Guaka wrote:
First of all, 30% or so is already "wasted" on administration in developed countries. Then there's often conditions on the use of the money. For instance, USAID has the policy that its money should be spent on American products, where possible. That often means more expensive products. Then there's often the urge to finish the budget. If "this year's budget" isn't finished, next year's budget will be less. Often money is wasted like that. Then there's often incompetence, stupidity and/or the urge to use the highest-tech available. It's much cooler - for the NGO and for the local mayor - to show off a big shiny satellite dish (compared to a modem +telephone line). even if the satellite connection will cost the village 300 US$ every month. 300 dollars that will be paid to an American or European company, and that will have to be earned by the village population.
These days 'everyone' has a digital camera, so cameramen aren't really needed anymore, unless you're big time stuff like UNESCO...
"In Cambodia, over half of the international aide goes to 740 'international consultants' working in the country. In 2002 those 740 people were paid just as much as all the 160.000 people working in the Cambodian public sector." http://www.liberation.fr/page.php?Article=299724 (in French)
I hereby give my solemn promise to the community, that Wikimedia will never become an institution which wastes more money on photo shoots and consultants and looking good than in trying actually do something useful. This is really an outrageous situation when it happens, and I refuse to let us ever play that way. We're about people, people who care, people who can make a change. Let's never forget it.
--Jimbo