Opinion Articles

SOUL MATTERS: Wishing upon superstar holds little hope
By Barry Urwin

It’s about benefiting the many, not the few, says Barry Urwin.

Are we experiencing a new public relations strategy or a new breed of more compassionate and caring ‘superstars’?

This is an interesting question in light of recent media coverage of Madonna’s adopting a child from Malawi. Other ‘stars’ have made statements suggesting they too would like to help a child from a poor community.

This phenomenon is not new. Celebrities have displayed varying degrees of philanthropy for decades, although not always with such fanfare. In fact many celebrities choose to do so anonymously. Others have set up foundations to manage the funds provided and act as collection facilities for further funding.

The issue here is not judging Madonna’s actions, but supporting children, particularly those in deprived or at risk communities, in the best ways that we can.

Is sponsorship the answer?
Is it adoption and consequent dislocation?
Is the provision of financial support to address the immediate needs the best response?
Should we develop programs aimed at self sufficiency and education?

As Diocesan Director of Catholic Mission, the Catholic Church’s international Mission Aid agency supporting communities in over 160 countries, the latter sits most comfortably with me.

We know that education provides the means to build communities which can sustain themselves and influence their own future positively. Can sufficient numbers of children be “adopted” to begin that process? Can sufficient children be sponsored and thereby given the opportunity to achieve their potential?

Catholic Mission runs Children’s Mission Partners which initially was designed to engage children in the developed world to support and raise funds for children in the developing world: children helping children. This program now allows adults or families to join as “partners” providing necessities for the children in a community: educational resources, school meals, immunisation, shelter, medical treatment, disability assistance, teacher salaries, visiting medical specialists, staffing refuges, supplying resources to AIDS clinics, assisting with the building of refuges, schools, rehabilitation centres and the like.

The underlying philosophy is simple – the support provided by donations from generous and loyal supporters enables Catholic Mission to assist not just one but many children in the particular community. This removes the necessity of identifying an individual child and selecting who receives the benefit of others’ generosity. It also enables children, whether orphaned or members of a family, to receive assistance which will benefit all the children in the local community. For example, all families will have an opportunity to have their children immunised against small pox or receive treatment for malaria. Families who have difficulty paying for schooling can be assisted to ensure the children receive basic education. 

We are generous people. When catastrophe strikes, we respond quickly. The unfortunate reality is that for millions of our world’s most disadvantaged there isn’t an earthquake or tsunami or ‘superstar’ bringing their plight into focus. Most suffer their difficulties away from the headlines, suffering in silence, dying without dignity or living with little hope for a better tomorrow.

barry.urwin@mn.catholic.org.au

*This article was published in The Newcastle Herald, 20th November 2006.