Another Scandal in Brazil

     

Source: http://www.thelogofactory.com/logo_blog/wp-content/uploads/2005/09/red-cross-islamic-crescent-red-diamond.png

       

              One of the biggest multi-national Non-Government organization in the world is the Red Cross. When we think Red cross, we think disaster relief.  But they do more than that. 

               In addition to disaster relief, the Red Cross is tries to educate the community, and help people who live in the slums. The Brazilian Red Cross has helped provide clean water to people who don’t have access to it. They educate the community about drugs. The provide first aid courses to the homeless.  They even have courses that deal with police brutality.  This is all according to their website (https://www.ifrc.org/en/what-we-do/where-we-work/americas/brazilian-red-cross/).

               What the Brazilian red cross does, and what they are supposed to do are two separate things. The last time the news showed the Red cross doing something good was in 2011. For the past year, all of the news about the red cross has been about a corruption scandal. (http://www.trust.org/item/20140728192008-s2yc1)

               An audit in 2014 found that about $10 million dollars (local currency) has been illegally diverted from the Red Cross between 2010 and 2012. Most of the people who have been involved in the scandal have been caught in July 2014 (http://curitibainenglish.com.br/government/improvements/corruption-officials-caught/).

               We have a responsibility to make sure NGO’s keep their promises. NGO’s are a bureaucracy. Just to operate these cost money. There is the matter of paying the executives who run the NGO. I’m sure they make more than their share of money.  Then there are the overhead costs. Running these organizations cost a lot of money. When you donate to them not all your money is going to the cause, but a lot of that money is going to the organization.

               NGO’s are regulated, but the regulations are not necessarily complete. Besides, they vary from country to country, or even city to city. With a lack of regulation, these types of scandals can easily happen.

               Don’t get me wrong, I do think the Red Cross is a good organization, but when we donate, we need to do our homework. After all, it is these NGO’s who are the ones providing the help to thsose in need when it is otherwise not available.