Is The Giving Hand Failing?

Two interesting, but connected stories.  One is the recent campaign by UNICEF to raise a million euro in two weeks.  Their tag line is that 22,000 children will die today: "are you ok with that?"  I first saw a campaign advert when I got back from Italy: a large banner hanging down the side of Liberty Hall in Dublin - Ireland's only skyscraper.  On that particular banner the actor Liam Neeson poses with "Zero" written on his hand.  The full text tells us that "Every day, 22,000 children die from preventable causes we can prevent".  I smiled when I saw it. There are more children than that dying in the world every day from preventable causes, but UNICEF is not bothered to champion them - they are the approximately 115,000 who die in abortions each day.

The second story concerns the recent comments by the Papal Nuncio to the United Nations, Archbishop Francis Chullikatt.   He asks the question that, given the fact that we do have the means to bring poverty to an end, do we really have the will?  He was speaking before the UN General Assembly's Second Committee which deals with economic and financial matters.  He spoke about the need for global solidarity rather than following "a feeling of vague compassion or shallow emotion".  Eradicating poverty, he pointed out, should not be a matter of charity, but rather an obligation of the international community.

The two stories are linked: both concern the effectiveness of the UN and its various agencies, and, of course the role ideology plays in the organisation.  As I mentioned in a previous blog, such agencies tend toward the easy solution, a solution which tends to create more problems than it solves.   I note, for example, in the global battle against poverty, contraception is an important factor in the aid given.  How many emergency response teams include contraception and abortion kits in their shipments to countries in need?  You get the sense that it is presumed that the solution to poverty in developing countries is to prevent children being born - no children, no mouths to feed.   In this regard it is important to note that UNICEF, a UN agency dedicated to the care of children, is pro-abortion, and is, in fact, an important global agency involved in promoting abortion services and "rights".

How seriously does the UN take the problem of poverty and need in the world?  I'm not suggesting that there are not well-meaning people working for the UN doing what they can to help the poor, but the organisation itself is a hotch-potch of ideologies, and these ideologies tend to dictate the nature of the aid given to the poor.  The Papal Nuncio is right to question the UN commitment to end poverty, not putting words in his mouth, I personally think the organisation has an agenda and certain people in it use philanthropy to promote that agenda. 

The UN is not the only organisation to be tainted with such ideology.  I am aware of certain aid agencies who promote the same ideology in their work.  Even Catholic agencies have embraced these ideologies in direct contradiction to Church teaching, either providing contraception and abortion service themselves, or providing funding to organisations that do.  For this reason I am very careful about where my money goes.  Personally I support the Little Way Association - in doing so I know my money goes directly to those in need via the Church's structure (to projects directly sent through local bishop who passes it on - 100%).  The organisation is staffed by volunteers, usually retired people, so little is spent on administration, and the monies put towards it come from separate donations specifically earmarked for admin. 

In Ireland we have a saying, usually directed towards a generous benefactor, "May your giving hand never fail" (as you can see that particular blessing is tainted with future expectation!).  One has to wonder is the giving hand of aid agencies ultimately failing and adding to global poverty as they put their agendas first? 

UPDATE
Excellent article by John Mallon on CatholicVote.org on the topic of abortion.  Well worth a read.