Readers Write: The Pop-Culture Movement to 'Save' Africa

By Don Hazen, AlterNet. Posted October 26, 2006.

AlterNet readers had some strong and articulate reactions to G. Pascal Zachary's article The Problematic Pop-Culture Movement to 'Save' Africa. A number of them follow below, including a response by the author at the end.

Some readers pleaded for a better understanding of the African continent and its people, such as Bobsays, who wrote:

Actually, one of the first things you notice about Africa when you are there -- apart from its long list of well-known problems -- is its optimism, its dreams. Dreams are the things Africans have plenty of. They don't need to import dreams, they need to export goods and services.

I have noticed over the past six years raw, elitist and aggressive hijacking of international development and poverty issues by a small elite of celebrities. This has coincided with the biggest boom in wealth for these people ever in human history. And the result has been destructive. It has commodified the struggle to reduce poverty, it has turned it into a shameless spectacle that strips the dignity away of the poor (especially with its development porn picture which always show people as weak and helpless), and it has framed ending poverty with only one concept: charity. Charity is not the way to end poverty. Today's biggest poverty fighter, China, is not using charity to end poverty. It is using solid economic development policies and education. This is what Africa needs.

An African reader called Progbiz weighs in:

"As an African, given the deeply desperate situation in too much of my continent, I think any help is welcome. We do need to ultimately do it ourselves and we will. Only 2 percent of the U.S. population supports international aid. The various events, campaigns, stunts all ultimately help to improve awareness and in time action. Yes, there is a downside ... but we may be deep in that ravine anyway ... David will be well cared for and may come back to help, educated, well-nourished, well-connected and healthy.

There were pointed critiques of celebrity engagement in social issues, such as LeftWright's:

If "superstar" entertainers really wanted to help, they would create their own fund to help targeted NGOs to build water projects and schools, and fund microbanks, as a start. They could also use their power of the pulpit to shine a bright light on the activites of Western governments/corporations that exacerbate all these problems in the first place.

Standard of living does not equal quality of life. The American standard of living is sucking the life out of the rest of the world. The U.S. economy is not sustainable in its present form; the sooner we realize this, the easier it will be to transition to a sustainable economy and a more peaceful world.

Vangogh69:

Madonna's adoption and this "buy red" campaign are merely cheap and liberal ways to help vast and complex problems. It's funny how there's no mention in either instance of how Africa arrived at its current state, almost as if 300 years of imperialism and colonialism NEVER HAPPENED. First in foremost, we need to discuss the European and American debt to Africa, a price which frankly can never be paid back and certainly not by celebs hoping to snag a photo-op.

My second thing is this: Why do these celebrities need to cross the Atlantic to find needy children? Do we not have adoption in America? Secondly, is AIDS for blacks in the U.S. not an issue anymore? Sorry, but the help should start at home before Madonna or Jolie go "over there" (and you too Bono!) to "save the world ... one donation at a time."

You know, if Madonna really wanted to be progressive (and help out), she could highlight the current plight of Detroit which is a city left behind by globalization and neo-capitalism. She could highlight the infant mortality rate of that city and the cases of AIDS there.

Badkitty notes:

How can a jacket save the world? or eliminate AIDS, etc.? The Global Fund (www.theglobalfund.org) was created, according to their website, to increase resources to fight AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. "Product (RED) is a global initiative whose primary objective is to engage the private sector in the fight against AIDS in Africa by channeling funds from the sale of (RED) products directly to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Companies whose products take on the (RED) mark contribute a portion of profits from the sale of that product to Global Fund-financed programs in Africa. Current partners are American Express, Converse, Gap, Giorgio Armani and Motorola.

I'm a Gap employee, and I must say I am dubious about this way of helping (I contribute to Heifer), since I don't think increased consumption is the right way to go, but let's face it, every day I am told that I don't think like other people, so if this is what they want to do, maybe it will make a difference, which would be wonderful. In the long run though (and I don't think it's that far away), global warming will get us all.

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Don Hazen is the executive editor of AlterNet.

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