HIV/AIDS Africa Part 1
HIV/AIDS Africa Part 2
Do you have any personal experiences in the battle against HIV/AIDS?How can we help people struggling in Africa when they are separated from us by distance, culture, politics & economics?
How does knowledge of the depth of suffering of people in Uganda, South Africa & other parts of Africa personally affect you?
5 comments:
Possibly a larger problem of resolving the African Aids Epidemic is the political corruption that acts as a first line filter between humanitarian assistance and the NGO's which are on location to deal with the victims.
In many humanitarian cases, Government troops have prevented delivery of assistance until graft payments were made that satisfied their demands.
At some point, Bono, the most recognizable western spokesperson for resolving the crisis, must detail progress on resolving the systemic corruption in African politics instead of merely badgering Western Politicians for their supposed lack of substantial monetary pledges.
G-8 had a lot of REAL POLITICAL ISSUES to deal with in Germany without being hounded by some rock star over an African Humanitarian Issue.
The West is constantly addressing the issue and funnelling billions of dollars towards the solution. Maybe BONO could detail the expenditures publically and tell us HOW MUCH OF EVERY DOLLAR actually reaches the Aids Victims.
At some point there is FRUSTRATION on the part of donors who can't understand how the problem is getting bigger after years of applying political pressure on Africa (to little avail) and simultaneously funnelling billions of dollars.
I personally take exception at his Ad Hominem attack on our Prime Minister Stephen Harper who is doing a very good job with a minority government.
Does Bono even know what this means? It means work, work, work - a fickle constituency is most likely to misinterpret meeting rock stars on governent time with Political work to be done.
Still, nonetheless I continue to pray for African Aids victims, their politicians and petulent rock stars who are easily jaded after crashing a political conference with humanitarian issues.
What can Bono do to eliminate African political corruption to ensure the flow of funds are not siphoned off.
Mark
Like I said in my presentation, I know little about the politics of these issues, but I think that someone like Bono is still making a difference because he isn't keeping quiet about the issue. He continues to raise awareness and I'm pretty sure that's always a good thing. He's doing more than harassing politicians, he is using his very famous "rock star" voice to be the voice of the voiceless. That's gotta count for something. I applaud the way he uses the limelight to focus on the issue, instead of basking in it himself.
Bono is a lobbyist, not a politician or a bureaucrat. We need all three of these roles in governance. Lobbyists bring major issues to the public consciousness through efforts to inform the masses and to pressure politicians. I think he's doing a great job as a lobbyist for an important issue ... possibly the most important issue of our era.
As a nation we signed on to the millennial development goals several years ago, and we haven't followed through with the funding that we promised. When a promise is made, entered into the public & legal record, and then reneged on by a new government, there is a desperate need for lobbyists.
This is not to say that there isn't a need for accountability, but reneging on our own promises isn't doing much to demonstrate a lack of corruption to other governments.
Wow - I don't have a clue what you guys are talking about! When confronted by an issue like Aids in Africa, I feel confused, inadequate, and provincial. I think the best thing I can do is support people like Nicole who are doing something practical, even if it seems like a drop in the bucket. After all, drops count. Don't they? "A cup of cold water..."
Drops really, really count!
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