Everyday when I check the World section on CNN, 4 out of 5 headlines are about African countries. Usually its about corruption, abductions, killings, etc. It seems like Africa has been and is in such a sad state? Is there really any hope for the place?

I honestly don't know. One of the most progressive countries on the continent (Ghana) is where it is today thanks to a truly benevolent dictator during the 80's. With democracy so fragile and riddled with corruption in most African democracies it seems like a benevolent dictator is the most reasonable thing to hope for. At any rate, I don't think there is anything the West can do to help the political state of some of the failing countries; any lasting solution in places like Zimbabwe, Angola and Rwanda will have to be brought about by either the people of those respective countries or the leaders of other African nations, as anything sponsored by the "colonial powers" seems to inherently arouse suspicion. The most depressing thing is that thanks to an epidemic of corruption Kenya (once one of the most rapidly developing countries) is again on the slide, especially where violent crime is concerned.

With regards to "hope", we'll be more equipped to answer that question after the upcoming elections in Ghana. If the elections are free and fair, and the country continues to grow in material wealth, then I'd definately say there's hope.

well there was this.
http://www.theage.com.au/world/forei...1208-6tdn.html

It's always nice to seeing a reference to crimes against humanity in a context that doesn't involve someone bitching about Israel.

it ain't happening of course, but it's still cool.
http://www.thisday.co.tz/News/4994.html

Nevertheless, Kenya and Ethiopia have been awesome lately.
The Kenyans for having the balls to actually suggest that, and Ethiopia for having the balls to move troops into Sudan to fight the Islamists who'd moved in there.

The continent? Sure. The people that reside there? No.

Not without quite a bit of work.

Not unless Western Powers stop with their neo-colonialism/neo-liberalist bullshit and debt slavery. Oh wait, China is doing that just fine, helping Africa out of their hole and the legacy of the Maafa..

When an African Government didn't follow the bullshit 'advice' the World Bank gave them they IMPROVED, yeah subsidizing the fertilizer HELPED that nation. the same thing the US and EU do to their crops... hypocrites.

If anyone needs sources I will provide them

It's just like the Middle East. A bunch of failed states resulting from colonial powers drawing borders without considering the people they encompassed. I don't see a real solution happening unless the borders get redrawn to represent actual nations, or somebody comes along and creates a pan-African empire, but nobody's about to give up land, so short answer: yes, but a lot of people are going to die.

On the other hand, most of the African nations have only been self governed for 40-some years. There may be hope for them yet, but only time will tell.

I agree with SWF, the world bank appears to invest in human capital, but it totally fucks its target nations out of their self sufficiency. "Nonprofit" my ass.

One of the biggest issues with the I.B.R.D/World Bank is that it accepts private funding, there's quite an obvious contrast of interest issue there.

Given that much of its wealth comes from multinational corporations, the institution will inevitably be more keen on working for the interests of big business rather than for those of the countries it operates in.

If you see it from this perspective you can notice a quite scary pattern emerging from the Bank's operations in Africa, you can see them funding huge wasteful infrastructural projects, such as dams, allegedly in the name of "human development", but if you look more closely, you can see that the construction contract went to some TNC that what a coincidence also happens to be a World Bank donor.

If by hope you meant :

go out and buy a lottery ticket and "hope" I would win...

that kind of "hope" ..... then yes....there's plenty of hope waiting for them....

This.

But not this: