UK Aid - Public Opinions Video from ONE

There's been a lot in the UK media recently about the controversy surrounding the UK's foreign aid policies, in the light of excessive cuts to spending in this country. It often seems the case that foreign aid is an area that can be grossly exaggerated by the media, as it's easy to create a shocking headline by adding figures such as £8.7bn without explaining this as a percentage of overall UK spending. 

(There are plenty more headlines like this on the Daily Mail as you may expect - from 'why is our money going to Africa?' stories, to 'why is our money going to the Pope or TUC instead of Africa?!'...)

Today I came across a video from the ONE campaign (with thanks to Village Aid for the link) highlighting the public's views on foreign aid spending. Now, I'm not sure of the legitimacy of these views from 'people on the street', and obviously this is only a handful of people (the social researcher in me is critical), but it does make an interesting point that the general public can often be unaware of the difference foreign aid can make, and that many people are sceptical that our money is being spent effectively.

This is not due to the ignorance of the public, but the lack of accurate explanatory information that is presented in the media. Although we are right to identify and criticise harmful aid practises, often too much attention is paid to aid going wrong, and success stories are dismissed as being one-offs, and not replicable in all situations. But in my short time of studying aid, global development, NGOs and international governmental organisations, I have seen that this sector is dynamic, and always eager to evolve to make the most of its resources, because if not it will have to answer for the mistakes it makes. 

There is also a need to understand the context of the UK's decisions surrounding aid. The push to make the world's richest countries donate 0.7% of GNP to Overseas Development Aid was, I believe, first developed by the UN in the 1970s, in which case it seems shocking that many countries - including the UK - have only met this target in the last few years, or have still not reached that level. But the media portrays this spending level as being a new idea that has been bizarrely created in the middle of a recession, redirecting funds away from those facing cuts in the UK.

I shy away from saying that the public should be proud of the UK position in maintaining foreign aid, because I don't think that's how nationalism often works - rather than saying we should be proud to be a generous nation, most UK media is more likely to argue that 'charity begins at home' and we should be ashamed of being 'do-gooders', and the world's 'push-over' nation. But I would love to see the UK public accept foreign aid, and understand the benefits - whether economic or ethical - that come from this redistribution. After all, much more could and, in my opinion, should be given to ensure that we avoid crises that will effect our own country as well developing regions (e.g. climate change, the food crisis etc). Furthermore, if we stop giving now, it will increase the chances of development projects becoming unsustainable and unsuccessful, therefore undoing all our good work so far.

I often think that in beginning a career in the development sector I am setting myself up for a lifetime of criticism from people who don't see the point in the work I do, or who will argue that I am involved in re-directing funds from people who need help in my own country. But if people really do respond like those in the ONE video, maybe something can be done to get the public on side, and there might not always be an Us vs Them mentality to spending and aid.