Questions Raised

While this a topic that has lead to many positive improvements on a global scale, but it is also important to acknowledge the negative issues that it has introduced in order to find a solution and become more progressive. This topic has raised many questions, some of which include the following:

·      Can you really provide effective aid without harm?

·      Does taking a community’s well being into your own hands helpful or does it create unwelcome changes and unintentional quandaries?

·      How can we ensure that we accomplish our goals without pushing our own ideals upon the community?

·      Are our foreign aid efforts in vain?

Although there is much in the way to discourage what positive efforts have been made in the name of poverty, humanitarian aid has made quite an impact. The United Nations reported that over the past decade, 350 million people have moved out of extreme poverty. Many of the people that have removed themselves from poverty are still very poor, but the fact still remains that there are some improvements, which says a lot for existing nonprofit organizations and humanitarian aid. This shows that there is hope for the future. Even though poverty reduction is a long and strenuous journey, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Contrastingly, until we educate ourselves on effective ways of providing foreign aid we will not be successful. While it is vital to become more familiar with what methods are effective, it is equally important to become more aware of methods that are not effective so that we may avoid them as best we can. As opposed to only looking at short-term effects of aid, we must project possible outcomes and potential solutions to any issues that may arise.

Potential Risks of Aid

What you or people of your native country may want isn’t necessarily what people in other countries want. To further demonstrate this concept I ask that you consider a common scenario in foreign aid. If an organization that is creating an educational institution that provides housing, food, and educational materials, which at first thought seems as if it could produce only positive results, can actually be quite detrimental if gone about in the wrong manner. If the organization failed to realize the cultural repercussions of this, they run the risk of putting the citizens of the community in a rather uncomfortable situation. There is a possibility that the other inhabitants of the community might oust those who are given the opportunity to attend the institution consequently, creating animosity. There is a possibility that they will not be able to find or create jobs, sell products, or contribute in anyway within their community, essentially defeating the purpose and leaving them in different but equally poor circumstances in comparison to their situation prior to intervention.

             To further illustrate the gravity of this situation, these changes can unfortunately result in unforeseen have negative effects in developing countries. Often times these adjustments result in the country going even deeper into poverty because they are expected to be able to keep up with competing countries and thriving economies. When they cannot do so, they are forced to become even more dependent up on the developed nations in order to keep their heads above water, so to speak. Poverty stricken countries are then forced to spend less, reduce consumption, remove/decrease regulations, and decrease the value of labor; which puts workers in the same position they were in to begin with.

Economic Inequality

Why hasn't the issue of poverty been solved yet? It has been in existence since the beginning of time! What's the deal, right?

There are inequalities in the economy due to the fact that individuals in the third world are forced to work for lower wages than those in the developed world. For example, if we look at the wages earned by a shoe maker in the United States and someone doing the same exact job in the slums of the Middle East, the pay ratio could be something like $10:$1. Workers in the developing world are being undersold which keeps them at or below the poverty line. This act is being further supported because we continue to run the economy as a market of buyers, so we prefer to pay the cheaper price for the same product. In doing so, we are furthering the third world’s dependency upon us and essentially, maintaining poverty. 

Kindness

Humanitarianism in its most general form is kindness. This virtue has become a commodity within the world. Our primary focus is to get ahead, increase our personal revenue and build a "better life" for ourselves. In doing so, it seems that we have lost sight of the importance of charitable behavior.

In my opinion, the value of kindness and a friendly disposition are highly underestimated these days. A simple smile goes a long way. What I found particularly interesting is that our society does not do much to promote kindness. In fact, we live in a society where it is the norm to not even acknowledge others. I find that I am always surprised when someone who walks past me happens to flash me a smile, says hi, or even acknowledge my presence.

How is it that we can walk through a facility, with hundreds of people, literally bump into one another and not so much as even look them in the eye? We are in essence, all alone together. Maybe if we stop dehumanizing people and acknowledge them we would create a more peaceful and pleasant existence, which could lead to an increase in kindness and promote humanitarianism from a basic elementary level!

