LAHORE – The Pakistanis are part of the highest giving community in the world when it comes to philanthropy. Chairman of the Board Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy (PCP), Dr Shams Kassim Lakha said this while speaking at the Global Philanthropy for Development Forum at The Frederick S Pardee Centre Boston. He said the developed world, in terms of philanthropy, has now become not only a potent donor, but is driving the development agenda of the underdeveloped world.
“Philanthropy thus, is now recognised as a significant global player that can help assuage suffering through providing both relief and sustainable remedy if strategically utilized. Especially in Pakistan, the potential of philanthropy is being seen as one of the possible means that can be used to support the needs of the development sector. It was philanthropy he said that played a lead role in reaching out to the victims of the recent devastating floods in Pakistan”, he added.
He said that if we look at giving as a percentage of GDP as reported by an ERNST & YOUNG Compilation in 2010, we have the following figures: USA (2.2%), UK (1.3%) Canada (1.2%), (Hong Kong 0.4%), Singapore (0.3%), India (0.2%) and China (0.2%). The figures for Pakistan were last researched in the year 2000 and revealed its giving levels to be 2.2%/2.3%.
The above figures, he quoted, are indicative that Pakistani’s are the highest giving community in the world.
