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June 30, 2005
G8 Blogging 2 - Corruption
"Corrupt politicians make the other ten percent look bad." (Henry Kissinger)
A frequent criticism made of aid and development in Africa has been that it is not worth trying to help African countries because of corruption in leadership there – that well-intended aid will only enrich the powerful and not reach the poor. Examples are cited of leaders like Sani Abacha (President of Nigeria, 1993-98) and Sese Seko Mobutu (President of Zaire 1965-97) who siphoned off billions of dollars. Certainly corruption is a major issue for development in Africa. But how valid is the suggested analysis that corruption is the "root problem"? Should we stop helping Africa because of it? What other issues are involved? And what can be done about it?
We must not write off Africa because of corruption.
Firstly, a Biblical concern for the poor, can not allow us to continue to ignore the iniquity and injustice of such poverty. It is, as Tony Blair said, a scar on the conscience of the world. Rather, it should encourage us to greater efforts for the powerless and victims of injustice.
Secondly, while recognising the problem that corruption has been in the past, and continues to be, we distort the picture by painting corruption as the root of all Africa's problems. Rather, we need to recognise the wider picture of other issues, acknowledge the progress that is being made against corruption in Africa, and recognise and deal with our own complicity in the corruption there.
Thirdly, we need to find ways forward in partnership with Africa to address the issue of corruption and facilitate a more effective strategy for development.
I will take a quick look at a few Biblical perspectives on corruption, make some comments on the situation of Corruption in Africa, and think about what Implications this has for development strategy.
Continue reading "G8 Blogging 2 - Corruption"
June 28, 2005
G8 Blogging 1 - A Biblical attitude to the poor
This is the first in a series of posts leading up to the G8 summit in Edinburgh. I will be thinking about Biblical perspectives on issues surrounding the call from Tony Blair and Gordon Brown for G8 responses on world poverty and global warming.
There is increasing agreement across the Christian spectrum of our need to respond to the apalling poverty that continues to this day. In this posting I will look briefly at the current situation of world poverty, some biblical attitudes towards the poor, and some guidelines for biblical responses to poverty. In the coming days, I hope to look at corruption, aid, trade, debt, and global warming.
Continue reading "G8 Blogging 1 - A Biblical attitude to the poor"
Update on food shortages in Burkina Faso
Reuters reports that the government of Burkina Faso is distributing more food aid, but says that much more will be needed over the coming months to prevent famine.
This current government distribution will be 5000 tonnes. Residents there will be able to buy a 100 kg bag of subsidised grain for 5,500 CFA (US $11), just over a quarter of the current market price of around 20,000 CFA (US $40).
The government will probably have to sell a total of 100,000 tonnes of grain at knock-down prices to vulnerable population groups before the next harvest begins in September. Such an operation would cost about US $4 million, a big cost for the third poorest country in the world.
Oudalan, the area around Gorom-Gorom where I lived for over 10 years, and where we will be doing our own food aid distribution, was the hardest hit region of the country. It lost over 90% of its harvest through a devastating combination of locusts and drought.
June 26, 2005
The girl in the cafe
I went away for the weekend, but something in the car's engine packed up very noisily on the way. Managed to limp the last few miles in third gear, but had to get the AA to bring me home. Looks like it's the gear box. Now I have to decide whether it is worth repairing, or whether I get back on my bike...
While away, I watched The girl in the cafe by Richard Curtis. At one level, it was a typical Curtis romantic comedy like Four Weddings, or Love Actually- except Bill Nighy played the role usually assumed by Hugh Grant. But this time, the film also had a message.
It was set around the G8 summit, and was highlighting the moral dilemmas around the decisions made by these 8 powerful men. A child dies every 3 seconds because of preventable poverty-related causes. These 8 men have the power to do something about it - to seriously change the status quo in favour of the poor. There are so many concerns and calls upon them, but the 30 000 children dying each day must be a more urgent moral imperative than simply pursuing our own prosperity.
