http://www.makepovertyhistory.org/ sign up, buy a band and make your voice heard. We can sit around and do nothing while a kid dies every three seconds or we can help tell the world leaders to get of their well fed fat arses and end poverty. Theres enough wealth and food to go round. Some people make no difference. Some people make a difference. What kind of person are you.
I think you would be foolish if you believe buying a band will make a difference and solve poverty in its entirity. The idea behind the various bands is a good one, no one is doubting that, but people aren't wearing them for the right reason. They are, in most cases, just fashion accessory.
wouldnt donating money to funds that help poor/homeless ppl be better than buying a white arm band? which are probably made in some 3rd world country by poverty striken ppl. oh a nicer note their posters look like ipod posters and have been the subject of photochopping on another site, link posted previously on bt somewhere ;D
Hopefully our leadership at the head of the G8 will bring about some good thingas for aid reform and general welfare for those in need.
trying to think of a reply. foolish, maybe not if a politician seen everybody in Britain wearing one of these they coulnd not fail to take notice, however they hope people such as yourself will think it foolish sit back and say nothing and get on with being just another bod working paying his taxes and not upseting their apple cart. But as i said some people make a difference and some people don't. If you think sending a text or an email buying a band and giving money is to much hard work thats your right. Took me a couple of minutes maybe to think of this reply inwhich time 40 kids have died, now next you'll be telling me they have made that number up. 43
It isnt the point in the bands. The point is you can help a little, and show the government, and everyone that you care about these kind of things. Little is done by our governmnet because they put the british people (quite rightly) on top priority! This would show them that we want them to give some of our money to help others! Whether this is true for a majority of the population though, i dont know! Agent_M - They will be fair trade bands, they certainly wont be created in a sweat shop, if thats what you were implying. edit: Hmm, these kind of forums may be a great place to spread this. Its an important issue right now, imo this thread can be stickied or moved to GD so lots can see it ? Im sure most people here can afford £1.50 (even if they arent going to wear it) EDIT2: £2 from oxfam inc. delivery. ordered one myself!
no one person here really can claim they care about each person *that* much thats in dire need of help, we've all got net access, such decidence! I'm not saying none of us care, its just that whole "i've given my £2.50, i've made a difference" i find sickening. Placating yourself that you've done some good is worse than not doing any good but been honest about it. my honesity is, what i don't see in the way of people i've no relation too, don't care about, or care about anyone who cares about, i give a flying **** if they live or die. The thing is if they were on my doorstep it would be a different matter. I find the armbands equally insulting. It is ironic that its the same people who have embraced badly made technology as a fassion iteam, that are wearing these things.
I, for one, will save the 2 pounds and continue doing what I have been doing for the last 8 years. Helping people in the 3rd world set up small businesses and attract investment by donating my time and experience. It costs me only time, and the lasting effects are by far more substantial then buying a little white band. Instead of wasting 2 pounds on this, you guys should set up solar powered pumps in Africa or work on getting power and light to schools in Asia. It's not any harder the setting up a LCD screen and you would be helping people directly. Not to mention padding your CV. The answer lies in giving people what THEY need to make poverty history, not in what makes us feel all warm inside.
If you've bought any items of mased produced clothing, eaten a banana, rode to work on a bike or sat watching a cheap TV then you're helping to perpetuate the cycle of poverty in 3rd world countries. Don't kid yourself that a small donation will make a difference, we're the ones to blame because of our greed.
sorry i had to get some non-fair-trade-coffee, but i'm back now. Take Nike, they make trainers that cost them barely, $10 including R&D. which they sell at $100 ish. Damn good buisness if you can get it! The thing is the people working get paid virtually nothing, but their not been forced to work there. The fact of the matter is they have the pick of the local population because there so desperate for work. When you open a factory there thats got about 400 employees, all been given only a 45 minuiite lunch break (exploitation, those barstards!) they start wanting quick fix lunchie munchies, enter fast food, then because they spend so much time at work they might want to pay for someone to help wifey take in the harvest. Bingo you have a free economy. its bloody idoits like you that let the real problems (stupid farm subsidies, see my hatred of the french) go on, which are coursing REAL problems for 3rd world people who are trying to work themselfs, as our farmers can export there stuff to these markets, and sell it cheaper (because our tax £'s are subsidising it) than the local farmers can produce it, making them dependant on our farmers and removing a means for them to generate income themselfs. if you pretend everyones a farmer, and theres no point trading 3 carrots for 3 potato's because there are some english ones there, that only cost 2 carrots, you'd trade with the english ones, so even a bater system can't operate properly. Now when you dont understand its greed that fuels progress (in one respect) thats quite worrying. Because i want to go with a friend of mine to Prauge (she's never been beyound spain !) i'm working more horus a week, because of my greed, i'm doing more work, and going to spend more money, thus creating more work for someone else. Greed is soo very good. The problem comes when you get a subsidy for the idea of been self sufficient which has gone way outa the window. So when you buy a cheap TV, your doing a lot of good, your providing a stable income for someone, which isn't upset by subsidies on say the ones made in the EU. There not been made to work in these factories. There is some mental desiase, a fortnight ago, we were doing some science week thing, and someone had forgotton to book us staffers lunch, so i managed to blag central catering to give us some sarnies, now everyone goes "great" except one girl who complains that the cheese isn't organic! I mean jinkies, she's on the pill, messing around with her testosterone and estrogyn complaining that the estrogyn (pfft i can't spell) enhancing injections (to make the cows give more milk) can give you cancer, in theory, if you drink lots of it. But its NOTHING like someone messing up their menstral cycle like that. Peoples lack of perspective and sickening moral dictation pisses me off, because i'm the kinda sap that feals bad when its on my doorstep or happening to someone i know. end of rant... for now...
What I find sickening is the attitude that giving a couple of quid is somehow dishonest, and that it is more "honest" to sit on your overfed, overprivileged @r$es and do nothing. Jumeira_Johnny has the right idea, but my dear old grannie (if she was still here) wouldn't be able to build a solar-powered pump, nor can many schoolkids, who have to go to school instead. Why not let them buy a rubber band or whatever and help those that can go out into the field and help in a practical way. It doesn't matter if the wearer buys it as a fashion accesory or to try to make a difference, the end result is it helps.
I wouldnt quite call that sickening, but it seems a tad strange! And we may be overfed, but that isnt a bad thing. Were utlilising whats been given to us, just as anybody else would. I agree with TheAnimus that being greedy isnt necessarily a bad thing, all the profits eventually go to someone (and before anybody chimes in with "blah blah large corporate fatcat blah blah" they very often give huge sums of money to charitys (not that the news would report anything nice somebody has done). I can't build that either, and to be honest i dont want to go out and "help in a practical way". Im quite happy here in england thanks In respect to those things in the first place, nobody asks for us to do that. They ask us to buy bands, and pay £15 a month! If the adverts were like... - Can you set up a website for the X school. or - Could you build us X for the people at Y. Then maybe they would get alot more support of that kind, but from what i can see (from my perspective of not really looking!) there just asking for money (in there super-long, super-annoying adverts that NOBODY i know stays in the room to watch). If 2 people give a little then maybe yes, it makes no differance. But if everybody gives a little (just liek the save enterprise campaign ) then it will eventually make a differance!
