I think there isn't a lot of evidence to suggest that aid programming is an effective way to change the way that, frankly, less than responsible governments make decisions about public policy and how they choose to govern. There are a lot of people, in our view, who try to overstress what aid can do and accomplish. They say that it can really reform the way that governments use their resources and build public capacity to support service delivery for their citizens and create a thriving economy.
Part of what I am trying to say in my few words here is that we don't actually think there's very much evidence to that point. That's not just my saying that. I spoke with people who are smarter than I am in advance of this presentation today to really discuss those ideas. At the same time, that's why we say really let's pinpoint aid and use those aid resources where they're most needed, and that is around addressing the most essential needs that people in poor countries have, and people who are experiencing poverty have.
If anything, that at least addresses the insecurity that those people are experiencing, whether it's food insecurity or it's otherwise today in their lives. At the same time, there's a massive burgeoning interest in what the private sector, for instance, can enable within these countries, whether that's internationally infused with private companies coming in from abroad.... Frankly, more importantly, it's about building strong ecosystems of business within these developing countries particularly at small and medium-sized levels, so that there is a strong foundation of entrepreneurs and people who are able to provide jobs. [Inaudible—Editor] in the first day in Kampala looking around at probably 150 mostly young men, probably below the age of 25, sitting idle in the middle of the day because they don't have any work.
We certainly try to take an approach that addresses the underlying issues of extreme poverty, and the fact is, we think that aid is really well positioned to address those, and at the same time we know that private capital can come in through investors, through companies, and that is going to be a big part of the development equation and solution in the long term. Both are important. That's why we take the position to advocate more for smart aid that addresses the needs of poor people and is a substantive aid agenda. Also, we take the point of talking about a development finance initiative that can really help to spur private sector growth in these countries.