I thought it was well done, and was pleased to see the message going out on prime-time TV. When you live around people who are struggling to provide for their families day by day, much of the political posturing, and criticism of Live 8, "Saint Bob", and stuff is really hard to listen to. There is injustice in the status quo, resulting in millions of people dying. The answer can never be charity alone, if we don't address the fundamental injustices. How can we not fight to change it? We need to recognise that for the poor to get a good deal, we need to be willing to pay a price, and that international structures and decisions should reflect this. Surely this is an expression of righteousness - to help others at our own cost. You too can send a message to the G8 leaders to tell them you want them to act for the poor.
Whatever you think of his films, Curtis, who made "The Girl in the Cafe", has not just jumped on some bandwagon. He normally takes 6 months in every 2 years to work for charity. He was also one of the founders of the British charity Comic Relief, with the associated Red Nose Day. Go here for a Time interview with Curtis, Bono, and Bob Geldof.
The BBC actually has a series of programmes about Africa at the moment, called "Africa lives on the BBC". There are some good programmes, and the website also has some useful links.
June 23, 2005
This Week's Good Idea - Send a message to the G8
Next week is the MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY festival in Edinburgh before the start of the G8 summit. Even if you can't go, you can send a message to the G8 leaders.
1. Send a message by email
Email Tony Blair.
Email George Bush
For the other G8 countries, follow these links:
Canada, Germany, France, Japan, Italy, Russia
And for all other countries, check here
2. Send a message on a white band
MPH are hoping for tens of thousands of messages. The messages will be collected and displayed before being handed over to the G8 leaders in Gleneagles.
Write your own message on a white strip of cloth 7cm x 50cm, and wrap it round to form a band. It could be a prayer, an encouragement to action, or a verse of Scripture speaking of God's concern for justice for the poor.
Sun and rain – how our prosperity affects the way we read scripture
He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Matt 5:45)
Here in Britain, if nowhere else, when we read this, we tend to think sun=good, rain=bad. We even pray for “good weather” for our special events so we won’t be inconvenienced, while at the same time farmers are praying for rain so they may be able to live for the coming year.
Actually, for people in Bible times, as for those in Burkina Faso today, Jesus might have been saying something different. It is true that the sun is a blessing for the light and life it brings, and that it is a symbol of strength and steadfastness. But it is also – for agricultural societies – a hardship. The sun scorches the land, beats upon the labourers, and withers the young plants (Ecc 9:9, Is 58:11, Mat 13:6, Ja 1:11). Having worked in rice fields in the scorching African sun, I can tell you, that the sun shining on you is not always a pleasure. One of the blessings of the new creation is that the sun will no more beat upon us (Rev 7:16).
Rain on the other hand is fundamentally a blessing. (It always irritates me when grumbling Brits complain about the rain. We have such a rich and beautiful country largely because it is so blessed with rain. Who would rather live in the desert?) Look at these verses for example; Deut 11:11-14, 2Chron 7:13, Ps 68:9, Pr 16:15, Ac 14:17. A common threat the Lord uses for judgement is to withhold the rain. The consequence of that is not just a hosepipe ban, but loss of harvest, and famine.
This perception of rain as a life-giving blessing is of course tied to understanding our dependency on the land. In Burkina, among the Mossi, if it rains on your wedding day, it is considered a sign of God’s blessing on your marriage. Because of our prosperity, we have lost sight of rain as a blessing – it has become an inconvenience. And the heat of the sun, instead of suffering, is the blessing of pleasant leisure-time.
So the way we read the verse has not only been inverted, but also watered down of its power – from being about life or suffering, to comment on God bringing times of pleasure or inconvenience. Now, the central theme of this particular passage might still be there: God does good to all, even those who live against his ways, and so therefore should you. But it does maybe reveal a distorted image of our view of God. And maybe there are other passages, where our earthly prosperity has removed us more seriously from a truer understanding of, and obedience to God’s word.
What do you think?
Update on food shortage in Burkina Faso
The latest report from Relief Web says:
"The drought and locust invasion of 2004 also had an impact on Northern areas of Burkina Faso with an official estimate of some 500,000 people in need of food assistance."
