Don't get me wrong - I am a supporter of Live 8, and any such thing that promotes awareness, nudges government policy, and works to help correct the many ills of the world. In this case, ending world poverty, especially in Africa, is the goal. Now, yes, it will help if the wealthy countries of the world eliminate debt in third world and developing countries. Yes, it helps to have AIDS programs and awareness, and other medical help in these countries. But can these things really fix the problem?
Perhaps part of the problem is the native culture of many African countries, some of them tribal in nature. This can lead to problems similar to what happened in Rwanda a decade ago, as well as the situation currently in Darfur and Zimbabwe. Can countries with prolific tribal factions ever grow beyond the poverty level? Is it possible to combat poverty in countries where people are being forced out of their homes, their farms, their communities? Without a stable community, it seems nearly impossible to combat poverty. If people aren't allowed to work their farms, if children can't be educated, how can we even begin to fix this problem?
Of course I don't have a real solution. I am torn between the "we need to fix and change this type of culture" and the Star Trek "Prime Directive" of not interfering. There are no simple solutions.
Perhaps, though, with events like Live 8 that promote greater understanding, more people will look into the problems and maybe someday there will be a solution. We can hope.
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