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About this quote

What does it mean?
ElBaradei contrasts high global armament spending with low development aid, noting that 850 million people still suffer from hunger despite available resources.
In plain terms
The world spends much more on weapons than on helping the poor, leaving many to starve.
What can you take from it?
Increase development aid relative to military spending.

Where it applies

  • public policy
  • economic planning
  • charity

Putting it to work

  • increase official development aid
  • audit spending priorities
  • advocate for change

Questions to consider

  • What justifies high armament spending over feeding people?
  • How much aid is enough to end hunger?

Another view

Economic priorities are often set by strategic interests rather than humanitarian need.

More from Mohamed ElBaradei

  1. Fifteen years ago, when the Cold War ended, many of us hoped for a new world order to emerge. A world order rooted in human solidarity - a world order that wou…

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  2. My friend James Morris heads the World Food Programme, whose task it is to feed the hungry. He recently told me, 'If I could have just 1 per cent of the money …

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  3. What is more important is that these are not separate or distinct threats. When we scratch the surface, we find them closely connected and interrelated. We are…

    Permalink to quote #14

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