"In late 2004, the Government initiated a three step emergency operation of 1.162 billion CFA (US$ 2.2 million) to assist populations in 15 provinces affected by locust and drought. This operation is expected to continue until the next harvest in October 2005. ...(Many organisations and NGO's) are now involved in food distribution to most vulnerable people; sale of cereals at subsidised prices; securing livestock; and the sale of seeds."
This is what we are responding to with our food aid.
June 22, 2005
Famine relief forwarded
Thank you to those who have given for the famine relief for the north of Burkina Faso. Today £2187 has been forwarded, so hopefully that will soon be making a big difference in the lives of families affected by the loss of last year's harvest.
The grain distribution will be carried out by the local pastor of the church there. He is a mature, faithful, and dependable man, who has handled such sums for me before. I will keep you informed as things progress.
We will continue to run an ongoing fund for emergency aid, so if you still wish to give, the money will be sent out as needed. Go here for details.
Thank you again.
Another face of Africa
“In rich countries, when they show Africa, they show the face of AIDS, of poverty, of bad things – like war. Africa has another face – a positive face. This face we bring - of colour and joy and things like this.” (Youssou N’dour)
The programme “The African Rock n roll years” was good last night. I was disappointed that actually very little time was given to the purely traditional griot music, which was the foundation for all subsequent developments. There was however a guy playing the very same style of three-stringed guitar, or hoddu, that I have propped up by the fireplace in front of me as I type this. Nice to see it played well. I can’t do anything with it.
The traditional Malian and Senegalese music styles, instruments, and culture have blended with Cuban musical influence and western instruments. This has produced a music that is so dynamic, innovative, and lyrical compared with so much of the soulless, sexual, and image-driven, mass-produced mush that fills our MP3 players. It’s also very different from the energetic, bottom-wiggling stuff coming out of the Ivory Coast.
It is a music that seems to have retained some of the richness of African culture and social values. It’s a shame they didn’t translate more of the songs, but those they did seemed also to speak of a wider social awareness than is typical of the Top Twenty (Nelson Mandela, forced marriage, AIDS, the West African tea ceremony…). An encouraging number of the singers shown seem to have a social conscience, and many have returned to their West African homes from France where they have had to go to get access to the technology for production.
To hear a taste of Senegalese Fulani Baaba Maal singing, go and watch the video of “Mi yeewnii”. Great stuff.
Update: The BBC are in the middle of a bit of a focus on Africa at the moment with "Africa lives on the BBC" There is some interesting stuff out there. I obviously don't watch enough TV, as this crept up on me without me realising it was there.
June 21, 2005
African Rhythms
I'll be watching The African Rock 'n' Roll Years tonight, and will report back tomorrow.
On BBC4 at 9pm, it is the first in six programmes about West African music. Tonight it traces the roots of West African music to the ancient Mande empire that once controlled much of West Africa. The music was handed down from generation to generation through the hereditary praise singers, the griots.
Griots are a central part of Fulani culture. My colleague Steve has begun to learn to play the the traditional one-stringed guitar of the Fulani griots. He wants to use it to tell the story of Jesus in a meaningful Fulani way. He does a wonderful recitation of the Beatitudes, using a traditional Fulani griot tune. In his posting "Blood in the guitar", he tells of his experiences and insights, as he learned to play .
Best-selling artists Youssou N'Dour, Baaba Maal and Salif Keita appear tonight. Ali Farka Toure, Baaba Maal and Daara J support the theory that this region of Africa was the birthplace of major musical styles like the blues, reggae and hip hop.
June 17, 2005
Djibo radio station website
An email from Steve this morning tells me that Djibo radio station, which we are in the process of setting up in the north of Burkina Faso now has a website.
There is no effective radio work in local language in this area. Our vision is for a radio station that will encourage engagement with the good news of Iisaa Almasiihu (Jesus Christ), and facilitate social and community development in the area.
If you'd like to get involved - through prayer, giving, or serving - please contact Steve at:
sahelsteve {at} inbox {dot} lv
Bono at the BBC on Africa
Bono speaks about Aid, Trade, Corruption, and the future of Africa in an interview with BBC television. Watch the 7min video here.
