Provide adequate food. That means that the population would receive not only enough calories to do a day's work, but also a balanced diet and is not suffering from malnutrition. When the attention of one economist was drawn to the plight of starving Africans, he remarked "simply build up their infrastructure." That kind of callous disregard for humans functioning in a grossly deprived area, reminds one of the comment by Marie Antoinette "If the people don't have enough bread, let them eat cake." How can people "build up their infrastructure" if they are too weak from hunger?? These starving people do not have the luxury to eat chateaubriand, caviar and escargot. They just need to be provided with the basics; a balanced diet so they have the energy to begin improving their nation's infrastructure.
Yes, the infrastructure needs rebuilding in many impoverished countries, but how do you do that until they have enough food to do a day's work? How can keep the people well fed when they are multiplying faster than the incoming food needed to support them?? A few hundred Hercules transport planes simply cannot keep up. Is the only way to stop the population growth is to let them starve to death? Is that humanitarian? Can we ignore them because their govenment is corrupt, that there is religious conflict in the region or simply because they are non-white? (See Plenty of Food Falacy)
Sending in needy food is essential as a start, but if that is the ONLY thing accomplished, the only benefits will be to make those who promote these care programs feel good and remain delusional. That simple minded action will be like pouring water up hill. In the end the people will be worse off than before, if their population growth is not stabelized.
Provide adequate medical care. When parents of starving and diseased populations see their children dying, the seemingly obvious strategy is to have as many children as possible to offset the high death rate of ther offspring. That will tend to provide offspring who will care for them in their old age. Unfortunately that strategy only exacerbates the problem since food will become ever increasingly scarce. As the population becomes more dense and malnutrition worsens, epidemics will inevitably follow, and their children will die at an ever increasing rate.
So, supplying food is the first step. Add to food, adequate medical care to reduce infant deaths and chidren mortality, will give parents hope. But all of this is still not enough to prevent disaster. Birth control must be made available and FREE to everyone. When parents see that their children will not die in their arms, they will be more receptive to using methods of birth control, providing that religious fanatics do not oppose birth control techniques by spewing their lies in the name of some God or for some devious political ends.
Provide education. First of all, it is essential to educate both men AND women. By depriving women education will deprive a nation of half of its brain power. In addition,both men and women have something fundamental to add to a society; its culture, politics, economics and development. Secondly, education must be free of the shackles of political, cultural and religious dogma. Only a free society can make advancements that will free them of unnecessary hardships of famine, disease and poverty. The primary means of solving poverty is education followed by population stabelization. A country that is spiraling out of control with respect to population growth will never solve its problems of poverty and economic frustrations.
Provide free contraceptives. When people are educated, they will choose to have fewer children because they will realize that it is impossible to have many children and give them a chance for a good education and opportunities in life. When contraceptives are free, even the poorest people can enjoy the pleasures of sex and not fear unwanted pregancies. In addition, the numbers of abortions will decrease. Abortions are not to be considered a valid form of birth control. Abortions are a last resort, desperate act to prevent an unwanted birth. It is better to prevent the pregnancy in the first place than to resort to the undesirable act of abortion.
Raise the status of women. Women should not rule the world, nor should men. There must be an equal sharing of influence and power for both. Women must gain equal status with men, because as mentioned >nor should men. There must be an equal sharing of influence and power for both. Women must gain equal status with men, because as mentioned above, both men and women have something fundamental to add to a society; its culture, politics, economics and development. To restrict women's role to having babies and doing menial tasks in the home or in the fields is making women into property of men and placing them into slavery. Such a society will suffer great hardships, and all of the people will be frustrated and desparate (both women and men).
