This article here is an interesting read.
While the whole article brings out multiple points of interest and controversies that come along, what interested me the most was the idea of marginal social benefit of money spent on welfare - in terms of how even a $10 donation can be used the most effectively cause, I feel, these programs are what should be our priority.
Read the article and lemme know what you think!
I found that very interesting as well. Although the two are very different, I find myself thinking about this more and more as we discuss transfer payments and their effectiveness in class. It is good to hear that there have been studies conducted to determine how to make a buck go as far as possible in terms of philanthropy. Very useful for people who would like to give but don't know what the best way is.
ReplyDeleteGood article.I think that one of the biggest problems with issues like this is how to get the supplies to the people that need them the most. I know that gobs of money have been given over the years, yet there is little to show for it. I think if we could come up with a more direct delivery system, the results would be much more visible. The problem is that the countries that need assistance the most are usually ruled autocratically, or by dictators. And not the benevolent ones.
ReplyDeleteThe article suggests aiming more money at these problems, but what if the problem is the money that is available isn't being allocated correctly. What good is infrastructure and education if peoples basic human needs are not being met adequately. Perhaps as philanthropists, what we see that is needed by developing countries, is not what will actually do the most good. The money should be directed to micro-nutrients, immunizations, and food. I would gladly give $10 for something like that.
ReplyDeleteWell, one of the biggest issues is the transportation costs to actually get all these supplies to every family. These huge governmental aid programs that supply medicine, food and clothing are primarily focusing on bigger poverty-stricken villages. Yet, millions of families live anywhere they can in run down rural areas that are too random and spread out to effectively deliver goods to them. I am guessing there are communities that are receiving goods every month, just because they have started some link between their village and the US. Yet, there are more families around the world that are just too spread out to get supplies there...an unfortunate fact, but true. It is worth 10 bucks though...help save a family for a month over some fast food and a beer.
ReplyDeleteOne of the ideas that came into my head is relating to some of the material we covered in class. Micro-nutrients and immunization (maybe even food) are part of those transfer programs that are targeted and 'in kind' (though not really). Individuals who have these goods and decide that those lacking should have them too could then choose to transfer their 'goods' in terms of cash which guarantees that the cash is going to be allocated to these specific goods. These welfare payments should therefore be decentralized and run by individuals and NGO's.
ReplyDeleteThis is an awesome article that tries to find ways to use $10 efficiently to solve issues of equity. A lot of it could go into improving infrastructure.... sewage, water, roads to schools/markets, etc. Agreeing with Ashley, we should see what other nations see as a priority, not just the dominant white culture
ReplyDeleteThis article was extremely interesting. I never realized how inexpensive it is to supply micronutrients such as Vitamin A and Zinc. I also found the discussion regarding the contrast between putting money towards saving lives today and putting money towards the benefit of the future very interesting. From what the article portrayed, it seems that if money can go directly towards helping people today (supplying micronutrients and promoting nutrition), our future will also benefit because with better nutrition, people will be able to withstand climate changes and such in the future. It is nice to see that these issues have been studied and that this information is readily available to everyday citizens such as you and me.
ReplyDeleteReally good article. I think these programs are exactly what we should be focusing on when you look at funding global problems. I think issues like these are so easily overlooked because they don't directly affect developing nations ourselves, yet they kill millions of people every year. I must admit though, I had no clue how so little money could go so far.
ReplyDeleteWe need more insightful and honest information if we as people hope to make a difference in this world. We know things are bad and don't know how best to fix them, but when we stumble across something as honest and clear cut as this that clearly points out a real problem with a real solution it puts things into a much more realistic perspective because $10 can make a difference
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