Save the children...

[comana]

We've all seen the ads- a starving child living in filth and a well meaning spokesperson tugging at your heartstrings. Send a small amount of money per month to a given charity and this poor child will benefit. This is all well and good, but is it the right thing to do?

You can give support to this child, but who will be there when this child grows and is trying to feed their own children? Are you really helping or are you easing your own conscience for having everything you need?

Some considerations:
1. The child will benefit (assuming the charity is honest)
2. How long will the child benefit?
3. How does this help the community beyond the money sent?
4. Could this end up hurting the community and child by making them dependent on outside help?
5. What is a better way to help populations in poverty and desperation?

I will come back to my opinions after a few from others.

 

[iglesia]

We've all seen the ads- a starving child living in filth and a well meaning spokesperson tugging at your heartstrings. Send a small amount of money per month to a given charity and this poor child will benefit. This is all well and good, but is it the right thing to do?

You can give support to this child, but who will be there when this child grows and is trying to feed their own children? Are you really helping or are you easing your own conscience for having everything you need?

Some considerations:
1. The child will benefit (assuming the charity is honest)
2. How long will the child benefit?
3. How does this help the community beyond the money sent?
4. Could this end up hurting the community and child by making them dependent on outside help?
5. What is a better way to help populations in poverty and desperation?

I will come back to my opinions after a few from others.

Assuming the charity is honest and the money really goes where they say it goes, then such a gift may be the most morally advantageous thing to do in certain situations.

Some charities, rather than sending money or food to starving people in 3d world countries, teach them the skills necessary to provide for themselves. Such charities may provide instruction in basic farming and may even provide some animals to be bred to provide meat, milk, etc. . .Where possible, this is a better alternative than sending money b/c it actually fixes the problem on a long term basis.

However, some people exist in situations where such a solution would be impracticable. For example, they live in a climate where farming is near impossible or where government oppression prevents them from owning property (incl. livestock). In cases such as this, where there is really no way to effectuate a long term solution, the quick fix is sometimes warranted. Unfortunately, there are some situations where that is all that is possible, and I don't believe there is ever anything wrong with saving a human life, even if it is only by a temporary measure until a better solution comes along.

 

[Spinrad]

Do you only help people you have control over?

 

[comana]

Assuming the charity is honest and the money really goes where they say it goes, then such a gift may be the most morally advantageous thing to do in certain situations.

Some charities, rather than sending money or food to starving people in 3d world countries, teach them the skills necessary to provide for themselves. Such charities may provide instruction in basic farming and may even provide some animals to be bred to provide meat, milk, etc. . .Where possible, this is a better alternative than sending money b/c it actually fixes the problem on a long term basis.

I completely agree.

However, some people exist in situations where such a solution would be impracticable. For example, they live in a climate where farming is near impossible or where government oppression prevents them from owning property (incl. livestock). In cases such as this, where there is really no way to effectuate a long term solution, the quick fix is sometimes warranted. Unfortunately, there are some situations where that is all that is possible, and I don't believe there is ever anything wrong with saving a human life, even if it is only by a temporary measure until a better solution comes along.

Do you think that helping in the above situations by providing immediate food/etc keeps the opressed from demanding a favorable govt via overthrow, revolution, etc.?

In most situations I tend to go with the idea that a population needs to take care of itself. Needs to see their desperation and change something or become extinct. That comes from the unsympathetic side of me. But the sympathetic side squirms at the thought of such suffering.

In the end I think the best thing to do is get them back on their feet and then move towards self-sustainment. Give them the tools and leave. From that point the only way for thm to survive is to fight for it.

 

[Nymphalidae]

Death control without birth control leads to more starvation.

 

[one love]

5. What is a better way to help populations in poverty and desperation?

Colonization of those countries so that we have full authority, control, and responsiblity.

 

[ebia]

Adrian Plass wrote a small but excellent book called Colours of Survival, about his visit to meet the child he sponsors through World Vision in Bangladesh, that explains in great depth how World Vision use the money effectively to support the child, their family, and the community around them, to give the child the best possible chance of a decent future. I would strongly recommend reading it to anyone interested. As ever with Adrian Plass, it's a great read too, and the royalties go to World Vision.

 

[Jetgirl]

Colonization of those countries so that we have full authority, control, and responsiblity.

From what I've seen of the world I've come to the disappointing conclutions that that is the only way we'll really be able to help in some cases.

