Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/04/03
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]With all respect for the work done by the charities Tina supports with her work and other well-meaning individuals, I must say as an economist that while such efforts certainly have a positive impact on the individual families helped, they can never lift a country out of poverty. What is needed much more than charity are sound economic policies and access to the markets of the rich countries. There is not a single example of a country that has become richer by receiving aid; on the other hand there are numerous countries, mainly in Asia, that have gone from being as poor as Africa is today 50 years ago to being at least middle-income countries today. The example most often cited is Kenya and Malaysia. Both countries were British colonies, both gained independence in the early-to-mid 1960s, and at the time of independence their GDP per capita was roughly the same. Since then, Malaysia has had reasonably stable government, with economic policies which, while not exactly following the free-market consensus that prevails today, nonetheless relied on trade, an environment that welcomed foreign investment and a relatively low level of corruption. Malaysia was never a big recipient of foreign aid. Kenya, on the other hand, has been one of Africa's main recipients of aid, whether from the US and Europe or from multilateral institutions like the World Bank, plus of course innumerable charities of all kinds. But the country has been run by a string of corrupt governments who had no regard for the plight of their own people, only for the state of their Swiss bank accounts. The result of these two respective paths of development is there today for all to see: while Kenya's GDP per capita languishes at around $800, Malaysia's is around $6500. Again, these two countries were at roughly the same level of development 40 years ago. Looking at the problem in this way, there is little or nothing charity can do. If you or I as individuals want to help, do it with your wallet--not by donating to Save the Children etc. but by seeking out and buying products made in those countries; and with your ballot, by voting for politicians who are prepared to abolish grotesque policies like the agricultural subsidies in the US and Europe which keep poor country farmers out of the world markets at great costs to them and to Western consumers and taxpayers. Nathan On 3-apr-2008, at 21:52, Tina Manley wrote: > At 03:37 PM 4/3/2008, you wrote: >> It's the lack of real programs, those coming up from the UN just >> do fail and >> did fail for so many years, what it makes me mad. It's not >> photographing or >> not photographing them. >> >> The better industries are the more impoverished we can find, I >> think you'll >> agree with this, it's just facts. >> Pablo > > I agree, Pablo, but I don't think we can depend on governments or > industry to do what is right. Governments and industry look only > at the bottom line and how to get the most while paying the least. > The government agencies that I have worked with have been based on > bureaucracy and are only concerned with appearances, not actual > progress. People who want to help should find a charity that they > believe in and contribute their time, talent and money to make a > difference. The only way to find out if a charity is really making > a difference is to visit, unannounced, and see for yourself what is > happening or volunteer and get involved. If you need suggestions, > I have several ;-) > http://www.heifer.org > www.mowaa.org/ > www.habitat.org/ > http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/ > > Tina > > Tina Manley, ASMP, NPPA > http://www.pbase.com/tinamanley/dimes_for_hunger > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > Nathan Wajsman nathan@nathanfoto.com General photography: http://www.nathanfoto.com http://www.greatpix.eu http://www.frozenlight.eu Picture-A-Week: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws Blog: http://www.fotocycle.dk/blog Book: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/128276