Philanthropic Traditions
It's true that the world's religions attempt to instill in their adherents a sense of obligation toward others. That one has a moral and ethical duty to think of others, and particularly those in a community who are seen to be needful of assistance. At one time this spirit of giving encouraged by religion was confined to those who shared the same religion, or ethnic group, and that was reasonable at a time when travel and re-settlement in countries other than that of birth was rare.In a country like the United States where it was established that the State would remain separate from religion, even at a time when religious adherents were mostly Protestant Christian with a Roman Catholic minority, the enterprise of charitable giving was well established. Government could not be all things to all people, and people themselves stepped in to fill the gap. As was done elsewhere in Europe where, for example, municipalities would operate poor houses for their indigent populations. Dignity there was none, but survival was possible.
The tradition of philanthropy emerged in the United States on a truly grand scale. The Carnegie Foundation established public libraries throughout the United States to encourage literacy and the love of learning, reading. Canada too was the recipient of this charitable largesse, with Carnegie-funded libraries operating in this country as well. Within the United States private citizens of great wealth, along with corporate donors of great conscience made life considerably better in many ways for great hordes of underprivileged citizens.
In this sense, the United States stands out as a beacon to the rest of the world, for its generosity, its willingness to share with others the goods of this world. Just as the American people in general have done likewise through their successive governments in giving aid and support to countries around the world, living through natural disasters and man-made ones. That's the flip side of a government representing a world power and which often interferes in the worst possible way in the affairs, political and social of other countries.
Canada has a tradition and a culture very similar to that of the United States. Our immigrant-based population bears many resemblances to that of the United States. Despite which, some of our values, our customs, our priorities remain somewhat different. Unfortunately, the tradition of philanthropy simply does not exist within Canada on anything resembling the scale that it does in the United States.
Canada has no billionaires of the stature of Bill Gates or Warren Buffet with staggering financial resources at their command who will decide for the good of humankind to establish charitable institutions for the purpose of making a huge difference in the lives of countless millions of unfortunate around the globe. When a Canadian of huge fortune leaves a relative pittance of his great estate to some kind of charity, an art institution or a university we make a huge fuss about their generosity.
But this kind of generosity is, after all, a relative manner. In comparison to the sheer uncomprehending scale of the riches of a Bill Gates or a Warren Buffet and the decision to use the huge bulk of it to alleviate misery in the world, Canadian philanthropy is but an afterthought.
posted by Pieface @ Wednesday, July 05, 2006
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