In chapter 5 of Linda Polman’s book she talks about her experience with humanitarian aid and working with aid organizations. She describes her experience working with local leaders and problems that arise with aid organizations.
One of the concerns that Polman brings up in chapter 5 (page 97-98) is the fact that there is very little communication between aid organizations. She also brings up the fact that most organizations are operating based off of ignorance without understanding the local balance of power in the region. In a place like Somalia there can be many people who claim to rightfully hold power in the region and international aid organizations may just be entering into these places completely ignorant of conflict or the people there. It raises an interesting point about the fact that willful ignorance as to why these people are fighting or as to why these regions are in complete turmoil. She even raises the possibility that they could be making the conflict worse because local leaders can exploit humanitarian aid by imposing tariffs which in turn makes the conflict even worse as it goes into the leaders “war chests”.
She basically makes the point that humanitarian organizations can be easily exploited and manipulated by local leaders who will use their aid as fuel for the conflict rather than using it to help people who are in desperate need of help. Soldiers and armies will often exploit aid and use it to their own ends.
She mentions that aid organizations are businesses made to look like Mother Theresa because journalists are more likely to believe information coming from aid organizations and are less likely to check whether what they are saying is accurate or not. Basically, aid organizations like any other business wants to look good in the press and they rely on journalists to act as experts on what is happening and their go to for information on the local conflict in the region. Journalists can be susceptible to believing information from aid organizations without realizing it and don’t think about how the aid organizations may actually be making things even worse that they already are. Like it was described above, sometimes aid organizations can be ignorant about the region and can even aid and abet conflicts and local warlords with the aid they are providing. Journalists like the aid organizations themselves are going into these regions with a cloud of ignorance and not properly understanding what is going on or why these people are fighting or why their are people desperately in need.
She then ends with what people can do and that is most importantly to ask questions of aid organizations. Aid organizations should be asked how they are handling their money and resources and checked as to whether or not they are actually hurting an area or not. Like above, journalists may believe what an aid organization says without questioning it or looking further into it. It’s important that aid organizations be held accountable just like any other entity. When an organization is providing aid they should be asked whether they are aiding local warlords, where their supplies are going and how their resources are being utilized. Looking into organizations and trying to figure out whether they are doing the right thing is important to improving the international aid. It shouldn’t be wrong to ask an international aid organization about whether they are doing the right thing nor is it wrong to try and look into an international aid organization and uncover any wrongdoing. Aid organizations are just like any other entity and they are heavily flawed and it’s important that we recognize that they can do better.
Globalization 3510W 