verging_on_random

Practical foreign aid

January 1, 2008 on 7:27 pm | In Uncategorized |

Over the Christmas-New Year break I became increasingly conscious of the incredible, pointless self-indulgence of our way of life in this country.It’s all part of the glorious revolution brought about by the intertubes; it’s one thing to read about poverty in other countries, or watch documentaries, but when you talk on a daily basis with people who are intelligent and funny and warm, and for whom $10 is as much as they sometimes make in a whole day, poverty becomes a real concept with actual dynamic meaning.

I found myself reconsidering all those random purchases that are so easy to make at any time, but especially in the holiday season. Do I really need another few CDs to add to a music collection that already had many items I may well never play again in my life? Is another shirt really going to make me happier, given that my existing stock will probably last for another 20 years? Most of all, will I really enjoy hundreds of dollars worth of hams and turkeys and cakes and puddings and sweets and dips and champagne and boutique beer and all the other things that are the essential hallmarks of a satisfying middle class life in Australia in the 21st century?

The answer to these questions is pretty obvious when you talk to people whose big Christmas treat is getting a bus back to the provinces to visit the family (and worrying while they do it because they only get paid when they work so Christmas means a time when they get no income). Oh, and also being able to buy some fireworks for New Year, which are doubtless less spectacular than the carefully-choreographed displays in capital cities all around the world but possibly more fun for all concerned.

I’ve read widely over the last few weeks about relationships between foreigners and Filipinos. Much of the commentary is astute and caring and written by people who have many years experience in the country. There’s also a lot, on the other hand, which consists of variations on the theme “Gosh don’t give them money cos you’ll just turn them into a mob of bludgers.” It’s like listening to Newt Gingrich or Alan Jones talk about unmarried mothers and welfare. Coincidentally, it’s an issue that’s been the subject of lively discussion in a forum that I’ve subscribed to. Here are extracts from two of the posts that I particularly liked:

On the other side, foreigners from 1st world countries find themselves with excess finances and just can’t walk away from their consciences. Not a behavioral term but accurate. If you should visit or live here, and you find yourself able to pass through some of the most miserable conditions without a twinge, it will tell you more about yourself than about managing the behaviors of a third world country.

And again:

Filipinos have the extended family to support them. Given that the Philippines is a very poor country, I find it amazing that so few people are hungry, and very few are “abandoned to their fate”. The system actually works incredibly well, even though the complex interlinking of the dependancies is very hard to understand and accept for many a western husband/boyfriend - many of whom seem to accept being taxed for State collective provision of welfare in their home country, but cannot accept giving freely to the wife/gf’s family in a society (which is not taking much tax off them when they are resident in Philippines) which does not provide support through the State.

“Welfare” is just provided differently in the Philippines - it is a family responsibility rather than the State’s. There is a lot less resource to spread around and the method of delivery of support is different.

Anyway the upshot of all this unusual upsurge of compassion on my part is that I’m flying to the Philippines in a day or two to meet some people and explore opportunities to do some good on a continuing basis. Even if I end up just sending money regularly to people who have become friends, it will be money better spent than on self-indulgence on things I don’t really need. I mean what a thoughtlessly disgraceful society we are when ’shopping’ and ‘going to the mall’ have become important leisure activities.

The sad thing, of course, is that many Filipinos’ greatest desire is to meet a rich forenjer like me and get transported to the land where everyone owns cars and big houses and so much money it’s sometimes hard to spend it all. Ah well, there’s no point trying to change the world, but it will be nice to make a difference to the lives of just a few people who I know and like. Much more satisfying than donating to some organisation where most of the money might get recycled to pay Australian style salaries to expat staff who believe the first priority is setting up and maintaining a bureaucracy along the lines of a Western business.

So happy 2008 to my few loyal readers! I might post while overseas but if not, I’ll be back in the middle of January. Wish me luck!