Banking
on the world's poor
By
Mike Kroll
Admit it, you never heard of Oxfam America. Most
people haven't. And why would we? According to their own website ÒOxfam America
is a non-profit organization that works to end global poverty through saving
lives, strengthening communities, and campaigning for change.Ó This is soooo
twentieth century. In modern twenty-first century America poverty is history
and we all know that the only American help worth exporting is democracy and
capitalism. The many ills of the developing world could be easily defeated
through the adopting democracy and capitalism, just as reduced taxes a the
return to free-market capitalism has turned the American economy around in six
short years.
It is no surprise that modern American capitalists
would be unfamiliar with American charity abroad. Begun in the midst of World
War II the first task of organization's predecessor, Oxfam, was aiding Greek
refugees with food, shelter and other traditional forms of relief. The idea was
germinated amongst a group of British intellectuals, academics and social
activists with a Quaker bent at Oxford University and expanded its operations
across post-war Europe. Once the Marshall plan had rebuilt the continent and
the European economies were back in operation the group looked toward
developing nations of Africa, Asia and South America where it remains focused
today.
Oxfam America was begun in 1970 as a response to
famine Bangladesh following a tragic cyclone and bloody coup that left tens of
thousands of poor homeless and starving. Since early in its existence the group
has sought to portray poor people as people little different from you or I but
for circumstances beyond their control. Victims of political, social or
economic conditions but who deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.
Oxfam and Oxfam American became political representatives of many of the people
it served withing the international community and in the process became a new
model for charities across the world.
What is a surprise is that a group like Oxfam America
is employing traditional capitalist tactics in the battle against poverty. The
group is bringing entrepreneurship to the poorest people in Africa and Asia
where it provides training, tools and capital resources to people creating
their own small businesses, most of which are labor intensive. In areas of the
world where the normal compensation for labor is minimal Oxfam America is
working to help these people become successful businesses and raise their
standard of living.
ÒOur goal is to help fund the transformation of
impoverished developing nations into economies that help their people pull
themselves out of poverty using their own labor and ingenuity and just a little
help from us,Ó explained Janet McKinley, chair of Oxfam America. McKinley is an
investment banker by training and trade, and a very successful one who retired
after 25 years to join in the fight against global poverty. After overseeing
trillions of dollars in mutual funds today McKinley helps foster micro-finance
opportunities for people without access to normal capital funding.
But Oxfam America's focus is on maintaining political
and civil rights for people across the world and helping assure they are
treated with dignity and respect regardless of their financial station. ÒPeople
in poverty are people being denied human rights,Ó said McKinley after receiving
her honorary degree from Knox College. ÒPoverty is a lack of rights and a lack
of access to capital and material goods, but in all other respects I don't find
these people to be 'poor.' If they are treated with respect and afforded
political and human rights and provided the tools and funding opportunities we
have found that their resourcefulness and dedication is more than sufficient to
help them work their way out of poverty and assure a better life for their
families.Ó
ÒOxfam believes that the most cost effective approach
is at the grass roots of poverty providing training, tools and opportunities to
individuals who create and grow their own small businesses. Micro financing is
a proven tool for the world's poor to help themselves and do so independently.
With economic success these entrepreneurs create job opportunities for their
neighbors far in excess of what could be done by government intervention and in
a more sustainable fashion. Economic improvement leads to growing political
success and a self-sustaining political environment can eventually be
established. One key to Oxfam's success is our believe in utter transparency,
that is so important.Ó
But the mission of Oxfam America isn't just in the
third world. The group is also working diligently to assist poor in the U.S. as
well. Whether it is insuring that migrant farm workers are not exploited or
helping workers fight for dignity and human rights in the workplace Oxfam
America is active within the states. The latest challenge has been working to
help rebuild America's Gulf coast in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
ÒActions have never caught up with political rhetoric
in areas devastated by these hurricanes. And in many cases those government
funded efforts to help have not only failed to remedy the problems but created
opportunities for unscrupulous businesses to take advantage of poor and
undocumented labor across the southeast and Gulf Coast.Ó
The Oxfam America website describes this effort: ÒIn
the absence of a vigorous official response to the disasters, particularly
among the poorest communities, Oxfam America launched its first relief effort
in the United States. Working through local partner organizations, we have
focused our efforts on Mississippi and Louisiana. In the early weeks following
the disasters, we provided emergency grants that helped our local partners to
distribute an array of relief goods including food and medicine. ...Our program
has now evolved into a long-term commitment to help the region
rebuild—and not just to its previous condition, but with the goal of
providing a more promising future for the Gulf CoastÕs poorest residents.Ó
Janet McKinley is a banker by trade who understands
the importance of capital to a successful business and recognized that the
absence of available capital is a key factor in the maintenance of poverty. She
sees investment in such things as micro finance and small business assistance
as paying big returns and she believes you can bank on the results of providing
such assistance to the poor be they be in Africa, Asia, South America or Biloxi
Mississippi.
06/07/07