Sigh!! It’s Over!

Three weeks in Ghana has come and gone! I find it hard to believe that our trip has ended so soon! I have had the opportunity to meet some of the most amazing people, and at the same time, I was able to leave a part of myself behind in Ghana (in the form of memories). I look back at my trip and wonder: Did I complete what I came here to do? Did I contribute in a tangible manner? Was I able to give as much as I took away from Ghana? Looking back, I am happy that I was able to work simultaniously at the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice and tutoring students at the after school project. I traveled to Africa to learn from the people and experience a way of life that is very foreign to me. I learned a lot from the Ghanaian people and I was able to bestow some of my knowledge as well, but I cannot help but to think that I could have done more. I feel that I took more away from the nation than I was able to contribute. Although this feeling is currently bothering me, I believe I can utilize my emotions to ensure that I will never forget about my experience in Ghana and that I will return soon enough to give back in a more tangible manner.

 

“When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That’s relativity.” Albert Einstein

Dead Aid – By: Dambisa Moyo

Dead Aid: Why Aid is not Working and How There is a Better Way for Africa

By: Dambisa Moyo

New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

188pp. $14.00

ISBN: 978-0-374-13956-8

Africa has been the recipient of vast amounts of official development assistance (ODA) over the years, and over the past 60 years, Africa has received over one trillion USD in development related aid (Moyo, 2009). This massive influx of development assistance has not proven to be the answer to Africa’s stagnating growth. In Dead Aid, Dambisa Moyo attempts to tackle the troubling question of why the majority of sub-Saharan counties floundered in a seemingly never-ending cycle of corruption, disease, poverty, and aid-dependancy. In the opinoin of Moyo, the reason for such dire circumstances among African counrties is directly due to all the aid that they have received, creating what she views as an economy of aid-dependancy. Moyo defends her claim by citing growth figures which date back thrity years and demonstrates that the most aid-dependent countries have exibited an average annual growth of minus 0.2 per cent. The author views the receipt of concessional loans and grants as having similar effects in Africa as the possession of valuable natural resources: “it’s a kind of curse because it encourages corruption and conflict, while at the same time discouraging free enterprise.” In the authors view, the answer to Africa’s stagnation is the radical proposal to halt the follow of concessional loans and grants. Moyo offers four alternative sources of funding for African economies, none of which has the same deleterious side effects as aid. These alternatives include: accessing the international bond markets, encourage the chinese policy of large-scale direct investment in infrastructure, press for genuine free trade in agricultural products, and the encouragement of financial intermediation, more specifically, fostering the spread of microfinance institutions.

Dambisa Moyo’s book, although not the first to address the issues concerning foreign aid, is considered to be instrumental in the debate against such frivilious expenditures. In her book, Moyo discusses various complex issues, but her resolution to such concerns may be seen as too simplistic by some. Moyo is certainly correct that good government is all-important, but she’s on very uncertain footing when she claims that it will: “naturally emerge in the absence of the glut of aid.” Aid may lead to bad government, but commodity-dependent economies seem to manage to get more than their fair share of bad and corrupt government either with or without it. Moyo also neglects to mention that there is also some evidence for some success in  African aid in other areas, especially in health, where there have been successful efforts at vaccination campaigns (lowering child mortality) and ending or curtailing diseases like smallpox, Guinea worm, and riverblindness. This raises hope that aid could register further successes in health. As touched upon by Moyo, the aid system has never been able to resolve the terrible tradeoff between supporting a bad government and helping the citizenry, and today the situation is not any different. Donating nations have certainly been involved in internationally supervised elections in formerly wartorn societies like Liberia and Democratic Republic of the Congo. Donors also applied pressure to Kenya to conform to democratic principles after the long-time autocrat Daniel Arap Moi left office, and again in 2007-2008 when there was a seriously flawed election; however, other flawed elections happened with little donor complaint (such as Nigeria in 2007), or there were forceful complaints by donors that have been ineffective (Zimbabwe 2008). Conversely, some democratic transitions in Africa were based on indigenous mass movements that forced autocrats to hold fair elections, with little donor involvement, such as Zambia, Ghana, and Benin.

