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Chris Minko
 
http://www.fundsforngos.org 
1
Aid……….For Who??
 
An Article by
Chris Minko
Published on www.fundsforngos.org  The definition of 'aid' is fairly simple; it means to assist someone or give them help and theconcept of aid, where wealthy countries and organizations utilize their resources to assist thedevelopment of poorer countries or countries that have suffered conflict or natural disaster, isan unselfish idea that reflects the best human instincts. There are some organizations thatoperate very effectively, ensuring that most of the funds are directed to the recipient and thatthose resources are used effectively. While these organizations represent the best aspects of the idea of 'aid', unfortunately they are not reflective of the industry overall. The theory of aidis great, the reality is appalling;Naguib Mahfouz: ( Egypt): Nobel Prize winner ( Literature) : Author andsocial commentator: "80 cents in the dollar never reaches the intendedbeneficiaries"Dr Beat Richter ( Cambodia): "80 % of Donor aid funding leaves the countryin the hands of expatriate advisors and consultants"Samdech Hun Sen: Cambodian Prime Minister: "70 % of donor funds is spenton paying foreign consultants"Although aid organizations have been operating internationally for more than 50 years, Aidand Development, as an industry, blossomed after the Vietnam War, a righteous productbased on the collective guilt as Western culture started to understand the havoc it hadwreaked on Third World countries and also as a form of backdoor colonization by Westerngovernments who felt (and still feel) that they could 'buy influence' via aid donations. Look atthe recent 'generosity' shown to Cambodia by its international donors.Aid and Development, like Trade, has become an international industry, but unlike mostinternational industries it is completely unregulated. There is no established structure. Westill dwell in this Fools Paradise that aid organizations only exist to help the poor andsuffering, have an ethical base, so no rules need apply. This has left the system open to abuseby spurious groups who raise money based on dubious claims which rarely achieve morethan the rental of luxury apartments, a fleet of Lexus 4Wheel Drive Vehicles and a dubiouslifestyle which could never be sustained (or tolerated) in their own country. This Culture of Comfort wastes money and often causes justifiable anger and resentment from local peoplewho see foreigners living luxurious lives based on their poverty. How Do These People SleepAt Night??This lifestyle, with all its perks (free private school education, annual trips home, tax
deductibility, the villa and the maids…) also engenders a closed
-shop mentality. Once on theGravy Train, expats are unlikely to be critical lest they lose their place at the trough (a mixedmetaphor), just as aid recipients are loathe to criticize donor bodies as this often results inblacklisting and permanent loss of funding.
 
Chris Minko
 
http://www.fundsforngos.org 
2The funds are often used to finance esoteric experiments in social development which are of little or no value, and imposed by the donor country/International Non-GovernmentOrganization (INGO), or overpaid consultancies (which pay very well but achieve very little)or the funds (amazingly!) remain in the bank and never leave the donor country.The business of aid is nowhere more apparent than in the duplication of programs as INGOs,with a paucity of ideas, seek to replicate or poach existing projects. If they don't have a clearidea of their mission, why are they there? This is the question people are starting to ask.And they're starting to ask it in Cambodia.For years now, INGOs have tried to manipulate government policy in order to extend theirmandates. Why?......Well, try raising money for aid projects in cold, rocky, inhospitableAfghanistan; its not easy, whereas Cambodia with its tragic history and beautiful, tropicallandscape is a veritable cash cow. INGOs are guilty of exploiting Cambodia for their ownfinancial gain, characterizing it as an impoverished country, littered with landmines, full of sad, starving people who can only be saved by Western aid. Cambodia is renowned as alucrative funding base, reflected by the number of INGOs currently registered in the country.While there have been some notable achievements and successes (the Don Bosco TrainingSchool is a good example), do the results reflect the billions of dollars in aid that have pouredinto the country since 1991. Where has all this money gone? What has it achieved?Why is no mention made of the positive developments that have occurred in Education andLiteracy, Health and the recent development of an international banking system which has setnew benchmarks for financial institutions in the country? This rhetorical question highlightsthe need for aid organizations to perpetuate a negative image of Cambodia for their ownquestionable ends.The Prime Minister His Excellency Samdech Hun Sen recently stated (correctly) that aidorganizations should work together with the government instead of constantly criticizing it.Nobody denies the problems that are a continuing legacy of Cambodia's past, but thearrogance of Western governments and organizations claiming to know what's best withoutworking with the democratically elected government smacks of modern imperialism of theworst kind. The shortcomings of this attitude have been tragically exposed by the recentdebacle in Iraq, where the attempt to impose a 'Western solution' has set that country back bydecades, cost hundreds of thousands of Iraqi lives and trillions of dollars that could have beenused for constructive rather than destructive purposes.This inability to deal with the realities and be a partner in finding real solutions for Cambodiais understandable when most aid workers live in luxurious expat enclaves, socializetogether and view the country through the tinted glass of their Lexus, having little or no realcontact with the culture or Khmers except as the 'clients' of their patronizing generosity. Inorder to understand the problems, surely one needs to understand and respect the Khmerprocesses even if t
hey don't conform to Western practices….it's their country!! This lack of 
respect for Cambodia, its culture and developing civil institutions once again exposes theterrible dichotomy of Western Aid. Aid..For Who?How much longer will we see these people making a generous living off the poverty of Cambodia, with their kramas wrapped around their necks in cultural ecstasy, their M.A.s in
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