|
African Church Leaders Speak to the World Bank
by Paul Heidebrecht
The World Bank has poured millions of dollars into developing African economies. The results have been disappointing to say the least.
Instead of overcoming poverty, the investment has burdened African nations with crippling debt and there is little that benefits the poor.
Corrupt leaders siphoned off much of the money into their pockets. Many projects turned into environmental disasters. Africa remains the most
economically depressed continent in the world and yet it has the resources to be self-sufficient and wealthy.
Three years ago World Bank executives did something surprising. They participated in a conference in Nairobi with African church leaders
with the purpose of listening to the church. The subject was alleviating poverty. The conference was arranged by the then Archbishop of
Canterbury, George Carey, and strongly supported by World Bank president, James Wolfensohn.
Who knows poverty in Africa better than the church? The churches can be found among the poor. Often they are the poor. They are trusted
by the poor. They are the last resort for the poor.
Of the world's 40 poorest countries, 30 are in Africa. Over 50 percent of the African population live in absolute poverty. And, of
course, two-thirds of the world's HIV-infected people are found in Africa.
The World Bank personnel at the conference acknowledged they had not listened to the poor themselves nor had they given much attention to
spiritual resources and the role of the church.
What they heard were the voices of many articulate church leaders from across the continent describing how they deal with poverty
issues. They emphasized what churches can do and what national governments must do drawing upon African traditions and initiative rather
than relying upon and imitating Western societies. There was still a role for the World Bank to play but only as a helpful and humble
partner.
One of the conference speakers was Tokunboh Adeyemo, the chancellor of NEGST and recently-retired general secretary of the Association of
Evangelicals in Africa (AEA), the parent of NEGST. Adeyemo's message was that Africa's economic and political troubles can be traced to a
failure of leadership. For decades Africa has had bosses, not leaders, said Adeyemo. His point was echoed by many others. The World Bank
can't transform Africa. Bold leaders with integrity and a willingness to listen and share power will pave the way for growth and justice.
Some of these leaders are already emerging across Africa. The issues that African leaders must address are numerous and formidable.
Educating the vast number of children and women, bringing the Aids epidemic under control, resolving the conflicts tearing some countries
apart, changing the culture of corruption in many nations, and energizing African businesses are among the largest challenges. Debt
relief and fair trade policies are two economic measures that Western nations and the World Bank need to take seriously if they are to
help and not hinder the growth of African economies.
If you want to read what the church leaders actually said at the conference, get a copy of Faith in Development: Partnership between the
World Bank and the Churches of Africa (Regnum Press, 2001) or download the report from the World Bank's website
(www.worldbank.org).
top
|