You ARE Living THE Life!

You wake up in your warm comfortable bed, go to the kitchen that is stocked full of food and enjoy a breakfast that takes all of three minutes to acquire, prepare and consume. You then pick out an outfit from your diversely filled closet which allows you to stay cool in the heat and warm in the cold. You then hop into your car and get frustrated when the 15 minute drive turns into a 20 minute drive on the way to class. You sit in the safe, secure classroom and grunt and groan about being stuck in there for two whole hours. While you sit there in the classroom with other students discussing horrific global issues occurring in the world, you are distracted by facebook on your phone where you discuss dinner plans with your friends. After class you hop back into your car and sing along to songs about trials and triumphs as if you have some sense of experiencing true hardship and the fight for survival. When you get home you feed your pet with more food than children in poverty receive all day. You proceed to change into a new, clean outfit to exercise in. Once you arrive at the gym you resentfully get on the treadmill where you briskly walk for 20 minutes, which is a fraction of what others must walk barefoot just to find fresh water or food for their parched and starving young. After hopping off and feeling well accomplished you wander over to the free weights and casually complain about bills to a workout buddy while failing to realize that these bills exist because you have the luxury of living in a home, driving rather than walking, and the recent technology of cell phones and entertainment devices. After breaking a slight sweat you hop back in your car, go home and take a shower, dousing yourself with clean water that runs over your body and right down the drain. Water that people in other countries don't have and often parish because they are forced to quench their thirst with unclean and contaminated water. After getting out of the shower you dry off, warm up, and put on a clean new outfit again. You then hop back into your car, avoiding the nuisance of walking, and arrive at a restaurant where you comfortably sit down with friends. You demand a cheeseburger and a cold refreshing beverage. The server goes to the kitchen, has your food prepared for you and then serves it to you; while accommodating any other requests that you may have. You enjoy a few laughs in good company and return home with a full belly. After retiring to bed you lay comfortably with no concern about the weather or surviving the night. You have no worries about how you might survive tomorrow as you drift into a peaceful sleep in the safety of your home.

We have so many blessings that go unnoticed throughout the day. These are luxuries that we take for granted and fail to realize that others around the world only dream about. Appreciate your blessings even if they're small because you just might have something that others would die for, literally.

Corruption

One of the most prominent reasons as to why more people do not contribute to humanitarian organizations is corruption. Many ready and willing individuals are discouraged from donating because there has been so much commotion about money that was intended to support those in need, and instead goes into the pockets of the already wealthy. It is a shameful fact, but it is reality.

It saddens me to think about the potential donations that could have done so much good. There have been many times that I see a commercial asking, sometimes begging for donations and I disregard it. I do this because it has become so easy to assume that the money will not go to poor, starving child on the tv, but into the pockets of those running the business. Unfortunately it is difficult to differentiate those who have intentions of truly supporting those in need, and those who are attempting to make a quick buck for themselves; so it seems that everyone ends up suffering as a result.

It seems ironic that the movement for humanitarian aid has come so far in doing such good only to be hindered by negativity. It is as though we can't escape it. Even in a instance where people have pure and positive intentions, it is still influenced and hampered by bad. What can we do to reverse these negative connotations that are now tied to such a great cause? How can we promote giving in a safe and effective manner? How can we right the wrongs?

Coorilation between Poverty & War

What came first, Poverty or War? It's kind of like the chicken or the egg quote. The roots of war lie in poverty. Inequalities in regard to politics, economics and societal issues are all factors of poverty and contribute to the rise of dissent which can lead to war. Ironically, while poverty may cause conflicts that lead to war, it also has the potential to create more poverty.War can send a community into disarray. People are taken out of their communities and forced to fight while large amounts of money are spent to support and sustain the war. For example, the cost of the war between the United States and Iraq and Afghanistan was estimated to be 3.7 trillion and rising as of June 2011.

Think about what that money could do for our country and its' people! For starving people, homeless people, struggling families, the educational system, health care, finding a cure for cancer... the list goes on and on! Is it possible that peace is more valuable than we had previously thought it to be?