http://dochasnetwork.wordpress.com/2011/08/09/14-reasons-not-to-donate-to-somalia/
^This article is basically the translated version of the original article, which I can't find anymore. It has all the same content, but I'm really paying attention to the 14 reasons not to donate, and the one reason we should.
The fourteen reasons the Dutch journalist wrote for not donating to Somalia outline the very reasons our initiatives to provide international aid are rendered useless. The biggest reasons as to why so many suffer in Somalia is not because of natural disasters or lack of proper agricultural practices, it's because their government is unable to properly prioritize their spending on infrastructure and they sold acres upon acres of fertile land to foreign investors, leaving nothing to supply food to their own people, creating the huge famine in Somalia. Even if we give aid to the government, chances are that no good will come of it because they will spend it irresponsibly. If we give it to smaller groups, we run the risk of violent factions within Somalia getting a hold of the money and using it against other factions.
We have to realize that as good as our intentions are, we cannot create a big change in international health if the governments of those we are trying to help are not cooperating or are very corrupt. No matter what aid we funnel in, it will never be enough to create infrastructure for all of those countries, to pave roads, to build hospitals, to get equipment. We need the cooperation of those governments. If we don't have the cooperation of governments, we leave the citizens with roads leading to no healthcare (if we choose to put money into paving roads) or we leave them with hospitals and resources, but no way to get to them. It is difficult to put adequate funds into both because there simply isn't enough money. So while we do talk a lot about technology helping to cure disease, how expensive treatments are, and so on and so forth, we also have to note that the government and political environment of the country itself will also majorly effect the healthcare resources of the citizens in question.
I have to agree that the current state of Somalia makes it very difficult to provide aid. The situation in Somalia has to be politically diffused before any real work can be done. But providing aid is a good way to help do exactly that. Rather than providing aid to the government, aid should be focused on very specific projects in small communities first, rather than large projects that may reap large benefits at high risk. That way, relations would slowly get better, and larger projects and packages of aid may be brought in. Throwing money onto problems rarely solves anything, it has to be strategically spent. The people of Somalia have to be able to help change their government as well, or else relations will never get better.
ReplyDeleteIt is true that without the government and political environment of the country itself will negatively effect to the healthcare issues. Even we donate a money for people in Somalia, if their governments are not willing to cooperate the effects we put will be halved. However, there are nothing we can really do about this issue but we still need to help people in Somalia. One way to help them without concerning this kinds of problem is use a non-government organization. However, this will not be the permanent solution to solve the problem. This is something that has be done by international community that we have to regulate aids to Somalia until they finally give these aids to their people in right way.
ReplyDeleteSince governments are effectively the leaders of our countries, there is no better way to improvement than through them – as you have said. They, usually, have the power and authority to effect considerable changes. A problem you have mentioned is whether or not they are capable of bringing about positive changes. This is something we hear and see very regularly – corrupt governments etc. But what can be done to ensure that not only are our governments not corrupt but that they also make the right/best decisions? There is no one right answer. But things do have to change if we are to make a better world.
ReplyDeleteThis all goes back to the fundamental problem we've been discussing from day one. Poverty of all forms in developing countries are not the cause of the issues. The issues are simply a symptom of the bigger problem, the way the entire government runs. Until the larger issue is addressed, there is nothing that anyone can truly do to fix poverty and everything else that is related to poverty. Its a large issue to try and address, but that is where the effort must go, because if there is a push it could pressure countries to make headway in the right direction.
ReplyDelete