Who Needs to Get Involved

Looking at a satellite image of Africa at night, there is a distinct difference to the rest of the world. Where most other parts of the world, densely populated , are lit up, Africa is till submerged in shadow. For some this may indicate a lack in progress, for others a continent of beauty where the stars are the light of the night after a day in the warm African sun. Yet this metaphor may also be applied in other terms that point toward disaster relief and international development within Africa.

Disaster Relief

Reading the newspapers and scanning through a number of news-related websites on the internet, ones gets the impression that there are but a small number of forces chiefly involved in disaster relief and international development in Africa. They point to those organizations that mediate & assist the cause of peace in areas ravaged by war. It points to areas where droughts have caused famine and where poverty is affecting entire populations. Yet more can be done.

One gets a distinct feeling that large scale international development and disaster relief only becomes applicable to those areas where economic interests are high. While this may be good in terms of finance, it neglects lives elsewhere in the world – lives that are no less important and no less capable of serving as the foundation of a stable economy.

Still there are many counter-arguments, one of which state that disaster relief access to those areas most in need, are often blocked by local militia and security forces. In this case one has to revert to previous scenarios of a similar nature where disaster relief was indeed provided following a large scale military intervention by those nations capable of supplying it – such as the Iraq war. After all, one life is no less precious than another just because of the potential international development of one country’s economic interests.

It is therefore crucial that those countries capable of supplying various forms of aid do so to ensure that all people have a fair chance in life. Disaster relief indicates an act of goodwill to those incapable of defending themselves.

International Development

International development in developing African countries forms a crucial part of the process that eliminates poverty and even long term disaster relief. Big corporations across the world have the ability to contribute to the development of local African economies by investing in the entrepreneurial skills available in those countries. It will after all benefit them in terms of financial international development and ensure that these developing countries therefore provide their own disaster relief.

Yet the international development of big corporations in African countries poses a certain measure of risk. Extensive corruption within African countries poses a serious threat to these corporations who could aid Africa. International development is after all an economic venture that requires a certain amount of trust in the local African governments and their infrastructures.

Strangely enough, this brings us back to disaster relief efforts and how it could be applied primarily to ensure peace and education in the most severely affected areas of Africa. These two fundamental aspects are necessary to all human life to ensure that corruption is weeded out and that international development therefore flourishes – thereby ensuring a better life for all and a stronger global economy.