africa

[Cloud No.9]

yep it's my second post with the same title. though not normally allowed i hope the high lot there will allow me to do this.

today was live 8. wednesday will be the g8 summit. the main point of this years meeting is to end the deaths of millions of people a year from poverty. the goal is to double aid, drop all debt and remove the unfair tarrifs. is this so hard to ask compared to what it will achieve? why has the world waited so long when millions die?

to put poverty into light for you. over a third of a billion peple earn less than 5p an hour. 2.2 billion do not have access to sanitation. half of that number have no clean water. 30,000 children a day will die due to poverty a day.

but faced with all this why has the world taken so long to act (if indeed it does at the g8.)? is it hard to ask for? when faced with death and suffering on such a huge scale can we not rely on human brotherhood and morality to do something about it?

[Rye]

People have always been helping, but maybe not at the level as Live 8.

[Mihhailovitš]

why has the world waited so long when millions die?
is it hard to ask for? when faced with death and suffering on such a huge scale can we not rely on human brotherhood and morality to do something about it?

Homo homini lupus est(A man is a wolf to an another man)

[Cloud No.9]

but there's never been a real solution. africa has been starving for years and years. but noone has thought of cancelling debt or making making trade just. africa was not just left to stagnate, it was left to rot. billions of people have died for lack of action.

they will continue to die as well. chances are the g8 will not deliver. and millions of people wil continue to starve to death. is all this necessary. the WHO has numerous times said that there is more than enough food in this world to feed everyone in it (even more when europe was being stupid). but greed fuels this world. and helping africa would mean a drop in our wealth. and for some reason that is seen as a bad thing. billions are starving as the rest of the world gets fatter. billions are poor beyond comprehension while we all get richer. africa is further in debt now then ever in a world of plenty.

a truly great man once said "there is enough in this world for people's need but not for everyone's greed" and another "for evil to prevail all that is required is for good men to do nothing"

is it not time to end the suffering of billions?

[Teek]

Why doesn't Africa do something about it?

[Garland]

Stopping civil war and infighting in Africa has to come before other aid becomes very useful. "God helps those who help themselves" the old saying goes. The rest of the world is hardly God, but they should still help themselves. We can send food and money, but we shouldn't act as international babysitters when they can't get along.

[-N-]

Isn't it supposed to be the Imperialists's responsibility for messing with boundary lines when they charged through the place?

[The Summoner of Leviathan]

but faced with all this why has the world taken so long to act (if indeed it does at the g8.)? is it hard to ask for? when faced with death and suffering on such a huge scale can we not rely on human brotherhood and morality to do something about it?

It is because to forget about it we can turn off the Tv and sleep a peaceful night, not worrying cuz we are safe and away from the suffering. It is too easy for the world to be apathetic, and the scary thing is we are all guilty.

[Teek]

It is because to forget about it we can turn off the Tv and sleep a peaceful night, not worrying cuz we are safe and away from the suffering. It is too easy for the world to be apathetic, and the scary thing is we are all guilty.

What's scarier is that you said that. o_O

I'm not responsible for Africa. I could offer solutions, but they don't want my opinion, anyway.

[Shlup]

It's not like Africa doesn't have a constant flow of money from charities and other governments. The problem is that their leaders are corrupt and the money rarely goes where it's needed. Lowering the tarrifs will help, but just giving Africa money clearly is not a solution.

[jrgen]

Removing these debts does not really increase the economical wealth of the countries in question. They have no way to pay them off and those who lent the money did not do it with the belief that they would some day be returned. The gave the money as an investment to be able to claim favorable trading deals and such, when the economy improves. Yes I believe they should be removed, but it won't do that much difference. You can help reducing poverty in other ways though, such as supplying health care, food, education or just giving poor individuals money. And in that sense, everyone who is not poor is partly responsible for the poverty of others. You can not increase economical wealth without taking the mony from someone else. There is a constant level of economy on the globe and all you can do with it is moving it around.

[Cloud No.9]

the thing is africa is unable to do anything to help itself with things in their current state. debt cripples their economy (it is illegitimate debt that has already been paid off). trade barriers and tarrifs destory any exports they do have left. and EU and US subsidies lead to over farming. which the reamins of which are dumped on africa. which the drops the prices of their own crops. so the farmers don't make any money. and after a time no longer have hte money needed to farm. so there is no less farmers growing less for less money. so people starve.

we started this mess. we need to end it.

i find it appauling that people like hachifusa say "I'm not responsible for Africa." it's a total lack of comprehension. billions of people on this earth are starving. and to say that you needn't care about it is so sick it's unbelievable. 1.1 billion people do not have clean water. something as basic as that. there is so much wealth in our lives. we are thousands of times richer than they can ever be. but people refuse to care because it's not their place to? it's apathy at it's lowest. 30,000 children will die today because the world fails to act. and that will continue until the idea that "I'm not responsible for Africa" ends.

[Teek]

I'm not responsible, myself. ...but, I'll go easy, today.

What would you have me do?

[Cloud No.9]

lobbying your government, taking part in protests when they are held, siging petitions, donating money, donating clothes and other things, voting for someone different, using places like oxfam, being careful what you buy and where it comes from, buying fair trade goods.

little things like saving your pennies and putting them in a jar for charity. or giving a certain amount away a month either in a flat number or percent of earnings.

doing something that shows you care.

[Teek]

I never said I was against private donations and charity. However, I don't think it'll do much good. Don't you think what needs to happen first is idealogical battle?