David Lammy/Stacey Dooley

Dead Aid by Dambisa Moyo is worth reading if you want to know how Africa would survive without western aid.
Not referring to disaster aid of course, just this steady never ending donating.
I now only donate to small local charities where I can see how it's spent.

Here is a picture of Dar es Salaam the town I lived in in the 50s.. did not look like this then!

You are joking aren't you GG5? History of China is totally different from that of Africa. The UK actively sought Black Caribbean people to come to work to fill the gaps in the workforce.. you know what happened!
Jeez! We now acknowledge that generational trauma can occur. Think abut it!

Let's reverse ' the picture'.

It's not white Stacey Dooley holding a black child, bearing in mind African children are naturally black, for arguments sake it's Lenny Henry holding a white child because a country that is predominantly white has experienced a disaster and the UK are holding a charity fund raiser.

I don't think for one ruddy minute anybody would mention the colour of Lenny Henrys skin.

I don't think for one ruddy minute ' the majority ' of people look for the colour of skin to make a point .

I do think the majority of people have ' moved on ' from the days of Colonialism , they have emerged in 2019 to live in a society that means we live, work, marry raise mixed families and to put it bluntly are frustrated by those who use colour to try and cause division, especially when the subject is over giving money to help other peoples lives irrespective of whether they are black, white or another.

Those who see a white person holding a black child as a 'White Benefactor ' a ' White Saviour ' are creating an issue with the pure intention of being controversial.

PECS
It is a sad situation where we will only give our money for those in need because a famous face endorses the cause.
But this is not the case as billions of £'s is spent on these countries in Government Overseas Aid, The UK population who contribute to this aid fund through taxes and only rarely get to see what their contribution is spent on, yet the contributions continue.

I can’t bear the race and just have to switch off the television. Race cards are there to shut down any meaningful conversation and often are the consequence of ignorance.

I have lived in East Africa for a year and I can only say that things are a lot more complicated than victim Africa v the exploiting west. The greed of the elite in Africa is very much comperable to the greed of the elite of any other nation.

PECS
The UK actively sought Black Caribbean people to come to work to fill the gaps in the workforce.. you know what happened!
These people were offered jobs in the UK to fulfil a need. They chose to come, They arrived as economic migrants, it was a mutually beneficial transaction nothing more, nothing less. Just like the £10 poms who went to Australia in the 1960's. The majority of those who emigrated then went straight into work camps when they arrived in Australia, something that those who migrated to UK were not subjected to.

Am I the only one who gets totally fed up with Africa and its poverty. The countries wanted us out and home rule, no problem at with that. That is as it should be. But corruption is rife amongst its leaders and we are left to pick up the pieces and help out. Also businesses are making vast amounts of money from volunteers who pay to go and so called help for two or three weeks. This is not the way to help.

Joelsnan Because someone is offered work in another country and they choose to go does that make it OK to treat them as less equal citizens? As you point out it was mutually beneficial.. The UK needed the workforce..to treat them with respect and dignity was the least that should have happened!

Also ..if we are talking corruption lets take the mote out of UKs eye before we go any further!

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/vote-leave-referendum-overspending-high-court-brexit-legal-challenge-void-oxford-professor-a8668771.html

I am well and truly fed up with these self congratulatory programmes, to be honest. I find them a complete turn off. They started out with good intentions, I’m sure, but they’ve got rather lost with the lovey dovey show biz approach.
I give to charities as and when and don’t need these programmes and all the associated merchandise they produce to remind me to do so.
It must cost an absolute fortune to use these celebs - I don’t imagine many are doing it for free, but correct me if I’m wrong, and I’d hazard a guess that they don’t pay for their own air tickets, accommodation, food, etc, when they go off to Africa to hold babies in their arms, and I don’t suppose they rest their heads on anything than a nice fluffy pillow in a nice comfortable hotel, either, but again, correct me if I’m wrong.

PECS I too grew up in East Africa (Uganda) and my father worked for the Colonial Service.

