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Alms Bazaar: Altruism Under Fire—Non Profit Organizations and International Development by Ian Smillie

There are many arguments against AID. AID increases dependency and moral hazards. It harmfully interferes in economies, propping up bad governments, encouraging corruption and incompetence. It benefits bad interest groups. In fact, many NGOs do not know much about what they are trying to develop.

The author writes that we have had the year of the woman and decade of the woman, yet many things have been getting worse for women in developing countries. Illiteracy increased 10 percent for women and one percent for men during the 15 years leading up to 1985. (Maybe we need a century of the woman.)

Other bads include: The number of women and children refugees, the abortion of female fetuses, and the restriction of female property rights. The author argues for increasing locally available credit to very poor women and increasing their access to other resources. Eliminating practices that discriminate against women is also high on his agenda. The author writes in a brisk, readable style.

Smillie considers many items important for development:

Moral education, vocational education, health policy, family policy, high rates of saving and investment, vigorous private sectors, solidarity, sustainable development, strong local institutions, public-spiritedness, open and vigorous evaluation, and actual reciprocal relationships rather than merely a rhetoric of reciprocation.

He writes that complacency is worse than witless alarmism; that even the best performers are riddled with mistakes; that governments, communities, families and individuals all have important roles; that communities must be more than a provider of services. Communities must integrate citizens, strong associations, citizenship organizations, and self-help societies.

He argues that a history of associational life should build a climate of trust networks of civic engagement, and enlightened self-interest. “Being as a consequence of doing” is important. Never letting ridicule, defeat, fatigue, or depression harden into cynicism, despair, or lazy self-righteousness is important. Preventing unwieldy bureaucracies and limiting misplaced technologies should be high priorities as well as altering deeply ingrained attitudes.

One lesson here is that citizens should thoroughly research organizations before giving. It matters. “It’s for charity” is for the lazy. We should make a high priority of finding and replicating beneficial practices, emphasizing standards, monitoring, and enforcement. Recommended.

286p (H) 1996

—Book review article by J.T. Fournier

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