The radio 4 'Start the Week' programme on April 19th made me so depressed. Linda Polman was speaking about the utter shambles of Aid distribution across the World. If she is to be believed, the sites of most need become places of corruption and selfishness, as different aid bodies fight for the money. That is not counting the money that disappears. NGO's are in disarray and vice becomes endemic as government money rolls in.
How can this be controlled? What are people who want to help to do under these circumstances? Well.....think FAIR TRADE. If these poverty stricken places had Fair Trade they might well not have got to the depths that they have. If the World Trade Organisation allowed governments to protect small and growing businesses in their countries, maybe poverty would not be so rife. If the World Bank was cancelling aid, as they promised, without ridiculous clauses, maybe those countries could have supported themselves.
War and catastrophes can effect us all but with no buffer, where countries have been leached dry by big businesses and corruption, people are vulnerable to starvation.
Milton Fiedman, financial adviser to Ronald Ragan and Margaret Thatcher's, has a lot to answer for. The idea of letting multi-national businesses go un-regulated, and in many cases un-taxed, has devastated economies and is now affecting ours.
So what can we as individuals do? Steady, sustainable organisations that work all the time in places, have their place. However, instead of sending lots of money in one go when disasters strike it would be better to change to buying all the goods you can Fair Trade. This will send a message to governments, NGOs and Aid organisations, to clean up the mess.
You might feel inclined to put pressure on governments to make all Trade Fair through tightening up the World Trade Organisation's regulation and taxations of multi-national businesses. Maybe something could be learnt from China who has controlled these businesses and is doing well.
Please continue to 'care' though. Humanity rises above the mundane when it cares. We grow and mature with love to and from our neighbours.
Barbara Mark
