Salient. Official Newspaper of the Victoria University Students' Association. Vol 44 No. 5. March 30 1981

Hard Line Christian Views

Hard Line Christian Views

World Vision was imported to New Zealand half-way through the 70's and is described as being built along the lines of a multi-national. It is administered by a hierarchy involving about 100 people - compared, say, with CORSO's full-time administrative staff of ten.

A significant percentage of World Vision's funds are spent propagating hardline Christian views in the Third World. The Milk-biscuit-and-bible approach of World Vision aid is criticised because it does nothing to get to the real roots of poverty and hunger. Convert someone to Christianity and give them a milk biscuit on Sunday, they'll be hungry and Hindu again on Monday.

The fundamental criticism of World Vision is that it does little or nothing to explain the causes of oppression and poverty in the Third World. Its image is that of the starving child and its method of appealing to the public is based on guilt - "... she has so little ... we have so much."

We are asked to sponsor an individual (usually a child) to "change his/her life forever". Unfortunately this often means the child becomes a member of a privileged elite, educated as a doctor or lawyer who is then totally divorced from his/her original community.