Why Is There a Need for Development In Africa?
Since the dawn of the colonial era, the African continent has experienced numerous hardships on the pathway to economic and human development. High levels of poverty, disease, and inequality coupled with low levels of human development, education, and infrastructure has long gripped the continent and has stifled growth efforts (Gorton). An example of this extreme poverty lies in the African country of Uganda, where nearly 80% of its citizens could not afford food in 2012 (“Many in Developing Nations Struggle to Afford Food”). In addition, the quantity of hungry people in Africa grew from 1990-2012 from 175 million to 239 million, with one in four people facing undernourishment or various symptoms of starvation (“2013 World Hunger and Poverty Facts and Statistics by World Hunger Education Service”). As a struggling continent in the developing Global South, Africa justifies a desperate need for drastic increases in economic and human development in numerous respects.
Non-violent issues such as disease and the lack of a widespread, adequate education system certainly pose threats to the development of Africa. However, corruption and violence are two additional, prominent forces that continue to plague the continent as a whole (Shah). Because of the perpetual violence and elevated levels of corruption, Africa has produced over 9 million refugees and “internally displaced” people since 2000 (“By Origin Table”). Electoral corruption in a relatively unstable democratic system in Kenya is a prime example of such corruption experienced in Africa (Campbell).
The African continent as a whole faces substantial obstacles. Yet visions from China, the United States, and Africa continue to ...
... middle of paper ...
...urces does not prove to be a big enough boost to put the African nation on the same level as larger developing nations such as China and Brazil (Carroll).
Conclusion
Africa has certainly experienced and will continue endure issues and struggles regarding development in its place in the Global South. It will be a continual battle to control issues such as corruption, violence, disease, and overall poverty. Despite this, the continent as a whole appears to be surprisingly poised for at least marginal levels of growth and success in the years to come. Agencies and private investors, such as the African Union and Shanghai Zendai Property Ltd., along with increased business interests from companies in Great Britain of the Global North, have the potential to overcome the difficulties the African continent has faced since the dawn of the colonial era of the 15th century.
Every year, more and more money is donated to Africa to promote democracy in order to get rid of the powerful coups in many countries through out the continent. While the coups are declining and democratic governments are being established, the economic growth and development of Africa is not anywhere it should be considering the abundant natural resources and coastline that the continent possesses. Even though countries, like the United States of America, donate millions of dollars they are a large reason why Africa is underdeveloped economically. The Trans-Atlantic Slave trade is the most devastating event in the history of the world. Nearly 14,000,000 men, women, and children were displaced, sold into slavery, and killed by the trade routes.(
While the United States has a long-standing foothold on the oil in Africa, China has been dominating the other natural resources available for the past 20 years (Bhorat 2013). Additionally, the current perception of President Obama in Kenya seems to have changed dramatically over the recent years. While much of the letdowns were due to high expectations on the Kenya’s population, the general consensus was that President Obama has not done much to help improve the current state of the Kenyan economy. The current programs in Africa are programs that were enacted or established by President's Clinton and George W. Bush (Mwangi 2013). This has allowed the Chinese government to move in and expand operations in the region.
Before the British arrived in Africa, they had sustainable economic, social, and political systems. These existing systems were destroyed the European’s quest to use Africa’s wealth for their own economic gains (Alcott). Prior to colonization many African states relied on agriculture to meet the level of subsistence, and selling or trading excess crops. The British did not recognize this type of economic system as a sufficient alternative method. They did not respect the African’s cultural differences and lifestyles; instead, they saw the lack of technology and modernization as merely unacceptable. They began to implant their own economic methods on the African’s without accounting for or respecting other lifestyles and methods of building a society. Instead of respecting ethnic differences across the continent, the British began to exploit them for their own
Priscilla. “The World Economy and Africa.” JSpivey – Home – Wikispaces. 2010. 29 January 2010. .
In the modern day, Africa is seen by the world around it as a relatively underprivileged continent. Since its independence from colonial rule, Africa 's economic performance has been less than stellar and its advancement has been slow, which could be argued through a myriad of different ideologies. Nathan Nunn, the author of “Historical Legacies: A model linking Africa’s past to its current underdevelopment” believes that the slave trade and colonial rule, brought on by the Europeans in the past, is the reason for Africa’s economic hardships, that are still lingering to this day. What he sets out to answer in this academic paper is an interesting question, “Why do these events, which ended years ago, continue to matter today?” Through the
“Africa is failing to keep up with population growth not because it has exhausted its potential, but instead because too little has been invested in reaching that potential.” Paarlberg backs this claim with evidence that India’s food issue was solved with foreign assistance in development and offers that the solution to Africa’s food shortage is also development and farm modernization endorsed by foreign aid.
