Panda Eating Cake

I am struck by my inability to state my claim on this question with confidence.  I find it hard to say that the international community should help a poor nation in fulfilling their basic needs while the national government deals with building up infrastructure.  While I think it is a moral imperative to help those in worse conditions than you, I cannot expect or force this on others.  As much as I would like this to happen, it is really idealistic.  Sometimes I feel like college is beating the idealism out of me.  I am on the fence as to whether it is a good thing because I am seeing more sides to issues, or if it is a bad thing for destroying my dreams (of saving the world).  To cheer myself up, I go here:

http://echelon.mirror.waffleimages.com/files/51/51b9b2b57c412542b2f6596b84903df01ab7490a.jpg

 

I suppose my natural inclination would be to say that everyone should try to help in this way.  But, every time I write the word “try,” it is ingrained in me to think, “Do, or do not.  There is no try.”  So, I guess since my ideas have been called silly in Brotopia, I will have to respond to others in hopes that I will discover my own thoughts. 

I was particularly interested by Lucas’ post because he mentioned how the international community can help by helping to fulfill some basic needs, but also to provide aid that will promote sustainable development.  I was hoping he would give more specific examples, but in my opinion, the best example is education.  If some aid goes to supplying basic needs and other aid goes to building schools and paying for teachers, then the citizens will be educated and there will be greater entrepreneurial activity.  This will create jobs and people will be able to build up the nations infrastructure in a grassroots fashion. 

I do think that we should still provide some basic needs for the people of these countries.  However, as we do so we must help them by giving them the tools to produce food and make efforts to teach them methods of sustainable development.  There should be education on the consequences of deforestation and desertification and pollution in general.  I like mnadler’s innovation on the giving a man a fish saying in his post (http://propranololitics.blogspot.com/2008/11/if-there-is-nothing-left-to-burn-you.html) because it acknowledges the complexities of poverty.  The wealthy nations should do more in the ways of education about sustainable development with regards to aiding impoverished nations.