas in Africa without consulting with and integrating
the best and brightest Africans.
Finally, Geldof, as well as other Western celebrities interested in
raising awareness on issues affecting the continent, should listen,
learn and then engage with the African grassroots leaders and civil
society, as opposed to hanging around with few elites because they
have networks and connections.
The African continent deserves better than stagnation. Change can, and
has, come to their continent, and it's time their actions were
properly recognized.
TAGS: Africa Ebola poverty philanthropy
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Mariéme Jamme is a Senegalese born-British businesswoman who runs a
technology consultancy business in London. Her company, Spotone One
Global Solutions, helps international technology companies selling
enterprise software solutions to set a foothold in Africa, Middle East
and Asia. You can follow her on Twitter _at_mjamme.
Received on Sat Dec 27 2014 - 20:51:50 EST