JEDDAH, 26 November 2002 — The die is cast for an open war on poverty.

The declaration of this mother of all wars did not come a minute too soon.

Crown Prince Abdullah’s visit last week to the poor neighborhoods of Riyadh provided the spark for a frontal assault on a scourge which should never have been here in the first place. His call to the nation to help the poor out of their abysmal misery did not fall on deaf ears; it has galvanized a citizenry that had chosen to look the other way as the legion of have-nots multiplied in their midst.

As Labor and Social Affairs Ministry works out the logistics of poverty alleviation programs, Prince Alwaleed ibn Talal has catapulted himself to the vanguard of the emergent battle royal. Touched to the quick, he has offered to build 10,000 homes for his fellow Saudis, who by a quirk of circumstances and lack of empathy, have stayed backward as the rest of citizenry marched ahead to a world of copious opulence.

Small wonder he has taken the lead, given Prince Alwaleed’s charitable disposition. He is known to have risen to every conceivable occasion to prove his true Islamic spirit of being a friend in need.

Many a calamity, natural or man-made, has seen him extending a generous helping hand. The world is his canvas for business as well as benevolence. He is known to have rebuilt an entire Syrian village after it was flattened by a dam burst. He has a whole department in his flagship Kingdom Holding Company working full-time on social welfare. Which is unique in the cut-throat corporate world.

One may argue that Prince Alwaleed can afford to build homes for the poor. But so can thousands of Saudis. They just need to be reminded that wealth, like happiness, multiplies as you divide it.

Prince Alwaleed has shown them the way. It is up to them to learn not to stand and stare and wish poverty away. Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of the party, as the saying goes. Can there be a better occasion to be philanthropic than this holy month of Ramadan?

Saudi Arabia’s philanthropy is known worldwide for there is no country or humanitarian cause that it has not helped in times of need. Its non-governmental charity organizations have also been active in the forefront of supporting people affected by wars, natural calamities and man-made miseries. They are flush with cash, together worth SR1.5 billion, and eager to reach out and help. Act they must to help their brothers who have no two cents to rub together.

Now that poverty is identified one needs to define who is poor and why he is poor. The causes of poverty have to be tackled judiciously and uprooted. The underprivileged in our midst deserve to be helped to help themselves. Once poverty is banished through a collective, synergized and planned mechanism, it must be left to them to fend for themselves.

What is incumbent on society is to bring succor to the less fortunate, help them along to find jobs or productive activity. From then on they are the masters of their destiny. Government largesse leads to lethargy and Western experiments with welfare go to show that the dole breeds nothing but laziness.

Rich individuals, groups of wealthy people, companies and banks may be encouraged to adopt a whole slum area for development. Friends of the poor societies, comprising social scientists and philanthropists, could also be thought of to pool their resources. Women’s organizations should be able to play a crucial role in identifying the needy and organizing assistance.

As the saying goes charity begins at home. Philanthropic organizations whose focus has hitherto been on aiding the needy in alien lands need to lower their sights to see the home truth.

Let a thousand Prince Alwaleeds blossom on the frontline of this war on poverty.