大象传媒

鈥淒awn... and as the sun breaks through the piercing chill of night on the plain outside Korem, it lights up a biblical famine, now, in the 20th century...鈥� Those words, spoken by Michael Buerk 40 years ago, pricked the world鈥檚 conscience, triggered an unprecedented humanitarian effort, led to Live Aid and spawned institutions like Comic Relief. Since then, more than a billion people around the world have climbed out of extreme poverty, although around 700 million people still live on less than $2.15 a day, according to the World Bank.

Times have changed. Not only is the media landscape vastly different, making competing demands on our attention, but also our attitudes to helping the poor around the world are different. The question is not simply whether we have a moral duty to help people in other countries, but HOW we should help them.

In a post-pandemic world, there are those who advance ever stronger arguments for ending poverty through debt cancellation, robust institutions and international co-operation. Critics of development aid, however, see it as wasteful, ineffective and enabling corruption: 鈥榩oor people in rich countries subsidising rich people in poor countries鈥�. Others view the sector as a legacy of European colonialism, citing Band Aid鈥檚 portrayal of Africa as emblematic of the 鈥榃hite saviourism鈥� ingrained in the system. Others, meanwhile, believe the best way to help people is to bypass institutions altogether, and give cash directly to individuals to make their own decisions about how to spend it.

40 years on from Michael Buerk鈥檚 landmark report from Ethiopia, how should we help the global poor?

Chair: Michael Buerk
Producer: Dan Tierney
Assistant producer: Ruth Purser

Panellists:
Ash Sarkar
Anne McElvoy
Inaya Folarin Iman
Carmody Grey