Lesson 22 — Activity 2:
Pros and Cons of Foreign Aid


Warm Up


Providing foreign aid to countries in need can have good and bad results. In this activity, you will understand that giving aid has both positive and negative aspects.

man carrying boy on his shoulders

From what you have read in the previous lessons, you may have realized by now that foreign aid has both benefits and drawbacks. Those who are firmly opposed to foreign aid are just as convinced they are right as are those who fully support it. As is the case with many issues, most people fall somewhere between these two extremes.


Cons

Cons of Providing

Foreign Aid


Canadians who oppose foreign aid are quick to point out the con arguments as follows:

  • Money that goes to foreign aid could be used to help our own poor citizens.
  • It is not up to Canada to solve the problems of other countries.
  • Time, hardship, and hard work were needed for Canada to build up its standard of living to where it is today
  • People in developing countries. should work hard to improve their own standard of living.
  • In many of these countries, those in charge are quite wealthy, so it is not necessary for us to send aid.
  • Sending aid to such nations makes us a partner to the corruption.
  • Foreign aid makes these nations dependent on us, and they may never learn to care for themselves.


Pros

Pros to Providing

Foreign Aid


These arguments seem to be reasonable, but those who support foreign aid argue that the issue is not that simple and note the pros:

  • Poor Canadians will not starve to death and do receive aid from the government through social programs.
  • Living in poverty means death for millions in the poorest countries.
  • Canadians are fortunate to live in a country that is rich in natural resources.
  • The world's poor nations do not have any of the resources that would help them out of their present situations.
  • Providing aid to countries in need could help them become more stable and will help the environment.


You saw earlier how the distribution of wealth in the world is extremely unbalanced. Those who support foreign aid believe it is not a question of whether this will ever change but a sense that it must change. They accept that technology has brought our world closer together. Live news coverage has us watching as starving children linger on the edge of death or people drown when a tsunami rages ashore. We sense that this is not right, and we are motivated to do something to help the helpless.


Supporters acknowledge that there are problems within many of these countries, but they believe that the people who live there will never be able to change any of this if their total existence focuses on surviving. They also argue that we have no choice unless we are prepared to watch millions die. They argue that the best way to bring about positive change is to work in these countries. They see the first step towards any change is to feed the population and improve the people's health. Education can then follow, and that will eventually result in positive change.



Delivering foreign aid does have its pros and cons. It is not a perfect solution, but to do nothing leaves these nations open to being exploited by others and becoming hot spots for world conflict.