The Anglo-Ethiopian Society
Lecture - What Ethiopia Teaches Us
Peter Gill
Wednesday 21st May 2014
7:00pm, Room B102 Brunei Gallery, SOAS, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG - Public lecture (all welcome)
The shocking word "famine" has summed up Ethiopia to outsiders for 40 years and more. In the public mind, it is Ethiopia's need for aid, not its glorious history or rich culture, which has dominated the discussion. The speaker acknowledges his part in fostering such a partial account of Africa's most ancient and distinctive civilisation. His TV documentary Bitter Harvest in 1984 helped launch Live Aid, and his book A Year in the Death of Africa investigated national and international responsibility for the tragedy. His latest book Famine & Foreigners brings the aid story up to date. But what have we in the rich world learnt from the era of 'Big Aid?' What has aid achieved and where has it failed? What price has Ethiopia paid for the West's apparent generosity? What will be left when the aid era fades?
Peter Gill is an author and journalist.