Can Africa survive the global recession?

[Kofi]

When it comes to the global recession, almost everybody is talking about the American economy and how things are getting tougher by the day in America. People tend to forget about other parts of the world who may suffer even the more. After nearly 15 years of civil war, countries like Liberia in Africa depend mostly on foreign aids for economic development and for survival. Countries like Ghana in West Africa is good to go with the recession somehow because about 65% of the population of Ghana are subsistent farmers who grow crops and rear animals just to feed themselves and their families. Nigeria depends mostly on its oil deposits but during these hard times we cannot say for sure Nigeria is safe. After many years of tribal war and conflicts, countries like Sudan, Congo, Angola and the rest cannot do almost anything by themselves without foreign assistance. When major donors like the United States of America is in recession, i don't think any of these countries can survive. Botswana is full of street children and orphan homes. Zimbabwe is full of charity and aid centers. Tanzania is full of HIV/AIDS patience and hence numerous HIV/AIDS care centers. Sudan is the worst of them all with millions of people dying in Darfur. All of these care operations depend on cheerful donors like the United States to run and when America is in recession, I don't think any of these care centers will remain. Kenya depends on foreign aids for survival. Togo, Burkina, Ivory coast, Benin, senegal, Cameroun, central Africa republic, Mali, Tanzania, Niger, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, etc., all of these countries depend on foreign donors like the United States and the United Kingdom for survival. So now the question is; Do you think that Africa can servive the global recession? What are some of the things Africans can do in these hard times?

Africans always survive. The global recession is due to the credit crunch and Africans do not live by credit system and so they are good to go. The only problem here is that Africans will not receive as much financial aid as they need but that is not enough reason to think that Africans cannot survive the global recession. Africans are great survivors. Though Africans are poor, they know how to survive and that makes them so special.

[chris20]

This global economic crisis have a big effect for all people, industries around the world. Come to think of it, if the most powerful country in the whole world experiences financial crisis, how much more for a less fortunate country? Hopefully, this crisis will end soon...

[shymaaz]

Global recession will not have any direct effects on Africa but it will affect this countinent of poor people indirectly. It will not get as much financial aid from rich countries as it used to have before.

Originally Posted by Chen

Africans always survive. The global recession is due to the credit crunch and Africans do not live by credit system and so they are good to go. The only problem here is that Africans will not receive as much financial aid as they need but that is not enough reason to think that Africans cannot survive the global recession. Africans are great survivors. Though Africans are poor, they know how to survive and that makes them so special.

I think I agree with you on the fact that Africans always survive. The conditions in Africa are really bad to the point that any person who can live in Africa for a year or two is a great survivor.

[flaja]

Originally Posted by Chen

Africans always survive. The global recession is due to the credit crunch and Africans do not live by credit system and so they are good to go. The only problem here is that Africans will not receive as much financial aid as they need but that is not enough reason to think that Africans cannot survive the global recession. Africans are great survivors. Though Africans are poor, they know how to survive and that makes them so special.

Economies are like computers. The more sophisticated they are, i.e., the more complicated they are, and the more we expect them to do the more susceptible they are to failure. The more subsistent an economy is the more self-sufficient it is and the less susceptible it is to recession.

But at the same time, if an economy is not subsistent it can better withstand a recession the more sophisticated it is. An economy is like an ecosystem. The more producers and consumers they have the more buffered they are so the loss of any single producer or consumer will not have catastrophic results. Twenty years ago my local market had not one single Wal-mart. Now we have a dozen different Wal-marts and more than a dozen other retail stores have either left the local market or gone out of business nationwide. My local economy is not as buffered as it was 20 years ago.

I think the question should have been; can the world survive the global recession?. It is not just Africa. It is a global problem. What would you do if you loose your job and cannot pay your bills? You live in America but that doesn't make you any better than someone living in Africa if you can't pay your bills and owe alot in credit card debts.

[jales]

yes, every country in the world can survive this. i think, and hope so at least.

just continue to give as much as you can to you're country, be informed. humans are tough animals.