Are western NGO’s doing it the right way?
Categories: Politics
Written By: ephraim
Are western ” non governmental organisations” (NGO’s) really doing what they are expected to be doing for Africa ?
Please sit back and prepare to challenge my opnion. What ever you thought about Africa, think again. One can’t ran from the naked fact that Africa is a troubled continent, devastated by civil wars, poverty and HIV/Aids. The good news is having all these obstacles doesn’t mean there is no hope for Africa. Let me put it in this way: we Africans are very forntunaty, we must appreciate the truth that we are not climbing the huge mountain to success alone. Our international friends [ countries ] are helping us to pull ourselves out this distress times. But the question is: are Western agencies as a helping hand apprecciated by masses of Africans pulling us into the right direction?
Here is what i suggest: It is very clear that Western NGO’s are doing a very great job for the ordinary people of Africa, but the question mark is: are our Arican politicians as happy as ordinary Africans with this great work being done by Western agencies? The answer is clearly not at all. Why do I say this? because NGO’s are involving themselves a lot on domestic political issues, but that’s not the reason behind African leaders feeling feverish of the work of NGO’s. Western NGO’s together with their media fail to balance things, let me give you these examples: Amnesty international, Human rights watch and International federation for human rights. These organisations claim to be the paragons of objectctivety and balanced human rights defenders, but the fact is these organisations don’t lead by example. For instance Amnesty international recently campagned for the international arrest of Sudanese president Omar -al Bashir, the move which i personal believed was right for Africa, but in my eyes the African union was underrated, because I think it was a decission the African union was suppossed to make, not Amnesty International.
If we were to look at things more closely, Western Agencies talk about being against African presidents entrenching themselves in power, but in what ways? These Western organisations talk about Robert Mugabe having stayed too long in power for his 29 years at helm. The fun part is you will never hear these Human rights organisations and Western media pointing an accusing finger at Gabon’s Omar Bongo ’s 41 years in power. Bongo just like Mugabe went to sleep whenever he wanted to, while his people wallowed in abjective poverty. Then believe it or not, France, the United states and the UK support Gabon, Cameroon, Equitoria Guinea /Guinea-Bissau …all these countries have poor human rights records, but nothing is being said about this by Western agencies.
I predict that if the Western agencies (NGO’s) go on with this habbit of not acting fairly on certain matters, there will be a big fall out in a near future between the agencies and African governments. To make my words more clear: Western agencies will be unwanted or restricted in a near future, because African leaders and some individuals are starting to believe that NGO’s just act as propagandanists for Western Governments to overthrow certain African leaders.
photograph under the creative commons by Julien Harneis
June 30th, 2009 at 11:32 pm
When i am starving of hunger and someone gives me something to eat i would kindly and thankfully accept the good gesture cause they putting all the misery behind me.Some wiseman said “As a human being living in africa its a nightmare i’m trying to awake”,and to think that african has the richest manerials and resourses though still you find communities living from those so called ‘NGO’ non goverment organisations.The truth is out there and the truth is naked in this case,Amnesty International,Human Right Watch and International Federation For Human Rights have rules and policies to follow,and the same rules are coming from the United Nations,Usa and Western Goverment,Because this very same goverment seem to talk about issues that are of interest or benefit their countries.Its true Cameroon,Gabon and Guinea are the worst example of human rights law yet non is being said from the so called agencies of human rights,The reason its simple they dont actually care what about those countries and their people,But ironically the same agencies have been running up and down,discussing what the Zimbabwean Goverment its abusing human rights,LOL,or maybe Zimbabwe its not in Africa. What is it that Zimbabwe have that Gabon does not have,41years by Omar Bongo at a helm as oppose to only 29years by Mr Robert Mugabe or the people of Zimbabwe more valued than those of Gabon.As an african living in South Africa i am against anyone who abuse power……..The African leaders would never appreciate the “NGO’s” needed help to African as long as the Western Countries and the Usa still want to control and dictate what is going on in Africa.”Ga gona monna yo a batlang go laolwa ka mo motseng wa gagwe”……
July 1st, 2009 at 4:13 am
Africans have not yet understood the importance of being self-reliant. True empowerment of the African continent and the African people will remain a distant dream as long as Africans expect liberation from suffering to come from NGO’s and foreign benefactors. Only when free and independent thought (followed by constructive action) is practiced in Africa by Africans, only when they break the shackles of self-perceived inferiority and “helpless/hopeless” apathy, will Africa be able to turn her miserable past into a brighter future. The African collective consciousness has a lot of soul-searching to do before Africans may drag themselves from the mire that is the manifestation of their mental and spiritual poverty.
July 1st, 2009 at 6:24 am
Amen to that its only us african that can break and free ourself from mental slavary and be conscious of our roots and our purpose in this planet called earth…..This continent its ours its da mother of da human identity so only if we move in masses and use our wisdom to change our community,our town,our province,our country and our continent will pick itself up and put itself in the right directions……Hope for ma madaland….Listen to Steve Bantu Biko “I writte what i like” and a believe i did just that,so if the nxt person can do the same and da nxt person to that person and another after the other.
July 2nd, 2009 at 5:14 am
when people are not empowered they will always need something to depend on.my life’s motto is “educate an African child”. let him/her have a total shift of mindset, one that makes them believe that they are Africa’s greatest asset. that they have everything in them to bring the change that Africa needs. if we get to that point, we are then able to say “no,thank you” to any form of aid that is not beneficial to Africa.
aluta continua maafrika!
bianca
polokwane, mzansi afrika