Tony Blair has big plans for Africa. Britain’s Prime Minister says fighting poverty there is one of his top priorities. He is proposing what has been called a “modern day Marshall Plan” to pay off Africa’s debts, increase trade and double the aid from wealthier countries.
Blair plans to present his new proposals next month at the meeting of the G8 but he needs U.S. support if anything is really going to change. Blair is in Washington today trying to persuade President Bush that it is in both their best interests to concentrate on helping people in Africa.
The Bush administration has its own ideas on debt relief. It once embraced the idea but has recently been raising doubts about the plan to simply sweep away 300 billion dollars in debt.
Guests:
Abraham McLaughlin, Christian Science Monitor Correspondent in Johannesburg, South Africa
Salih Booker, Executive Director of Africa Action
William Easterly, Professor of Economics at New York University.