Press: ČR most charitable of post-communist nations

Prague, Jan 20 (CTK) - Czechs seem to be the most charitable of all post-communist nations, judging by the sum Czech citizens have sent to countries hit by disasters, daily Mlada fronta Dnes (MfD) writes yesterday.

The willingness with which Czechs send money to the afflicted regions shows that they are not so indifferent and cold as some may believe, MfD writes.

"If compared with comparable states such as Slovakia, Hungary and Poland, the Czechs send much more [in aid of the afflicted regions]," Simon Panek, director of the People in Need humanitarian organisation, is quoted as saying.

In the Czech Republic, the sums collected in fund-raising campaigns have been the highest of all since the 1990s.

For example, the sum the Czechs collected in aid of the victims of the southeast Asian tsunami in 2004 was four times higher than that collected by Poles, a much bigger nation, let alone the Slovaks and Hungarians, both nations of a comparable size, MfD writes.

In a fund-raising campaign in aid of Slovakia's Tatra mountains, devastated by a windstorm in 2004, the Czechs even collected more money than the Slovaks themselves, MfD writes.

The willingness of Czechs to help those in need is also reflected in the 28 million crowns they have collected in aid of the earthquake-hit Haiti so far. This is more than the 20 million the Czech government has earmarked from its budget, MfD writes.

"In the past centuries, Bohemia and Moravia were subject to merciless plundering, perhaps with the exception of Emperor Charles IV's period (1346-78). As a result, the Czechs have the tendency to help those in need anchored in their genes. Their apparent indifference is but a masque," says sociologist Jaroslav Sykora.

Panek adds further reasons behind the charitable conduct of Czechs.

"Our Czech economy fares well, better than our neighbours'," he says.

Smootly functioning NGOs are capable of transforming people's donations into real aid. "In addition, we have experienced disastrous floods," Panek told MfD.

In the past two decades, Czech humanitarian and charity organisations have helped in more than 60 countries all over the world.

Besides, 50 regions, such as Ethiopia, Somalia and the Caribbean area have been helped by the Czech state. Since 2000 it has invested a total of 630 million crowns in 234 projects in support of the economy and health care in these countries, MfD writes.

"Among the new EU states we are also exceptional by having a special [chapter in the state] budget for helping people in need. Last year the budget reached 85 million crowns, this year it is projected at 73 million," says Foreign Ministry spokesman Jiri Benes.

According to psychologist Slavomil Hubalek, the spontaneous charitable behaviour of Czechs may be connected with their relatively widespread atheism.

"It is definitely worth considering whether this [charity] is something for us to compensate our lack of faith," Hubalek is quoted as saying.

He recalls that in 1997 and 2002 people not only sent money in aid of the Czech regions then devastated by disastrous floods, but many even spent their holiday helping the victims to tackle the flood aftermath.

Ready to help those in need, Czechs have shown dissatisfaction with what they consider the cabinet's insufficient and sluggish aid to Haiti following the January 12 earthquake.

"It has no sense to send uncoordinated aid to Haiti where it would remain lying at the packed Port-au-Prince airport for many weeks," Benes explains.

The ministry therefore prefers buying the necessary services from the countries that have traditionally a strong influence in Haiti and whose teams operate there, such as France, some Hispanic states and mainly the U.S., Benes said.

Panek said the Czechs are excellent in quickly helping regions hit by a disaster. Unfortunately, the situation is worse when it comes to the Czech people's support to poor regions where nothing is happening at the moment, Panek told MfD.