by Patrick Tay

Created on: December 18, 2008

This seems to be the common proposed solution when it comes to resolving the issues troubling impoverished and war-torn countries. I do not know the exact reasons but I figure that it's due to our perception that the success of almost everything in life originates from knowing the "how" through the gaining of knowledge/expertise. In another words, it's the receiving of education, or of being educated. Seen in this light, we can understand why many advocates push for education in these countries, such as creating AIDS awareness, increasing literacy level and resolving conflicts in the region through proper education.

However, this is regrettably not a workable solution since we humans tend to satisfy our needs in a certain order, best illustrated by Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. In countries ripped with poverty and torn by conflicts, educating people is not going to work, be it to reduce violence or to prevent the spreading of diseases.

Now, let's have a look at the issue of violence first. Most of us know that violence cannot stamp out violence. However, at the same time, we feel that people can be educated to be peace-loving people through education. This is most likely going to work in times of peace and more importantly, when people's needs are satisfied. However, in impoverished countries torn by conflicts, there's a vast imbalance between people from these countries and the developed countries. This imbalance primarily caused by the widening income gap between the rich and the poor- are creating dissatisfaction and frustration in people. It is creating jealousy and resentment. The scale of human equality is now heavily tipped. This has always been so since the age of capitalism but this imbalance is most prominently seen and felt in impoverished and conflict-torn countries. Seen in this light, education will not work. People's needs must be satisfied first. But how can this achieved? From Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, we can see that people's basic needs must be satisfied first, which means food and water. This brings us to another issue that will compromise the people's quality of life in these impoverished and war-torn countries: diseases.

In recent years, we can see aid coming to these countries through the provision of medical facilities, supplies and services. And this is the right step in the right direction. Considering that food supply is still in shortage in this part of the world, it is comforting to see that the world has come to the aid

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