Strengthening the health sector... it cannot happen... no money?
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Dear Colleagues,
I wrote the message below in July 2000. It seems to be just as
relevant today as it was then. Why am I posting it again now?
On another list there is some dialog about strengthening the
health sector. I have responded that part of the problem is pov-
erty in the economy... and part is public sector finance... both
to do with lack of money.
Meanwhile... I attended a meeting in New York last Monday organ-
ized by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and Fordham University
with the theme "The Crude Reality: Africa's Oil Boom and the
Poor". My thanks to CRS and Frodham for putting it on and rais-
ing the questions. But I came away from the meeting with a deep
frustration about the total failure of the relief and develop-
ment community, and business and political leadership to address
the real problems in ways that make any difference whatsoever. I
am frustrated by the global public complacency about the looting
of national wealth by local leadership and the collaboration of
international leadership, public and private while the looting
goes on. There is a failure of development. There is a failure
of ethics and morality.
When it comes to transparency, accounting and accountability and
effective monitoring and evaluation (TAAME), the standards of
today are pathetic and allow half-truths if not down-right lies
to inform the public at large. If strong TAAME remains absent,
the failure of development will continue and with it the crises
that cause untimely death throughout the SOUTH, including coun-
tries that are tremendously rich in terms of their natural re-
sources.
Sincerely
Peter Burgess
PS Please contact me if you would like to know more about TAAME.
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Peter Burgess
in New York
Tel: +1-212-772-6918
mailto:peterb@afrifund.com
Database
http://www.afrifund.com/wiki/index.pcgi?page=AfrifundDatabase
Coffee: http://afrifund.coffeefair.com
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DEVELOPMENT DIALOG ISSUES - DEVELOPMENT - The Development Proc-
ess
Peter Burgess: Seven issues in development... sent to the Com-
prehensive Development discussion of the World Bank in July 2000