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U2 In Africa
For two weeks, U2?s Bono and US Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill,
the oddest of odd couples, captivated the world's media as they toured
Africa.
Their differences, of substance as well as style, were well
publicized. But last week in Washington, as O'Neill delivered his
assessment of what he had experienced, it was not hard to dare to hope
that this most unlikely of hero politicians may be willing to offer
Africa a new deal.
In a speech, delivered on the 55th anniversary of the announcements of
the Marshall Plan that provided massive US aide to post-World War II
Europe, O'Neill told the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
that the US had an obligation to "tear down the walls to prosperity.
Not in the next generation, but right now."
He went to Africa a skeptic, cynical about the effectiveness of
foreign aid, concerned that it went into a black hole of corruption.
He returned, still a conservative, but with a fire in his belly and
convinced of the necessity for action.
O'Neill is not a charismatic man nor is he an inspirational speaker.
His efforts to grasp some of the rock star's magic, including his
donning of U2 singer Bono's trademark wraparound shades, came across
as tortured.
Still, he spoke from the gut and it was his substance rather than
style that was compelling.
The lessons O'Neill personally learned reflected his particular
experience and philosophy. He spoke, for example, of Lukia Ssemonobe,
a Ugandan woman who lost her husband years ago and had to care for
four children without any income.
"Lukia," O'Neill said, "borrowed $50 from the local branch of a
micro-finance NGO (Non Governmental Organization), and she used that
and subsequent loans to build two businesses - a restaurant and then a
tailoring shop.
"Now she employs about a dozen of her neighbors, supports her family,
owns a home, and has become a leader in the community."
He concluded that "as private enterprise expands in an economy, trade
and investment grow to dwarf official aid."
Similarly, true to his background as an immensely effective chief
executive, he displayed a profound impatience with patience when
immediate results were what mattered.
He was not shy about outlining clear targets - clean water, primary
education, and fighting AIDS - that must be met within a definite
timetable.
O'Neill is not interested in temporary solutions that turn out to
bring false new hopes.
"It's impossible to prosper without income," he said.
While supporting some increase in aid "in the long-term", he said,
"domestic entrepreneurship as well as trade and foreign investment are
far more important for economic growth than official aid."
Backing this up, he promised to lobby America's corporate leaders to
invest in African countries with good leadership and a sound
pro-business environment.
Africa is a continent in despair. In some countries half of all young
people will die from AIDS. Gross domestic product per capita has
declined by over 30 percent in three decades.
Corruption has ripped the heart out of industry. In this context, the
fact that a US Treasury Secretary is this engaged, this concerned, and
this determined may be a momentous event.
For this, U2?s Bono can take enormous credit. Doing his homework,
lobbying both Democrats and Republicans, disavowing stereotypes, and
never giving up, he has won the most unlikely of converts. In
Washington he is a synonym for sincerity when that characteristic is a
rarity.
Perhaps U2?s Bono's single greatest contribution has been his ability
to frame Africa's problems in terms that appeal to Republicans as well
as Democrats.
He recognized that while Democrats favor foreign aid, they also oppose
opening American markets to African products. Republicans are
generally the opposite, favoring trade and pro-business incentives but
opposing direct government intervention.
For Africa, access to Western markets and foreign direct investment
are crucial. Republicans, free from political obligations to union
leaders and with influence in the corporate sector, are well placed to
deliver both.
Happily for Bono of U2, he has also enjoyed converting Republicans to
increased foreign aid. He famously reduced the ageing Jesse Helms, a
conservative Senator and long the scourge of liberals, to tears in a
meeting in which he graphically described the plight of African
children and even cited the Bible to convince Helms of his argument.
The Senator recently penned a piece for the Washington Post calling
for the US government to do everything it can, regardless of cost, to
fight AIDS in Africa.
But problems remain. The foreign aid is still not enough. Even more
importantly, Western action on trade flies in the face of efforts to
improve African industry.
The Common Agricultural Policy and the recent US Farm Bill, which
protect farmers from foreign competition, prevents African farmers
from selling their products to lucrative markets.
For the message to be effective, words have to be backed up by deeds.
That may mean political pain for leaders in Washington, Paris, and
,yes, Dublin.
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