Learning from the UK: A confession from a development professional

I don’t give as much money to good causes as I should.

For someone who works in international development and who feels strongly that we need a joint, all-out effort to end poverty, that’s a pretty stark admission. Given my own failings, I can only say hats off to the UK Government for maintaining its commitment to increase funding for international development in such difficult times.

Hidden away in last week’s UK budget, in black and white, was the concrete commitment that in the coming financial year the UK will spend 0.7% of Gross National Income as official development assistance (in layman’s terms, aid). We’re joining a small club of countries which have met this international target: Norway, Sweden, Luxembourg, and Denmark. And we’re also the first G8 country and the first G20 country to achieve this.

0.7% feels like a bit of an arbitrary target. What’s the significance? I think it’s a clear statement that the UK is at the forefront of international efforts to end poverty. In fact, the Prime Minister is using our G8 Presidency to focus on how we can promote growth and prosperity across the developing world.

In my own household my wife gripes a little when we give to good causes, but deep down she knows it’s the right thing to do. But in the UK there are lots of people who question why we’re spending this money overseas when people are struggling to find or keep jobs and when services we’d previously taken for granted are under pressure. And many believe that much of this funding is wasted through corruption and mismanagement.

That brings me to the second reason I think this is significant. The additional funding will make a difference. I’ve read an estimate that by reaching 0.7% British tax payers will put 15.9 million children in school, vaccinate 80 million children against life threatening diseases and provide safe drinking water for 17 million people and help 77 million get basic financial services enabling them to work their way out of poverty. Sounds like a good investment. But in the end, I guess it’s not just about governments acting. People like you and me also need feel this is important and need to act. I guess my guilty conscience still has plenty of work to do!