Cheetahs vs. Hippos: Against "Swiss Bank Socialism"

Ever heard a Ghanaian economist scream before? George Ayittey is unhappy with African governments, is trying to foster local entrepreneurial activity in Africa rather than external investment, and doesn't want any more foreign aid. Below is his talk from this year's TED conference. Most interesting to me is his argument that traditional African institutions promoted norms of decentralized power and community-based capitalism. The modern history of authoritarianism and corruption actually contradicts the long-standing legacy of Africa. Perhaps the point is debatable, but Ayittey uses it to stress that development programs may be more successful if they aims to strengthen traditional African, rather than Western, institutions.

For those in the Triangle, he will be speaking on campus Friday at 12:30 in 1301 McGavran-Greenberg (UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health). The lecture is free and open to the public, and the subject is "African Solutions to African Problems".