Hello Sam,
> The question is: what would be a high quality means of aiding the People,
> avoiding the vampires. Someone mentioned the book Small is Beautiful (by EF
> Schumacher, not the author previously given) - there is an organisation
> called the Campaign for Intermediate Development (?) which seems to do
(I need to look that up...)
> useful stuff in that regard, bypassing the dodgy governments and applying
> local resources and western technologies in a more harmonious fashion than
> most Western "aid".
Yes, and unfortunately some relief agencies seem to resemble missionary
cargo-cultists
>I tend to think that handing out wealth is only the
> shortest of short term fixes, although cancelling third world debt would be
> a very good idea. Wim might have much more to say on this point.
Did I remember someone saying Baby-Bush said that the loans should be
basically considered 'gifts'/written off? Fair dues to him if he did. Loans
can work, but not in the absence of what I think is referred to as 'fiscal
discipline'. The 'Jubilee' idea of writing off debts can work too, but not
if it's to be a 'fresh start' for States especially. Individuals can be held
accountable for their actions, but corporate bodies such as States simply
pass the buck.
In that vein, what about "Microcredit"?:
"Microcredit is the extension of small loans to enterpreneurs too poor to
qualify for traditional bank loans. It has proven an effective and popular
measure in the ongoing struggle against poverty, enabling those without
access to lending institutions to borrow at bank rates, and start small
business. But with the current explosion of interest on microcredit issues,
several developmental objectives have come to be associated with it, besides
those of only "micro" and "credit". Of particular importance is that of
savings - as an end in itself, and as a guarantee for loans.
Microcredit has been used as an 'inducer' in many other community
development activities, used as an entry point in a community organizing
programme or as an ingredient in a larger education/training exercise. "
From:
http://www.gdrc.org/icm/
The virtual library on microcredit.
The most successful example, or at least the one I've heard about most is
the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh:
"In 1976 when Professor Muhammad Yunus and his colleagues started giving out
tiny loans under a system which later become known as the Grameen Bank, we
never imagined that some day we would be reaching hundreds of thousands, let
alone two million, borrowers. But the capabilities and commitment of our
staff and borrowers gave us the courage to expand boldly. We hardly noticed
when we reached milestones like 100,000 borrowers, $ 1 billion lent, 2
million borrowers and so forth. Everyone predicted that the quality of the
services we provided would deteriorate when we reached large numbers; yet,
in reality, in many ways it improved. "
From:
http://www.grameen-info.org
For comparison, there seems to be a similar type organisation in southern
California:
http://www.operationhope.org/
Although maybe it focuses more on 'fiscal discipline' rather than loans.
I saw it on 'Oprah' but "shh!", please don't tell any one that...
I read somewhere else, that such Microcredit organisations have a default
rate of something like 5% or less...
The general model I think doesn't just loan people money, but teaches them
how to manage their finances and be entreprenuers. It also loans to people
in small groups with friends and neighbors, so that your peers help you out
and make sure you stay on the level. Interestingly, I believe the majority
of the beneficiaries are women... one explanation being that women with
children tend to be more responsible with money, and eager for moneymaking
enterprises, than men - who may have a tendency to go off and drink/gamble
it.
(Random thought: It's also true that Investing Clubs/Companies that are all
female have higher success rates than male or mixed ones. Perhaps women are
better at surviving, and men are better at seeking glory...)
Loaning money of course, presumes one is in an area where there is an actual
common currency that can be loaned. What are they using in Afghanistan at
the moment...? 8(
As regards to things such as encouraging Human Rights, I know Amnesty
International gets painted as being awfully PC sometimes, but they do
sterling work nonetheless (there's nothing PC about them when you're stuck
in the jail cell of some local rent-a-thug).
Medicins Sans Frontieres / Doctors Without Borders do great work too, and
they are also one of the most financially efficient (i.e. more of your money
goes to actually helping people rather than on administration etc.):
http://www.msf.org/
"Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international humanitarian aid
organisation that provides emergency medical assistance to populations in
danger in more than 80 countries. In countries where health structures are
insufficient or even non-existant, MSF collaborates with authorities such as
the Ministry of Health to provide assistance. MSF works in rehabilitation of
hospitals and dispensaries, vaccination programmes and water and sanitation
projects. MSF also works in remote health care centres, slum areas and
provides training of local personnel. All this is done with the objective of
rebuilding health structures to acceptable levels."
These organisations look after the Medical, Economic and Human Rights
spheres. However, for Social quality to be self-sustaining, the people and
culture need more than the application of Intellec; they need more than the
removal of negative value in the Inorganic and Social and Intellectual
spheres; they need a sustainable Social organism that cannot be engineered
by Intellect alone.
This being an Intellectual forum, some may be a bit suspicious about
religion, national fraternity etc., but ultimately these are organic parts
of human existence, in one form or another.
If you can conscientiously support an enlightened Islamic organisation,
for example, which not only offers relief to people in Afghanistan, but
offers some sort of sustaining and productive worldview socially, then do
it. If like me you don't come from a Muslim background, then support some
other religious or social organisation and/or relief agency. It's better I
think to support a Social-level based organisation that you actually believe
in, even if it's a small minority in the country it operates, than to have a
low quality relationship with such an organisation (how would you know if it
was 'effective' socially, how would you evaluate it?).
Social-level organisations that do not _aggressivley_ proselytise (and
hence divide a society), and that integrate themselves into a culture -
rather than try and take it over, can perhaps act as - for want of a better
phrase - a competitive impulse to spur others on. Leadership by example in a
way, or the new yeast/leavening of a society. Honestly though, they can also
provoke resistance and worse from the vampires too...
I don't wish to spout on as if this were simple or easy, I know of nuns
and priests in Pakistan and Africa, and they certainly have doubts about
their effectiveness in helping communities sometimes. But for that matter, I
know priests and teachers and parents in Ireland that have doubts too (we
seem to be losing a lot of our Social cohesion and core values these days.
Grumpy ol' curmudgeon am I). Our intellects always want to figure out a
solution that we just apply once, but societies need an evolution that you
practice over the course of time, and evolution is by no means a steady
increase of quality.
Good luck,
- Oisín.
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