Читать книгу Global Issues - Kristen A. Hite - Страница 32

Is there any way an individual can aid the efforts to reduce poverty in our world? Yes, there are ways. If you can’t personally work with the poor, you can give some funds to an organization that is working to improve the lives of the poor. Here are a few of those we donate to annually: Doctors Without Borders, Grameen Foundation, International Rescue Committee, and Oxfam (where author Hite has worked).

But you might ask: How can I be sure the organizations I give my money to will not waste my money? Several reputable organizations evaluate other organizations for this very characteristic. One of the best is the American Institute of Philanthropy, called by the New York Times “the pit bull of watchdogs.”

Note: If you are one of those rare individuals who wants to personally aid those who are poverty‐stricken, read the following article to learn how others are doing this: Nicholas D. Kristof, “The D.I.Y. [Do It Yourself] Foreign Aid Revolution,” New York Times Magazine, October 24, 2010, pp. 49–53.

How much are the richer nations doing at present to help the poorest nations? Over the past several decades, there have been some agreements to reduce the debt of poorer nations, but other economic challenges (like trade barriers) remain. Nontariff trade measures, such as quotas, subsidies, and restrictions on exports, are increasingly prevalent and may be enacted for policy reasons having nothing to do with trade. However, they have a discriminatory effect on exports from countries that lack the resources to comply with requirements of nontariff measures imposed by rich nations.³⁴ For example, the huge subsidies that wealthy nations give to their farmers make it very difficult for farmers in the rest of the world to compete with them. Another example would be domestic health or safety regulations, which, though not specifically targeting imports, could impose significant costs on foreign manufacturers seeking to conform to the importer’s market. Industries in developing markets may have more difficulty absorbing these additional costs.³⁵ See below for further discussion on trade.