When it comes to international relief and development, the two issues Canadians care about most are the safety and well-being of children, followed by humanitarian relief .
That’s
one conclusion from a recent survey of Canadian attitudes towards international
relief and development.
The survey by Angus Reid, which was undertaken with support from World
Vision Canada, was released on March 18. It has some interesting findings for Canadian
NGOs.
According
to the survey, 72% of Canadians say they are proud of the work being done by
Canadian NGOs.
Yet
trust in NGOs is perilous, with only 27% saying all or most NGOs can be trusted
to use donor dollars effectively.
At
the same time, 77% express frustration that no matter what is done, the
situation in the developing world doesn’t seem to be getting any better.
Despite
that 75% say even helping just one family is worth the effort.
As
for the main goal of development work by Canadian NGOs, 45% say it should be helping
those in need.
Communicating
About Development
When
it comes to communications from NGOs, only 28% say international relief and
development agencies clearly communicate what they are doing overseas.
Given
today’s tough communications environment, it’s hard to fault NGO communicators
for not being able to reach large numbers of Canadians.
Yet
only 34% of those who say they are heavily involved say “the impact of their
(NGO) work is very clear.”
Issues
Canadians Care About
When it comes to issues Canadians care about, the safety and well-being of children in the developing world is first at 50%, followed by humanitarian relief following natural disasters (44%).
The
others, in order, are refugees and human rights (both at 38%), health (34%), economic
development (30%) and extreme poverty (22%).
When
asked which of these issues Canada should take a leadership role in, the safety
and well-being of children was first, followed by human rights, health, economic
development, natural disasters, refugees and extreme poverty.
Based
on an average of all seven issues, the pollster says 30% of Canadians believe
Canada take a leadership role in international development.
58%
say Canada has a role to play, but no more than other rich countries.
Only
12% say Canada should play no role in development.
Millennials
and Development
Since
the future of Canadian NGOs will be determined by younger people, what do they
think about aid?
The
pollster found that millennials don’t have much money to give, but the want to
help.
They
are also the most optimistic about aid, believing aid from Canada can have a
positive impact in the developing world.
They
are also more likely to say Canada should take a leadership role in
development,
Notably,
the pollster says, “they are no more likely than other generations to say NGOs
. . . can be trusted to deliver effective aid.”
Religion and
Development
The
survey underscores the importance of religiosity when it comes to supporting
efforts to help the world’s poorest people.
According
the survey, 71% of religious Canadians say they are “heavily involved” in
development issues.
This
compares to 29% of non-religious people who say the same.
According
to the pollster, “the activities of the church have played a foundational role
in Canadian society, especially at the community level . . . in the NGO
community, religious affiliation has been common as well.”
As always, surveys like this are to be taken with a grain of salt.
I'd guess that, for many respondents, the first time they thought about the subject of aid was when they were contacted by the pollster. And the answers people give are shaped by the questions they are asked.
But it is still good information, and corroborates what other surveys have discovered about Canadian attitudes towards aid.
And if nothing else, they remind NGO professionals that we live in a bubble, and the way we see the world is not the way everyone sees it.
And that's always a good reminder.
As always, surveys like this are to be taken with a grain of salt.
I'd guess that, for many respondents, the first time they thought about the subject of aid was when they were contacted by the pollster. And the answers people give are shaped by the questions they are asked.
But it is still good information, and corroborates what other surveys have discovered about Canadian attitudes towards aid.
And if nothing else, they remind NGO professionals that we live in a bubble, and the way we see the world is not the way everyone sees it.
And that's always a good reminder.
Read
the full survey report here.
Also see another recent report from Angus Reid about whether Canadians support an increase in Canada's aid budget.
Also see another recent report from Angus Reid about whether Canadians support an increase in Canada's aid budget.
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