Charity and Global Solidarity - A Dying Idealism?

Authors

  • Stig Wall Umeå University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36368/shaj.v4i1.1119

Keywords:

charity, global health, solidarity, development

Abstract

This opinion piece raises concerns about whether solidarity can remain broad or will narrow to self-interest-driven initiatives, compounded by current aid policies linking assistance to trade benefits and redirecting development funds closer to home.

My Rotary group took on a project supporting the Galkayo Education Center for Peace and Development (GECPD) in Somalia, founded by women’s rights activist Hawa Aden Mohammed. The project, driven by her vision, emphasized education for girls, addressing inequalities tied to poverty and cultural practices like female genital mutilation. Over three years, we funded a teaching position and covered school fees for underprivileged students. By connecting local and global actions, this effort exemplifies how solidarity can transcend geographical and cultural divides. Working in such initiatives not only contributes to social change but also offers personal growth, underscoring the enduring value of innovative engagement models in an evolving world.

Author Biography

Stig Wall, Umeå University

Professor emeritus, Department of Epidemiology and Global Health

Downloads

Published

2024-12-19

How to Cite

Wall, S. (2024). Charity and Global Solidarity - A Dying Idealism?. Somali Health Action Journal, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.36368/shaj.v4i1.1119

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 1 (2024)

Section

Debates

License

Copyright (c) 2024 Stig Wall

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

This is an open access journal, which means that all content is freely available without charge to the user or his/her institution. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles featured in the journal without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This is in accordance with definition of open access as formulated by the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI). All authors who publish in this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the SHAJ the right of first publication. The work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which allows others to share and distribute the work as long as it is attributed to the author and its initial publication in the SHAJ is acknowledged.
  2. Authors are encouraged to distribute the work themselves with information on its initial publication in the SHAJ, e.g. upload it to open repositories linked to their personal website or institutional affiliation, or publish it in a book.

The SHAJ is permitted non-exclusive distribution of the work, with attribution to the author, e.g. in a print book themed anthology.