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Ben
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Money & Education is the key
February 3, 2005 - 07:12 AM
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let me start by saying solving poverty, or eradicating diesease are all with in our reach to solve or help solve.
I believe money and education are the keys to fixing these global problems. i think many countries need to fix themselves before they can jump in the deep end and help others.
One question i would like to bring to the forum is the following; i will use bil gates as an example. last i heard his personal fortune was in the 50 billions? (correct me if i am wrong) if u had a billion dollars and spent a dollar a second it would last for 31 years. who really needs 1500 years worth of a dollar a second fortune? what i am about to suggest comes dangerously close to a communist style of thinking but if that 50 billion dollars was to be taken (leave bill with at least 5 billion,what can you do with 50 billion that u cant do with 5 really?) and use that 45 billion to solve problems such as poverty, and disease or education. that money would go along way to helping fix the world. doing that for the top 10 richest people in the world i think would come close to solving many of the global problems.
The Australian government gave 1 billion dollars to the tsunami affected nations (500 million as a loan, 500 million as a gimme) - which i think is very noble but if that 1 billion was to be invested back into our country to fix our largest problems; poverty, disease and pest control) we would come so much closer to a better safer and healthier society.
what are other peoples thoughts on what i have suggested?
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Franziska Seel
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money alone won't solve the problems
February 3, 2005 - 11:01 AM
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I absoluetly agree with your first statement - that solving poverty, or eradicating diesease are all with in our reach to solve. However, I doubt that money and education (btw you are not mentioning in which way education would contribute?!) are the singe two important keys to fixing these problems.
Of course, there needs to be more money spend on international development, but if only rich countries spend more money won't solve the problems. The root causes for poverty lie mostly within the poor countries themselves. Unless developing countries commit themselves to practices of good governance, unless those countries ensure gender equality, improve their educational systems etc. - unless all those components (which are namely the first 7 of the 8 Millennium Development Goals) are ensured, billions of dollars won't help solve the problems in the long run.
Another point that I don't quite understand is what you were saying about the Australian government and the 1 billion dollars they provided for tsunami victims. Are you saying that it would have been better to spend this money to solve problems the Australian society is facing? What do you mean by "i think many countries need to fix themselves before they can jump in the deep end and help others"???
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jill mills
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proper structures, systems and policies are key
February 4, 2005 - 01:32 AM
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I very much agree with Franziska, that an influx of funds alone will not necessarily help the MDGs. I think it is irresponsible to say that tax paying dollars should be given in ODA when there are no secured measures in place that the money will be put to good use. In many countries the ODA is in the form of unhelpful tied aid, or it never gets past corruptive governments. Before we ask for an increase in funds set over, we should ensure that the ODA is being used responsibly from both ends. Remember, Canada gave millions of dollars to Indonesia in aid and it was used to carry out genocide in East Timor.
-Fundamental structures need to be re organized (like a country's ownership of its oil) or that the usage of ODA is transparent to know where its going and how its being used (even if that is core budgets and not specific programmes). -Country policies need to be stronger than the Multinational organizations that exploit them
-Aid needs to not be an agency of dependency, but rather a starting point to sustainable development for a country (have an ending point!).
As Jeffrey Sachs (and most heads of states) claim, developed countries should be giving .7% of their GDP, but even that will not have a big impact if its not being used ethically and responsibly.
I also agree that countries should be taking care of their own, while helping those less fortunate abroad. But I do think its in the capacity for a country like Canada to address the needs of its citizens while working with the international community to eradicate poverty, and we should strive to do it!
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Ben
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Re: Money & Education is the key
February 7, 2005 - 06:44 AM
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to begin with, i am of the impression that nothing can really be done unless there is the money to support it - unfortunately there is not enough charitable people out their to dedicate enough time and resources to fix the problems in teh world today. With the money (which i only used as a possible example of where to get the funds) i meant to suggest that the money is out there for the intial backing to fix teh problems. I do apologise i did not go into detail about the educational aspect of what i touched on in my first posting. Franziska, i think that billions of dollars will fix teh problems, if used teh right way. if the money was just given in aid then probably no it wouldnt work, but if it was given in tehw ay of building communites with hospitals schools and appropriate resources to have a maintained atmosphere (food, teching etc) then teh money would go to fixing teh problem. education was meant by the overall education of the poorer countries, teach them to sustainably live, govern adn manage people liek other democratci countries do. when i said money and education i meant them as a broad subject pertaining to many smaller aspects, which jillc mentioned in her reply. educate the leaders on how to help tehir people prosper - money to support them and get them on their feet.
