Missionaries, Mercenaries and Misfits – a new anthology edited by Rasna Warah
Written by Kwani · July 22, 2008
Africa is worse off today than it was 30 years ago, despite being among the biggest recipients of development assistance and foreign aid. The reason, says a new book, is not because the aid is not enough, or that it does not reach the intended beneficiaries, but rather because the aid industry works in ways that perpetuate poverty in the so-called developing world, particularly in Africa.
Missionaries, Mercenaries and Misfits, an anthology edited by Kenyan columnist Rasna Warah, argues that aid stunts growth, feeds corruption and oils the cogs in the wheels of a highly dysfunctional development industry. The essays in the book come from various writers, most of whom are either based in East Africa, or are part of its diaspora, or who have worked, often as developmentalists in their own way, within East Africa. In the book, we find both young and established writers, who are either reformed developmentalists or observers who bring a knowing wit or first-hand knowledge to the debate. Consequently, this extremely accessible collection doesn’t attempt the grand sweep, raging aimlessly against the development machine with general complaints that fail to hit their mark. Rather, it is a focused peep into international, regional and local attempts to develop Africa, thereby exposing the reader to a much-needed African perspective on the development industry and why it has failed so miserably in lifting millions of people out of poverty. In it, you will find writers such as Binyavanga Wainaina, Parselelo Kantai, Kalundi Serumaga, Sunny Bindra, Bantu Mwaura, Issa G. Shivji and Firoze Manji, among others.
Whether we are players in the development industry or merely its “victims”, Missionaries, Mercenaries and Misfits is a book that will make us re-imagine our world and our place in it, and force us to reconsider the value of “development” and what it really means to the people of Africa.
To order a review copy, please contact:
Dean Shah, Book Sales Consultant
Authorhouse, U.K.
E-mail: dshah@authorhouse.co.uk
For further details on the book, please contact the editor, Rasna Warah, at:
grasp@nbi.ispkenya.com or call (254-20) 0733 960 269 (cell)
There book comes at a crucial time on Africa, whereby we are all trying to build more robust economies and boost eco-political and social well-being of cotizens. Wit the powersharing deal in Kenya, and the likely Zimbabwe emulation of that arrangement means the worst politically may be behind us, and we have to move forward. And realistically, this should start with an appreciation of the role played by aid and aid institutions in Africa. Is it best to give fish to the hungry or teach them to fish. A pity the politicians who should benefit from analyses like these find other ways to spend their time, leading africa deep into the quagmire of poverty.