Three years ago I went back. I was talking to our taxi driver about the terrible times they had under Idi Amin and the driver told me that several of his relatives had been murdered by Amin's henchmen. We then discussed the current situation in Uganda which was not good. I asked him what he felt about everything Uganda had gone through since independence and how it compared with the 'benevolent' British rule. His strong view was that even though terrible things had happened, and were still happening at least they had their freedom and it was much better than British rule.

I think we have a lot to answer for.

Framilode
Your comment is interesting. I asked the same question in India and was suprised to get a different answer to what I expected (anticipated happy to be free). I suppose its who you talk to, within each community there will be those yearning for how it used to be and those who are glad to be free.
Incidentally, when you were growing up in Uganda, did you feel that you (your family) were there as opressors?

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Which peoples are lazy GG ?

PECS
Joelsnan Because someone is offered work in another country and they choose to go does that make it OK to treat them as less equal citizens? As you point out it was mutually beneficial.. The UK needed the workforce..to treat them with respect and dignity was the least that should have happened!
For quite a number of years I lived in a West Yorkshire mill town, the exact place that WI migrants were offered employment. The town was and still has a large WI and Asian population. There was none of the current claims of mistreatment there, we all lived in council houses, side by side, socialised with each other, our children received the same education and work opportunities and we never saw colour. We were aware of some cultural differences, but these were just accepted as 'thats their way' i.e. WI having children before marrying and Asian children having to go to Koran school after normal school. Birthday parties were always multicultural events and my and my family and our children have forged long lasting multicultural frienships so generalising about mistreatment is far off the mark, remember there were bigots then who didnt like the Irish.

Mapleleaf
I agree with much of your last comment, however, many 'celebs' do the programme for no fee but do get accommodation, meals, flights and 'incidental expenses' paid by whatever charit(y/ies) they are representing.
I have a friend working for the WHO, who frequently flies to countries where they are installing water stand pipes and building clinics/hospitals etc.
He told me that many charities had bloated budgets for advertising across all media, through letterboxes and on the street.
The percentages were not small.

PECS
By the way. I worked overseas and was treated less favourably than the indigenous population along with everyone else who worked/works there. There is no opportunity to remain and you are there on a work visa only. When the work stops, you go home. No social security, pension etc. Health care at the behest of your employer. Those who work there know the rules and take it ir leave it.

If countries can afford a space program, nuclear weapons, to go to war with other countries and palaces for their leaders then they can afford to feed their people and provide adequate medical and educational facilities. I wouldn't give a penny in foreign aid.

Suzied
Oh...I'm sure you can answer your own question, unless, of course you're under 35.
In any case, you ought to know that I'm not the kind of fish which rises to the bait.
I'm a bottom feeder not a clown fish.

as well as perhaps some British celebrities to get across the issue
What is wrong with African celebrities?
of course, some could be white, would that be a problem?

Native British person..what is that species?? David Lammy is a British born person!!
Of course, that would mean that white African celebrities would not be a problem.

Jalima1108
what is wrong with African celebrities
Nothing, but I bet within the continent of Africa, few will know the 'stars' of each other's country. In the UK very few people will know any star of any African country and therefore their ability to attract attention to the cause they are promoting would be negligable.

GG I am not under 35 but do not know which "peoples are lazy". Not sure what fish have got to do with anything, but know bottom feeders consume all the sh*t.

MissAdventure Fri 01-Mar-19 10:40:19
Me neither.
I do get where he is coming from.

Gabriella
IMO, we in the West have been giving to India and Africa for decades and their situations have barely changed. Still a huge divide between the have and have-nots.
Corruption is rife.
That is very true - there are riches, there is water, there is fertile agricultural soil in African countries but so little gets through to those in need. I realise that it is a continent of discrete countries but it is one land mass as is Europe.
Corruption, exploitation and war are the bottom line.

Is it too much to expect that they could all work together towards a better future for the continent without having to rely on charity?
www.therichest.com/rich-list/the-10-richest-countries-in-africa/