[afro-nets] Roy Innis on malaria (20)

["jeff buderer" <jeff@onevillage.biz>]

Roy Innis on malaria (20)
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George,

I do agree very much with what you are saying. Same goes to your comments about the MGDs.

The money devoted to pencil pushing, traveling, conferences and consultants should be carefully evaluated. I do believe that much of the money now earmarked for development is not used in the most effective way (and there is considerable evidence for this). I do believe that much of the current overhead costs are bloated and need to be channelled into the development of innovative field research centers that incorporate best practices to promote an integrated approach to sustainable development. If this dysfunctional and wasteful pattern of investment/donor funding is not changed, we will not even come close to reaching the MGDs. Indeed the issue is not as Jeffrey Sachs says - that we need to spent more money on development - but rather first spend what we already invest in a more effective way. I think this will partially address the lack of engagement that many in affluent regions have.

Yet we need to also keep in mind that the current scope of spending is so unmatched with the scale of the problem that this leads to many inefficiencies, including spreading funding too thin on too many field projects that all need funding and overall system fatigue. We need to consider a restructuring of the development strategies that involves significantly increased spending in the coming years.  In the mean time, how can we get involved so our work becomes the model for that restructuring and reform effort?

One interesting project doing work in this area (combining health care, ICT and microfinance among other things) of multisectorial development is Fantsuam Foundation in Nigeria http://www.fantsuam.org.

OVF is also considering similar themed projects in several countries in Africa at this time. I definitely would be open to considering collaboration with you or anyone on this list (who is interested) in an effort to build a community oriented approach (very much along the lines of what Peter and Kris have put forward in terms of Community Centric Sustainable Development) to address the MGDs.

Jeff Buderer
oneVillage Foundation
mailto:jeff@onevillage.biz