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This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.
Remarks by USAID Administrator J. Brady Anderson,
National Summit on Africa
February 17, 2000
Thank you. It's an honor to be here and to sit on a panel with such distinguished leadership who care about Africa.
Before I begin, let me thank the people who put this important summit together - Len Robinson and the many others who have worked so hard to make today happen.
President Clinton the First Lady and Secretary Albright's recent visits to Africa have brought unprecedented focus to a continent long ignored by American policymakers.
You know, I was privileged to live in Africa for eight years-in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania.
And in that time, my wife Betty and I met thousands of wonderful, hard-working, generous people. People who, though they live half a world away, and whose languages, dress, and culture are very different from our own, want the same things out of life that you and I do: a decent living, health care, and a good education for their kids, so that they will have a future.
Unfortunately, in Africa, too often these issues are ignored by leaders more interested in getting and keeping power than in helping the people they are supposed to serve.
Africa is one of the most beautiful corners of the earth, and, a lot of Americans are surprised to learn, one of the richest in natural resources: the roughly ten nations of Central Africa alone sit atop diamonds, uranium, gold, oil, plentiful water, fertile land and exquisite wildlife.
And so it is especially tragic that much of this land for decades has been exploited by corrupt governments and so many of its people destroyed by war and disease.
At USAID, I am proud we have been working alongside dedicated and talented African men and women who seek better lives for themselves and their neighbors.
We are working to bring energy to remote villages and promoting small and micro enterprises in towns and cities.
Through the Leland Initiative, we are connecting thousands of people in twenty African countries to the Internet.
We are working with local governments to devise innovative ways that their communities can prosper economically while preserving their rich wildlife and the environment.
And everywhere we are working to get people educated. Today, less than 15 percent of African children have the basic skills necessary just to survive in today's fast-paced global economy.
We place particular emphasis on educating girls and young women, because I believe-and statistics bear me out-that educated women are more likely to educate their own children, to use their education to raise their income levels, and, as a result, obtain more and better health care.
We-all of us-envision an Africa that is stable, prosperous, and at peace. But for this dream to become a reality, at least two things must happen.
First, I believe African nations must become truly democratic.
Not because democracy is American, but because democracy is a system of government whose primary purpose is to serve the people it governs. In America, from the local Mayor on up to the President, we are all beholden to the people.
In Africa, for too long, it has been just the opposite: the people have served those who are in power. The burdensome legacy of colonialism and the cold war is still a reality for most Africans.
The result? Nations somehow find money to buy weapons and armaments, but not to build good roads, or hospitals or schools.
They find the resources to start and prolong wars, but cannot seem to bring themselves to lay the foundations for peace.
Tens of thousands of innocent people have already died. Hundreds of thousands have been uprooted from their homes. And some African economies, too, are withering.
Which is why I think the work we do to promote democracy in Africa-from strengthening the rule of law to promoting independent media-is some of the most important work we do anywhere.
The second big challenge Africa faces this century is containing the spread of HIV/AIDS.
AIDS is now the number one killer in Africa, killing more people than all the civil wars combined. The epidemic has spread beyond all predictions, and is threatening the future of the continent, where it has already personally affected one quarter of all Africans. Life expectancy is dropping to levels not seen since 1960, and the pool of skilled workers is being decimated.
For my wife, Betty, the ugly face of AIDS came close when our dear friend and colleague, in Dar es Salaam, Fidelis Malobo died of AIDS leaving his wife and 3 children to an uncertain future.
USAID is working to contain AIDS by prevention in programs that are culturally appropriate. We are also expanding our scope so that all of our programs, whether economic or social, seek creative ways to prevent the spread of the virus and lessen its impact on African society.
Because President Clinton, too, recognizes the importance of containing this epidemic, he has increased funding for HIV/AIDS prevention by $54 million through his new Leadership in Fighting Epidemics, or LIFE, Initiative. In fact, USAID has already used part of this money to improve homes for AIDS orphans-like the Nyumbani Orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya. (Nyumbani, incidentally, means home in Swahili.)
Now, one of the points I want to make today is that we help Africa because it is the right thing to do-we have the resources to help make a difference, and I believe we have the responsibility to do so.
But we should not overlook the fact that assistance to Africa helps America, too. According to the Commerce Department, the level of trade between Africa and the U.S. was more than $22.4 billion in 1999. In fact, we import more oil from Africa than from the Persian Gulf.
So is a peaceful, healthy, prosperous Africa good for America? Absolutely.
As we advance further into the new millennium, I look forward to continuing USAID's work in Africa. The African people-from Angola to Zimbabwe-deserve an opportunity to fulfill their God-given potential, and I am proud to be a part of the team that is helping them do that.
Thanks again for inviting me here today.
This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.
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Last Updated on: July 12, 2001 |
