Teach A Man to Fish

In the SPIEGEL, Shikwati argues we need to completely cut off aid though I think we cannot look at this claim too literally. I think Shikwati is particularly concerned with aid in the form of money and I agree that sending money to poverty stricken nations is the wrong solution, especially if it creates a dependence. It seems to me that a large part of the problem with sending money is that there are not the same economic structures in poverty stricken countries that there are in more economically developed (capitalist) countries. Even if the economic structures are there in image (i.e. they have a centralized government), there is certainly not the same level of popular representation, rule of law, power balancing, and recognition of natural human rights than there exists in more affluent countries (though one could argue that affluent countries haven't exactly perfected that formula either). By sending money we are essentially applying the capitalist idea of investing (or perhaps "throwing money at the problem") to a situation and country where the economic structures and institutions simply are not present or if they are, they are not present on the same level as affluent countries. Just because we are becoming an increasingly globalized and connected world does not mean that all countries are operating in the same capitalist framework where money is the quickest and easiest problem solver.

That being said, I think aid is still an important idea; we should not cease all foreign aid just because aid in the form of money does not really help. I think Shikwati's point is better interpreted as we should focus on a form of aid closer to the "Teach a man to fish..." aphorism. The Millennium Villages Project from the Singer piece represents a good example of what I believe to be this type of aid. It is important that we apply our aid directly to the impoverished that empowers them as independent people--an idea Shikwati clearly believes in--and that we give them the resources to actually empower them and allow them to grow. I think the two most empowering resources are education and technology. Education promotes independence, equality, and is a form of intellectual empowerment (an especially important step in the realization of natural human rights, though I'm sure it's clear at this point that I have a particularly strong belief in those) while technology (clean water, electricity, vaccination against disease) gives them the means to live fuller lives and at the very least fulfills the basic needs of life for those in affluent countries.

It is important to note that in the event of ecological disasters aid in the form of money and food might be more acceptable though I think it is important that the money gets applied responsibly to rebuild homes and repair infrastructure damages. It also seems to me that problems like the ones experienced after the earthquakes in Bam, Iran could be solved by a little more regulation and consideration in this type of aid, though for the scope of this blog post I think the focus is on foreign aid for impoverished and structurally growing countries like those in Africa.