Brad Pitt Interview on Poverty
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Dear All
Poverty and education in Africa is a major issue and as Bro N.Amin said
I think that we should set up a system of some sort to get money to these people rather than paying government companies.
even i dont believe where the money goes, if given to a group as charity. Many maybe eaten up by them or top level executives as per my tiny brain.
I dont trust them at all.
One thing we can do is, if any bro here resides nearby ie. Africa, we can generate funds and provide it to him to carry out the charity on our own instead of relying on a group of charity based company
We should create a fund A/c for charity and maintain records/accounting for the same.
For me, I believe it better to give charity myself than to rely on groups/charity organisation and I do so when i go to India or give it to my parents/relatives to forward it to the needy ones.
Peace
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Peace be upon you Zephyr,
Yes, it would be great if we could set up our own foundation, is there anyone here is in Africa? But then , at the same time, Africa is a BIG PLACE D But I guess we can start with seeing who is actually there. Hopefully it is someone who has been a regular participant so we can all feel comfortable with thier "righteousness".
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Peace all.
As Wakas said, there are ways of checking out various charities...they don't have to be "government" programs. There are many other options. And there is also God's guidance.
While I think contributions of any kind can be beneficial if they reach their intended targets, one thing that might be worth considering is the old "teach a man to fish" saying. There are charitable organizations that help people become more self-sufficient, as opposed to simply giving them money--opportunities instead of handouts. This kind of organization requires a staff of knowledgable people who can provide training or education...whatever is most needed.
It takes a while to set up a foundation and lots of work to administrate it and make decisions about how to best spend the money. There are also business papers to be filed for a non-profit organization that is licensed to accept donations. It's a huge undertaking, unless it's only for a one-time giving of money type of donation.
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peace be upon you all,
perhaps some of you remember my program/community for betterment, growth, and development i was planning to start not too long ago http//www.free-minds.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2374 and i know some of you remember my failed attempts at making workable forums for the program http//www.free-minds.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2968&highlight=program
well I finally got a great site going together for it, its more of an idealistic plan then just giving direct charity to people in "third world" countries but that is definitely included as part of the program, once i got most of the site together I will show it you except if The God wills, let me know your thoughts
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Update
Rock star Bono urges EU to open wallets for Africa
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Irish rock star Bono challenged EU leaders on Thursday to forget national politics and open their wallets to boost development aid for Africa and stop thousands dying every day in "stupid poverty."
"The message to EU leaders is don't blow it. This kind of momentum doesn't come every year," the U2 frontman, a leading campaigner for debt relief, told a news conference at European Union headquarters in Brussels.
"Put down your national flags, look up from the numbers and look to the future," he said, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.
He drew a rare round of applause from a packed press room, which Barroso and his commissioners often struggle to fill.
EU ministers recently agreed to hike aid spending to implement a U.N. global poverty plan, in the hope of shaming other rich donors like Japan and the United States into giving more. The plan aims to halve the world's worst poverty by 2015.
The new targets are part of a package aimed at raising EU aid to developing countries, particularly in Africa, and EU leaders should endorse them at a summit next week.
"People are dying for the most stupid reasons," Bono said. "These are avoidable catastrophes. It's not wide-eyed, misty-eyed Irish nonsense these are achievable goals."
The EU's target is to spend 0.7 percent of gross national income on official development aid in 10 years' time. This would boost aid by 20 billion euros a year from 2010, at a cost to taxpayers in the EU's old members of an extra 49 euros per head.
Scandinavia, particularly Denmark, was a shining example when it came to giving aid, whereas his own homeland -- Ireland -- appeared to be lagging despite its new wealth, he said.
And Germany, Europe's largest economy, needed to make good on its aid pledge and come up with hard cash, Bono said.
"Chancellor Schroeder has told me personally that he wants Germany to commit to 0.7 percent by 2015. I believe him when he tells me that," the singer said.
"But the man who holds the wallet, (Finance Minister Hans) Eichel ... needs to look up from the numbers and see that this is a moment in history for Germany to come out into the world.
"They have to break some rules at home in the budgetary process in order to be part of history," he said.
If EU leaders back the aid plan, they will still need to work out how to fund the ambitious targets. But agreement would strengthen Barroso's position when he speaks for the EU at the Group of Eight summit in Scotland in July.
As current chairman of the G8 industrialized powers, Britain has declared 2005 a make-or-break year for Africa and wants to drum up support from rich nations to increase aid to the world's poorest continent.
Barroso quoted a Bono song to explain why the EU should rise to the development aid challenge despite its political crisis after the rejection of the European constitution by French and Dutch voters.
"Don't worry baby. It's gonna be alright. Uncertainty can be a guiding light," the Commission chief said.
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Salaam,
On another forum, I'm also having this discussion with some other guys, and I thought I'd share previous post here also...
