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Promoting Quality of Life

+Foreign Aid

Unilateral aid – one nation donating aid

Multilateral aid – many nations donating

Tied aid – foreign aid that has conditions (or strings) attached

+NGOs

While much foreign aid comes directly from countries, there are also many NGOs (non-governmental organizations). Examples include Amnesty International,

Greenpeace, Red Cross and Medicine Sans Frontiers (Doctor’s Without Borders)

These organizations raise money through private donations, this allows them to go into areas that may be politically sensitive.

+The evolution for foreign aid

In the past much foreign aid went to major projects like building hydro-electric dams to provide power and water. Today there is a growing emphasis on smaller projects, assisting grassroots organizations An example of this is the sale of mobile phones to

one woman who will then charge her neighbours to use the phone in order to pay for the phone.

+CIDA

Canada organizes much of it’s aid through CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency)

 There is controversy regarding the amount of foreign aid Canada should be providing Canada is a very wealthy nation and can afford to

help but Concern that the nations will not learn how to stand

on their own two feet Concern with corruption, money not getting to the

people who need it (e.g. supporting corrupt government, money lost to organization costs)

+UN

The United Nations is recognized for the many projects they work on to improve quality of life around the world.

Some organizations within the UN include FAO, WHO and UNICEF

+United Nations Millennium Development Goals

Pledge to achieve the following goals by 2015

Eliminate extreme poverty and hunger

Make primary education available to everyone

Promote gender equality and empowerment of women

Reduce child mortality

Improve maternal (pregnant mother) health

Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases

Ensure environmental sustainability

Develop a global partnership for economic development

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 Assignment: In a group, decide which three goals deserve the most attention right now, and give at least two reasons why each goal is more important than the others (6 reasons total).