Experiences of Right Sharing of World Resources (original) (raw)
In the face of widespread poverty, Peter Singer argues that the best response is giving money to charitable organizations that give aid to the poor. In response, much criticism has been leveled by cosmopolitan philosophers that philanthropy is unable to effectively combat poverty for many reasons: such funds fall prey to corrupt bureaucrats, the poor will waste the money, or become dependent upon donations rather than providing for themselves. In this paper, I argue that the work of the organization GiveDirectly offers an approach that can overcome the criticisms leveled against philanthropy. GiveDirectly works by providing direct cash transfers to the poor; by adopting such a straightforward method, GiveDirectly provides practical benefits to the poor, and overcomes key philosophical critiques. The poor are empowered to make choices to meet their own needs, and do not become dependent upon donations. While GiveDirectly does not constitute the solution to the problem of global poverty, it does provide an avenue by which philanthropic efforts can make a difference in the battle against poverty, in ways that best respect and promote the autonomy of the poor. In the face of widespread poverty, Peter Singer argues that the best response is for affluent individuals to give money to charitable organizations that provide the poor with basic goods. In response, much criticism has been leveled by cosmopolitans (such as Thomas Pogge, Andrew Kuper, and Paul Gomberg) claiming that philanthropy is unable to effectively combat the problem for many reasons: such funds end up being diverted by corrupt bureaucrats, the poor will become dependent upon Western donations rather than providing for themselves, or such a method will not attack the root causes of the problem of poverty. In this paper, I argue that the work of a recent organization called GiveDirectly offers a unique approach that overcomes many of the criticisms leveled against philanthropy.1 GiveDirectly works by providing direct, unconditional cash transfers (" UCTs ") from Western donors to the poor. With this simple and direct method, GiveDirectly provides practical benefits to the poor, and overcomes many key philosophical critiques made against philanthropy: its