International Development: Angola holds poverty reduction seminar

Just what the world's starving needs - another seminar.

A two day seminar focusing on the strategy to fight poverty in Angola, is to begin today. The seminar is the initiative of the Fund of Angolan Non Governmental Organisations (FONGA) and aims to involve various sectors of the civil society in this project.

No doubt the result will be a wiz-bang, blue sky, draft resolution that ultimately will achieve sod all. Still, I am sure the refreshments will be nice and there will be some great photo-opportunities of men in suits smiling, shaking hands and slapping each others back.

Excuse me if I seem rather cynical, but every bloody day I see countless reports of poverty reduction seminars, workshops, forums, strategies, polices, formal talks, informal talks - and I still see pictures of starving children on television.