One Back

Have you heard of the ONE campaign?  It appears to be an incredible non-profit organization with many goals centered around the elimination of poverty and disease, and helping provide basic human needs throughout the world.  With a  broad partner list that includes some of the most respected worldwide charitable organizations, the ONE campaign encourages active participation and political action.  It’s also very interesting to read about current issues and actions, and the website is updated regularly.

Recently, the ONE campaign proved instrumental in helping pass reauthorization of President Bush’s Emergency Plan for Aid’s Relief (PEPFAR 2008).  Many people do not realize this program was a specific development based on President Bush’s focus on helping others throughout the world.  Just yesterday PEPFAR passed in the U.S. Senate, reauthorizing 48 billion dollars for international assistance.    The ONE blog describes this and many other initiatives and interest issues.

 For more information, the below paragraph is from the ONE campaign website describing their organizational focus.

“We are a campaign of over 2.4 million people and growing from all 50 states and over 100 of America’s most well-known and respected non-profit, advocacy and humanitarian organizations. As ONE, we are raising public awareness about the issues of global poverty, hunger, disease and efforts to fight such problems in the world’s poorest countries. As ONE, we are asking our leaders to do more to fight the emergency of global AIDS and extreme poverty. ONE believes that allocating more of the U.S. budget toward providing basic needs like health, education, clean water and food would transform the futures and hopes of an entire generation in the world’s poorest countries.”

“ONE is nonpartisan; there’s only one side in the fight against global AIDS and extreme poverty. Working on the ground in communities, colleges and churches across the United States, ONE members both educate and ask America’s leaders to increase efforts to fight global AIDS and extreme poverty, from the U.S. budget and presidential elections to specific legislation on debt cancellation, increasing effective international assistance, making trade fair, and fighting corruption.”

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Filed under: People and Stories, Promoting Change

Cyclone Nargis has ravaged the nation of Myanmar, and international relief is slow getting into the nation.  Some reports have forecasted that up to 100,000 people may have perished and aid agencies are struggling to respond.  I’m not a fan of countries with dictatorships in terms of their politics or the effect that their leaders have on the people of those that live there. Most of the time the people remain oppressed and poor, and are not able to work out of poverty, subsisting only on the fortunes of the country where they live.

In the case of the people of Myanmar, or Burma as it was formerly known, it is unspeakably tragic that thousands of people lost their lives as a result of the recent cyclone.  Certainly the cyclone was a natural disaster and not the fault directly of the military junta that serves as their government, and yet if you have traveled to many nations within the region you would find that hundreds of thousands of people live in squalor along the coasts, and for miles inland. 

Because of how they live, and where they live, people living in this region are subject to the ravages of nature such as cyclones, floods and even earthquakes and tsunamis.  If the government of Myanmar were more inclined to help the people and the nation grow with the developing world, perhaps they might be better prepared in the face of such storms and natural disasters.  Yet even if warned beforehand, thousands of these people have nowhere else to go.

In the case of Myanmar, some have questioned if their government adequately warned the people of the threat.  More likely they simply didn’t understand it.  It’s difficult even to conceive of such numbers in terms of human loss however.  But now the relief effort is underway, and hopefully the leaders of that nation will open their borders and work with other nations to help the survivors.

The United Nations has pledged over $30 million dollars, and the U.S. is weighing a great deal of assistance if Myanmar will accept it. The U.S. is also currently awaiting permission to help with navy ships and personnel as they have done so often in the past for other nations.  But getting Myanmar to accept the help may be difficult.

“The U.S., which has offered at least $3.25 million, assistance, is still trying to persuade the ruling junta to allow humanitarian aid into the country, Villarosa said in the conference call.”

“We’re dealing with a very paranoid regime,” she said.

“Myanmar’s military rulers are “suspicious of outsiders and very sensitive to foreign influences,” Maureen Aung-Thwin, director of the Burma Project, said in an interview with Bloomberg Television today. “They admitted to 22,000” people killed, she said. “I believe the figure is higher than that. Somebody said 150,000 and I don’t think that’s untrue.”

For now all we can do is send our thoughts, prayers and donations to help the people of Myanmar.  International agencies are having a difficult time with the situation.    But the International and American Red Cross organizations are providing assistance, planning and financial help.  Many other relief agencies are scrambling to get organized and provide assistance also.

Click here for the Red Cross Donation Link

“The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has also released an initial $189,000 and shipped shelter kits, made up of tarps, ropes and hammers, to support the relief effort in Myanmar. Additionally, the American Red Cross is prepared to respond with financial aid, estimated at $100,000, to aid cyclone survivors.”

“The American Red Cross and International Federation also have emergency supplies – such as tarps, hygiene kits and insecticide-treated bed nets – pre-stocked in warehouses in Kuala Lumpur and Dubai, if requested.”

“The American Red Cross is in close contact with its colleagues at the Myanmar Red Cross and the International Federation. We continue to monitor the situation, assess the needs of survivors and stand prepared to offer additional assistance as future needs are identified.”

