Global Issues: Poverty and Development - Talks with Tutu on Africa

BBC 4 has been showing an interesting series of 4 programmes where Archbishop Desmond Tutu brings together Africa’s leading contemporary thinkers in a series of discussions exploring major issues and changes affecting the future of the continent. They should provide some interesting colour to the global Issues topic on ‘Poverty and Development’ - not least in giving a breadth of perspective and different voices.

Of particular relevance was Programme One - ‘Is Africa about to become rich?’ examined the relationship between China and Africa: “Here, the Archbishop and his guests examine the growing relationship between China and Africa. China obtains a huge proportion of its fuel and raw materials from Africa and is a major investor in African economies. But its ‘no-strings’ approach has been criticised for ignoring democracy and human rights issues. What kind of role is China going to play in Africa - partner or exploiter? Will the needs of ordinary citizens be properly represented? Could Africa actually become the next economic global power?”

Also Programme Three - “Is Africa better off without help from the West?” explored whether aid from the west is actually doing more harm than good in Africa. One of Tutu’s guest thinkers on this one is Jonathon Clayton, the Times Africa correspondent, who has an astute view of the continent and is an advocate of free market solutions: “The Archbishop and his guests - Unity Dow, Jonathan Clayton, Mohau Pheko and Mark Gevisser - explore whether aid from the west is actually doing more harm than good in Africa. Does the aid relationship between the west and Africa sustain the idea of Africans as powerless to change things themselves? Is foreign aid propping up corrupt or failing governments by making them unaccountable to their people? And are there alternative models of assistance that could actually be of more benefit?”

The series can be accessed on BBC’s iplayer and on BBC4. Click here for more info.