Cologne Memorandum

No Marshall Plan for Africa!

"Cologne Memorandum" for a different development policy

It is a more than 50-year-old mistake to believe that we can make development policy for Africa. An error with fatal consequences. The rich and powerful got richer and richer. As the population grew, so did poverty. Most African countries became more dependent rather than more independent. A spiral like in a drug ring: the more substance is offered, the more lethargic and addicted the addicts become. Except that the supply does not come from rapacious cartels, but from well-meaning governments. And it is not distributed by sinister dealers, but by often very committed local helpers. In a word: a tragedy.

The truth is: development in Africa can and must only be done by Africans. African countries must know what they want and plan what they can do. If they need support from other countries, they must say so and give reasons. And if the reasons are good, they will get help. We will no longer take them for granted as "recipient countries" and no longer see ourselves as "donor countries".

As a result:

1. A massive increase in state development aid will not, in our experience, bring about any significant improvement in living conditions in African countries. Rather, it is to be expected that large parts of the additional funds will flow into the wrong channels and the exodus will continue.
2. All in all, development aid has not yet set any fundamental and sustainable economic development in sub-Saharan Africa in motion.
3. On the contrary, state development aid has increased the dependency of the recipient countries and hindered the emergence of economic momentum.
4. Despite privileged trading conditions, there are hardly any goods produced in sub-Saharan Africa on the world market.
5. The current state development policy has usurped responsibilities that prevent self-sustaining African development.
6. Development aid has become a machine that is increasingly serving its own self-preservation.

Africa needs

• local and foreign entrepreneurs who set up production facilities in Africa. They must be comprehensively supported because Africa's economic development is not possible without industrialization;
• needs-based practical vocational training as a basis for sustainable economic development;
• development aid provided to reliable local organizations to promote African initiative.