49 - Mixed Messages

There are two main sources from which the general public derives its impressions about the developing world. The first is the news media and the second is advertising from agencies, both governmental and private, working in the development field. And these sources send mixed messages.

The news media tend to focus on issues which have dramatic content–disasters, political or social violence, extreme conditions of poverty or hardship. Local news sources, such as community newspapers or radio programs, may include stories about the work of volunteers who have gone to work in developing countries, but even these tend to emphasize the hardships the volunteers face. Stories on improvements in conditions don’t have the same editorial appeal and so are less frequently aired.

Governmental aid organizations try to stress their accomplishments, in order to provide evidence that international aid dollars are being used effectively. At the same time, they need to emphasize that current assistance programs are still necessary. So they try to balance positive imagery and stories with stories and imagery that continues to draw attention to the disparity in development between countries like Canada and nations in the Third World. The CIDA web site, for example, cites several indicators of progress over the past forty years, including: improvements in life expectancy; reduction in child mortality rates; the fact that, despite population growth, average incomes have doubled; and the fact that literacy rates have risen to 82 percent—the highest percentage in history. They then report that more than 1 billion people still struggle to survive on less than a dollar a day; that HIV and AIDS are wiping out an entire generation in some parts of Africa; and that every minute, another women dies during pregnancy or childbirth.

Non-governmental organizations and private aid programs, such as child-sponsorship programs, also need to strike a balance, but their emphasis is often more on need than on accomplishment. The images chosen by these organizations are ones which, they hope, will encourage donations or sponsorships. Child-sponsorship programs, in particular, focus on imagery depicting children in desperate circumstances. On the other hand, these same organizations need to demonstrate the effectiveness of their programs.

There have been very forceful critiques which have questioned the effectiveness of international aid; Dambisa Moyo’s Dead Aid is a provocative example. Ms. Moyo’s thesis is that aid to Africa has not only been ineffective, it has actually been detrimental to development on that continent. She asserts that African nations would fare better if their governments had to acquire development revenue from international credit markets; to do so they would need to address the inefficiencies and questionable financial practices of the past. It is difficult to find fault with the examples she provides, but they are selective and focus only on bi-lateral (government to government) projects. Even in Africa there have been improvements in the quality of life of many individuals at the community level over the past twenty-five years.

So it is understandable that the question is asked. Have things improved or haven’t they? And the answer remains: it depends upon where one looks and what criteria one uses to measure improvement.