In the context of the Commission for Africa and the lead-up to the 2005 G8 Summit at Gleneagles, the UK-based Royal African Society convened a series of expert seminars to discuss "the damage we in the West do to Africa in the 21st Century". Its report " A Message to World Leaders: What About the Damage We Do to Africa?" was published in June 2005.
The central theme of the report is that rather than thinking up strategies for saving Africa, the West could more usefully stop its very many harmful practices that impede development in Africa.
The report identifies, and explains the impact of, the following 'damage factors':
1. Corruption and Money Laundering
2. Poaching Africa's Professionals
3. Arms and Mercenaries in Africa's conflicts
4. Exploitation of Natural Resources
5 New Global Politics and the War on Terror
The report calls on the British Government to go beyond "signing cheques for debt relief or aid" and meet the much greater challenge of changing laws and systems.
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