Using CIDA Funding to quiet dissent

[bcholmes]

This is an important read regarding the politicized nature of aid:

Aid groups say the federal government is casting a chill over advocacy work that takes positions on policy or political issues – and one claims a senior Conservative aide warned them against such activities.

An official with a mainstream non-governmental aid group said that Keith Fountain, policy director for International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda, gave a verbal warning that the organization's policy positions were under scrutiny: “Be careful about your advocacy.”

The official did not want to be identified out of concern that it might jeopardize funding for the group's aid projects from the Canadian International Development Agency, or CIDA.

— "Canadian aid groups told to keep quiet on policy issues", The Globe and Mail

This comes as no surprise to me. Especially with the recent stuff about Kairos losing their funding.

Last year, I wrote a letter to one of the charities that I contribute to -- this was just shortly after Oda declined Haiti's request for more say over the projects that Canada funds. In my letter, I pointed out the charity in question takes CIDA funding and that I'm growing more and more suspicious of CIDA's priorities and objectives.

They phoned me. They totally understood what I was saying, and appreciated having a donor who was up-to-speed on these kinds of issues.

One of the recommendations that I've been making to people is that if you've given money to an aid agency -- especially a CIDA-funded agency like the Red Cross -- consider following up with a letter to let them know that you're concerned about situations like this.

(One of the things I like about MSF is that they declined CIDA funding for their operations in Haiti precisely for these reasons).