For example, look at this: The Kenyan economics expert James Shikwati, 35, says that aid to Africa does more harm than good. The avid proponent of globalization spoke with SPIEGEL about the disastrous effects of Western development policy in Africa, corrupt rulers, and the tendency to overstate the AIDS problem. He makes a lot of good points, and it dovetails right into a couple points in a theology essay that I recently read.
- All social justice action should not lose sight of the reality that the human condition is fundamentally sinful. There will always be "haves" and "have nots" but this does not mean that we should perpetuate that situation. In the case of Africa, I think the old axiom about fish should work: give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime. By simply sending aid, all we are doing is perpetuating the current situation of helplessness. By forgiving debt, all we are doing allowing more debt to be generated.
- When pursuing social justice, we should be careful not to let hidden biases affect our thoughts and actions. Has anyone considered the possibility that we may feel the need to help Africa because deep down we don't believe that Africa can help itself? Are we guilty again in this century of thinking the African people are not as good as the rest of us? Rather than treating them like children and do for them, why do we not treat them like adults and encourage them to do for themselves? Could it be that a hand up is better than a hand out?