This Week's Good Idea - Say no to plastic bags
Every year on average we in the UK use 134 plastic bags each - that's 8 billion bags/year in total.
Each bag takes up to 500 years to decay. What a mess.
Either
* save your bags and take them with you next time you go shopping, OR
* use an alternative - a shopping bag or trolley.
June 16, 2005
Singing for Africa: Live 8 and friends
If I wasn't going to be in Edinburgh on July 2, I'd like to be here.
Bob, Bono and co have inevitably come in for criticism for their Live 8 concerts - some of it more legitimate than other...
Charity doesn't work?
Some, despite well-publicised information to the contrary, think that this is just about telling people to give more money, and say that aid does more harm than good. Actually, while it is true that the wrong kind of aid definitely can do harm, well-directed aid saves lives, and gives the much-needed impetus for development. Aid on its own is not enough, but we need more aid, and we need to direct it better.
But this time the concerts are not about giving money. Aid on its own is not enough. This time, they are about mobilising people to speak up for justice. They are calling upon the G8 leaders to act for the poor, not only in more and better aid, but also in Trade justice and Debt relief.
Mere pop stars?
Others have questioned the right of mere pop stars to speak on political issues. Wouldn't it be better if they just dipped into their own millions and shut up? Well, they are certainly vulnerable to criticism. We might not like certain aspects of their morality, or their influence. But Bob, Bono and others do actually give their time and money for Africa. And isn't it better that they use the influence they do have to call people to a concern for justice for the poor, rather than just perpetuate the pursuit of wealth and self-indulgence that is so much at the heart of life today?
Okay, so the message may get over-simplified, distorted, and even somewhat lost in the hype. But at least Africa and poverty are on the agenda - people are talking about it.
African musicians neglected
But one area I think the concerts could have done better is to have actually had better representation from Africa itself. The danger is that we give the image that Africa needs to be "saved" by white guys, whereas we are actually also part of the problem. There are some great African musicians, like Baaba Maal and Salif Keita. Wouldn't it have been great to have had them headlining above U2, Coldplay, and Pink Floyd? Working together, with Africa at the front...
A message from Keith Smith
I had an email today from someone called Keith Smith! Apparently he had put his/my name into Google, and come across my website. He is an amateur photographer, and pointed me towards this competition, which I'd love to enter, if only I can find the time...
June 15, 2005
Wolfowitz in Burkina Faso: Agricultural subsidies must be cut
So, Paul Wolfowitz, head of the World Bank, has been to Burkina Faso.
And he has said that the key to helping Africa's poor cotton growers is to cut the subsidies paid to U.S. and European agriculture producers. Great stuff.
Reuters reports: "On a tour of a cotton-processing factory in Burkina Faso, Wolfowitz said the World Bank would have a "strong voice" at the Doha trade talks to make a case for wealthy nations to reduce agricultural subsidies worldwide.
The subsidies cut into revenues of impoverished countries like Burkina Faso, one of Africa's biggest cotton growers...
Developing countries are pushed out of the market by the subsidies rich nations pay their cotton farmers. They argue the huge subsidies to U.S. cotton producers - which at $4 billion are larger than the whole Burkina Faso economy - are the cause of a collapse in cotton prices. America's cotton subsidies were declared illegal earlier this year.
"The key to tackling the problem of cotton subsidies, which obviously hurts farmers here in Burkina Faso and in other poor countries ... is to tackle agricultural subsidies across the board (in the Doha trade round)," Wolfowitz said.
The World Bank estimates that cotton subsidies in the United States and Europe are cutting into the profits of seven West African producing countries by about $250 million a year. Burkina is estimated to have lost $22m this year as a result of the subsidies.
Wolfowitz was speaking after a tour of a cotton-processing factory in Bobo-Dioulasso, the second largest city in Burkina. It is encouraging to hear him acknowledging the trade injustice with agricultural subsidies that benefit the rich at the expense of the poor. Burkina Faso, third poorest country in the world, is a typical example of this. It has a good cotton industry - it is now West and Central Africa's leading cotton producer. About 4 million of its population of 11 million depend on cotton for a livelihood. But this is being undermined by rich country subsidies.
