"G8 'failing to meet aid pledges'"

I have not been posting much, because I am in Uganda, and a little out of touch.

I am no expert on the country, since this is only my second visit. Still it seems obvious that this is a country in which a lot of people are living below the poverty level, and yet it is a country in which there are significant signs of progress. It seems a place that needs and probably deserves foreign aid.

Today, BBC News tells me:

UK charity Oxfam says increases in aid from the world's richest countries are not enough to meet promises they made at the Gleneagles G8 meeting last year.

What a surprise! Former colonial powers and rich countries saying that they will act generously, but behaving differently in Africa!

I have just read Howard French's book, A Continent for the Taking: The Tragedy and Hope of Africa. I recommend it. He writes well, and was on the ground as a New York Times reporter during the mid 1990's. He tells a story of "things falling apart" in west and central Africa and of the great powers at best standing by and not helping much. I can not really imagine what it was like, with millions of people being killed by "ethic cleansing" and general violence!

French, as a reporter, was dealing with big-wig politicians (or with hotel staff, drivers, etc.) Only with other journalists does he seem to feel a sense of peer solidarity. Not surprisingly, he finds those whose greed and sadism lead to such violence and destruction to be a very bad lot.

Here I tend to deal with people in the university or donor organizations. I do feel they are my peers, and I am impressed by their willingness to strive for progress. A lot of them are very impressive professionals.

Maybe that is why my impressions here are more positive than those French conveys in his book.