<LPBBIHBPMJNIMFNDEDNOEEAOCGAA.scott.hillstrom@analyticorp.co.nz>
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E-drug: SA Northern Province floods & donations (cont'd)
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Danie,
Thanks for having the courage to speak out against the reprehensible
conduct
of whomever donated useless medicine, cosmetics, and the like to the
disaster situation you wrote about. But I would like to encourage you to
say where these bad donations came from? Several times I have encountered
the same situation and usually people are afraid to talk. The system seems
to be infected by a culture of fear and intimidation and it is time to put
a
stop to it. Donations of useless medicine and other useless things is
wrong. In the U.S., if tax benefits are claimed by donor companies, it is
illegal as well. Worst of all it hurts the most vulnerable people on
earth;
people we are committed to help.
It is ironic how readily we in the West see corruption at work in the
countries where we operate and how we complain about it and insist that it
change. Yet, the problem you have described is a corruption of our own
system. Even charities participate in it. Countless papers, guidelines
and
newspaper stories are written and conferences are held about it; still it
continues. The system ratchets forward, like a giant crushing machine,
heedless of the harm being done to the world's most desperate people. Why?
Because we are afraid. Street gangs call it being a "snitch". In paneled
offices it is called "using discretion". In truth it is faltering courage
and, in the end, we become a part of it all. Whoever donated the items you
are telling us about did wrong. Whatever charity forwarded the donation on
from the donor did wrong. At the end of the day, people suffer because of
it. The only hope they have is that we tell the truth about WHO did it.
This is a hard problem. A couple of years ago an official of MAP
International told me of a donation to Guatemala that had come to MAP's
attention. People at MAP grumbled that the so-called 'gift' of a large
quantity of "skin polish" by another organization was inappropriate. So I
asked them who made it. They refused to say. Even when Dr. Hogerzeil's
office [moderator comment: WHO] inquired, they refused to answer saying
instead that they had spoken
to the malefactor and "lessons has been learned". MAP erected a solid wall
of secrecy and viewed me as a traitor for having revealed what I learned
from their sources. I have addressed many detailed complaints about
irregularities at MAP International and have become persona non grata
because of it. In fact, one MAP employee who was an excellent member of
the
board of a foundation I run was required by MAP to resign from our board
because of my pointed criticism of MAP's practices concerning revenue
reporting, compliance with the Guidelines and many other things.
Over the past couple of years I have met more than a dozen aid workers who
live in fear of the 'hand that feeds' the people they seek to help. They
fear that if they complain, all aid will stop. In some cases they fear
losing their jobs. So they keep quiet and the wrongdoing continues. We
must use care to be accurate and not to defame any person or organization
but we can do that within the bounds of the truth. The "useless medicine "
you describe is the enemy of good health. And there can be no excuse for
the "[d]onations like tanning lotion, eau de cologne, electronic
toothbrushes" that you describe. If we know who did it, they can be held
accountable. And when others see that accountability is meaningful, some
will refrain from repeating the wrongdoing.
Donors and the charities who forward their donations have significant
vested
interests in the present system. Reform comes at a price that some of them
don't want to pay--e.g. lost tax savings to donors and reduced reported
revenue for charities. So those of us willing to put ourselves on the line
and speak out will pay that price. But in the end, justice is with you.
When responsible people who are not influenced by vested interests look at
these problems they universally side with you. It is only self-righteous,
lawless, bullies who are a real threat. In the end, systems fail that use
tyranny and intimidation to force people to turn a blind eye to evil.
Indeed, Christ showed us that the way to victory over a fallen world is in
sacrificing oneself for it. It is a hard challenge that one so weak as me
can scarcely rise to meet. But maybe if some of us join together and get
serious enough to bring wrongdoers before the bar of justice, we can make
things a little better in the far reaches of the world where people like
you
are struggling to serve the worlds poorest and most needy.
Keep up your efforts and at least know that there are a lot of people out
here who feel the same way you do but are also reluctant to say too much.
If they all spoke at once in a single voice the roar would be deafening and
could not be ignored.
Scott Hillstrom
President, Cry for the World Foundation
e-mail: scott.hillstrom@analyticorp.co.nz
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