dont get me wrong, the tsunami victims did not derserve any of what happened, what i was trying to suggest was that if that billion dollars was spent on australian issues such as; fixing higher eductaion, medicare, centrelink ( our equilivant of social security) then our country would be better off, but the thing is that would not happen cos no one wants to know the problems in their owen backyard. that is what i meant about countries fixing tehir own problems before diving in the deep end. it is all well and good that our government hands over a billion dollars worth of aid - but refuses to cover university costs - end result our uni degrees cost students so much now that when they finish they would have enough debt to equal buying a house. centrelink is in shambles but the government want spend an extra few million a year to fix it or mdeicare - doctors overcharging and the government not injecteing funds to help medicare cover costs. our government gives a billion dollars to aid but refuses to pay maybe 25% of that to fix our own problems..... i just dont get it!?! if our prime minister spent that money in the way i just mentioned then he would go down in aussie history as the guy who saved our country.
the australian public raised over 50 million ( last time i heard may have changed do not quote me on that) through fund rasiers and so forth so i think it is fair to say that the billion would have been better spent on our countries problems? is that not a fair thing to say?
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szaman
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Re: Money & Education is the key
February 7, 2005 - 10:28 AM
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Dear friends:
It's wonderful watching your discussion on development and AID issue.
I'm from Bangladesh, a third world, heavily aid dependent country in south Asia.
I hope I'll get back to you with details later but at this moment let me tell you for us .............donor fund both grant and loan come on some conditions where, I believe, the donors have their own agenda. It is true for all ...world bank, ADB, IMF, or USAID or GTZ , CIDA or DFID .........name any donor.
I dont believe when we are talking about globalization or free market, there would be any so noble, so generous AGENCY( or nation) spending money for teh poor in Africa or Asia without any expectation for RETURN on INVESTMENT.
Plz dont misunderstand me, this is the general perception in teh third world. This may not be the intention in the mind of the tax payers in the developed countries but the situation in the third world or atleast the implementation mechanism of the donor agencies proves it to be so.
Now, apart form that.....the fund we receive hardly 20% reaches the actual target group( I can prove it ), and rest goes to other interest group working in the middle of it. Here,the corupt politician and government employees and thir allies make it the worst.
I tell you in my country everyone runs after the donors, for every aspect in the economy or social life, coz donors have too much to spend for nothing.........(what a waste of tax payers money).
Though I dont find much hope in the end of the tunnel yet whats the harm in hoping against hope and working for that.May be people like you (tax payers in donor nations) and me(taxpayers in third world) can bring some change.And I believe for this it is the earlier the better.
thanx.
SHAMIM
Dhaka,Bangladesh
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deep breath
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There is apower in desire
February 8, 2005 - 02:26 AM
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hello ,
i want tell all of you i agree with alot of your ideas but you are forget the basic thing ... desire
the money is the basic thing ....but there are alot of countries have alot of money but with alot of proplems ,,,,,,so why there are a proplems? .........desire of the people can make any thing at the world
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dali
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something more important
February 21, 2005 - 07:40 AM
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im soory if my english isnt good .
but i want to say that somethink very important have to change for this millenium
first of all i have to remind u that one of the greatest challenge it the POWER
as u know in 40years it the oil will comes to its end
so we have to find other resources in the earth or in other planet .
for this reason we have to collaborate (the nations) because this problem will not touch 1 country but all the human beings .
this is an exemple of many difficulties we ll cross.
so the most important think is to know howto live together
americians africain europeans muslims christian juish...
we have to keep in mind that we are all reponsable to preserve our humanity our earth and to collaborate to live in peace and to preserve our identity wich is first being a human being and consider all others as brothers compatriots friends to continue our developments because every one of us needs other .
thx
and sorry for my bad english
wish u understand me
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David
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Need Wisdom
February 26, 2005 - 01:20 AM
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The rate you guys contribute to this stuffs is really interesting and appreciative. It really shows that everone is concern with this Global village problem.
I am stongly with the opinion that the problem of MDGs is not only the problem whereby Education and Money can solve.
Let's assume the case of present Tsunami issue.Does that mean people are not Educated enough or no enough money before the disaster struck? What of 9/11 in the United States? The most powerful Nation on Earth.
What should be our priority now is to draw more to God so that he can poosses us with the divine wisdom to solve the MDGs.
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Charles M
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Re: Money & Education is the key
February 28, 2005 - 03:40 AM
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Well there's some truth when u say Money and Education are key in development in general however i believe empowerment ie economic is even greater and more lasting,when u give poor countries aid year in year out yet you put up huge trade barriers against their products u are not helping at all in effect u are merely making them dependent on u and slaves to the rich,i believe when trade barriers,issues of governance are addressed this has a ripple effect and will lead to sustainable development
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Uma Shankar Ladha
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Re: Money & Education is the key
March 2, 2005 - 04:57 AM
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The perils of democracy... This also determines how money is spent..
A group of children was playing near two railway tracks, one still in use and the other disused. Only one child played on the disused track, the rest on the operational track. The train came, and you are just beside the track interchange. You can make the train change its course to the disused track and save most of the kids.
