FORTY years ago, the interiors of Africa and Asia seemed dramatically remote and unfamiliar places.

Global travel in a shrinking world has changed that perception but recalling the attitudes of the late 60s and early 70s helps us to gain perspective on the scale of the achievement celebrated in a series of events at the weekend. For four decades, Jersey has been sending States-sponsored work parties of volunteers to help less fortunate communities in some of the world’s most deprived regions, a record of active overseas aid in which the Island can take a justifiable measure of communal pride.

Since the first party set out in 1972, over 100 projects have been completed around the globe under the auspices of the Overseas Aid Commission, which began life in 1968 as the States Overseas Aid Committee. They have brought benefits, usually related to health or education, capable of transforming utterly the lives and prospects of individuals and communities.

It would be impossible to place a value on the time, energy and goodwill invested by the hundreds of Islanders who have volunteered for those projects around the world, many of whom were reunited at the celebratory events. Many others have followed their example and launched aid projects of their own, resulting in the existence today of a remarkable number of home-grown outreach charities. As well as congratulations on what their hard work has achieved, all of them have earned Jersey’s thanks for being such excellent international ambassadors.

The level of the States’ commitment to overseas aid remains an occasionally contentious issue, but no one can deny that attitudes towards this essential government activity have matured greatly since the early days, when its political advocates had to overcome a degree of insular hostility based on a narrower ‘charity begins at home’ outlook to get the process started.

Through accidents of history and geography, exploited by its native talent for enterprise, Jersey has been able to turn itself into one of the richest communities in the history of the planet. It is right, by any moral, political or economic measure, that we should express some practical gratitude for that good fortune by sharing it with those in need around the world.

It should also be remembered that, while it may be born of economic imbalance, overseas aid is very much a two-way process. It changes the lives not only of those receiving the assistance but also of those giving it and few, if any, Islanders have returned from an overseas aid project without having experienced a profound effect on their outlook and understanding and consequential benefits for the wellbeing of their own society.