Peter Bell

The Plight of Africa

Causes of poverty in Africa

Peter Bell, former President and CEO of CARE International, speaks about the causes of poverty in Africa in a public address at the Clinton School. According to Bell, Sub-Saharan Africa is the poorest region in the world, with most people living on less than 65 cents a day. He points to three root causes of poverty in Africa: HIV/AIDS; lack of access to education; and lack of access to clean water, while also discussing other contributing issues, including poor government, armed conflict and social exclusion. But despite the enormous problems facing Africa, Bell sees Africa’s promise. Countries like Botswana, Ghana, Benin and Mali have worked to create stable and inclusive societies, he says, and Liberia elected its first female president after years of conflict (Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf). Also Tanazania and Kenya have made primary education a top priority. Bell notes that the international media’s focus on violence in Africa without any depth portrays the continent as a place without hope, proving a great disservice to the understanding of Africa’s problems.

Bio

Walter Pincus is a writer for the national news staff of the Washington Post. He has written about a variety of national news subjects including nuclear weapons and arms control, political campaigns, the American hostages in Iran, and investigations of Congress and the Executive Branch. He covered the Iran-contra affair for six years. He has been awarded numerous awards including a Pulitzer Prize in 2001, which he shared with others for stories written about Osama bin Laden. He was awarded the first Stewart Alsop Award for national security and intelligence reporting by the Association of Foreign Intelligence Officers; The George Polk Award for stories appearing in The Post that exposed the neutron warhead, the Page One Award for magazine reporting, and a television Emmy.