Top 3 Foreign Aid Questions
There are many foreign aid questions that potential donors or volunteers may have, and it is crucial to be able to effectively answer them. This brief article will go over the top 3 foreign aid questions.
What about Corruption?
Corruption exists everywhere, and is merely an excuse not to donate. Certainly, some countries that receive aid have corruption in their governments, and even though countries like the U.S. have some level of corruption, most of a person’s donation will go towards the cause, if not all of it. Corruption has been taken into account by the majority of nonprofits and charities, and many strategies have been created to go around corruption in order to help those that are truly in need. Overall, corruption is an excuse not to donate; in current times, corruption is not as much of an issue. Indeed, potential donators can research whatever charity they want in order to see where their money goes and how they get it there. So people can research whether or not corruption is an issue if they do not trust all the strategies in place.
Isn’t the Problem Too Big or Extensive to Solve?
The short answer to this is no. Only about $30 billion could cut global hunger in half. Although “$30 billion” sounds like a lot of money, the U.S. gave $683 billion to the defense budget in 2010, more than any other country combined. Only a part of that could potentially solve world hunger. In addition, the top 100 richest people in the world, if their salaries were combined, could afford to solve global poverty more than once with their combined income. So although it is a large task, it is far from impossible.
What about Poverty/Problems in my own Country (such as the U.S.)?
Fighting poverty within one’s own country and fighting poverty abroad are two separate issues. They have two separate places in the budget, and reducing one does not raise the other. That is, if you lower foreign aid, the budget for poverty within one’s own country does not automatically rise. Also, one can look at helping reduce global poverty, or any other issue, as helping one’s own country. It has been proven that when the United States helped developing countries with foreign aid, the return capital has been higher than that given. Also, helping other countries opens new markets to help stimulate one’s own country’s economy. Overall, it is not just helping others out of empathy. In the end, it will help one’s own country, including those in poverty.
To know even more answers to foreign aid questions, look here.
– Corina Balsamo
Sources: Spring, Borgen Project
Photo: Roosevelt Campus Network