By Tigist Kassa

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One of the IYPF´s network members, Tigist Kassa, was in Germany to
attend the latest G8 summit as an African Journalist sponsored by
Panos. We include one of her articles below and a brief profile. For
more, see her blog
http://panos.blogs.com/africavox2007/tigist_kassa.html.
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We are now in the last day of the G8 summit in Heiligendamm, Germany.
This summit somehow it seems successful that Africa has been one of
the agendas. In Russia summit, 2006, it was a challenge that issues
regarding Africa weren´t considered. Aids always available in all
summits but G8 leaders commitment weren´t in place.

Mrs. Thaninga Shope-Linney, Director General Manager of communication
and outreach NEPAD secretariat disclosed that Africa has been
receiving aid for many decades, but once that aid mismanaged, it is
not properly accounted for it seems pointless.

After one trillion dollars of aid to Africa, and Africa a bigger
basket case now than ever it has been, for the G8 leaders to state
that they have come to the realization that Aid is no solution to
anything, in fact it is just like welfare, but on an international
scale, and like welfare it just creates corruption and dependency. As
such they are now going to cease filling the pockets of African
despots with taxpayer´s cash.

After the delivery of the "Action Plan on Africa" by the G8 in
Kananaskis, Canada, leaders of African countries were invited to the
June 2007 G8 summit in Heiligendamm, Germany, to discuss the future
of NEPAD. It is clearly see that NEPAD is not invited in the G8
summit but its countries are invited to discuss more about Africa
said Mrs. Thaninga Shope-Linney.

Ethiopia is represented by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi as chairperson
the house of state government implementation, Ghana represented by
president Kufor as chairperson of Africa Union, South Africa
represented by Thabo Mbeki chairperson of Africa Union Commission and
Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade also in the summit.

Topics such as debt relief, increase the aid, access to medicines,
the fight against poverty and HIV/AIDS might have been on their
agendas, but the summit hardly addressed these issues. But the head
of states have taken Africa position that to talk more about
implementation of the promises and better economic, political
management to be put into effect after this summit.

Reports showed that the NEPAD program estimates that for Africa to
achieve 7 per cent annual economic growth and reduce the number of
people living in poverty by half by the year 2015, the continent will
need to fill an annual resource gap of about $64 bn. Much of that can
be mobilized domestically, NEPAD's advocates argue, through increased
export earnings and foreign investments and by reversing the flow of
capital flight. But some African leaders were also hoping to receive
$10-12 bn more a year in aid.

However, the question is better economic, political management to
implement the aid properly. Representatives of Africa may emphasis
the point that money is necessary but not a solution for Africa.

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Member Profile: Tigist Kassa

Panos G8 fellow
Broadcast Journalist, Media Consultant and Trainer
National Focal Point -Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS

About Me: I am a broadcast journalist, Media consultant and Media
Trainer on HIV/AIDS reporting, currently working as a Local Voice
Project Manager at Internews Network Ethiopia. I am also working as
producer and presenter at Radio Voice of Eve. I have reported
extensively on HIV/AIDS, reproductive health and Gender issues, and
was awarded a Panos/Stop TB fellowship and Women Broadcast journalist
of the Year in 2005.

From 2002-3 I was in Nairobi for a year to take part on the
Fredskorpset south-to-south women´s media exchange program. I also
attended different media skills trainings in South Africa, Uganda,
Kenya and Zambia. I recently spoke at the Youth Media Development
Forum in Bamako, Mali.

Through my career I learnt so many things and got vast experiences
and now it is the right time to share for others. I am just started
being a media trainer and it really requests more effort to share
what I have at hand. But the first thing is that tell your mind you
are a positive thinker and wish positive for people. If you have good
heart it will be very easy to exploit yourself so as to share what
you have.