With Europe in control, “the policies of the governing powers redirected all African trade to the international export market. Thus today, there is little in the way of inter-African trade, and the pattern of economic dependence continues.” Europeans exported most of the resources in Africa cheaply and sold them costly, which benefited them, but many Africans worked overtime and were not treated with care.
Africa in all its existence to Europe has relied on others to decide what’s best for them. Africa is now in a Western style mode. This does not mean it should be there but it is now. The government has to start taking advantage of today’s capitalist economy. Money tends to keep people of all nations happier. With money everyone is guaranteed food, a home and a better chance at democracy.
It is thought-provoking, in the sense that Africa’s need for foreign created a race to the bottom, much like what Pietra Rivoli described in The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy. Due to some African states’ reliance on foreign aid in order to mine and profit on their resources, they allow business standards to be lowered and for Chinese firms to tip the contracts moresoever in the favor of Chinese firms. This lowers the potential earnings of African states by lowering royalty rates, for example. Additionally, Burgis’ research was thorough and transparent. When he did not receive a response or if his questions were dodged, he made it obvious to the readers. Sure, some could view this book as too anecdotal to be used as a credible source of Africa’s situation. However, this is due to the nature of the system Burgis is writing about; after all, they are shadow states for a reason. Some readers will be saddened by this text, others angry, most curious to learn more, but above all, everyone will be intellectually stimulated and
What is generally misunderstood about Africa is the wealth available in its boundaries, and the misconception of the middle-class in the U.S. and other countries of a similar economic bent. Though nine out of the ten poorest countries are in Africa and all but three of the top twenty, there is a nearly zero homeless rate, and everybody seems to be doing just fine. However it used to be similar in every single so...
Over one billion people are living in poverty, lacking safe water, housing, food, and the ability to read. There is a high concentration of communities in poverty in Africa; particularly Central Africa. States that are considered in Central Africa are the following: Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Republic of Africa, Chad, Equatorial Guinea and the Congo. The majority of these Central African states’ economies are dependent on agriculture. As a result of this dependency, natural disasters, droughts and wars can displace subsistence farmer from their land resulting in poverty becoming even more prevalent and harder to come back from. Also with a history of dependency on farming there tends to be the trend of education not being a primary focus for the youth which is another factor into the stagnant poverty trend in Central Africa.
The overriding challenge Uganda faces today is the curse of poverty. Poverty, ‘the lack of something”(“Poverty.”), something can be materials, knowledge, or anything one justifies as necessary to living. Associated with poverty is the question of what causes poverty and how to stop poverty? The poverty rate in Uganda has declined from the year 2002 from the year 2009, which shows the percent of residents living in poverty has decreasing. Yet, the year is 2014 and the poverty rate could have drastically changed over the course of five years. One could assume the poverty rate would continue to decrease, which would be astounding and beneficial, but does poverty ever decrease enough to an acceptable level or even nonexistence? Poverty is a complex issue that continues to puzzle people from all across the globe. Poverty could possible be a question that is never truly answered.
How Europe Underdeveloped Africa by Walter Rodney, was one of the most controversial books in the world at the time of its release. The book seeks to argue that European exploitation and involvement in Africa throughout history. This is the cause of current African underdevelopment, and the true path to the development is for Africa to completely sever her ties with the international capitalist economy. Rodney describes his goal in writing the book in the preface: “this book derives from a concern with the contemporary African situation. It delves into the past only because otherwise it would be impossible to understand how the present came into being and what the trends are for the near future” (vii). Rodney writes from a distinctly Marxist perspective by arguing that the inequalities inherent in European capitalism and required exploitation of certain countries in order to sustain capitalism.
Thus, all these problems like poverty, education, transport, health facilities is creating problem for African people to develop and live a healthy life. It is also affecting the economy of the country and therefore government and many other organizations should take steps to look after all these issues for better development of Africa.
There is no doubt that European colonialism has left a grave impact on Africa. Many of Africa’s current and recent issues can trace their roots back to the poor decisions made during the European colonial era. Some good has resulted however, like modern medicine, education, and infrastructure. Africa’s history and culture have also been transformed. It will take many years for the scars left by colonization to fade, but some things may never truly disappear. The fate of the continent may be unclear, but its past provides us with information on why the present is the way it is.