Article

Susan E. Rice in YALE GLOBAL ONLINE

Finally, it is a political reality that few, if any, of the current G8 leaders will hold office in 2010 when their Gleneagles aid pledges come due. The willingness of future leaders and their legislatures to make good on their predecessors’ promises is questionable at best.  The lesson of Live 8 and the campaigns To Make Poverty History" is that grassroots movements, especially when fueled by a rare coalition of celebrities and religious leaders, can make a difference. Though not all of their goals were achieved, it is almost certain that more was accomplished in Gleneagles than would have been the case without sustained and intense public pressure.  If the anti-poverty movement loses it focus and intensity in coming years, it is likely that Africa will also lose whatever it might have gained at Gleneagles. 

* Susan E. Rice is a Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution and served from 1997-2001 as US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.    << back