A further criticizm that may be directed towards Moyo is the accusation that her book, and recommendations, can be viewed as neoliberalistic, but it is important to appreciate the fastidiousness of Moyo’s argument and how it can be used as a baseline and refined. Moyo’s recipe for success in Africa is seen as an ideologically right (economically conservitive) minded perspective, and one that views privatization of public goods as a necessary part of a florishing economy. Moyo’s point is well taken when she states that governments should not be given perpetual non-emergency aid, and that better structures both exist internationally, and can be created locally for Africans to help themselves via private finanace and investment. However, in the current global economic recession that has been directly related to the free reign of capitalistic ideologies, Moyo’s opinion to open African markets to the world may not be seen as the best solution. As Africa turned towards markets and globalization since the turn of the millennium, the continent experienced the highest growth rates in its history, yet some would argue that this growth is artificially high and could not be sustained in the long term. Although, as cited by Dollar, David and Kraay, historical evidence suggests that such wealth creation and growth does reach the poorest; growth of the poorest and the richest parts of the population tends on average to be the same.

Moyo has been unlucky in her timing with Dead Aid. Her recommendations for privatization, international financing, and free markets for Africa have come at a point in time when international capital and goods markets are in deep crisis, and considering that the Great Depression was responsible for encouraging many of the paternalistic ideologies that would ruin African deveoplment economics for the next half century, her recommendations might not be put to use. As well, In the brief interval between writing and publication, the book’s argument has been overtaken by events. The opportunity for African governments to raise money on international markets has evaporated even more rapidly than it opened around four years ago. The global financial crisis has drastically reduced investor appetites for risk: for example, the government of Kenya had planned to raise $500m through an international bond issue, but that is now out of the question due to the current world financial circumstances. Also, African societies face problems depper than their dependance on aid; divided by ethnic loyalties, they are too large to be nations, yet with only tiny economies, they lack the scale to be effective states. As a result of such circumstances the vitlal public goods of security and accountability cannot adequately be provided, and in their absence the valuable natural assets that many countries possess become libialities instead of opportunities for prosperity.

Dambisa Moyo demonstrates tremendous courage in advocating an anti-paternalistic, commercial model for Africa despite the current recetion present in the world. Her current stance directly negates the popular assumptions and strategies of alleviating poverty in African Countries, which would leave her in a position of disapproval among politicians, movie stars, and some academics. The time has come to undertake a new strategy of development in the African region, one that believes in the ability of the African people to help themselves, rather than one which views Africans’ as helpless and dependent on our handouts. Dead Aid purposes recommendations that need to be undertaken, and although at times simplistic, the reality is that our actions thus far have not amounted to a tangible and overarching difference in the continent. Moyo’s book, Dead Aid, considers multiple opportuntities for the deveopment of a continent that has tremendous potential, and in doing so, utilizes the socialogical immagination to come up with a solution, that if tweeked, could provide the sustainable growth that Africa needs.

 

Happiness!

My previous blog about how friendly Ghanaians are led me to write the current blog about the level of happiness that I have observed among the people of Ghana. From the young to the old, the poor to the rich, man or woman, I get the sense that people in Ghana are a lot happier than people back in Canada. I guess at first this seems like a ridiculous statement to make. How could people who have no access to water, lack proper health care, and have no real tangible employment opportunities be happier than people who live in a prosperous nation like Canada? I do not really have an answer to this question, but I know my lived experience shows me that people appear to be happier in Ghana. The level of happiness may have to do with the fact that people are not bombarded by a media that depicts what the ideal life should be, or maybe the less you possess, the more you appreciate what you have. Happiness could also have to do with the fact that people are so closely attached to their communities and families, and this attachment brings about a level of fulfillment that is missing in most Canadian communities and families. The level of happiness that I observed might also have to do with the fact that Ghanaians are considered to be “one with nature”, far more than the average Canadian might be, which could lead to some sort of spiritual wellbeing that is not experienced in the West. Whatever the reason might be for the level of happiness among the Ghanaian people, I believe we should learn a thing or two from our African brothers and learn to appreciate what we have, and just be happy!

 

“Happiness doesn’t depend on any external conditions, it is governed by our mental attitude” Dale Carnegie

Friendly Bunch!

