International Day of Charity poses questions about giving – and how we give

September 5 was the International Day of Charity, declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012 in order to highlight the developmental and aid roles of charitable giving.

The date, 5 September, was selected as the International Day of Charity because it was the anniversary of the death of Mother Theresa of Calcutta who received the 1979 Nobel Peace prize and was world-renowned for her charitable activities. Various happenings take place around the world, but it has not received much high-profile coverage in South Africa.

There is a critique of charity and Mother Theresa in particular. While there is always room for charity or relief in times of crisis such as wars, fire or flood, the question is whether charity actually sustains a system resulting in poverty and inequality by providing on-going support, either with funding, food or shelter, that makes poverty bearable, rather than encouraging citizens to change the system so that it is more inclusive and provides greater opportunities for all.