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Good News for Africa?
One cannot read much Scripture without noting that God has special concern for the poor. It follows naturally that Christians should too.
We can say with caution, then, that seems to be good news in Africa because some of what we are hearing about could bode well for the poor.
The most exciting event is the one about which we hear the least. Sudan. Earlier this year the people of South Sudan, voting in a referendum, chose overwhelmingly for independence. Of course who would not vote for independence from the cruel regime of Sudan’s Islamic President Omar al-Bashir.
How bad has it been in Southern Sudan? 85% of the people are illiterate. A fifteen year old girl is more likely to die in childbirth than she is likely to finish school. In recent years Sudan government forces have attacked their own citizens, persecuted Christians, and participated in widespread genocide.
But now there is hope. This summer a Southern Sudanese government will be formed. Since the period of colonialism African governments have followed well-meaning western advisors down a path leading to big state governments. Statism leads to sluggish economies so Africa has suffered. Let’s hope that the new government will look to recent successes in China, India and other parts of East Asia where free market economies are lifting millions of people out of poverty.
In Egypt it looks like some positive things will happen. Greater political freedoms often lead to other freedoms which can lead to free markets and reduced poverty. But we must not be too optimistic. Will Egypt have a western style democracy? Not likely. Three underpinnings of democracy are 1) freedom of the press, 2) freedom of religion, and 3) rule of law. Egypt is not strong in any of these areas so I do not anticipate a democracy. Nonetheless greater freedoms could and should lead to some economic liberties that should help the poor in Egypt.
There is hope for Libya as well. The analysis for Libya is almost identical to that for Egypt. I pray that a few places in Africa will try real free market capitalism. That is the best hope for lifting African people out of poverty.
I am reading a great book called Dead Aid. The book is written by a woman born in Zambia who has a doctorate from Oxford. She makes the case that foreign aid for Africa has not only failed to help, it has actually hurt. I will write a post on the book when I finish.
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