Man i love reading your blog, interesting posts !…

I couldn’t understand some parts of this article, but it sounds interesting…

I thought YOU were expressing your disappointment/anger at being overlooked at the G8 meeting. I can see your point when you say — “The mere fact that this man has more power to speak for Africa than our own leaders should seriously concern Africans”. I see that he has a lot of power in the Western world. Does he have the same power in Africa? Where are the forums where Africans feel they are able to speak for themselves.

I am trying to listen. It seems I’m not very good at it in your eyes.

I do hear many voices, many voices. Often they call for contradictory things. At the TED conference Madame Okonjo-Iweala told her own story about a doctor saving her sister’s life – “When someone is saving a life, you don’t care that it’s aid – you want the person to be alive.”

Perhaps there is a question of scale here — while someone can be very grateful for help at the individual level, they may have other thoughts about help given on a larger scale.

So, Sokari, perhaps I can respect your wish for independence while still offering my help to those who seek it. If I can give my help in a way that does not foster dependence, so much the better. And if I can give my help without carrying a patronising paternalism, so much the better. Is it possible?

On another note, some of the things I DO get angry with are — the tilted trade system run by the rich countries to their own advantage; and loans to people/countries that don’t have the means to repay.

Thank you for providing this forum for exchange and understanding… it helps all of us.

Whatever reward you or they seek, I do not want it; I do not want your charity, your money or labour, and the patronising paternalism that goes with it; I do not want you to speak for me as I can speak for myself; What you could do instead is to open your eyes, change your ways of thinking about me and most of all listen to what I have to say.

Too bad that they’re trying to help. Too bad that they’re not perfect at helping. Too bad they don’t just quietly give their money away and join the ranks of the 99%.

Too bad you don’t suggest ways they could be more effective, instead of just fuming at their money and power.

I must agree I don’t see the analogy with post WW2 Germany. I understand he also laid some rather spurious claims to Irish connections with Morocco – maybe he is working his way down the continent!