'Why poverty' starting on BBC4 now.

[Meglet]

I think this is part of a season on Poverty, as was the '4 born every second' on BBC1 last week.

Don't expect any devastating political statements from me mind you, I'll probably just rant a bit.

An watching.

ok, as I wasn't exactly sure why there were debts in the first place I have been swotting up.

This was from the Action Aid website

"These debts not only hurt those in poverty, they are also deeply unjust. Often, loans were made by irresponsible creditors to corrupt regimes which are no longer in power. Some loans were for failed projects designed by creditors, often to meet western interests rather than the needs of the poor. Yet it is the poor, not the creditors, who pay the price of these mistakes."

Jeez, Bush didn't realise it had got so bad in Africa.

And there was me thinking world leaders were more or less well educated. Even Bush should have this basic info.

Found it was interesting that so many of them were naive - Bono not realising that Congress are so important.

yes, Bono was in over his head a bit.

I haven't come away understanding it all mind you. I possibly understand it's even more complicated that I thought.

I think that the issues facing Africa are extremely complex and that condensing that all to fit as a slogan on a tshirt simply won't work.

Even the fact that we talk of 'Africa' - it's a whole continent with an huge range of political, social and economic issues, and very differing geography, population, demographic etc.

I didn't watch it (will catch on iPlayer) but I grew up in Africa (south Africa, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia (so mostly the more stable parts) and I have always been of the view that it's just far bigger an issue than we give it credit for.

Unfortunately the modern world is just full of too many well-nmeaning but completely ignorant people who think that we can achieve success in Africa with a lot of awareness and cash. When in actual fact it goes deeper than that into wide-spread corruption on a higher level and deep cultural change on the ground level. It's just really not that simple.