Philanthropy can’t Stop Wars! Education can!
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If 50% of the defense budgets of the 10 biggest nations were given to philanthropic causes, we would still have wars and violence but the degree of war and violence will greatly depend on the purpose of the philanthropic action and the beneficiary of the philanthropic gesture.
How will the purpose of Philanthropy increase or reduce wars?
The Preamble to the Constitution of UNESCO declares that “since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed.”
In 1945, UNESCO was created in order to respond to the firm belief of nations, forged by two world wars in less than a generation that political and economic agreements are not enough to build a lasting peace. Peace must be established on the basis of humanity’s moral and intellectual solidarity. This strong message from UNESCO says it all.
If the Philanthropy is meant for offering infrastructural, medical, political or socio-economic assistance to victims of violence or wars, then I think it will not solve the problems of violence or wars. It will instead give enough time for the victims to gather momentum and be well prepared to fight in the future.
This explains why most refugees or victims of violence who have traveled or have had time to heal in another place or country, abandon everything to go back and fight for their fatherland.
It’s common on the news headlines these days to hear suicide bomb attacks and gunshot massacres. Why do these people kill others despite the wealth and good life they have? How much do we think we can give these people to stop doing what they are doing?
Anyway, if the philanthropy is meant for political, infrastructural and socio-economic wellbeing and neglects the mental wellbeing, then I can guarantee that it will only postpone the war and build a strong army for future wars.
Secondly, if the purpose of philanthropy is not clear, it will rather fuel violence and wars as opposed to reduce violence and wars. There are so many times that I question philanthropic gestures?
For instance, I ask why most Western nations are spending much money for Africa to plant more trees and protect their forests in a bid to fight climate change and are doing very little to cut down their cattle industry and meat consumption which are strong drivers of Climate Change?
Moreover, if the purpose of your philanthropy is of superior motive as opposed to being on the basis of justice and equality, then it will catalyze hate, violence and wars as opposed to heal. Goodness should be done on the basis of equality, justice and effective understanding of the dignity of the human person. I have learned to give not because I have, but because I know what it means not to have.
If we learn to give not because we have but because we understand what it means not to have, then we surely will be doing philanthropy that heals. If you know what it means to go to bed with an empty stomach, you will certainly never want to let anybody go to bed with an empty stomach. This feeling of mutual respect is one of the things that can promote philanthropy that heals but it is rather unfortunate that most of the world’s philanthropy today, is philanthropy that promotes superiority and inferiority.
People give because they want to feel superior and make others inferior and this explains why when inferior people receive, they use it to challenge the superior people hence instigate more violence and subsequently wars.
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The beneficiary of the philanthropic gesture
The beneficiary of the philanthropic gesture will also determine whether the gift will help or destroy. If the beneficiary is a bad governance structure then we should expect terrible results and vice versa. Also, if we use the top-bottom approach, our chances of succeeding will be limited.
How can philanthropy conquer violence and wars?
If Philanthropy is to conquer violence and wars, then it should focus more on education and it should use the grassroots approach (Bottom-top approach)
Nelson Mandela said “Education is the most powerful weapon which we can use to change the world” and then UNESCO believes that “Through learning and understanding, individuals become more interculturally competent to comprehend the richness that lays within a diverse world, resulting in tools for the ongoing construction of lasting peace, when consequently they become prepared to appreciate, rather than reject, diversity as well as to manage conflicts in accordance with the values of pluralism and mutual understanding.”
As such if philanthropy is focused on building the minds and nurturing a society of justice, equality and dignity, then we can be sure it will reduce violence and wars.
Education is vital to achieving acceptance and respect for all people regardless of colour, gender, national (geographic), ethnic or religious identity. A world without violence and wars is possible if philanthropic efforts are more focused in building strong institutions that will educate people to shun violence and wars.
