Pakistani Perplexity

For me, the debate is not SHOULD we help; that is a given. Instead, I wonder to what extent help should be given to countries in need. On one hand, I think it is important for countries to be able to support themselves based on the resources available to them. However, the ability of countries to do so usually depends on the competency of governments, as well as the amount and type of resources available to each country. A less developed country like Pakistan may already be experiencing economic disadvantages, and this unavoidable disaster has only added to its problems. 

However, it is important to note that the rest of the world is also experiencing economic crisis; people are (somewhat selfishly) holding onto money to fund their own families. We are all world citizens and members of the global community, and yet we feel as though we must take care of ourselves before we can take care of others. And to add to this conundrum, the global community is experiencing further economic uncertainty. We still do not know when the economic crises will be alleviated, and so society feels as though money needs to be conserved and saved for the future--no unnecessary expenses (although I’m sure that the Pakistani people would certainly disagree!).

Despite the many varying excuses for NOT giving, I feel like there are so many more important reasons to aid in Pakistan’s recovery. Regardless of race, language, and religion, these people are experiencing hardship which we cannot imagine, not even in our nightmares. We live in a beautiful, prosperous and generally forgiving country, but we need to learn how to be global citizens instead of just members of the local community. Global support will not only help to provide for Pakistan; it will also contribute to the wellbeing of the global community as a whole, socially, culturally and economically. If one country struggles, we all face the consequences as an interconnected and co-dependent community. And who are we to say that we cannot help another country because we are too busy helping ourselves? There is no reason why, in a few years, we could not be in Pakistan’s position, with a natural disaster threatening everything that we have built and worked towards. Our selfishness will not be able to save us then. Only by creating and nurturing friendly ties with our global community can we ensure our own survival through the good times as well as the bad. As the Beatles so famously said, “I get by with a little help from my friends.” 

After considering this, I truly think that we must learn to give up some of our own comfort and luxury to help Pakistan. I do not think that it is solely the job of the global community to restore Pakistan’s former standard of living; the local government must be responsible for some of the re-building. However, without input from Canadians and other world citizens with the monetary means to help, Pakistan (nor any other disaster-plagued country) will ever be able to recover.