The general appeal by Crown Prince Abdullah to fight poverty was met with acceptance and satisfaction by all sections of society. His statements revealed the amount of suffering that poor people endure. The level of poverty in the Kingdom is rising because of increasing unemployment, the gap between poor and rich and the slowly disappearing middle class.
From the middle of Ramadan, when Prince Abdullah visited a slum in a poor district of Riyadh, the issue has been hotly debated, and became top of the list of topics that need reform. After the order to establish a “fund for the poor,” many donors have been involved in translating ideas into reality. The enthusiasm of writers and observers increased to the extent that they made many plans before making a strategic study aimed at eliminating poverty.
What has been proposed — and adopted by one of our newspapers, which called for donors to support it — is a program to build houses for the poor. The idea originated in Prince Alwaleed ibn Talal’s response to Prince Abdullah’s appeal. The general initiative, and this huge project itself, will no doubt be a great asset in fighting poverty. It is not, however, a solution to the problem. Building houses will not eliminate poverty, but may in fact escalate it and give rise to other problems.
When unemployed people have no income with which to support themselves and their families or to satisfy their psychological, sociological and cultural needs, they may become part of such social problems as crime and corruption. Developed countries are aware of this because of their own experiences in dealing with poverty. They also know what the consequences may be. For example, in the United States poor neighborhoods with public housing projects are often the most dangerous areas with high rates of crime and corruption and little security. Even the police are often unwilling to enter these areas. The American government realized after a time that the solution was the origin of more problems than what it was designed to remedy. The government then began to do away with the idea of building a separate housing project for the poor, instead they are now being integrated into society. This idea has been successful in both The Netherlands and England.
If we want to solve the problem of poverty, we have to look at other experiences, learn from them and come up with an improved plan designed to produce the desired effect.
As for the present idea, observers are very concerned that the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs will not be able to carry out this difficult assignment. First of all, the department of social affairs itself will have to be rescued from the poverty which burdens it. The effects of poverty — a lack of housing, clothes and income — are the responsibilities of the department of social affairs in the ministry. Economics is, as we know, the main reason for poverty.
The ministry was unable to face the problem both before Prince Abdullah’s appeal and after it. This issue needs a complete strategy planned by the Supreme Economic Council. There are many ministries and government departments that need to involve themselves in solving the problem of poverty and many of them also suffer from a lack of resources and income; some of these are the ministries of commerce, finance, education, Haj and endowment and all charitable organizations.
If there is no overall strategy, far too much time will be spent in dealing with the manifestations of the problem instead of the problem itself. One of the best suggestions is to divert charity which now goes abroad to satisfying local needs there. This would be tantamount to building one house and destroying another. Maybe the results of not sending the money will be more than we can bear now and in the future. Charity and helping those outside the Kingdom has been a part of the country’s policy from its beginnings until the present.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “He who does not care about the affairs of Muslims is not a part of them.”
We need to evaluate our ideas about charitable activities and charitable donations. We must understand the difference between international and local charities which have no clear and exact vision.
Finally, the month of Ramadan is over. We are full of hope that this idea will be implemented before next Ramadan arrives.
Arab News From the Local Press 18 December 2002