My trip is almost near its end. I have been in Ghana for nearly 3 weeks and I have loved every minute of it. I have no doubt that when I go back home, people will ask me the question: what was the most memorable thing about Ghana? Some might view this question as one that might require a very long winded and convoluted response, but my response will be simply, “the people.” I remember in our pre-departure class that we were told by our professor that Ghanaians are one of the nicest people you will come across, and after experiencing that first hand, I could not agree more. I have had the pleasure of traveling around the world, although not extensively, but I have never come across people as friendly and welcoming as Ghanaians. Canadians have the reputation of being some of the friendliest people in the world, but to me, they seem like grumpy and unwelcoming people compared to Ghanaians. I could walk the street for hours, pass hundreds of people, and I am sure no one would stop to ask how I am, or how my day is going, but in Ghana ten minutes does not go by before someone approaches me to speak to me about something. I am cognizant of the fact that I am a foreigner and as such, much more compelling to speak to for the locals in Ghana, but I have witnessed similar behaviour when it comes to locals. If I had to analyze and give a response as to why people are so much more friendlier in Ghana, I would probably say that the collectivism and sense of community is extremely strong in this nation, and that translates into every day interactions between the citizenry.

Reliance on the “Colonial Master”

I was shocked to find out that a nation that had enslaved the people of Ghana for hundreds of years was seen so positively. The relationship between Great Britain and Ghana seems to be a lively, and one could argue, even a friendly one. This for me is a hard pill to swallow. How could a nation that had recently received its independence be so friendly with its colonial ruler? I do understand that a large part of it may be the fact that Ghana went through what most would view as a bloodless revolution, which may have helped the image of Great Britain in Ghana. Also, Ghana is a nation that has very strongly enshrined the concept of Christianity, a religion used by their colonial masters, in their society. The presence of Britain can be easily seen throughout Ghana; from religious texts in cabs, to notepads that are used by students in school. Even when speaking to Ghanaians, an unexpectedly large portion of individuals that I had the pleasure of speaking to had a positive opinion about Great Britain (though that opinion is based on the Great Britain of today, not the past). Speaking to several academics about the reliance of Ghana on its past colonial master, I began to see the systematic reasons for such a close relationship. The economic system of Ghana has been heavily influenced by the West, and one can argue that steps were implemented prior to Britain’s departure to ensure a healthy relationship between the two nations. Clearly, in the Globalized world that we live in, a nation as small and young as Ghana has little chance but to participate and fulfill its role in the grand scheme of things, and their noncomplience could be met with covert and overt force.

“Debt is such a powerful tool, it is such a useful tool, it’s much better than colonialism ever was because you can keep control without having an army, without having a whole administration” Susan George

Censorship of Knowledge

After a couple of weeks of being in Ghana, I realized that there is a clear censorship when it comes to critical knowledge. This first came to my attention in a conversation with the critical historian that had lectured to us earlier in the week, and I came across the same issue again while teaching social studies to high school students. I realized that the text books that the students were studying did not fully address some very important issues pertaining to Ghana’s history. An example of this was the fact that in their textbook, at no time did the author speak of how it came about that the Fante and the Ashanti began their long feud (which some would argue was due to the gold surge and the desire to control the cost for export purposes). Another example of deliberate censorship of knowledge that I was made aware of was the lack of accessibility to books such as “Dead Aid” by Dembisa Moyo. These books are quite critical of the way the economic systems of countries like Ghana are being run, and thus, as told to us by the professor from the University of Cape Coast, the government ensures that such books are not readily available. Now this is not to say that similar things are not happening in other western countries as well, but the fact that censorship occurs everywhere, does not make it acceptable anywhere. I believe that nations like Ghana will have a very difficult time continuing such censorship, as the advent of the internet begins to sweep nations that had not had access to it previously.

 

“The goal of education is the advancement of knowledge and the dissemination of truth” John F. Kennedy

Gender inequality

Like many nations in the world, Canada included, Ghana faces many issues pertaining to gender inequality. Due to the strong traditional customs of the Ghanaian people, inequality is very present and overt. I first began noticing this while observing the division of labour within in the markets. Two very common professions that I came into contact with on a daily basis due to the location of my placement were the taxi drivers and the fishermen (I say ‘fishermen’ because fishing is an unacceptable profession for a woman in Ghana). I am cognisant of the fact that even in Canada, a nation that prides itself in its equality, these professions are dominated by men, but not to a point where it would be societally unacceptable to partake in such professions.