 

[ebia]

5. What is a better way to help populations in poverty and desperation?

Help with education, and trade fairly.

 

[one love]

Help with education, and trade fairly.

That's great and all, but how is this going to happen? The only logically means is colonization. Continuing to give these countries millions has done almost nil.

 

[ebia]

That's great and all, but how is this going to happen? The only logically means is colonization. Continuing to give these countries millions has done almost nil.

Giving people enough food to survive on doesn't solve poverty.

We have to give them enough to survive on, plus educate them, plus stop stealing from them with an economic system that is completely imbalanced. We have to stop dumping cheap food from our subsidised farming systems (EC & US) and pay fair prices for the stuff that poor countries produce. Remove barriers that stop them selling to us and even (in the short term at least) allow them to protect their own industries.

Giving them a small amount in aid (much of which is "given" in a form that advantages the giving country as much as the recipient) while taking back large amounts in debt repayment and unfair trading isn't even trying to solve anything.

Start solving poverty with education and trading systems that work, and the rest will follow.

 

[MaryBurwell]

The 700 club is a legitimate group that provides help to people in need. If a person is looking for a place they can be assured that their money is going to a good cause the 700 club is a good choice. It comes on ABC at 3:00 PM in Central Time.

The Peace Corps is an organization where the workers go over to other countries and live with the people for several years and try and help them make wise decisions about spending their money and different career moves basically that will benefit the people in the long run.

 

[Nymphalidae]

The 700 club is a legitimate group that provides help to people in need. If a person is looking for a place they can be assured that their money is going to a good cause the 700 club is a good choice. It comes on ABC at 3:00 PM in Central Time.

The Peace Corps is an organization where the workers go over to other countries and live with the people for several years and try and help them make wise decisions about spending their money and different career moves basically that will benefit the people in the long run.

I watched the 700 Club once. They claimed the reason behind the existance of the European Union was as a precursor to the entire world uniting against Israel as part of the End Days. If I wanted to give money to crazy people I could donate to the local insane asylum.

 

[peepnklown]

The 700 club is a legitimate group that provides help to people in need. If a person is looking for a place they can be assured that their money is going to a good cause the 700 club is a good choice. It comes on ABC at 3:00 PM in Central Time.

The Peace Corps is an organization where the workers go over to other countries and live with the people for several years and try and help them make wise decisions about spending their money and different career moves basically that will benefit the people in the long run.

The members of the 700 club all sit on golden thrones (like they are kings or gods) so it makes me question that they provide any help to anyone but themselves.

 

[Ninja Turtles]

The best way to help people is to go there and actively help them without other motives. Far too often I see people go to these places where they want to create a place for religious conversion or in the case of a business, an economic dependent that will provide cheap labor. Money is needed, but providing training and skills to the people to build their own businesses is more important.

 

[Stuco]

We can give these people help but in the end it will be what they want to do and if they act and use wisely what you gave them.

You can led a mule to water but you cant make him drink.

 

[PariahDivine]

I will NEVER EVER give a dime to ANY charity. I wont mind going out and buying clothes or food and giving THAT to a worthy charity, but I will NEVER donate money to a charity.

Its hard to spend cans of soup on a Ferrari

 

[ebia]

It's also hard to educate people and give them a trade and access to clean water with cans of soup.

Except for emergency relief, cans of soup and wooly jumpers are useless - they can't be used to lift people out of poverty.

They also get nicked on the way to the recipents - the amount of second hand american clothes on sale in Chitral bazaar (NWFP, Pakistan) when we were there during the Afghan war was astonishing. On the other hand, it's pretty hard to steal a World Vision project.

How hard is it to find a reputable charity? There are plenty out there.

 

[Multi-Elis]

I do hope these child support programs are giving education--it gives the children the hope of becoming doctors (hopefully in their own country) of becoming researchers (to find ways of farming baren land) and to become engineers (to improve the sanitary systems) and the list goes on. Education is the one thing I think does help these 3d world countries.

 

[ebia]

I do hope these child support programs are giving education--it gives the children the hope of becoming doctors (hopefully in their own country) of becoming researchers (to find ways of farming baren land) and to become engineers (to improve the sanitary systems) and the list goes on. Education is the one thing I think does help these 3d world countries.

Education is certainly at the heart of the World Vision sponsorship schemes.

Oh, and can I add teachers to your list of vital careers these kids can aspire to.