Tears of the Crocodile

["katetegeilwe rwiza" <rwiza@hotmail.com>]

I hope you do not mind if I join in the discussion.  I like to call
a spade a spade.  Let us be realistic, countries are like people.  There 
will always be a rich and a poor man.  A rich man would feel sorry for the 
poor man and give out a certain "Aid" (or handout, whatever name you use) 
but not to the extend of the poor man becoming
equally rich - who will do the work (this includes provision of cheap labor 
and products ) for the rich man then? If all people are rich, being rich 
wont have a meaning and it will never happen.  This example is even 
applicable inside the USA and everywhere.

Last year while in Tanzania at the University College of Lands and
Architectural Studies (UCLAS), I wrote a paper on a similar subject.
Let me quote part of it:

"Development, Which Direction?

>From estimates done by development scientists, 90% of all existing
greenhouse gases are produced by the North. Ninety percent of the
World's resources e.g. energy etc. are used by the North. While the South is 
used as a sink for 90% of the emitted gases, it uses 10% of the World's 
resources !

On one hand there is an obvious unfairness in this relationship, but
on the other hand, if the South is to develop in the Northern Model of 
Development, who will act as a sink for the greenhouse gases to be produced 
? In other words, the North will not allow the South to "Develop" as this 
will have catastrophic consequences.

The North does not allow the South to "Develop" by giving what is
called "Developmental Aid". This could be in terms of loans etc. Taking an 
example of Tanzania, 80% of the development projects' budget are foreign 
funded.

According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) survey,
around 75% of these budgets is used for technical co-operation i.e.
expatriates are usually paid out of the "Aid" budget according to the salary 
scales of the donor country (New Scientist Journal, June 1993), this 
includes: housing allowances, mileage allowances, per diems, children's 
school fees to international schools, air travels to the North on leave etc. 
Even materials which can be acquired or are available locally are imported 
from the donor country using the same "Aid"!! The South has to pay back all 
these "Aids" plus "interest".

Looking at what is going on from another angle, this means the South
is carrying on its back the costs of the developmental activities of
the North.

Still the developed World or the North suffers from a good conscience, due 
to billions provided as "Aid". Such statements are very common in donor 
circles "We are giving you a lot of money but due to mismanagement you are 
not developing". There is some truth in the statement, but in  practical 
terms, how much or what percentage of the "Aid" is used for the  benefit of 
the recipients ? Another fact is that few North nations provide more than 1% 
of the Gross National Product (GNP), which is so little compared to what is
used in defence (arms etc.) that it is of no significance at home, but
numbers look good (Harremoes, 1996).

Usually aid is linked to the interests of the donors and not to the
needs of the recipients. Even the international trade affects the South as 
we produce what we do not need but consume what we do not produce e.g. 
production of coffee, cashew nuts etc. and importation of cars and other 
machinery.

The aforementioned facts show that the North directs and controls
South's "Development" rate and direction. The South or Third World countries 
have to change their terms of reference so as to escape the "Development" 
model the North desires. But can the South really 'go Solo' in 
'Development'?" End of quotation.

I have participated in several developmental projects as a "Local
Consultant" funded by donor-countries and I know what goes on in these
projects!  There is local corruption(this is relatively meagre), I
agree, but the major corruption is foreign (the donors themselves)!

All in all, peasants in the South are the ones being ripped-off by
"Development".

I would also recommend (if I may) a book by O'Keefe & Sam Moyo, 1993
titled "Tears of the Crocodile (from Rio to Reality in the Developing
World)"

I hope I got my points across.

You are encouraged to counter my arguments or support them.

Rwiza

>>From: "Vandal-Sam-I-Am" <MoscowSam@moscow.com>
>>To: "Katetegilwe Rwiza" <rwiz2091@uidaho.edu>
>>Subject: RWIZA> Fw: Amazing website
>>Date: Mon, 29 Nov 1999 12:28:19 -0800
>>
>>Do you subscribe to the local, Vision2020 email list?
>>
>>Sam Scripter
>>
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: Ken Medlin <dev-plan@moscow.com>
>>To: bill london <bill_london@hotmail.com>; Moscow Vision 2020
>><vision2020@moscow.com>
>>Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 1999 12:06 AM
>>Subject: Re: Amazing website
>>
>>
>> > >the HUNGER SITE.
>> > Such compassion is a great asset to world stability and I support the
>> > connection. At the same time, my own observations, work experience and
>> > knowledge about what goes on in many countries having severe
>>malnutrition
>> > problems tell me that political and economic reforms are desperately
>> > needed in most nations in Africa, Asia and Latin America (e.g., Rio de
>> > Janeiro's awful slums) in order to redress the balance of income
>> > distribution which is one major cause of hunger. We can provide "food
>> > baskets" forever and never remove the cause of their suffering. The
>> > problem also extends to international trade where:  1) we extract
>> > resources and goods produced by 'slave' labor, resell them in US and
>> > Europe at 5-10 times original cost. 2) corrupt importers "re-export"
>> > goods purchased thru foreign aid at large personal profits (a former
>> > Nigerian Minister of Public Health systematically confiscated medical
>> > equipment and sold them on the world market to line his and his
>> > associates' pockets -- same thing in Kenya, where street people told me
>> > all about Pres. Moi's personal empire of wealth). 3) foreign aid
>> > sometimes forestalls needed agrarian reforms that could solve the food
>> > production and supply problems there. Ho, hum! What else is new?
>> >
>> > ------------------------
>> > William K. Medlin
>> > Dev-plan associates
>> > 930 Kenneth Street
>> > Moscow ID 83843
>> > 208/892-0148
>> > dev-plan@moscow.com
>> >
>>
>
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