The road to hell is paved with good intentions

[Colin]

Britain is going through billions in cuts to reduce the Labour induced deficit, yet the Liberal wing of the coalition push through a package of £330 million in foreign aid to supposedly help African countries with climate change projects! WTF! And why is S Africa, a thriving country with its own space programme receiving aid! When will politicians learn the lesson that aid provided to Africa invariably ends up in corrupt official's pockets, but most of all, that charity begins at home. Especially during times of austerity and recession.

If we are going to provide foreign aid to poorer countries it should go to helping the poor, not wasted on questionable value and little substance! Better still, freeze foreign aid altogether.

Anger at aid to help Africa cope with climate change: As UK faces economic meltdown, ministers hand over £330m
Hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ cash is to be poured into Africa to help it cope with the impact of climate change.
The £330million handout will be spent over the next four years on schemes to install solar power plants and encouraging investment in low-carbon transport.
One of the main beneficiaries will be South Africa, a country which is prosperous enough to have its own space agency.
Chris Huhne, the Lib Dem energy secretary, will unveil the foreign aid package at a United Nations summit on climate change which opens today.
The largesse will fuel criticism from Tory backbenchers over David Cameron’s promise to increase UK spending on aid at a time when public services in Britain are facing swingeing cuts.
Philip Davies, Tory MP for Shipley, said: ‘It is completely unjustifiable to spend so much money at a time when we’re reducing the number of police officers in this country.’
Fellow Tory MP Peter Bone said: ‘What makes it worse is that much of the aid budget is spent on things that are not really benefiting developing countries. The answer is trade, not aid.’

Read more: Huhne to pledge £1billion of British taxpayers money to help AFRICA fight climate change | Mail Online

 

[Iridescence]

I don't know... are there guidelines for foreign aide cooperation expected by NATO? There are bigger issues at hand than money when Climate Control is the subject, obviously. Money is seemingly just what hurts the most...

 

[Colin]

I don't know... are there guidelines for foreign aide cooperation expected by NATO? There are bigger issues at hand than money when Climate Control is the subject, obviously. Money is seemingly just what hurts the most...

NATO? Do you mean the UN? But no, I don't believe there are international guidelines. It's up to individual governments as to what foreign financial aid they provide.

 

[Intense]

Here is a good working model for Charity done right.

AmeriCares Mission: Disaster Relief & Humanitarian Aid

AmeriCares is a nonprofit disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization which provides immediate response to emergency medical needs – and supports long-term humanitarian assistance programs – for all people around the world, irrespective of race, creed or political persuasion.

Read more:

Who We Are
Global Medical Assistance
Emergency Response
Medical Outreach Program
AmeriCares Free Clinics
AmeriCares Gift-in-Kind Model
Partnerships Make it Possible
Maximizing Every Donation
Our Distribution Network
Contact Us
Donate Now


Who We Are

In times of epic disaster, daily struggle or civil conflict, AmeriCares restores health and saves lives by delivering donated medicines, medical supplies and humanitarian aid to people in need around the world and here at home.

The World Health Organization estimates one-third of the world’s population - nearly 2 billion people - lack access to essential medicines. In addition to a shortage of medicines, health care professionals in poor countries struggle daily with a lack of supplies such as gloves, syringes, gauze and bandages. That’s where AmeriCares comes in. Since our founding in 1982, AmeriCares has provided more than $10 billion of aid to 147 countries.

To accomplish these results, AmeriCares assembles product donations from the private sector, determines the most urgent needs and solicits the funding to send the aid via airlift or ocean cargo to health and welfare professionals in the indigent locations. The model is time tested, cost effective and experience driven. Because we deliver donated medicines, medical supplies and other humanitarian aid from our corporate partners to an established and trusted network of locally based clinics, hospitals and health care providers around the world, we multiply the impact of the contributions from our supporters many, many times over.

AmeriCares has a longstanding commitment to fiscal responsibility and has consistently received high rankings from Charity Navigator for our efficiency. These ratings reflect the fact that 98% of our overall expenses directly support programs and relief for people in need – and 2% represent administrative costs.



Our Programs

Global Medical Assistance
With the support of generous corporate and financial donors, AmeriCares largest program, Global Medical Assistance, provides medicines, medical supplies and other relief on an ongoing basis to hospitals, clinics and community health programs in over 40 countries, including the United States. The program helps our health care partners deliver quality care by providing aid to fill critical resource gaps, including essential products that are unavailable or financially inaccessible. We also supply more than 150 health care clinics serving the uninsured and underinsured in over 35 states throughout the United States and provide free prescription medications in all 50 states through our Patient Assistance Program. Read more.

