Quote Originally Posted by I'm my own MILF
But it is. The only thing this achieves is to create more poverty, and to lock Africa into an endless cycle of taking aid and funding dictatorships with it.
Perhaps you're right, and I'm simply being too optimistic. But I'd say that responsibly distributed aid, combined with political action, would be able to start the process of lifting Africa out of poverty. For the continent to truly recover it will have to do a lot to help itself, true. But self-determination can't go far without fair trading rules and economic practices, which are the responsibility of our own governments to implement. Meanwhile, as ordinary citizens we can do our bit to save a few lives, and bring some small joy to people who suffer so much.

Again, maybe I'm just being optimistic, but that's the way see things, and I don't see how doing nothing is going to make the situation any better.