Foreign aid spending

[Diciple]

I was watching the discussion on "Sunday Morning Live" BBC1 on foreign aid. Nick Ferari of the London talk radio had a good point. Britain spends not £12 million per year but £12 billion. While this is spent our poor get poorer, pensioners etc struggle. What a terrible un-caring example to set to young people. Britain in a deep recession (with no way out so far) and the Govt spens money with no thought for its people.

Contributors on the prog explained that foreign aid going abroad is supporting corrupt and inefficent Govts. If only all aid money was at least properly spent to help the poor of the world.

the worlds poor need our help but simply not in so big a way. It is just so unbelievable to hear of a country which is in deep recession pays our £12 billion per year.

 

[Genersis]

I'm not too upset that it's 12 Billion; i'm upset that a some of it(not sure how much) isn't used as aid in some of those countries that are in need.

I wish our government would find a better way of distribution.(At least in the countries where the aid money is being miss used.)

Heck, i'd even support the idea of the government forming it's own aid organisation to distribute aid directly if that's what it would take.
But alas, it seems an impractical idea.

 

[savedbygrace05]

Being the cynic that I am, I suspect that overseas aid is also linked to arms deals! Typical you scratch our back and we'll scratch yours

 

[Genersis]

Being the cynic that I am, I suspect that overseas aid is also linked to arms deals! Typical you scratch our back and we'll scratch yours

If by "linked to arms deals", you mean, the money is given to governments, and instead of putting it into aid, they put it into their military, then i think you are right, if i remember correctly of course...

 

[savedbygrace05]

If by "linked to arms deals", you mean, the money is given to governments, and instead of putting it into aid, they put it into their military, then i think you are right, if i remember correctly of course...

Sorry, what I meant is that if we were to look more closely at the nations that we give financial aid to we also sell arms to.

 

[Paradoxum]

I suspect that the poor of the countries we give the money to are in a much worse condition than any of our poor.

 

[vespasia]

Concur Paradox.

I know they are because I tend to read reports by Social exclusion unit, Rowntree's Trust, Child Poverty Action and similar on a frequent basis. I work in a parish where child poverty [Child Poverty Action definition] is running at roughly 38%.

In the UK we face a form of relative poverty rather than the absolute poverty of some paerts of this world.

When someone starts using the relative poverty which can be found in the UK in the same breathe as absolute poverty I know the motive will be about trying to gain political power.

We DO have the resources to ensure everyone has the basic needs of life meet [safe place to sleep, adequate food, access to healthcare] but we are not very good at sharing what we have. For most people what seems to happen is the more they have the more they want and the less they can share.

 

[ebia]

the worlds poor need our help but simply not in so big a way.

You are kidding, right? Go visit some part of the world that is really poor. Where the difference foreign aid makes is the difference between being able to give your children a meal today or listening to them cry themselves to sleep hoping there might be something tomorrow or maybe the day after.

 

[Bish bash bosh]

You are kidding, right? Go visit some part of the world that is really poor. Where the difference foreign aid makes is the difference between being able to give your children a meal today or listening to them cry themselves to sleep hoping there might be something tomorrow or maybe the day after.

I concur, double the amount of aid, and triple it when we come out of recession.

Some have no concept of what absolute poverty really is.

Bish

 

[ebia]

"And who is my neighbor?" (who should I help)


30 Jesus replied, "A man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. He encountered thieves, who stripped him naked, beat him up, and left him near death. 31 Now it just so happened that a priest was also going down the same road. When he saw the injured man, he crossed over to the other side of the road and went on his way. 32 Likewise, a Levite came by that spot, saw the injured man, and crossed over to the other side of the road and wenton his way. 33 A Samaritan, who was on a journey, came to where the man was. But when he saw him, he was moved with compassion. 34 The Samaritan went to him and bandaged his wounds, tending them with oil and wine. Then he placed the wounded man on his own donkey, took him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day, he took two full days' worth of wages and gave them to the innkeeper. He said, 'Take care of him, and when I return, I will pay you back for any additional costs.' 36 What do you think? Which one of these three was a neighbor to the man who encountered thieves?"

 

[DavePotter]

The more we have the more we want. This is very true.
The government of this country considers us poor if we do not have sky tv or a mobile phone. Since when have these been essential items. A roof a bed and 3 meals a day are all we need to sustain our bodies. The real poor of this world cannot even feed themselves so yes 12 billion is not a lot for the really poor to have at least one meal a day.

 

[vespasia]

Yesterdays lectionary reading in the CofE included the passage from James 2:1-12.

In the UK we are more likely to see the face of relative poverty come through the churches door. I know families where parents work two or more jobs on minimum wage in an effort to stay off benefits, any unexpected demands on their income can tip them stright into the debt trap. There are families who live on benefits with no hope of ever having work, some from real illness/disability and others from not having even the most basic of qualifications and skills.

Just because there is real absolute poverty in this world we should not ignore local needs either. Yes the UK still has a safety net yet on ongoing reviews and changes in health and social care support will impact on families in relative poverty.

Churches in the UK are becoming more involved with UK food banks [see the Trussal trust] and in some places soup kitchens are becomming necessary as they once were. I do not have any pat answers but I do consider that the current social changes are having a seizmic effect on those with the fewest resources in our society. The economic fall out is certainly causing problems for those who are owned by money [in debt or whose love for the stuff takes away all concern for others].