Oh Where Oh Where Does Our (and Paul Martin's) Africa Aid Go?

[jbg]

This New York Times Article (link), excerpted below, demonstrates the travesty that post-independence "self-determination" has become. Another article in the Times highlights that the US alone has poured $4 billion into Africa. Chretien and Martin also poured in large sums, as has the UN and Europe.

And this to show for it?

December 24, 2006

For Young Offenders, Justice as Impoverished as Africa

By MICHAEL WINES

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone — Set in a wasteland of derelict buildings and furrowed alleys, the Kingtom Remand Home for young lawbreakers here was itself a dilapidated mess, until British donors renovated it in November. Now it boasts a new roof, freshly plastered walls, refurbished dorms and a coat of Kelly-green paint — all in all, a refuge far better than Freetown’s mean streets.

Yet the new Kingtom houses all of four teenage inmates. Fourteen others escaped in October, mostly, the home’s matron said, because there was not enough food. Nobody stopped them because the sole guard was on his deathbed. No one was called to replace him.

Across sub-Saharan Africa, where 350 million young people often subsist amid poverty, orphanhood and separation from their parents, running afoul of the law is a fact of life. So are places like the Kingtom Remand Home.

Juvenile justice here is, in almost every sense, an oxymoron. This region’s nations endorse international norms for fairness and humanity, employ dedicated staff members and benefit from foreign donations, yet Africa’s juvenile-justice systems routinely, almost blithely, deliver injustice and brutality instead.

In even a cursory review of child justice in Sierra Leone and three other African nations, a visitor found children locked up with adult criminals in a medieval prison; others recounted their weeks in police-station pens barely bigger than closets. Children languished in rehabilitation centers with little food, few beds, no activities, not even electricity. Some have stayed well beyond their sentences, simply because there is no money to send them home.

*snip*

Other African nations are also troubled. In Maputo, Mozambique’s capital, about 60 children await trial in a stifling antediluvian dorm of the main prison, their cots and mats arranged as far as possible from the open privy. In Mozambique, only 3 of 60 inmates in the juvenile-detention section — a dorm in the national prison — have been tried.

Uganda is by comparison middle class. But its National Rehabilitation Center suffers similar ills: sporadic water, two years without electrical power for the girls’ dorm, no furniture, no job training and little to eat. Government food deliveries are hit or miss, and the center feeds inmates fortified meal from the World Food Program.

“They escape when there is no food,” said Orin Nsereko, the center’s program manager. “When there is food,” she added wryly, “it’s very hard for them to escape.”

[mcqueen625]

This New York Times Article (link), excerpted below, demonstrates the travesty that post-independence "self-determination" has become. Another article in the Times highlights that the US alone has poured $4 billion into Africa. Chretien and Martin also poured in large sums, as has the UN and Europe.

And this to show for it?

December 24, 2006

For Young Offenders, Justice as Impoverished as Africa

By MICHAEL WINES

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone — Set in a wasteland of derelict buildings and furrowed alleys, the Kingdom Remand Home for young lawbreakers here was itself a dilapidated mess, until British donors renovated it in November. Now it boasts a new roof, freshly plastered walls, refurbished dorms and a coat of Kelly-green paint — all in all, a refuge far better than Freetown’s mean streets.

Yet the new Kingdom houses all of four teenage inmates. Fourteen others escaped in October, mostly, the home’s matron said, because there was not enough food. Nobody stopped them because the sole guard was on his deathbed. No one was called to replace him.

Across sub-Saharan Africa, where 350 million young people often subsist amid poverty, orphan-hood and separation from their parents, running afoul of the law is a fact of life. So are places like the Kingdom Remand Home.

Juvenile justice here is, in almost every sense, an oxymoron. This region’s nations endorse international norms for fairness and humanity, employ dedicated staff members and benefit from foreign donations, yet Africa’s juvenile-justice systems routinely, almost blithely, deliver injustice and brutality instead.

In even a cursory review of child justice in Sierra Leone and three other African nations, a visitor found children locked up with adult criminals in a medieval prison; others recounted their weeks in police-station pens barely bigger than closets. Children languished in rehabilitation centers with little food, few beds, no activities, not even electricity. Some have stayed well beyond their sentences, simply because there is no money to send them home.

*snip*

Other African nations are also troubled. In Maputo, Mozambique’s capital, about 60 children await trial in a stifling antediluvian dorm of the main prison, their cots and mats arranged as far as possible from the open privy. In Mozambique, only 3 of 60 inmates in the juvenile-detention section — a dorm in the national prison — have been tried.

