The recent reports of sexual exploitation by officers of aid organisations in Haiti and elsewhere illustrate the truth of Aristotle's dictum about systems of governance, that the corruption of the best is the worst form of corruption.
The factors that contribute to such disgraceful behaviour are complex. They illustrate the constant need for self-reflection personally and in organisations, especially when one is doing good works.
Those who have worked in places of humanitarian disaster recognise the heightened sense of being alive and of the importance of seizing the moment which often accompanies such work. As with the British pilots who fought in the Battle of Britain, relationships are easily formed and become very intense, and the boundaries of acceptable behaviour become fluid. Self-preoccupation and a righteous cause can easily dispel self-reflection.
In such an environment aid workers are by definition the good guys. They are vulnerable to the sense of entitlement evident in the sexual exploitation of the people whom the aid staff came to help. Central officers of the organisations, too, can be so focused on supporting their people in the risks and difficulties of their work that they do not monitor their behaviour.
The scandals in Haiti and elsewhere clearly underline the importance of care in choosing and supervising staff. They also prompt reflection on how people committed to help others in need should best understand their mission and with what attitude they should engage in it.
The basic attitude of aid workers is clearly the desire to give rather than to get. That line certainly excludes overtly mercenary or exploitative motivation, but beneath its virtue more selfish instincts can fester. It can helpfully be complemented by older sources of wisdom. Jesus' instructions to his disciples when he sends them out to preach the good news, for example, are as pertinent and subtle as they are initially puzzling.
He tells them to go out into the villages, taking a stick for walking, but no food, no extra clothing, no money to buy such things nor bag to carry them in, and to stay only when hospitably received.
"The attitude with which organisations and their workers bring emergency aid is critical. The heart of their work is to build relationships that will empower people."
The reasons for such instructions were not primarily ascetic but strategic. Without resources the disciples would be forced to beg food, drink and shelter. This meant that they had to see themselves first