The Global Successes Of Foreign Aid!

The majority of America wonders this question, especially with the debates going on in Congress regarding budget cuts. Have there really been any global successes of foreign aid? Should we cut the US foreign aid budget? Would this help the economy?

The answer to the latter questions are NO! Foreign aid has produced amazing successes globally, improving the lives of those abroad and here at home in the US! Cutting aid is not the most beneficial route to economic stability.

Just look at the data!

• During the 1990's hunger was cut in half in China
• Investments in better seeds and sustainable agricultural practices have helped feed an extra 1 billion people in a short two years
• In 2008, the WFP purchases 552,000 tons of food, which is the equivalent of giving 2.75 million people enough food for a year
• The life expectancy of those in the developing world has increased by 33% from 45 years to 59.
• Smallpox has been eradicated
• Over the past 50 years infant and child death rates have been reduced by 50% in the developing world
• Literacy rates are up 33% worldwide in the last 25 years
• Primary school enrollment has tripled
• More children go to school than ever before in history
• Since 1990, 800 million people have gained access to improved water
• Since 1990, 750 million people have access to improved sanitation

As people rise out of poverty, they become consumers of US products, boosting the US economy. Between, 1990 and 1993, US exports to developing countries increased by $46 billion. Today, 40% of US exports go to developing countries.

Overall, health conditions have improved in this time period more than any other in human history. Especially, thanks to USAID immunization programs, which save 3 million lives each year.

With such amazing improvements coming from less than 1% of our overall budget, how can the US even consider cutting foreign aid?

-Gabrielle Gurian

SOURCE: THEBORGENPROJECT

http://youtu.be/h3olFrPz6vs

The Poor and Forests: Western Aid Required

Developing countries may turn to cutting down their forests if the West will not provide more aid and funding. Guyana's president, Bharrat Jagdeo, spoke on Friday about the need for greater funding in order to continue the conservation of forests.

For the poor in these countries, cutting down the forests can generate income through timber, as well as freeing up land that can be used for cash crop production. Thus, in order to preserve the protection of the forests, Guyana's president believes it is imperative for the West to make up for the income the people are losing.

Maintaining large forests is crucial to managing climate change. Additionally, there are millions of people living in poverty in the regions with massive forests, such as the Amazon, Congo and Borneo-Mekong basins. The Amazon basin alone is home to roughly 300 million people. Trees are effective at reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by absorbing the carbon and releasing oxygen back into the atmosphere. They are the second largest reservoir of carbon in the world and one that humans can control.

Increasing funding to countries in these regions is important in order to maintain a buffer against the effects of climate change. It is in the interest of the United States and the world to prevent the destruction of these forests by providing aid to the individuals who live in these areas. We cannot expect the people living in these forests to starve in order to maintain the preservation of the trees.

- Michael Kan

SOURCE: AlertNet

Global Aid DOES Make A Difference

Although many people view foreign aid money as being wasteful and even damaging to societies, "aid money can and does work" as stated by Bill Gates. Gates reviewed a deeply researched book called "Getting Better: Why Global Development is Succeeding-- and How We can Improve the World Even More" written and researched by a senior economist on leave from the World Bank, Charles Kenny. Even outspoken aid critics are impressed at the case given by Kenny in "Getting Better."

In "Getting Better," Kenny acknowledges that hundreds of billions of dollars are spent in poor-low income countries and have had limited affects on income. The income gap has widened between rich and poor countries and no one really understands why. However, Kenny argues that income is not the only measure of success and may not be the most meaningful one. Kenny shows that the quality of life in some of the world's most poverty stricken countries have improved drastically over the past decades, a great deal more than people realize. In his analysis, Kenny also shows with solid data support that governments and aid agencies have played an important role in this progress.

Half a decade ago,more than half of the global population struggled to get enough food each day. By the 1990's this number drops to about 10%. But thats not all! Across the global infant mortality has decreased and life expectancy is up. In Africa, life expectancy has increased by 10 years since the 1960's. This is despite the HIV pandemic that has swept across the country.
In the 1950's less than half of of the worlds children were enrolled in primary schools. Now almost 90% are enrolled. Since 1970's literacy rates in sub-Saharan regions have doubled and civil rights have even begun to gain substantial ground in these countries.

But how is it possible that quality of life has so drastically improved while incomes have fallen? Kenny claims that new technologies and innovative ideas might play a major role. For example, eradicating smallpox costs a mere 32 cents per person infected and in just six years vaccinations against measles reduced the number of children who died by three quarters. Gains in public health can have impressive benefits at very low costs. One third of the ten million children who die in poverty ridden countries could be saved by the wider use of breast feeding, insecticide treated bed nets, and oral rehydration therapy.

These are low cost treatments with huge results. Perhaps aid hasn't effectively increased poor countries income, but it is obviously improving the quality of life of million of people. If foreign aid and development could focus on spreading such ideas and cheap technologies to poverty ridden countries, the lives of the world poor could measurably be improved.

-Gabrielle Gurian

SOURCE: THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Review of Charles Kenny's "Getting Better: Why Global Development is Succeeding-- and How We Can Improve the World Even More" by Bill Gates
To listen to the video interview go to TheGatesNotes.com