In the 24 days that I spent in Ghana I did not come across a single female driver or fisher, and more and more it was obvious to me that there was a clear division in labour. There were also jobs that I did not see men partake in. I seldom saw a male carry anything food or snack oriented on their head, as this seemed to be the job of female and children. The division of labour was very apparent when you walked into the market, as each sex would have their own specific role within the market; men sticking to hand made sculptures and paintings, and woman selling jewellery, food, and textiles. Obviously these divisions were not set in stone.

Also, I felt that I, as a male, was taken more seriously when I spoke and was given the opportunity to voice my opinion more than my female counterparts. This occurred far more often in professional settings, such as the radio interviews that we attended as part of our internship with the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice. Even in a place that is mandated to uphold the highest level of respect for equality, I found myself being addressed when a question needed to be answered, as opposed to both my partner and I.

There are many other aspects in which gender inequality is present (i.e. marriage, school, and other institutions), but from speaking to locals about how things are today and how they have been in the past, the sense that I was able to get was a promising one. Gender inequality exists everywhere, and a newly formed nation that is attempting to find its own identity will evidently struggle with this topic for some time before finding the correct footing.

When considering the current circumstances and the plight of the female, we must take into consideration the historical, political, social, cultural, and economic spheres of a society. Changes to an individuals way of life, as it pertains to equality, cannot take place unless these spheres of society are recognized as contributors to the current situation that one finds themselves in. In order to tackle gender inequality, society as a whole must realize the value of women and their ability to complete any task that is suitable for a male counterpart.

Capitalism vs. Socialism

The history of Ghana, post independence, has been one plagued with external influenced on their political, social, and economic spheres. From various lectures and conversations had with locals, I came to the understanding that initially when Ghana received its independence the plan for the nation was one that leaned towards the socialist ideology.  Initially, when Dr. Kwame Nkrumah became the first President of Ghana, he had a master plan to have a united Africa, and one that was governed by socialist values. This master plan quickly became problematic as far as the West was concerned. With the help of Western powers, Dr. Nkrumah was ousted as the President and was replaced. From that point on, the nation of Ghana took a turn towards a capitalistic economy and was far more aligned with Western train of thought. The presence of capitalism is everywhere in Cape Coast, and I would suspect that it would be more apparent in Accra. One can see advertisements from many different multinational corporations scattered around the city. Although capitalism is not as influential in Ghana as it might be in North America, the power that capitalism yields is obvious. I believe that there is definitely values that could be found in the capitalistic ideology, but I am of the opinion that a nation like Ghana would have been far better off in the long run sticking to a social democratic system. Time will tell what the future has in store for Ghana, but if left unchecked, capitalism will take a strangle hold on the political, social, and economic spheres that will not easily be undone.

 

“Capitalism is the legitimate racket of the ruling class” Al Capone

Live from Ghana

Today (Friday, July 6^th) is the day that the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice attends various radio programs in an effort to educate the public on various laws and regulations. Sadly our 9am interview was cancelled, but we are still confirmed for our 1pm slot where we will be speaking to the public about the Child Rights Act (560). We arrived at the office and at about 11:00am we were given the Child Rights Act and we had an hour to look over the act and familiarize ourselves with the various clauses. Obviously this was not enough time for me to go through 30 pages of legal lingo, but in the end, I was quite confident in my understanding of the law. We arrived at the radio station, located in the University of Cape Coast, and before I knew it, I was sitting in front of a microphone. I was under the impression that the conversation would be conducted in English, but that was not the case. The interviewer spoke to our supervisor for about 20 minutes, and throughout the entire discussion, I was unaware of what was being discussed or what was covered. The interviewer began speaking in English and asked us questions about how children’s rights are upheld in Canada. After a brief response, the interviewer asked me about the process of removal of children from their homes. I believe I conducted myself very professionally and answered the questions in the best possible way. I spoke for roughly 15 minutes, but what I found most interesting was that all the questions regarding Canadian customs and rules were addressed to me as opposed to my female colleague. I have begun noticing a clear discrimination when it comes to the female’s right to be taken seriously. My colleague had to forcefully speak on the program and if she had not taken the initiative to respond, I believe that she would have just been silenced throughout the entire program.  The entire experience was very eye opening for me, and I genuinely enjoyed conducting the live interview, and next week we will be opening up the lines for callers to contact us and ask us questions regarding our opinion about the various laws of Ghana and Canada.

