The following post was written by Duncan Green, Head of Research for Oxfam GB and author of “From Poverty to Power.” Just before Christmas I had a thought-provoking discussion on the BBC World Service with Paul Niehaus, who has set up GiveDirectly, a US-based startup NGO pioneering a new financing model based Read more
As a student, giving is hard. Many students don’t have very regular income, and that income is often tied up in educational and living costs and preparing to pay back those looming student loans. Well, GoodSearch is here to help! Check out this video for a quick overview on how Read more
A few months ago MTV started a new campaign, asking folks to “give a shit.” The website provides several causes to choose from, and with a click of your mouse the cause(s) you care about are noted. And that is it. There is no education about the causes, no links Read more
Endorse the Month of Microfinance and support the Student Microfinance Movement in promoting Client-Centered Microfinance! Learn More: http://monthofmicrofinance.org/about/
Perhaps the most recent iteration of the enduring problem faced by the development community, so eloquently presented by Ivan Illich in “To Hell With Good Intentions,” is the debate over what has been termed “voluntourism.” Essentially, this refers to well-intentioned trips by enthusiastic, generally young, individuals from wealthy countries to developing communities to volunteer, but are these experiences positive? There are several issues at the heart of this question (for a spirited debate, see http://mitpsc.mit.edu/globalchallenge/?p=335), and separating them out will help to determine what the appropriate position and response is. I’m not going to presume to tell any of you whether to go on a voluntourism trip. That’s your decision to make, but I’d just like to encourage you to consider the potential impacts of your actions before choosing a program, or deciding whether to go at all.
Have you ever slid into the midday slump with a cup of coffee in hand? Have you wondered about where your coffee came from before the caffeine had a chance to hit your system and help you finish an assignment or clean up around the house? Probably not, and why would you? Who wants to daydream about the poverty that your mint mocha or extra caramel macchiato has helped to create. The likelihood is—whether you have daydreamed about it or not—that the coffee, chocolate, jeans, and sweets you consume came from a land far removed from your mind’s eye, but out of sight does not have to be out of mind. It’s your decision to take a stand and make a difference.
Everyone has written about the best way to eliminate poverty. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) proposes stricter budgets, cuts in government spending, and paying off the national deficit. Many think we should just throw aide in until it all gets better. Philanthropists squabble about the best means of providing aide. Should it be top-down or bottom-up kinds of donations? Caregivers and charities rarely contemplate the ramifications of their donations, though.
In Elisabeth Rosenthal’s recent article, “African Huts Far From the Grid Glow With Renewable Power,” she describes the growing interest in Africa for off-grid means of power and fuel. She first describes the story of a woman, Ms. Ruto, from a small village who wasted time and over $20 a month to charge her phone in the closest city with electricity. This idea is inconceivable to the average American, who may or may not be able to separate from his or her phone for a few hours, let alone three days. The woman’s benefit from having a cell phone, however, made this routine trip necessary. When she discovered the power of a small solar unit that could fit onto her roof and provide her with the means to not only save money, but also charge her cell phone and provide her family with lights, she jumped at the opportunity.
The problems we as Americans face today seem overwhelming and even debilitating to our lives. When put into perspective, however, one can see that we are truly lucky. Staples of life, such as access to clean water, are taken for granted. Even the poorest Americans have access to clean drinking water. Third world citizens lack this same kind of access, and their governments don’t have the resources to provide clean water to all of their citizens. UNICEF’s Tap Project is determined to bring change to this harsh reality.
Urbanization in developing countries is a necessity for economic development. It is how countries such as the United States, England, and France got to where they are today. An influx of workers to cities provided the necessary incentives for governments to create new laws that address a constantly increasing city population. Without urbanization, there can be no real development. Support for this argument can be seen in societies all over the Western world today. Urbanization in the Western world began with the Industrial Revolution in the 18th and 19th centuries. Rural population increase prompted many to move into cities such as London and New York. From 1725 to 1800, the population in England grew from 5 million to almost 9 million. (pg 3 The Industrial Revolution and Demographic Transition, by Aubhik Khan) This surplus population moved into the cities. The population increase led to unprecedented economic growth, which governments were not prepared for, resulting in child labor and an extremely low standard of living.