There is a lot to learn from Africa and it is time to take development cooperation literally. AidReversed portraits innovative ideas from African countries that might be beneficial for the rest of the world. 54 portraits, one for each African country, are selected and published in a book.
1. AidReversed wants to give a positive view on developing countries.
While fund raising campaigns and the media often talk about hunger, poverty, AIDS and crime, we focus on positive developments in Africa and make them known. We believe that there is a lot to learn from Africa and if we ignore this potential we are missing out on an opportunity.
2. AidReversed wants to empower and encourage young Africans to be proactive.
We portrait examples of African role models - but there is an upcoming generation of Africans who can become change makers themselves. By promoting entrepreneurial spirit, we hope that within the next decade the answers to the question of what Europe can learn from Africa will diversify even further. Just like Europe is benefiting from exporting knowledge and ideas, this should also be the case for Africa.
3. AidReversed wants to promote cultural exchange and refine understanding for development issues.
With our book, we want to encourage young Europeans to familiarise themselves with Africa in its diversity. Aid often is an end in itself - we give and we feel good. But cooperative and informed approaches to development are much more efficient and can prevent disappointment and resignation in Africa as well as in Europe.
4. AidReversed wants to promote equality.
Sometimes obvious, sometimes concealed - colonial thinking and prejudices against Africa still exist. It is time to take development cooperation literally and to start learning from each other.
5. AidReversed opposes disrespectful media coverage.
When covering stories of African success, we pledge to do so with great respect. While the media and fund raising campaigns show starving naked black babies and thereby create stereotypes, we want to help to overcome those. Fund raising should be about discovering potential and real needs rather than exploiting stereotypes.
Posted by Kerstin Göpfrich
AidReversed has a stall at this year's society fair in Cambridge. Have you met us? Would you like to contribute to our book or do you have any comments? Do get in touch (mail@aidreversed.eu) and check out our facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/Aidreversed).
Posted by Kerstin Göpfrich
30 entrepreneurs. Under 30. From 11 different countries. In Africa. Forbes has sought and found entrepreneurs who "write the future".
Posted by Kerstin Göpfrich
Economic growth and sustainability - does one exclude the other? Or does one come after the other? A question that has been posed repeatedly in the Western context as well as in the developing world. Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize winner and founder of the Green Belt Movement, manages to translate a complex problem into simple feasible projects with major impact.
Posted by Kerstin Göpfrich
With obesity becoming increasingly problematic in the Western World - in the European Union, one in three 11-year-olds is obese - an entire industry lives from making diet recommendations. The "African diet" is one of them. Can a continent associated with hunger help Europe to get back in shape? Sounds like bad humor, but is suggested in a variety of diet forums.
Posted by Kerstin Göpfrich
Everywhere in the world, we are seeking affordable high-quality healthcare for everyone. However, healthcare consumes and increasing share of our income. German experts are now looking at a Kenyan model.
