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WINGS: The Case for International Giving


By looking overseas, we can help many times more people, for the same cost, than what we could do at home.

This excerpt is from an article published on the WINGS blog. Read the full article here.

by Anita Toy
Chief Representative, Give2Asia Australia

“Far away is where the vast majority of the extremely poor are, and where charitable dollars can go the farthest”, writes Peter Singer, the Australian moral philosopher and author of The Life You Save. “Those of us living in industrialised countries have greater capacity to help those far away”.

We all know that the need is greater overseas. What many donors don’t realise is that the solutions are also cheaper and small donations can make a huge difference. As just one example: A woman in the Philippines is 27 times more likely to die during childbirth than a woman giving birth in Australia. Yet ensuring a safe birth costs US$300 to US$400—less than one third the cost in Australia of AU$11,000 to AU$12,000.

Giving to an overseas charity can also be a more rewarding experience for the donor. It’s hard to be a top 10 donor to the Sydney Opera House. But support a local charity in Thailand or Cambodia, and you can speak directly with the executive director.

With millions suffering from the economic impacts of COVID-19, there has never been a better time to give. For those of us in wealthier countries, by looking overseas, we can help many times more people, for the same cost, than what we could do at home.

Read the full article at WINGS.

Photo courtesy of Sano Paila

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