Reading the Child Rights Act opened my eyes to the complete disregard for the laws by the public when it came to children’s rights. A concrete example of this can be found in Section 89 of the Child Rights Act which states: “The minimum age for admission of a child to employment shall be fifteen years.” This is a very common law when it comes to western standards, and I was pleased to see that a nation such as Ghana would put in place such laws to protect children’s wellbeing. With that said, there are thousands of children that are working, some as young as 3 or 4. Leaving the CHRAJ office and going for a quick walk, one can see how the reality is vastly different from the idealistic laws. Reading these laws give me the perception that the Ghanaian government only wishes to hold these laws so that it may please Western powers, and they have no interest in funding organizations such as CHRAJ or putting in place the necessary infrastructure to ensure compliance with such laws. I believe the greatest obstacles in place that ensures noncompliance with the laws of the land is the lack of education and the deep entrenchment of the cultural norms in the Ghanaian society. As well, the sad reality is that if the children do not work, there will not be enough food to feed the entire family. I am left wondering what the options are, and how would a nation such as Ghana be able to fight such child exploitation. I understand that I am holding Ghana to the same standards as Canada, but at the same time I believe in the existence of some universal moralities that must be upheld no matter the culture, and children’s right to not be exploited is one of them.

 

“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children” Nelson Mandela 

Birthday in the Birthplace of Humanity!

Another Birthday, another year under my belt!!

I woke up today to the sound of banging of pots and pans and the tune of happy birthday being sung only a few feet away from my face! Several of my amazing friends, Lison Daubigeon in particular, had decided to put together some decoration and preparation for my birthday, and it was most definitely an astounding way to wake up in the morning. I knew I had an exciting day ahead of me, and I could not imagine a better place to spend my birthday! Although I was appreciative of everyone’s efforts and my privileges and circumstances, I could not help but to miss my family and friends. I had a bit of a hard day being so far away from the people that love me and I was constantly reminded of the fact that I will not have them around me today! With that said, I was still looking forward to what the day had in store for me!

I made my way to work at 8:30am.  I arrived for my orientation and within several minutes I had about 350 pages of reading material to go through. I began reading the various laws and acts pertaining to human rights in Ghana, and was surprised to see how closely aligned the laws were to Canadian laws. I had the opportunity to read the entire human rights manual, which made me far more comfortable regarding my knowledge and comprehension of Ghanaian standards. I found it quite intriguing to read the ‘idealistic’ laws that are written in the acts and how much reality differs from such laws. One of the reasons I decided to attend this field school was that I would be able to learn through experience and reading the laws were definitely an eye opening experience. There was a clear gap between what was written in law (theory) and the realities on the ground (practice). Although Ghanaian laws were quite western, there is no infrastructure and resources to implement them to the full extent. The lack of funding is very apparent when you look at the budget of CHRAJ: 2.5 million Canadian. As well, the laws in place do not necessarily reflect the diverse perspectives and cultures of the Ghanaian population. The more I read the laws, the more laws I found to have discrepancies when it came to the implementation and enforcement of them. By the end of the working day I was rejuvenated by the prospect of what tomorrow has in store! My supervisor had informed me that I will be attending a radio show to inform the public of their rights and responsibilities. I was quite excited about this, as I believe the best way to tackle most issues is through education and the spreading of the message to the masses.

After leaving work I decided to accompany my colleague to a beach front restaurant where I was treated to a birthday lunch and a peaceful stroll on the beach. The entire day was absolutely gorgeous and I could not have asked for better weather for my birthday. After leaving the restaurant we headed back home and began to prepare ourselves for a night on the town!

I am slowly realizing that a majority of my learning and constructive dialogue is taking place back at home, amongst my colleagues, and I am truly appreciating the opportunity to be a part of it!

 

“True peace is not merely the absence of tension, it is the presence of justice” -Martin Luther King Jr.