Governments from post-industrialized countries are the primary donors for international development and relief.
While this comes as no surprize, governments have significantly decreased their contributions in the years since the end of the Cold War
Between 1992 and 1997,official assistance from leading industrialized countries dropped 30 percent, while their GNPs jumped almost 30.
The United States ranks last among the world's 28 top foreign aid donor countries, and its foreign assistance levels have dropped dramatically over the past 10 years, according to the United Nations Human Development Report.
When you look at countries' foreign aid relative to the size of their economies, the United States is devoting 0.1 per cent of its gross national product (GNP) to help the world's poorest countries, less than any other industrialized nation.
3 comments:
Things are not all that more - as you are probably aware - impressive here in Canada. Why do you think North America seems stingy? Can it be explained?
Giving of NA people is far more impressive than that of the US government.
Individuals tend to give from the heart, whereas politics governs government giving.
Private aid and donations from individual people and organizations is much more impressive, though this of course can still be weighted to certain interests and areas.
Per recent estimates, Americans privately give at least $34 billion overseas.
This being more than twice the US official foreign aid of $15 billion at that time:
American NGOs: $6.6 billion in grants, goods and volunteers.
Religious overseas ministries: $3.4 billion, including health care, literacy training, relief and development.
International giving by US foundations: $1.5 billion per year
Charitable giving by US businesses: $2.8 billion annually
Personal remittances to developing countries: $18 billion
Perhaps we should not expect governments to be the donors. Reports I have read rank U.S. citizens at or near the top in terms of per capita giving. Why should we expect governments to tax us in order to donate. More efficient and effective for the private sector to manage charitable giving.
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