Africa Improving, Actually
Categorized as: Stories on March 24, 2011.
Credit: George Osodi/Associated Press
New York Times review of new book by economist Charles Kenny (“Getting Better”) cites evidence for hope. Read more. . .
New York Times review of new book by economist Charles Kenny (“Getting Better”) cites evidence contrary to claims that African development efforts fall short, and offers hope-inspiring stats on girls’ education, medical access, life expectancy, democracy, and civil rights across the continent. While income discrepancy persists, “quality-of-life improvements” due to “technological change and the spread of ideas” have changed society worldwide.
“The beautiful banality of health, learning, and security has spread far,” he says, “and can spread further.”
“. . .’The strongest argument against a moral imperative to act,’ as Mr. Kenny says, ‘is that we are powerless to make things better.’ Clearly, we aren’t powerless. The real question is not whether foreign aid and local government programs can work — it’s which programs work and which do not. . . .” Read the entire review.
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