Page 38 - Education World November 2022

Cover Story

REVIVING THE LOST ART OF

PHILANTHROPY & FUNDRAISING

Against the backdrop of growing wealth inequality and hunger,
a rising wave of philanthropy funding is gathering momentum
G
around the world and in India. According to the lob al
Philanthropy R eport 2 0 2 1 , the education sector is specially
favoured by philanthropic foundations and high networth
individuals

Dilip Thakore

T WO MOMENTOUS RECENTLY released half the countries tracked by the CRI Index cut the share

reports on the eve of the 23rd anniver-
of social protection spending, 70 percent cut the share of
education spending, while two-thirds of countries failed to
sary of EducationWorld — The Human
increase their minimum wage in line with gross domestic
Development Magazine (regst.1999),
product (GDP). Ninety-five percent of countries failed to
have the potential to greatly influence
the future of India’s children who de-
spite loud official protestations to the
the same time, a small group of governments from across
contrary, are floundering in shallows increase taxation of the richest people and corporations. At
the world bucked this trend, taking clear actions to combat
and misery. inequality, putting the rest of the world to shame.” As a
On October 11, Oxfam International released the fourth special India report included in this survey elaborates, the
edition of its Commitment to R educing I nequality I ndex government of India — a perennial laggard in social welfare
( CR I I ) 2022. The index reviews the “spending, tax and spending, especially on education and healthcare — isn’t in
labour policies and actions” of 161 countries worldwide, the latter category.
including India, during the period 2020-22. “Covid-19 has Although Oxfam International is well-known for its left
increased inequality worldwide, as the poorest people were of centre ideological moorings, its experience of conducting
hit hardest by both the disease and its profound econom- wealth inequalities, poverty measurement and hunger sur-
ic impacts. Yet CRII 2022 shows clearly that most of the veys for over eight decades commands respect, even if the
world’s governments failed to mitigate this dangerous rise anti-diluvian solutions anchored in obsolete communist/
in inequality. Despite the biggest global health emergency socialist ideology, are suspect. Founded by Oxford Univer-
in a century, half of low and lower-middle-income countries sity academics way back in 1942, Oxfam has established a
saw the share of health spending fall during the pandemic, global reputation for fundraising to provide financial and

38 EDUCATIONWORLD NOVEMBER 2022