Brazil chooses prostitution over AIDS funding
BBC News reports today that Brazil has rejected $40 million in U.S. funds to combat HIV because it comes on the condition that they fight prostitution as well. The Brazilian government accuses the American government of "bullying" theirs and other countries into such conditions. Now normally, Brazil and other countries have no problem accepting millions of dollars in American funds, especially to fight off a worldwide catastrophe like HIV, but once the U.S. attaches conditions aimed at further reducing the disease's spread, we suddenly become the oppressors.
This wouldn't bother me quite as much if it weren't for the constant calls for the U.S. and other wealthy nations to pony up more cash to halt the spread of HIV. Fighting this disease will require more than just cash from the developed world. It will also take fundamental changes in both policy and culture throughout the developing world. In Swaziland, it means banning institutions like polygamy. In China, it means raising the status of women. And in Brazil, part of the solution will have to include combatting prostitution.
This fight ultimately affects us all. Despite complaints, the U.S. is doing its part by contributing $15 billion to global efforts. Certainly it is not too much to expect the recipients to put forth some effort as well.
This wouldn't bother me quite as much if it weren't for the constant calls for the U.S. and other wealthy nations to pony up more cash to halt the spread of HIV. Fighting this disease will require more than just cash from the developed world. It will also take fundamental changes in both policy and culture throughout the developing world. In Swaziland, it means banning institutions like polygamy. In China, it means raising the status of women. And in Brazil, part of the solution will have to include combatting prostitution.
This fight ultimately affects us all. Despite complaints, the U.S. is doing its part by contributing $15 billion to global efforts. Certainly it is not too much to expect the recipients to put forth some effort as well.
posted by Your Friendly Neighborhood Clark Bar at 5/04/2005 03:14:00 PM
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1 Comments:
I completely agree with you but at the end of the day you can't forget that no nation wants to admit that they need our charity. If we give them money for free, their governments can view them as gifts. In fact, South Africa is famous for calling our contributions, gifts between friends.
Once we slap a condition on it, it affirms the power structure we're rich and you're not. And by the way, you need our help cause you're all dying. I think this is a diplomacy PR problem, but I doubt it's one that Karen Hughes can fix.
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