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Social Engineering's Legacy of Poverty
| Article
# : |
11637 |
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Section : |
CURRENT ISSUES
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| Issue
Date : |
9 / 1986 |
2,050 Words |
| Author
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Anthony Shaw
Anthony Shaw is a free-lance journalist in journalist in
African affairs, based in London, and specializing in the Horn
of Africa. He has written extensively for African magazines
both in the United States and the United Kingdom. |
In 1984 the disaster of the drought and famine in Ethiopia brought about an enormous and impressive worldwide response to the pictures of starving millions on the world's TV screens. An unprecedented flow of aid poured into Ethiopia, despite many misgivings over government agricultural and social policies.
The critics of the government, and there were many, raised vocal protests. Much of the criticism came from the opposition movements who were themselves competing for aid for the tens of thousands starving in areas under their control, particularly in the Tigray region.
Even Western aid agencies became involved and began to take sides in what became a vicious and biter propaganda battle. Some, in the heat of argument, even put forward the suggestion that all aid going to Ethiopia to feed millions of starving peasants should be stopped. Others saw such ideas as quite simply indefensible. Unfortunately, such polemics diminished the effect of the valid criticisms.
Baiting Rebels?
Ethiopian government policies can no doubt be sharply criticized. Especially destructive were the massive social engineering projects that have been launched in the last couple of years as the major response to the drought and to the problem of food shortages.
In fact, the regime has tried to tackle the famine in three ways. First has been the emergency response of distribution of internationally donated food aid. In this, it did by all accounts a relatively good job. There
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