This archive report was first published on 6 July 2021.
Book Review: We Need To Talk About Africa ¶
Published in 2018, Tom Young's book, We Need To Talk About Africa: The Harm We Have Done And How We Should Help, is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complex issues facing Africa today.
As a lecturer in politics at the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies, Young brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the subject, offering a scathing critique of Western intervention in Africa.
The book opens with a powerful account of how the IMF and World Bank's policies in Mozambique led to widespread poverty and corruption, resulting in the deaths of a prominent investigative journalist and the head of the country's central bank.
Young argues that the repetition of negative stories about Africa, including those related to slavery, colonialism, and race, has been used to control and exploit the continent, perpetuating a defeatist mentality among African leaders.
He also highlights the devastating impact of aid dependency, which has increased poverty levels in many African countries over the past 40 years.
Young proposes that the West abandon its superiority complex and treat African countries with respect, rather than imposing its own values and policies on them.
Ultimately, he argues that Africans must rise up and find common ground in inter-country trade and other areas, rather than relying on Western aid and intervention.
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