I'm sure you've read of the debt cancellation by the G8 countries for some of the world's poorest countries. This will help some of these countries but there remains much to reform in order to help them. For example, did you know that:
Across Africa, aid from the World Bank, European Union and G8 countries continues to be tied to water privatisation, despite evidence that these schemes have failed to benefit poor communities. In May 2005, the Tanzanian government cancelled its contract with the UK-based company BIWATER, City Water's parent company. City Water has filed a case against the Tanzanian government for alleged breach of contract.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/hearafrica05/story/0,15756,1503032,00.html
In the 1990s, as a condition of loans and aid from the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, Ghana was forced to open its markets to imported tomatoes. Since then, two of Ghana's three tomato processing plants have closed, pushing many of the 3 million Ghanaians who rely on tomatoes for a living into poverty.
Also, did you know that we, the richer countries imposed these types of conditions on African countries:
Uganda, a reasonably well-run country, was forced to impose "user fees'' on basic healthcare and primary education in the late 1980s to qualify for World Bank debt relief and aid-so school attendance collapsed and the death rate among the rural poor soared. Eventually, in 1997, President Yoweri Museveni rebelled and restored free primary education throughout Uganda. Primary school enrolment more than doubled.
In 2001 he restored free basic healthcare, and the number of hospital outpatients almost doubled.
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_opinion?id=84084623
In fact, some of these conditions are what Tony Blair is trying to impose on other Europeans at this time: privatizing health and education and utilities.