AmeriCares Mission: Disaster Relief & Humanitarian Aid

 

[editec]

The road to hell is paved with good intentions

Yeah, and the superhighway to hell is paved without good intentions

 

[Colin]

Here is a good working model for Charity done right.

AmeriCares Mission: Disaster Relief & Humanitarian Aid

AmeriCares is a nonprofit disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization which provides immediate response to emergency medical needs – and supports long-term humanitarian assistance programs – for all people around the world, irrespective of race, creed or political persuasion.

Read more:

Who We Are
Global Medical Assistance
Emergency Response
Medical Outreach Program
AmeriCares Free Clinics
AmeriCares Gift-in-Kind Model
Partnerships Make it Possible
Maximizing Every Donation
Our Distribution Network
Contact Us
Donate Now


Who We Are

In times of epic disaster, daily struggle or civil conflict, AmeriCares restores health and saves lives by delivering donated medicines, medical supplies and humanitarian aid to people in need around the world and here at home.

The World Health Organization estimates one-third of the world’s population - nearly 2 billion people - lack access to essential medicines. In addition to a shortage of medicines, health care professionals in poor countries struggle daily with a lack of supplies such as gloves, syringes, gauze and bandages. That’s where AmeriCares comes in. Since our founding in 1982, AmeriCares has provided more than $10 billion of aid to 147 countries.

To accomplish these results, AmeriCares assembles product donations from the private sector, determines the most urgent needs and solicits the funding to send the aid via airlift or ocean cargo to health and welfare professionals in the indigent locations. The model is time tested, cost effective and experience driven. Because we deliver donated medicines, medical supplies and other humanitarian aid from our corporate partners to an established and trusted network of locally based clinics, hospitals and health care providers around the world, we multiply the impact of the contributions from our supporters many, many times over.

AmeriCares has a longstanding commitment to fiscal responsibility and has consistently received high rankings from Charity Navigator for our efficiency. These ratings reflect the fact that 98% of our overall expenses directly support programs and relief for people in need – and 2% represent administrative costs.



Our Programs

Global Medical Assistance
With the support of generous corporate and financial donors, AmeriCares largest program, Global Medical Assistance, provides medicines, medical supplies and other relief on an ongoing basis to hospitals, clinics and community health programs in over 40 countries, including the United States. The program helps our health care partners deliver quality care by providing aid to fill critical resource gaps, including essential products that are unavailable or financially inaccessible. We also supply more than 150 health care clinics serving the uninsured and underinsured in over 35 states throughout the United States and provide free prescription medications in all 50 states through our Patient Assistance Program. Read more.

AmeriCares Mission: Disaster Relief & Humanitarian Aid

Yes, that's a good way of providing aid, particularly since it is controlled through a charitable organisation that is able to control precisely where the money is spent. Sending financial aid direct to governments in Africa, which is widely considered among the world's most corrupt places, is simply fuelling corruption as most of the funds never reach the intended programmes. In fact, evidence of corruption in foreign aid projects has increased in recent decades. Many experts argue that foreign aid actually perpetuates poverty by giving corrupt politicians in developing countries the resources to maintain their power, while condemning millions to live in miserable conditions with no hope for a better future.

The reasons for the failure of international aid to Africa may be numerous but analysts say the major reason is corruption on the part of African leaders. Another reason often cited, is the unfair trade practices and policies on the part of the developed countries which practice continue to make Africa economically weak.

Other reasons include the lack of strict monitoring of most donor-funded projects in Africa and the non-involvement of beneficiary communities in donor-funded development projects.

The irony of the situation is that while the millions of international aid have not translated into better lives for citizens of recipient countries, politicians, mainly presidents, ministers and parliamentarians, continue to feed fat on the donor monies. Interestingly too, the international community is aware that for decades, international aid has not proven to be the panacea for Africa’s development yet, they continue to dole out millions of their citizens’ tax monies to the poor countries of Africa which only end up enriching the few already rich and greedy politicians.

Why Foreign Aid has Failed to Develop Africa: Corruption, Exploitation and Unfair Trade are Main Reasons | Suite101.com

 

[Iridescence]

I don't know... are there guidelines for foreign aide cooperation expected by NATO? There are bigger issues at hand than money when Climate Control is the subject, obviously. Money is seemingly just what hurts the most...

NATO? Do you mean the UN? But no, I don't believe there are international guidelines. It's up to individual governments as to what foreign financial aid they provide.

I honestly don't know... It seems the both of the could be utilized, accordingly.

NATO - Purpose of NATO - History of NATO

Introduction to the United Nations

Please explain why one doesn't represent the other here.