“When we want to help the poor, we usually offer them charity. Most often we use charity to avoid recognizing the problem and finding the solution for it. Charity becomes a way to shrug off our responsibility. But charity is no solution to poverty. Charity only perpetuates poverty by taking the initiative away from the poor. Charity allows us to go ahead with our own lives without worrying about the lives of the poor. Charity appeases our consciences.”
― Muhammad Yunus, Banker to the Poor: Micro-Lending and the Battle Against World Poverty
Well Said, thank you Prof. Dr. Muhammad Yunus. From here, let's have a look at the Problems with Charity and Presents Solutions.
Problem No.1
Ignoring the Problem.
Most people cannot see any Problem within the entire Charity and Philanthropy Industry since 'Charity and Philanthropy' was promoted and advertised as Noble action, Altruism and even Godly.
However, if we place Charity and Philanthropy under the Microscope, we will discover the real nitty gritty truth behind the Charity and Philanthropy Business/Industry that is quite concerning given that most people see Charity and Philanthropy as something so Good and Positive.
Thus, one of the most urgent problems to address is the Relationship between Charity/Philanthropy and Poverty. As Muhammad Yunus Indicated, through Charity/Philanthropy, we Ignore that there is a problem that must be result with an effective solution. In a way, Charity/Philanthropy in it's core design is a brilliant brainwashed method to maintain the gap between those that 'have' and those that don't have since what Charity/Philanthropy result with is the perpetuation of Poverty instead of complete Eradication of Poverty.
This was already implied in 1932 by Reinhold Niebuhr, Moral Man and Immoral Society, 1932
"We have previously suggested that philanthropy combines genuine pity with the display of power and that the latter element explains why the powerful are more inclined to be generous than to grant social justice."
And Yet, 80 years after and still, humanity is blinded from seeing reality directly as what Niebuhr presented decades ago. To the Contrary there are quite a few people that would even define Niebuhr as Fascist and condemn him for daring to speak up and expose what we have all directly and indirectly accepted and allowed this world to evolve as to the extent of which Humanity is deliberately Blinded from seeing the Fundamental Inequality that is rooted in the structure and values of our global society. Obviously, Charity and Philanthropy is nothing but a convenient patch up for us to ignore the real reason, source, origin and root of the Problems existing in this world.
Nevertheless, Charity/Philanthropy from that perspective is the Acceptance and Allowance of Inequality to Persists within the attempt to mitigate the Consequences the Majority of Humanity participating and facing today so that us, good maintain our 'Feeling Good' Experience.
It is evidence the none of us actually understand the reason, source, origin and root of the Problems because if we had, our social behaviour would be totally different and we would stop Reacting to the Problems but rather, apply the correction required and Prevent the Problem from reoccurring again.
In my next blog, I will continue Identifying the Problems with regards to Charity and Philanthropy so that eventually, we could start consider practical solutions that would result with the outcome that is best for all.
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