Civilization with and without Price

The rich and the famous in this part of the world have traditionally donated to the schools, churches, temples, hospitals, universities, social welfare organization in return for their name or chosen name to be honored or christened to a building, library, lab, faculty, a wing, an auditorim, a hall or even a gold/blonze statue.

It is common sight of seeing someone's wife or mother being honored in Hong Kong.

Whether it is sensational or otherwise, naming the donor is sometimes rather controversial.

There was a huge debate several years ago whether it is fine for HKU to name its medical faculty after LKS for his HKD 100 million donation.

Actually, all these are fine so long the common good is the objective and credit/honor ought to be given when it is due. I am inclined to believe that creating competition or a sort of market base incentive for charity serves the public good.

Big-ticket charity is often neither nameless nor faceless. We don't and shouldn't expect it to be altruistic. I recall even a small temple donation of just couples of ringgit get a mention in my little home town.

An issue confronted by most societies over here is that they are too often themselves not affluent to support "these civilizational causes".

It is costly to run a public library and etc. (recently, i read of Phily major is closing quite a number of them due to budget deficit. What about maintening a Cantonese opera or some marginal cultural or other social interest?

How much of these should and could be taken by the govt?

New York is different and certainly more lucky than perhaps all other places in the world with a tradition of generosity and charity. As a trading port and as a finance center of the world, the wealth generated (some argued they are virtual until it is spent) has allowed massive historically/artistically/civilizational-important collection for display and appreciation.

My Hong Kong has a much shorter history as an affluent society. She doesn't have a foundation-run library or a world class muzium or gallery with permanent collection of privately-owned but publiy displayed antiques and etc.

There are other equally civilizational traits that I am proud of.

Being one of the most affluence society in Asia, she is pretty spontaneous in responding to charitable cause whether it is a relief of earthquake or adoption of an African kids living in dire straits or rebuilding a Sizhuan/Tibetan school in an earthquake aftermath.

I also recall reading somewhere a survey that HKger, not just the rich, has the highest percentage of giving out of pocket donation (without tax rebate) in this part of the world.

They are the one who step out from the MTR station and reach into their pocket for several token of coins and placed them into a tiny bag in return for a small flag (sticker actually) attached to their chest or on their sleave.

They are the one who rang the toll free number to pledge a donation in response to a charitable concert/TV show.

These are my unsung hero who are generous and charitable whose name are most likely not recorded in the annal of history but whose deed are no less noble.

This gesture allows many NGO, social and religious cause to survive.

To understand how this social work and charity permeate this society, I notice that there is a large number of the full time social workers paid by various foundation in HK that in turn warrant a functional legislative seat allocated to this sector.

Let me drift to Taiwan. Many hospitals in Taiwan are named in similar style after the classic MSKCC. You find Wang Yung Ching naming hospitals he set up after his dad's name.

Actually, when you came to think about it, isn't our human civilization based on that little cooperation, charity and courtersy without which how could there be community in the first place even before we talk about civilization. Price is just one of the variable.