Uganda is by comparison middle class. But its National Rehabilitation Center suffers similar ills: sporadic water, two years without electrical power for the girls’ dorm, no furniture, no job training and little to eat. Government food deliveries are hit or miss, and the center feeds inmates fortified meal from the World Food Program.

“They escape when there is no food,” said Orin Nsereko, the center’s program manager. “When there is food,” she added wryly, “it’s very hard for them to escape.”

In an article I read it indicates that the money Canada gives is being handed out to both the World Bank and the UN, with virtually no accountability as to how or where the money is to be spent, and to make matters even worse, much of this money is just being handed to the governments of these countries with no direction as to how the money is to be spent. Many of these government could very well be directing this money toward the military infrastructure instead of to humanitarian needs. On top of that the article pointed out that because we no longer dispense the money ourselves, Canada gets absolutely no credit on the ground for the foreign-aid money we hand over to the U.N.

It is time that instead of handing our foreign-aid money to the U.N. that we instead dispense it ourselves directly to impoverished nations for specific humanitarian needs such as clean water, housing and medical care. At least that would ensure that the money is being properly spent with accountability, and it will also ensure that Canada gets proper credit on the ground for the humanitarian work that our foreign-aid is able to accomplish. I would be willing to bet that much of our foreign-aid is being eaten up through a vast administrative organization throughout the U.N. and their sister organizations like the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. It is quite obvious to everyone that we are definitely not getting a very big bang for the buck, and we are not getting credit on the ground to the huge amounts on money that is flowing up to the U.N. but seems to not be flowing back down to those countries that need it in order to survive, otherwise we would not be reading reports like the one which started this particular forum.

[jbg]

In an article I read it indicates that the money Canada gives is being handed out to both the World Bank and the UN, with virtually no accountability as to how or where the money is to be spent, and to make matters even worse, much of this money is just being handed to the governments of these countries with no direction as to how the money is to be spent. Many of these government could very well be directing this money toward the military infrastructure instead of to humanitarian needs. On top of that the article pointed out that because we no longer dispense the money ourselves, Canada gets absolutely no credit on the ground for the foreign-aid money we hand over to the U.N.

Gee, I always wondered how much money those pathetic starving poster children were getting from all this aid. Add to that the tsunami, Sahel drought, Iran earthquake, Algeria earthquake and other assorted charitable causes. Even Katrina aid (to show that I am an equal opporunity doubter) has largely been squandered.

It is time that instead of handing our foreign-aid money to the U.N. that we instead dispense it ourselves directly to impoverished nations for specific humanitarian needs such as clean water, housing and medical care. At least that would ensure that the money is being properly spent with accountability, and it will also ensure that Canada gets proper credit on the ground for the humanitarian work that our foreign-aid is able to accomplish.

Replace "Canada" with the US and I suppose there wouild be a lot less chanting of "death to America".

I would be willing to bet that much of our foreign-aid is being eaten up through a vast administrative organization throughout the U.N. and their sister organizations like the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. It is quite obvious to everyone that we are definitely not getting a very big bang for the buck, and we are not getting credit on the ground to the huge amounts on money that is flowing up to the U.N. but seems to not be flowing back down to those countries that need it in order to survive, otherwise we would not be reading reports like the one which started this particular forum.

How about no bang for the buck at all. I would venture that the money is neatly divided between Swiss bank accounts and military expenditures. Otherwise how would the Ethiopians and various Somali factions have ample resources to fight?

[Nazia]

I'm apparently to lazy to read all these comments people have posted...as I'm sure they've raise great arguments. But in my opinion....if you want to send money for aid etc...do it yourself somehow. Because all leaders search for greed and are equipped to deceive! Nobody is really helping anybody!

There are several examples..concerning political as well. Really, leaders and countries only wish to secure their political status by demonstrating a 'tad' of humanity.

Hahaha...I pity these lowlife people..surely each person will receive their punishment.

[frogs]

The only thing political dolts will respond to in a positive way is the very real threat of violence to themselves. All the talking, voting, whining and doting simply adds to their protective (thin) armor. Everyone talks about the weather but nobody ever does anything about it! It's the price we pay for losing our testicles.

[Borg]

Africa?

A waste of time.

Foreign aide?

Forget it.

Money is almost always spent wisely when it is spent at home.

Forget musicians - forget politicians. Time we think for ourselves.

Fix this country first!!!

Infrastructure, education, medicine, industry, and the beat goes on. Tell the remainder of the world this country comes first - if there is anything left when we are finished - then and only then will we sit down to discuss how your problem can be sorted out.

I donate to local causes before I attempt to "feeeed the woorrlllddd".

Borg