# \[e-drug\] SA Northern Province floods & donations (cont'd) **URL:** \ **Category:** e-drug\ **Created:** [March 17, 2000, 8:05am UTC](https://talk.edrugplus.org/t/e-drug-sa-northern-province-floods-donations-contd/7680 "2000-03-17T08:05:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![scott.hillstrom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c68b51/32.png) [@scott.hillstrom](https://talk.edrugplus.org/u/scott.hillstrom)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2000, 8:05am UTC](https://talk.edrugplus.org/t/e-drug-sa-northern-province-floods-donations-contd/7680/1 "2000-03-17T08:05:01Z")
\ Sender: owner-e-drug@usa.healthnet.org Precedence: bulk E-drug: SA Northern Province floods & donations (cont'd) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 -- Send mail for the `E-Drug' conference to `e-drug@usa.healthnet.org'. Mail administrative requests to `majordomo@usa.healthnet.org'. For additional assistance, send mail to: `owner-e-drug@usa.healthnet.org'.