Famine in Africa OR the hunger in Africa (SOURCE EVALUATION) - Essay Example

Although a great deal of time and energy has been expended upon the issue of poverty and famine in Africa, the article en d, What Does Africa Need?” by Boaz Keizire details the situation from a slightly different standpoint. The author details the determinants of what Africa requires in order to be independent of a level of perpetual food and monetary aid from the rest of the developed world. In seeking to understand his argument to a more effective and complete degree, the following analysis will go in depth in analyzing the source and providing the background information for the claim that Keizire makes; as well as testing whether or not any evidence of such a claim can be found within any of the recent “success” stories of Africa.

Keizire notes that in order for Africa to be free from the addiction to foreign aid and food aid that has thus far defined much of the 20th century, it must democratize and liberalize its institutions. Keizire goes on to state that the lack of democracy and liberalization within Africa has all but guaranteed that an addition to foreign food and monetary aid has been ensured. This, as Keizire explains it, is both beneficial to the regimes in power and to the developed world as they are able to extract valuable resources and engage in lop sided trade agreements with these nations in exchange for the food aid that keeps the citizens of the given nation nominally satisfied; or at the very least from rebelling against their governments.

Naturally, the information that has thus far been presented is contingent upon defining and describing the way in which the current model has existed and continues to exist. Yet, Keizire is not content in describing the pitfalls that the current monetary and food aid to Africa engender; rather, Keizire promotes the understanding that the types of regimes that have held on to power for so long with so many African nations are the ultimate blame for the situation that is realized. Keizire goes on to note the fact that Africa is one of the most fertile and agriculturally gifted continent in the entire world; yet the irony is that Africa is leaning upon the developed world in order to fulfill her food needs.

This, as Keizire notes, is the ultimate reason for why Africa continues to be so dependent and destitute. A lack of democracy and a cadre of strong men within positions of power have little interest in developing the full potential of the continent; or of their particular nation/region. Instead, they are willing and satisfied to take the bribes and payouts from neo-colonial interests and merely placate their populace to ensure that revolt does not take place. In seeking to delineate how the situation might be improved, Keizire notes that without real and legitimate forms of self determination and/or democracy throughout Africa, the situation is doubtful to improve in the near future.

The dependency model that has been fostered over the years by the developed nations has but one intention in mind; creating a demand for continuous aid so that that the preferential trade agreements and access to resources can be preserved. In order for this to be undermined, free market and liberal democratic reforms must be engaged (Keizire 39). An analysis of the information put forward within this source is not easy to engage. This is not due to the fact that the information is based in hearsay and not in verifiable and easily accessible information; rather the difficulty comes from being faced with a horrendous truth and being forced to accept that the story of dependency, famine, mass death, and horror that has been purposefully engaged throughout Africa over the past several decades is not only a disaster of massive proportions; it is planned and furthered by special interests that have a key stake in furthering the lucrative trade that is able to be extracted from Africa under the strongmen, dictators, and warlords that are supported by such aid.

Moreover, whereas the developed world feels a sense of success and satisfaction in the fact that they are feeding countless tens of thousands of starving Africans, little if any thought is every given with regards to the fact that the economic policies and political stance that their own nation is taking is ultimately the root cause of the suffering they are so proud to help ameliorate. Work Cited Keizire, Boaz Blackie. "What Does Africa Need?." African Business 400 (2013): 39-40. Business Source Complete. Web. 18 Sept. 2013.