Excerpts from Books and Wikipedia
In 1994, Nelson Mandela said, "We know that we have it in ourselves, as Africans, to change all this. We must assert our will to do so. We must say that there is no obstacle big enough to stop us from bringing about an African renaissance." . . . Africa’s rapid population growth – at an average of 2.5 per cent a year – compounds the difficulties African governments face. . . . Yet however much foreign aid is pumped into Africa – whether from China or from the West – it provides no lasting solution. For the sum of Africa’s misfortunes over the past half-century – its wars, its despotisms, its corruption, its droughts, its everyday violence – presents a crisis of far greater magnitude. At the core of the crisis is the failure of African leaders to provide effective government." [The Fate of Africa, p. 686-98] "As Africa struggles to stay connected with the rest of the world, the indications . . . are that it is becoming more peripheral. Some experts argue that disengagement by developed countries might have the positive effect of compelling Africans to begin a self-driven recovery, as well as ending the misuse of aid monies." [Kennedy: Preparing for 21st Century, Kindle Edition, Location 3959-71]