ContinU Questions
Here are the replies to some of your questions at the conference. carry on discussing them - or anything else about the conference itself or development in general - here. (NB: you have to register to use the message board - it'll only take a minute).
QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES
Eight questions from those submitted were subsequently selected for responses by the panel, and the following is a summary of these responses:
1. Is there an organisation whose sole purpose is to deal with corrupt governments in Third World countries?
(submitted by Jack Combe of Wolverley High School on behalf of Group A)
The short answer is No. Transparency International measures corruption, but has no mandate to deal with it. It is very unlikely that such an organisation could effectively exist. It is left to individual donor organisations and countries. Some have been more assertive than others. For instance Hilary Benn, the previous British Secretary of State for International Development, on a visit to Sierra Leone, stated bluntly ‘No more money’ unless they could demonstrate that they had controlled corruption. Other agencies have been less forthright.
2. What does Britain get out of helping Sierra Leone?
(submitted by Reuben of Hagley High School on behalf of Group B)
As the former colonial power there was a tremendous moral imperative for Britain to respond to the request to intervene. Britain was also best placed to provide humanitarian and economic assistance. But British interests are also served; pressure on immigration by refugees and others is reduced by a more stable country, and there are benefits with regard to security and counter-terrorism.
3. What can we do to help and how can we get involved?
(submitted by Hannah Brown of Bewdley High School)
You can help by campaigning through an agency such as Oxfam or Christian Aid, or consider working in a developing country through an agency such as DFID or VSO; the development ‘industry’ is more vigorous than ever in recruiting for work overseas. You can help to raise money or donate goods to an aid charity. You can join a political party and exert democratic pressure. Or you can get involved in smaller, locally inspired projects; the example was given of FOAG, the Worcestershire-based Farmers Overseas Action Group, that organises funding support for locally managed projects in Uganda, with minimal overheads or risk of corruption, demonstrating that a little money can go a long way if it is used wisely.
4. Would the improvement of education in Sierra Leone help to curb corruption, or are there more important issues to work on?
(submitted by Jess Denton, Bewdley High School on behalf of Group D)
Yes ... but it will take a very long time, and we need to remember that education can also help to teach people how to become more corrupt. On a more positive note, conflict societies tend to be associated with a low literacy rate. Also some more highly educated expats are likely to return when conditions improve in their home countries. A high priority should be adult education, eg on voting, democracy, citizenship, human rights etc. Also getting people talking to other people on particular community issues, such as wife-beating.
5. How much of the money donated by outside sources actually gets spent on the people who need it?
(submitted by Lisa, Stourport High School on behalf of Group G)
80% of Oxfam aid is spent directly on the project. DFID, like other government agencies, is moving more towards General Budget Support to governments, which is easier to administer, and cheaper, with fewer overheads; but of course there is increased risk of corruption. Also more people need to be involved in ‘tracking’ studies, i.e. trying to find out how much aid is actually filtering down through the various levels of government.
6.If we did eradicate world poverty, what would happen to the world’s economy?
(submitted by Danielle Griffiths, Wolverly HS on behalf of Group I)
There is good precedent for supporting states impoverished by conflict; after World War 2 a big effort was put into getting Germany (the aggressor) onto its feet again, as part of European regeneration. In a global economy extreme poverty in other parts of the world has an adverse effect on those of us in the top segment of the economy. Maybe we should aim to create a new level in the global economy for the very poor.
7. What other wealthy countries other than the UK are actually helping in trying to reduce levels of poverty, and how?
(submitted by Emily of Hagley High School on behalf of Group O)
Virtually all ‘developed’ countries have an aid programme, with targets, but the provision is very varied. The Scandinavian countries (Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland) have always been in the forefront of development aid. The worst have been the US and Japan (in terms of % per capita aid, apart from armaments). The Scandinavian countries and the UK tend to go together against the French and Americans in arguments on aid. Former colonial countries tend to give priority to their own former colonies.
8. Is there a way in which Sierra Leone can reduce the number of people with HIV like Kenya has?
(submitted by Amy Carter of Wolverley High School on behalf of Group E)
Conflict situations tend to increase spread of HIV/AIDS. Uganda has shown a way forward through education in a social situation of multiple husbands and wives, and prostitution, through promoting use of condoms etc. A major scandal is the lack of affordable drugs. This affects other conditions such as malaria, because drug companies are only concerned about profits. There have been campaigns against pharmaceutical companies in India and other countries on this issue. Sex education is very important, as evidenced in Uganda, together with technical support such as testing clinics. Problems include religious opposition, especially from the Catholic church; lack of parental will to discuss sex matters; and lack of political will to confront the realities of HIV/AIDS, as demonstrated in particular by President Thabo Mbeki in South Africa.
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