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Originally Posted by punky
But it is mate. Wiping the debt is a just another way of saying we'll donate them a one massive handout. Anyway, didn't they say they always wanted to work their way out of debt rather than live on handouts? Seems instead of handouts, they should concentrate on encouraging trade.
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The debt is immensely damaging to Africa. Also most debt has actually being paid off but thanks to compond interest (which i dont understand) they still owe masses in interest payments. Also the interest is soaring higher than they are making money so every day they get into more and more debt. They need fair trade as well but when that happens we need to write off the debt which will allow them to start getting an infrastructure and so on instead of using that money to pay back the debt. Malawi spends more money on the debt that paying for healthcare, and one in five of there population has aids. They can cannot continue like that.
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There is only one solution for Africa, and it is something Geldof and his ilk will never accept/allow. It needs an enforced mass regime change. Until people realise that, along with the fact they need to get religious leaders to approve condom use in Africa (HIV isn't being spread through poverty), then nothing will really change. 
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That is based on the idea that every African goverment is corrupt, it is not. Most of africa isnt run by dictators who will steal all the money but obviously the cases in which is does happen are used by people (unfairly) to try and say that any help we give africa will be wasted. HIV is not spread though poverty, but it does help. Condoms still are not availible totally and the church reallly has to allow the use of them. Also the medication and education that the westen world enjoys when too comes to preventing the spread of HIV is not availible in africa because they cannot afford it.
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Raise awareness? You'll struggle to find someone who wasn't aware of Africa, even Bush knows about it, which is why he doubled aid to the place not so long ago. Awareness was raised just as well 20 years ago.
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It was to raise awareness about the G8 and would could be done to improve Africa. Not Just 'Africa' in general. Also while everyone may be aware of Africa it is still slightly ignored by the world. Also the aid, even after the doubling, is still very little. Aid is now being used more carefully then the past to avoid being skimmed off by corrupt leaders. Statstics like the fact that we could provide basic healthcare and food for the whole of africa for $13 billion and we spend $17 billion on pet food is amazing.
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I was speaking to a mate of mine, he raised an interesting point. This debt will have to be paid for. Either by Africans, or us. If we are the ones footing the bill, I wonder how much it will cost. We haven't started paying for Iraq yet, and Africa is 4 times that I think.
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The Iraq/Africa comparsion does not work. We are talking about going to war with africa. They are different issues. Also paying the off the debt is different, its a combinations of the world paying for some of it and the rest just being forgiven by the banks that gave it. That is what happened recently when the goverment wrote off some of the debt, it wasnt us paying for all of it. It was a combination. Also we can afford debt relief and it would help Africa a lot.