Abstract
The premise of this paper is to reveal the unsettling background to foreign aid and NGOs specifically in sub-Saharan Africa. It will elaborate on the different effects the poverty industry has left developing nations having to struggle for survival. The paper will discuss three primary issues: The destruction of local agriculture of impoverished countries done by NGOs, International aid, and trade laws; corrupt governmental systems that manipulate or distort the money poured into developing nations; and the extreme constraints that impoverished countries undergo in the world trade system. In conclusion, there will be the refuting evidence of aid and its specific place in the fight to end world poverty.
Introduction
Almost 500 years ago Niccolò Machiavelli proclaimed, “The reason there will be no change is because the people who stand to lose from change have all the power. And the people who stand to gain from change have none of the power” (Poverty Inc.). His words still ring true five centuries later with capitalist and white supremacist systems of oppression infiltrating our global economy and culture. Underdevelopment occurs when these basic needs and freedoms are denied or not equally accessible to all members of the populace (Andrews). Many developing and impoverished nations have been severely affected by the way the Global North has institutionalized these systems of oppression, and has cemented a culture in which nihilism reigns over all. The growing gap between the developed and developing countries has dominated international relations and diplomacy for a long time. This gap has led to constant capital inflow from the developed countries to those in the Third World, specifically Sub Saharan Africa, with the goal to overcome their problems and reduce the gap. However, there is evidence that decades of foreign aid have done little in changing the destinies of many African states, most of which are currently experiencing low growth rates. To some extent, the evidence presented shows there is more to the problem than just sending money there. Estimates suggest the West has spent about $600 billion on foreign aid to Africa so far (Akonor, 2008). Yet underdevelopment is widespread, while at same time some states are considered to have collapsed. A large contribution to underdevelopment is due to subsidized agriculture in which African markets have been flooded with surplus crops that are sold below the cost of production, depressing world prices. Countries are then left with unsubsidized goods, and are practically shut out of world markets, devastating their local economies. Corruption and manipulation of aid from governments also weighs down the process for developing nations to move forward out of poverty. Africa is widely considered among the world's most corrupt places, a factor seen as contributing to the stunted development and impoverishment of many African states. Six different sub-Saharan African countries...
