For years, Sierra Leonean-German activist and entrepreneur Mallence Bart-Williams has challenged the way Africa’s wealth and economic position are discussed.
In her widely circulated TEDxBerlinSalon talk, “Change Your Channel,” Bart-Williams argues that Africa should not be viewed simply as a recipient of foreign aid, but as a continent whose natural resources have played a major role in global economic power.
She points to resources such as gold, diamonds and other minerals, questioning why resource-rich African nations have often received a relatively small share of the wealth generated from those resources.
Bart-Williams also references a statement attributed to former French President Jacques Chirac, who was reported to have acknowledged the importance of Africa to France’s global standing. The frequently circulated wording says that without Africa, France would fall to the rank of a third-rate power. The exact provenance of the quotation, however, remains debated.
Her broader argument is about economic relationships, resource extraction and who ultimately benefits from Africa’s wealth.
Rather than asking only how Africa can receive more aid, Bart-Williams asks a deeper question:
What would change if Africa captured more of the value created from its own resources?
Source: @healafricagroup
