Shortly after the earthquake in Haiti, an editorial appeared in Lancet, a medical journal of Britain, lamenting that it took a seismic shift in tectonic plates for Haiti to earn its place in the international spotlight. In fact, it called it scandalous. Something else it said may be shocking also: It may seem unpalatable to scrutinise and criticise the motives and activities of humanitarian organizations… {but}.. humanitarianism is no longer the ethos for many organisations within the aid industry.
Well, now, we don’t want the most desperate of the world to have to count on earthquakes to get our attention, do we? And if humanitarianism is not necessarily the ethos of humanitarian aid organizations (arguably now termed humanitarian aid industry,) what can we count on as motivation? Here’s what may be to shocking statement. Perhaps we can count on faith.
Do a Google search for aid in the fight against tuberculosis and malaria, the alleviation of poverty, relief from famine, help with contaminated water, or any other of the scourges that plague so many of our people in the world, and the one thing you will always come up with is a faith based group trying to make a difference.
All faiths share one wonderful commonality, and that is the belief that it is our duty to help others. No one can deny that much damage has been done in the name of religion. But it is equally true that much good is done in the name of God. Certainly, it appears that faith in Him is a powerful and constant motivator in humanitarian efforts. There’s just no getting around that, and after all, why should I try?
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