At a summit meeting in Scotland next week, leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized nations are set to sign a deal on debt and aid that could see billions of dollars in fresh money flow into African development projects. Some of these projects will have a sizeable research component, as science and technology have been climbing up the development agenda (see the Special Report on page 1146). The G8 leaders won't meet directly with African leaders, however: South Africa's president, Thabo Mbeki, attending as a guest, will be the continent's sole representative. This disconnect unintentionally reflects the historic divide between aid donors and recipients: the former frequently fail to consult adequately with the latter. Huge sums have been wasted because the solutions previously offered to African communities were not integrated into their everyday needs. As a result, the continent is strewn with the debris of unsuitable donated plant and equipment.
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