Comments on: In defense of Bono’s Vanity Fair Africa Issue.

By: …My heart’s in Accra » Incremental infrastructure, or how mobile phones might wire Africa

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 23:47:33 +0000

[...] This second question is getting a workout as a wide range of commentators respond to the Bono-edited Africa edition of Vanity Fair. Several writers have pointed out that the issue falls squarely in the “more aid first” camp, featuring a largely uncritical portrait of Dr. Jeffrey Sachs’s Millenium Villages project, a project designed to demonstrate what could be accomplished with massive infusions of aid into rural communities. The governance-first camp gets widely discussed in World Bank and USAID circles, in my experience. And TED Global gave some good introductions to the infrastructure-first argument, with former Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala pointing out that China’s path to development has relied heavily on infrastructure investment. [...]

By: Africa Roundup « David McQueen

Africa Roundup « David McQueen — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 13:53:26 +0000

[...] Hash comments on blogging platforms in South Africa and Kenya. Benin gets the Zambian Presidents views on Aid vs Trade. Emeka brings another angle to the table on the same debate. And yet another word on the issue from the Anansi Chronicles. Juliana lends some support to Bono over the African Vanity Fair issue. In Timbuktu Chronicles Emeka writes about Human ATM’s. Innovation!! Ethan waxes lyrical on wind power and finally Afrigadget reports on the knife sharpening bicycle in Nairobi. [...]

By: stillhaventfound.org » Occasional Links 52

stillhaventfound.org » Occasional Links 52 — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 00:31:34 +0000

[...] 1) International Development and Bono have again once hit the headlines. The recent TED conference was all on Africa – where some saw another side of Bono. The influential presence of Bono was felt at the recent G8 Summit. And there’s been lots of negative response to Vanity Fair’s Africa issue which was guest-edited by Bono – e.g. here, here and here, though there’s a more positive take of the whole thing here. [...]

By: On Bono, Vanity Fair and paternalism in foreign aid « Ramblings of an African Geek

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 16:18:40 +0000

[...] On Bono, Vanity Fair and paternalism in foreign aid 22Jun07 I’ve been meaning to write this post since I was asked what I meant by connecting the OLPC program to paternalism. What really got me going though, was this series of posts by Ethan, Sokari and the Afromusing blog on Bono’s Vanity Fair issue. Kameelah at Black Looks writes another one of her great analysis pieces on it. Thanks to them we shall be talking about my issues with a lot of the kind of aid that comes to Africa and what it tends to say about how we are seen by a lot of those who claim to be here to help us. [...]

By: g. kofi annan

g. kofi annan — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 21:11:43 +0000

Loved the way you broke down of the issue. I too was somewhat pleased with the final product. Taking into account that Vanity Fair is not really targeted towards us progressive Africans, the issue covered more bases than I thought it would. Much of the content is redundant for many of us, however, it does serve as a good enough resource for the American public. Now we all have another bit of ammunition in changing how the American public sees us.

By: egm

egm — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 16:28:37 +0000

I look forward to that article. And once again, more gracias for mentioning mweshi.com… just skimmed through his place (first time doing so) and found he has some of the same interests as I do! At this rate I might never leave this cyber-place!

By: AfroMusing

AfroMusing — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 15:35:51 +0000

egm, Was talking with mweshi.com about this, he will be working on an pan african magazine that hopes to highlight people like Andrew. Will keep you posted!

Ethan, i am still reading it…do let me know what you think of the content…there is a long piece by Sebastian Junger and one by Christopher Hitchens.

By: EthanZ

EthanZ — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 18:25:14 +0000

I’m really glad the rest of the issue is better than the table on contents seems to indicate. As I tried to indicate in the title of my post, it was the packaging that pissed me off – I’m glad to know that the substance isn’t as America and celeb-centric as the covers and TOC seemed to indicate…

By: egm

egm — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 13:23:48 +0000

Concerning Magaidi’s wish, I do agree, African talent definitely needs to be showcased. Until you mentioned Andrew Dosunmu, I had absolutely no idea of his existence. Thing is, if the Western Media will not highlight us, what’s stopping us from doing it ourselves?

By: AfroMusing

AfroMusing — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 02:12:18 +0000

@kwasi, i do look forward to your post! No need to worry about my sensitivity on the subject…bring it on

@magaidi, valid points there my brother, i died laughing when i read on Jay -Z “You�??d be surprised – Jay-Z is surprisingly knowledgeable about erosion-resistant ground cover.”. I would love to see him rap about that. Wouldn’t that be a hoot?!
Heh, on Don Cheadle, i suspect my suggestion is to ask Baby Girl… I would attempt to say its the quiet intensity he exudes or the brilliant acting, but i am not entirely sure…I just know he is hot (can the girls reading this blog help me out on this?!)

@JKE ROFL! – Maybe i am taking this whole thing waay too lightly? But then again, conversations should be fun…or else we might start sounding like Hippos at HippoCon..blah blah blah blah