The promise of philanthropy
—Saleem H Ali
The responsibility on private philanthropy for development is even greater in the context of developing countries where we do not have such huge government sources of funds
As millionaires continue their ascent in a world of rampant inequality, much attention is being paid to private philanthropy and its impact on development. In Pakistan we have two cadres of wealth — the old feudal and merchant families with tell-tale names like Daultana and Lakhani, and then the more interesting generation of expatriate Pakistani millionaires in Europe, North America and Dubai. However, philanthropy is not only an upper class phenomenon and clearly incremental giving by the middle-class can make a difference in poverty alleviation. This is specially true of the growing cadre of affluent Pakistani professionals in North America.
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By far the most significant individual charity in Pakistan for development is the Aga Khan network of foundations, which have a collective asset base of almost half a billion dollars. Indeed, the Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy itself had its genesis with the Aga Khan Foundation. Such centralised sources of wealth deserve greater attention in research and must be applauded for their commitment.
Ismailimail 