But relief workers are challenged to get help to those who need it as Myanmar Blocks Aid Workers.  This may even be inadvertent; when a country is so backward and not accustomed to collaboration and working with other nations, they are unprepared for the scale of the effort necessary to help their own people. 

I’m a strong believer in the strength of free nations and markets, democracy and open borders for I believe it fosters economic growth and prosperity for all people.  Nations who show the way to others in terms of freedom and liberty offer people hope, and a chance to work out of poverty.  No nation or people are immune to the suffering and hardship that exists around the world, but on balance, I believe those nations that help people and businesses grow are better off.  The nation itself is then better off and more prepared to deal with the challenges that life may bring. 

Perhaps in some way while the international community helps Myanmar with relief and assistance for their people, the leadership will begin to move toward a more open nation and future.

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Filed under: People and Stories, Promoting Change

Inspiration and change takes many forms. As I write this tonight while watching American Idol’s “Idol Gives Back” special, I am astounded to see how quickly we can really help raise financial resources if we really try. It’s only the first hour of Idol Gives Back and they’ve already raised $18 million dollars! Amazing… If you feel you can help, here is the link to the donation page.

What is the Idol Gives Back Foundation?
The IDOL GIVES BACK FOUNDATION is a new U.S. 501(c)(3) charitable organization, working to help young people living in poverty in the U.S. and around the world. The Foundation is teaming up with American Idol to present the second annual star-studded special, Idol Gives Back.

For more information, click here. To view answers to frequently asked questions, click here.

Where will my money go?
Your money will help change and save the lives of children and their families in the U.S. and around the world.

For more information click here.

There are countless millions around the world, and within the U.S. that need our help. We may not be able to do everything, but we can do something. Anything we contribute will help. I’m inspired by American Idol and hope that those who are watching around the world can find a way to contribute too.

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Filed under: Donations, Promoting Change

When thinking of charitable giving we know there are many ways to “give back” to others.  For some, giving is best accomplished with money, and for others, time.  Philosophically it really doesn’t matter whether we contribute dollars to an organization or contribute our time and personal effort on their behalf.  However when someone needs help, or food, or clothing- there are few substitutes for the real thing.  No amount of opinion, belief or even political thought is going to change the situation of a starving child in the short run.  That child needs food or clothing, now!  Getting money and assistance to the right organization can help target these identified needs.

Over the long run however, charitable giving and philanthropy is a hot-button issue for many people.  Some see “social justice” as being paramount within a society, and leading to a more equal society that is less dependent upon financial giving and the largesse of others.  But it’s really not a simple issue and goes beyond rhetoric into the personal beliefs and values that each of us holds.  Realistically, “the long run” never quite gets here.  We are always faced with children and families in poverty, and others who need our help.  The act of giving something to another human being has been a part of human life since human life began. 

I had been considering how different people “give” to charity when I came across this article by columnist George F. Will.  He recently wrote Bleeding Hearts, but Tight Fists, an interesting article about the contrasts in charitable giving based upon political persuasion.  Nothing is ever so simple perhaps, but he makes a strong case  based on the evidence:  Conservatives tend to give more money to charity than do Liberals.

His article is based on the research conducted by Arthur C. Brooks, a Syracuse University professor who has published a book titled Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism.

Among the research findings:

• Although liberal families’ incomes average 6 percent higher than those of conservative families, conservative-headed households give, on average, 30 percent more to charity than the average liberal-headed household ($1,600 per year vs. $1,227).
• Conservatives also donate more time and give more blood.
• Residents of the states that voted for John Kerry in 2004 gave smaller percentages of their incomes to charity than did residents of states that voted for George Bush.
• Bush carried 24 of the 25 states where charitable giving was above average.
• In the 10 reddest states, in which Bush got more than 60 percent majorities, the average percentage of personal income donated to charity was 3.5. Residents of the bluest states, which gave Bush less than 40 percent, donated just 1.9 percent.
• People who reject the idea that “government has a responsibility to reduce income inequality” give an average of four times more than people who accept that proposition.

“Brooks demonstrates a correlation between charitable behavior and “the values that lie beneath” liberal and conservative labels. Two influences on charitable behavior are religion and attitudes about the proper role of government.  The single biggest predictor of someone’s altruism, Willett says, is religion.”

Using the comparisons in terms of political orientation does not explain the entire story however, because I think ”charitable giving” goes beyond that.  The explanations are not so easily distilled into “religion versus no religion” either.  

Does the research account for personal time and energy, causes, volunteering, activism, etc?  Not if money was the only thing considered as a basis for the research.   But it does make you stop and consider the impact that money does play with respect to charitable giving and help for the needy.  And for those who have a greater income, why might they tend to give less than someone else?  

I deeply believe in giving to others, and that the act of giving can take many forms.  For those who can and do give financial support, we should all be thankful.  As we continue to face economic challenges here in the U.S. and across the world, charitable needs are only going to increase.  It’s hard to send a bag of food to someone, so in that sense, the need for real dollars to get to the right organization, on behalf of those who need help, is very important. 

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Filed under: News and Ideas, Promoting Change