U2 frontman Bono ran into President Obama recently and the two exchanged an email about the state of Africa and
whether the U.S. should be investing time and resources in helping people in other countries. Here is an excerpt from the Globe and Mail article.

Bono: Wherever we went on my last trip to Africa, almost everyone agreed that the key thing for Africa’s development is having better governments that are more accountable to their people. Is there anything the G8 can do to help with that challenge?

Obama: When I said in Accra that “Africa’s future is up to the Africans,” I meant it. Outsiders cannot engineer progress in the absence of leaders who are committed to serving the citizens they represent and delivering on their basic needs and aspirations. It is our job to empower those leaders – in government, in civil society and in the private sector – that are building effective and accountable institutions, and to support them in driving and sustaining development progress. And through our policy commitments and our investments, we continue to make progress. A key role for the G8 has been our leadership in global efforts to combat corruption and ensure that the policies and practices of developed countries – and our corporations – are supportive of good governance in developing countries. The G8 has sent this message time and again. But even more important, that same message is also being sent within Africa – by accountable leaders to their fellow leaders and colleagues, and by people to their governments.