This Christmas will be different. We’ll still be drinking bubbly, but talking about a different sort of bubble. There will still be presents but this year many us will have risked our lives to buy them. And finally, we have a water-tight excuse not to send an invite to that Uncle Patrick.
Oh, and like every year, the newspapers might run some scare-stories about aid.
So you’re sitting down at the table with family and the subject of aid comes up. ‘You’ll never guess what we’re spending our aid money on now!…’
It might not be the Christmas conversation you want, but it’s the Christmas conversation you may have, and here’s a rough guide on how to handle it.
Focus on the success stories
Did you know that UK aid helps vaccinate 400 million children against polio? Or that it supports the education of over 1 million girls who would otherwise be left out?
You don’t need to bombard your family with facts and figures. (Actually, we’ve found that this doesn’t work.) And you don’t need to talk directly about what the newspaper said or engage in whataboutery. (‘Well, there are other people struggling too y’know’.) Instead, have the conversation that you want to have. Talk about the ways in which aid is working – who it is helping and how.
UK aid supports programmes that have an enormous impact on children’s (and adults’) lives. For every story that might get a bad press, there are literally thousands of projects out there doing vital work you can talk about instead. (See for yourself!)
Let’s raise a glass to that this Christmas. UK aid is a huge success, let’s talk about that! And if you want a great example of UK aid, this is Mahama refugee camp.
Imagine a world without aid
It seems counter-intuitive, but many of the programmes that UK aid funds could create a world where aid is no longer necessary.
Think about a vaccine (this Christmas, you might not be thinking about much else). A community that is not vaccinated against a disease will have to deal with outbreaks. Plus knock on effects, including children missing out on school, or not reaching adulthood. But if we train healthcare workers to vaccinate their community, more children can go school, get educated and lead a full life.
This creates a virtuous circle. More children in education means more adults in better jobs. That means more tax revenue which means more money for things like … vaccination programmes.
So when you’re talking about aid, imagine a world without aid – what would that be like? How would we get there?
There are many paths to a better world. But the one that’s currently working to protect against disease, teach kids to read and help more children get the nutrition they need – that’s UK aid!
Centre your compassion and be proud
No one wants people to starve. Everyone believes that all children should go to school.
If you’re having a difficult conversation, bring it back to some common ground. Aid upholds many of the values we all share.
We’ve all helped get food for our neighbours if they’re isolating with coronavirus; none of us would hesitate to offer a couch to sleep on if a friends’ house was flooded. That really, is what aid is, just on a larger scale. Sometimes this gets lost when disagreements become heated.
And remember that aid is an area where the UK does a lot of good. We provide expertise so that other countries can build up strong systems in areas like education, or healthcare. We use our connections to other countries to bring them around a table and work together to solve big problems. We can be proud of that – it’s a great example of how we play an influential role in the world.
.. and be brave!
Let’s be honest, many of us have difficult conversations at Christmas. The family you don’t see very often, the stress of the big day, that second (or was it third?) glass of fizz, these are not recipes for a constructive conversation. If a family member says something you don’t agree with, it can be easier to grit your teeth and say nothing. And that’s totally fine.
But it’s not your only option.
This Christmas, there’s a lot at stake for children. UK aid programmes that save lives are facing the axe. But together can stop that from happening if enough of us speak out.
So if you can, take a deep breath, stay calm, and speak out for UK aid. And have a very merry Christmas.
