Can Bono Save Africa...Or Can Africa Save Itself?

There are numerous stereotypes and misunderstandings of Africa. Firstly, it is a continent and NOT a country, as many seem to believe it is. Secondly, skewed are our views by popular media images that it is solely a place of extremities, mainly that of famine and poverty. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to those who haven’t studied this place or visited it we are forced to believe such a large discourse. Granted, there are some parts within the continent that do measure up to these extremes, but more often than none these extremes are not the case.

Famine is not something natural; it is socially and politically driven through uneven distribution of land, water and crop. However, these images of African famine do draw us to pay attention to it and to try to do something about it. The largest contribution is that of a celebrity intervention led by Bono and his ONE campaign, aimed to fight extreme poverty and preventable disease particularly in Africa. The ONE campaign is not one of charity; it is about justice and equality and ensuring policies are implemented effectively. This begs the question, Can Bono really save Africa? The answer… no one can save Africa but Africa as itself. An advocacy organization cannot solely fix the African policies and problems because the solution must come from within. Many see the African continent as one that is waiting and sitting around for someone (like Bono) to come save them and eradicate years of accumulated debt, but this is a far cry from reality. Africans don’t want to be saved. Africa wants the world to acknowledge that through fair partnerships with other members of the global community they themselves are capable of unprecedented growth.

Many tend to focus on all the negative aspects of the African continent but fail to see that they can from within promote regional integration and bring down trade barriers therefore focusing on the regional economy. Bono cannot save Africa, however, with his help and the help of his ONE campaign Africa can learn to save itself.

http://www.one.org/us/