However, that would also mean the lone child playing by the disused track would be killed . Will you let the train go on its way or switch its tracks?
Let's take a pause to think what kind of decision we could make................
Do strain ur brains.
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Thought???.........
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Many of us might choose to divert the course of the train, and sacrifice only one child. They might think the same way, I guess because to save most of the children at the expense of only one child was rational decision most people would make, morally and emotionally. But, have you ever thought that the child choosing to play on the disused track had in fact made the right decision to play at a safe place?
Nevertheless, he had to be sacrificed because of his ignorant friends who chose to play where the danger was. This kind of dilemma happens around us everyday. In the office, community, in politics and especially in a democratic society, the minority (here the word does not mean the contemporary political word-minority) is often
sacrificed for the interest of the majority, no matter how foolish or ignorant the majority are, and how farsighted and knowledgeable the minority are. The child who chose not to play with the rest on the operational track was sidelined. And in the case he was sacrificed, no one would shed a tear for him.
So.. Now just think about it and answer the question..
What will you do?
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Diego Thomaz Flôres
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Re: Money & Education is the key
March 2, 2005 - 10:34 AM
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To discuss wheter money will or won't solve the problem of third world countries is to simplify, or even forget, about the primary issue we must solve: the education and the culture around and about frontiers, wich is the most important thing to solve.
It's obvious that a millionaire business man form USA won't give his money to save poor people in Africa, South America or anywhere else, not 'cause he don't care abour poorness but for one single reason: he didn't leanrt to help people whose away from him and, most important, who's not of his kind (please, don't think it's my own opinion, just a example to the scne I'm describing).
It's a cultural issue that people don't give attention, most of the time, to problems of a country far away from their home; the frontiers are the biggest barrier we must solve, since it make us think that giving US$1 billion to solve australian problems is a better way to use money than giving the same amount to help people at Asia with their tsunami problems.
Money is the way to solve, practically, the problems all over th world, but EDUCATION and COMMUNITY SENSE are the major goals we must assist to use the money rightly.
Humanity must undertand, from now on, that we must not divide ourselves based on our nation limits, not even for our etnic origin or so: living on a community sense, where all help is needed to afford everyone's goals and goods, is the primary key to solve all other problems we're facing around the planet.
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Saladin
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Re: Money & Education is the key
March 2, 2005 - 11:29 AM
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Yeah,
of course EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY SENSE are the key to combat poverty...we give those term a scientific name which is "Social Reform".
"Social Reform" means that the sectors of the society who are relatively poor, and those who have the ability to help the poorer sectors, would both share the responsibility of carrying out a collective plan of sustainable development, including public health, education, employment, public participation, etc...
The negative attitudes that are found in an X society should be pointed at, and gradually cured. The new generations are the most likely target for social reform.
A society that has the three elements: Applied Scientific Research, Values, and Spirituality, is one that I call: A reformed society.
Social reform should be mainly held by NGOs and volunteers; who can, through their voluntary services and their spirit, make a real change in the society's attitude.
Social reform is the easiest way towards political reform as well; because a reformed society can't bring unreformed leaders..
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Diego Thomaz Flôres
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Re: Money & Education is the key
March 3, 2005 - 08:08 AM
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ok, so we have a common sense that the social reform is the primary key to achieve the millenium goals, so let's get to the next point: HOW TO DO THIS REFORM?
education seems to be not only a schools' responsability, but family, society and evens religicous and social leaders also. the cultural education, the differences understanding and acception, the gender and ethnic equality are subjects that must be develloped since the child is born by making he/she live with all this difference and realize that besides all this, they are equal in matter and hopes, they are humans first of all.
but what really matter now is not to discuss what is to be teached, since it's been long-way done, but HOW TO APPLY IT: that's my main question now.
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harry potter
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Re: Money & Education is the key
March 16, 2005 - 04:28 AM
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I can understand what you mean, and i think you are correct.
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Emily
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Re: Money & Education is the key
March 27, 2005 - 10:31 AM
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As far as Bill Gates is concerned, he and his wife head the Gates Foundation, an organization worth about $27 billion dollars currently. They've donated about $8 billion dollars to a variety of causes so far, including provisioning of vaccines to children, which the World Health Organization says has saved the lives of 670,000 children so far. The Gates have also donated a lot of money to educational causes, including scholarships for minorities.
This article gives a pretty good idea of what the Gates are doing: http://newsletter.calibre.hnw.com/c.do?cid=517626
And this is their foundation's website: http://www.gatesfoundation.org/default.htm
Although clearly Gates is already using his wealth bring relief to the world, I agree that the amount of money he has is absolutely ridiculous given the current unbalance of the world's wealth. Hopefully, his philanthropy will only increase as he ages. (In fact, he has already exceeded Rockefeller in the extent of his philanthropy.) I can only imagine the progress that could be made on the MDPs if someone as wealthy as Bill Gates decided to become involved.
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