Is this really the best plan for ending poverty and hunger? I most honestly don't know. Both sides of the argument seem valid to me. I am having a hard time finding an unbiased look at how the group wants to achieve their goals. If somebody can show me that this is the best way to go about things, I will be more than happy to wear the white bracelet and hop on board with the movement.
Hey Mark,
I don't think there is such a thing as a 'best way'. I was thinking about the ways also, and came up with a blank. For years now, there have been charity organizations, private and government sponsored... yet poverty, hunger and disease is still rampant. Mainly, I attribute this to red-tape and corruption. The teach a man to fish concept is the way to go, especially if we're talking long-term. You'll also find that even government run charity organizations claim to do just that. A friend of mine told me about one organization - http//www.heifer.org - that does the kind of thing you're talking about. Again, this is not the best way because if you're
dealing with people who are almost on the brink of death with malnutrition, or AIDS, they don't need lessons on how to fish/farm... they need food and medicine.Since THE ONE campaign is simply asking for your "voice", I don't think it's a big deal to commit to that. On the other hand you can choose out of the many options available to give, either money or commodities or even services. Ofcourse, only after checking whether they're legit. wink BTW, some organizations provide detailed breakdowns on charity expenditure, including salaries. Not that it provides 100% assurance or anything...
Anyway, whatever you choose... there's a big element of trust involved... does the person in need, actually get what they need? Well, we could sit here and contemplate on that and have an excuse... or we could actually do something. idea
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peace to all,
I think its time for FM to organize entrepreneurs and come up with such business models that people can work, enjoy and be happy.
Just talk wont do anything......Lot of research has been done already. Lot of knowledge gained....Now its time to get in action. We have managed to let loose the heavy burdens of hadith/corrupted traditions. Now its time to roll the ball in the court.
FM should arrange some gathering place where new business plans will be developed and execute them for best result.
What do you guys think? What better place than internet can it be?
Peace
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The latest on the G8
http//news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4083676.stmI understand that it is frustrating that nothing seems to change even though aid continues to be given. And we rarely get to see where the money ends up. One possible way of seeing your personal contribution in action is to sponsor a child in a developing country. Regular feedback is given, with info & photos, even from the specific child benefiting from your contribution. One such example. Or give your time&money and volunteer for a project.
I dont believe it is essential to have a co-ordinated group effort, but I can see its benefits. If it can be done, all the better, but we must start with ourselves
"Be the change you want to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi
Wakas
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Just to echo Wakas,
Do you order the people to do good, but forget yourselves, while you are reciting the Scripture? Do you not understand?
I dont believe it is essential to have a co-ordinated group effort, but I can see its benefits.
As I said before, it doesn't make to much of a difference, unles we have a specific individual/family target, then it will make a significant impact.Peace.
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And another echo to wakas and zenje...waiting until the "right time" and for the "right charity" and the "right way," can all be ways of avoiding making small contributions "right now."
Plus, I strongly feel that we have no real control over the outcome. We do our best, try to be reasonable and logical about giving to a program or organization that has a good reputation, then leave the rest to God.
There is logical research, but there are no guarantees about anything. By that I mean, I could carry a hundred dollars directly to a needy family, put the cash in their hands, and then find out later the money was stolen when the family was on their way to the grocery store. Or that a strong wind came and blew it out into a field, where wild birds flew in and snatched up every bit of it.
God could easily provide for every person on earth out of His Bounty. Instead, he enlarges or restricts individual provisions, and He tests our willingness to part with what He's given us. Maybe we can wipe out poverty altogether and maybe we can't...but I think our duty lies in the striving to do so not in trying to control the outcome.
If someone is blessed with the ability to be a charitable fund organizer or fundraiser or with the means to start a foundation, wonderful. In the meantime, there are reputable organizations that do their best every day to help people in need. And they know that, with patience and persistence, tiny drops of water add up to whole buckets of water...or enough grains of rice to make a meal, enough books to start a class, enough materials to build a house or a hospital. Then once they've finished feeding, educating and building in one area, there's another waiting. Five dollars may not seem like much, but it works quite well when put together with the five-dollar donations from a hundred, a thousand or a hundred-thousand people.
Peace.
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Peace all,
I agree with sytalls excellent post...
Plus, I strongly feel that we have no real control over the outcome. We do our best, try to be reasonable and logical about giving to a program or organization that has a good reputation, then leave the rest to God.
God could easily provide for every person on earth out of His Bounty. Instead, he enlarges or restricts individual provisions, and He tests our willingness to part with what He's given us. Maybe we can wipe out poverty altogether and maybe we can't...but I think our duty lies in the striving to do so not in trying to control the outcome.That is the same approach i use...imo save the children is a good site, it gives a good breakdown and you can check up on what their activities have been during the past year, it used to have a better interface a couple years ago when you could donate to specific areas but that has changed a bit in the last year...as Zein noted in his post...
Anyway, whatever you choose... there's a big element of trust involved... does the person in need, actually get what they need? Well, we could sit here and contemplate on that and have an excuse... or we could actually do something.
Well said...i completely agree.
