Aid not Relief is the answer (Comic Relief)

Member Name: scotia1949

Product:	Comic Relief
Date:	11/07/01 (152 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: well-meaning, enthusiastic, fun

Disadvantages: its not enough

First of all let me start by nailing my colours to the mast. I think the whole concept of Comic Relief is brilliant and I have the greatest admiration for what they do, how they go about it and the benefit they bring to those in the developing world; but it is not enough.

We should not be relying on these well meaning people and the ever-generous British public to fund projects in these countries, we should all be paying for it in our taxes. Just to get the numbers in perspective, Comic Relief raises about £20+ million, the British overseas aid budget is in the order of £2 billion. But I repeat, it is not enough.

Britain is reducing its aid budget and lagging behind, by a long way, the target level of spending on overseas aid agreed by the G7 countries. The target is 0.7% of GDP and ours is under 0.3% and falling.

I have a vested interest in this subject as my current but soon to be ex-employers provide Scientists to work in the developing world helping people to get more from their crops, protect their environment, improve their health and generally benefit their lifestyle. We are a not-for-profit organisation but have recently run into losses because of cutbacks in the amount of work we are being given to do. As a result we are losing 35% of our staff soon, including yours truly.

Aid needs to be increased and targetted properly and efficiently. Too much money undoubtedly ends up in the hands of corrupt politicians and glorified gun-runners. It is very difficult to deliver effective aid in the middle of a war zone.

What is required is more aid for long term projects. There is no point in continually trying to raise money to combat the effects of famine or drought without ploughing in massive amounts in long term investment to try to prevent it happening again in the future. One of the main problems with any form of government funding, be it for aid or anything else, is the fact that governments do not like to think beyon
d the lifetime of the current parliament. They are scared stiff to put anything in place which their opponents might claim credit for in the future.

It has to stop. The problems of Africa etc. are big and they are long-term and need long term planning and long term solutions. Perhaps what is needed is a combination of government money and Comic Relief enthusiasm, initiative and lateral thinking. If it doesn't happen there will be little relief for these people; and that's not funny.

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