Let us pray for justice in trade to benefit the poor, and for G8 leaders to tackle the issue when they meet together in July.
June 12, 2005
Wolfowitz, the Fulani, and Burkina Faso
Paul Wofowitz has begun his first trip to Africa with a visit to some Fulani in Nigeria! He will later be visiting Burkina Faso - my adopted second home. Ah, I would have so much to talk with him about when he gets back!
Wolfowitz' appointment as head of the World Bank was controversial as he was seen by many as lacking the necessary development credentials, and unsuitable because of his involvement in Iraq. He appears at this point however to be displaying genuine commitment to listen, learn, and act for the poor in Africa. Let us pray that this all leads to action promoting justice for the poor.
Towards Jubilee
More than expected, less than hoped - this seems to be the summary of the response to the G8 finance ministers' meeting yesterday.
It is nonetheless a good start, following on from promises made at the G7 finance ministers meeting earlier in the year. £22 billion is available to write off 100% of debts of the 18 countries who have already qualified. They have qualified through achieving targets of "good governance" and "tackling corruption." It will allow these countries to spend money on education and health that would otherwise have been given to servicing debt.
My adopted second home country of Burkina Faso is one of the countries that will qualify.
Now, we need to see more action on vastly increasing and improving Aid, and especially on improving justice in Trade for poorer countries. Resolving issues of in justice in trade would give more help than all the aid we give.
June 11, 2005
This Week's Good Idea - Feed the Hungry
There is severe hunger in the north of Burkina Faso this year, following the devastation of last year's harvest by locusts. People are dying. We want to buy grain to distribute around Gorom-Gorom, through the church there. More information is here.
If you can help, please write a cheque for "World Horizons", marked on the back: "Gorom-Gorom Famine Relief in Burkina Faso", and send to World Horizons, at one of these addresses:
North Dock, Llanelli, Carms SA15 2LF, UK
PO Box 17721, Richmond, VA 23226, USA
Thank you.
June 10, 2005
G8 Blogging
I’m trying to hire a minibus at the moment to take a group from our church up to Edinburgh for the Make Poverty History festival before the start of the G8 summit on 2 July. Will you be there?
I hope to blog over these coming weeks in a bit more depth about some of the topics that will be features of the G8 conference. In particular, I’d like to try and reflect on some Biblical perspectives on the issues – for example on global warming, aid, trade, and debt.
In the meantime, the G8 finance ministers are meeting tomorrow. If you haven’t yet done so, you probably just have time to send an email to them calling on them to do their part in acting justly for the poor.
Excuses
These last few weeks have been busy, and I’ve not been able to write as much as I’d have liked. The worst is over now, and I am hoping to begin posting a bit more. I don’t know how some people manage to write so much, so well, every day. I conclude that either they must be much cleverer than me, or they can’t have much of a life outside of blogging!
One of the things that I have been involved in over the last weeks has been a bit of teaching with my mate Dave, over at CYM in Bristol. This is training youth workers, and we got asked to help out with the bit on work in the multi-cultural context. The students were an animated and friendly bunch, and – after my own initial nervousness – I grew to enjoy time with them. It did serve to highlight how far culture in the UK has changed since I have been in Burkina. So I learned a lot myself – having to learn a bit of the language about chavs, townies, skaters et al. The cultural and spiritual principles of mission work are of course hugely relevant as we think about how to reach this generation. I hope to write more on this, and on the relationship of gospel and church to culture soon.
June 05, 2005
Sorry Stallions
Some news you may have missed: After leading 1-0, Burkina Faso finally lost 2-1 to Ghana in the World Cup qualifying rounds. With only three matches left, this pretty much seals the fate of the national team - called "Les Etalons" (the Stallions) - for both the 2006 World Cup and the 2006 African Nations Cup.
Ah, well, there's always 2010...
