聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 As someone who advocates for official development assistance (ODA), I often hear protest about helping others before helping ourselves. What most don鈥檛 seem to realize is that foreign aid pays huge net returns for Canada.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Our foreign assistance increases peace and political stability in poor nations. Desperate people are ripe for exploitation by extremists and it鈥檚 a lot cheaper preventing extremism than fighting it.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Supporting health care in other countries slows the spread of increasingly drug-resistant diseases that know no borders. Recall that the worst epidemics in our history started in other nations, and there are strains of tuberculosis emerging that have no effective treatment.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Lastly, the battle against climate change is supported by Canada鈥檚 foreign aid, as economic development can reverse desertification and deforestation, and encourage sustainability.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Underdevelopment, inequality, poverty, political instability, human rights violations, and environmental degradation are all interconnected, and impact Canada in many subtle and not so subtle ways. Security, economic growth and trade, climate change and public health are impacted. This is well-known and long-researched, yet our aid commitment is far less than most developed nations. It鈥檚 a long-neglected government file that gets little thanks or public praise, and that needs to change.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 When we take care of others in this interconnected world we take care of ourselves.
Nathaniel Poole
Victoria, B.C.
