White Saviour

I think we need to move away from the concept of "aid" and towards the concept of "justice".

I don't actually know whether to laugh or cry at this level of ignorance.

It's well established that HIV is of chimpanzee origin and originated in Africa and crossed into humans there. This doesn't change anything but you claiming it spread TO Africa is simply inaccurate.
A major issue in many deprived areas (in Africa & elsewhere) is the interaction between HIV & TB.

Yeah but I think it’s when it replaces an entire part of a nascent economy it becomes a problem. Foodbanks and clothes donations within the UK are not the bulk of economic activity.

AIBU to believe that we should stop playing the White Saviour and as advised, let Africa deal with its own problems?

To answer your original question, yes, YABU to say "let Africa deal with its own problems." and you sound incredibly smug with it too.

Live Aid etc was of its time, and I think most people would agree not appropriate. Just like pictures of pretty white women playing with poor African children deservedly get bad press. But lots of AID as well as charity funds etc are providing significant support, particularly int he context of healthcare, which is a huge need - vaccines, contraception, maternity care etc are all huge problems in parts of Africa and many organisations are working on this. Similarly, the devastation caused by wars and natural disasters often require significant support.

As for "let Africa deal with its own problems". Let's not forget that a great many of Africa's problems started with Europeans coming in and taking the land, the people, the culture. Many British people don't like to think about this, but Apartheid (in South Africa), for example, may well have been created as a formalised political system in 1948 with the first Afrikaans government, but it was in place via the British since the 19th century - passbooks, restricted work and living arrangements, land grabs etc ALL happened long before Smuts and his gang took over.

In Africa, HIV and AIDS has been a huge issue. Do you all remember the huge debates about how and when HIV started? 30/40years ago, western countries watched it devastating Africa and liked to think it was an African disease. Except,we know this isn't the case - the problem was that once it got to Africa, because of things like extreme poverty and migrant labour it spread like WILDFIRE across the continent.

Also, do you have any idea how tiny the budget for AID is? It might seem like huge amounts of money, but I believe it's something like 0.5% of GDP.

ugh. I feel a bit dirty reading this thread.

Yes, but you may as well say that about food/clothing/whatever banks over here - charities have become part of the welfare state and allowed governments to stand off. 🤷‍♀️

...and on a more trivial note, even the title of this song is appallingly ignorant, given that most of Africa is Christian.
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Does the song still make money for charities? Is so it seems silly to cancel it, can’t the lyrics just be changed instead.

I get the point that the song is factually incorrect but did find Ed Sheeran’s recent social media post annoying the way he hoped his (new!) personal stance was a forward facing one. He isn’t worried about the song he just doesn’t want to get cancelled.

...and on a more trivial note, even the title of this song is appallingly ignorant, given that most of Africa is Christian.
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Lets be fair, Children in need has it's critics also.

Jeremy Vine was discussing this with Tony Hadley and a couple of the producers of Band said today, he asked Tony Hadley what je thought of the comment by Ed Sheeran. Tony Hadley said he would tell him to "shut up" the money has gone direct to projects that have helped. He asked if anyone would anyone stop Children in Need etc because essentially they offer the same support and the projects they fund should be funded by the government.

No one in this day and age should be living in those conditions.

I don't for a second think the government funds issued to countries in need is spent in the right way, and as has been suggested, corrupt officials have always misappropriated the finds.

Why should race (or any other characteristic for that matter) matter? Surely any publicity to highlight the plight people are facing is good?!

You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. Lots of these young African people are working alongside these students. Difference being... they have to be paid. Which often isn't possible becuase... did you know that there are huge economic challenges in large parts of Africa and communities don't have the resources. And I bet your next point will be ,"well, if they're out of work as so many people are, perhaps they should use free labour as a way to get experience and contacts then" but that completely and totally misses the deep seated challenges experienced by these communities.

If you've never been part of these communities then you really have no idea. Many of these projects whether they're about education or health or welfare simply cannot be funded without outside support. The one my brother works on, for example, now employs over 200 people, the vast bulk of whom are local. The funding received from international donors supports their training, pays their salaries (which often also has to include accomodation and transport as it's in very rural areas) all so that they can provide educational services in the broader community and yes, further training for others. They are building generational wealth by helping children achieve sufficient education to go to university or get better jobs, often that then feeds back into their communities in terms of skills and cash. It's a virtuous cycle and yes, part of it started with bring loads of young rich people from westernised countries to visit and help.....

Feel like i need to edit to add that I'm not suggesting that teenagers bujilding orphanages is the holy grail of helping African communities! I'm just making the point that all of this is a great deal more complicated than you seem to think it is.

See my previous post. No I don't need some lecturer doing amateur analysis on why people want a certain job and I have always, in over 70 years, found medical professionals were willing to listen and don't need your lecturer implying that we are all so stupid we can't advocate for ourselves. If you think he's right you have little respect for your patients.