so here i am watching the news about niger

[Heathcliffscathy]

and crying. and seeing ds in all of the starving childrens' faces. and knowing that it isn't nature to blame but every one of us. i know i'm always doing this, but i just feel so awful about the state of the world at the moment.

the famine in niger was predicted years ago. we obviously on a governmental level haven't given a toss.

we worry about being blown up by a terrorist. we tolerate a world where people are starving to death. we wonder why people are angry and hate-filled at us at the west.

i had really good news today. we exchanged on a house ending a long process of house hunting and i can't feel anything but over indulged and despairing. and so angry.

we spend billions on slaughtering civilians in iraq. and begrudge pennies to africa.

i don't even know why i'm posting this except that i don't know what to do with myself.

[Puff]

sophable, was this the report on BBC News 24? It was devastating - I don't know how the journalists steel themselves for it - watching children dying, it was soul destroying .

[soapbox]

Sophable - please, please don't take this the wrong way, but I am concerned from some of your posts lately that you seem to be taking the weight of the whole world on your shoulders.

Frankly, that is more than any of us can bear!

The truth is that most of us can only be passionate about a small number of things at a time, and there are too many injustices in the world to be able to campaign effectively against all of them.

Anyone who is a parent, and most who are not would be affected by the scenes from Niger, but all the hand wringing in the world is not going to change the situation there.

I don't think people are apathetic, I think they just don't know what to do

We all have to find a little bit of peace in this tortured world that we live in, a bit of time to enjoy the beauty and wonderment of this special place that we inhabit. I hope you find that peaceful place in your life soon

[Branster]

does anyone know who collects donations (money or other things) speciffically for this crisis? I ahven't come accross anything yet.

[Heathcliffscathy]

it's having had ds soapbox. i've always been quite passionately political, but it meant absolutely nothing compared to how i feel now that ds is in this world. i just feel it's too easy to think 'i can't do anything so may as well not watch/think about it'.. i feel i need to witness it and talk about it to people. i don't want to ignore what i think are really important and awful things happening. believe me i see beauty in the world. sat under a huge oak tree with ds this afternoon talking about how it grown and sucks up water from the roots and makes sugar in the leaves and he kept saying 'more more' when ever i finished...he is only 22 months. i love him.

i think it is because my life is so good and i am so blessed that the terrible things going on in the world hit me so hard. i feel that i should do more. forgive the fact that part of what i feel i can do is stir up some debate on here, get people actually thinking and talking about things....

[soapbox]

Thats ok then Sophable - it was one of your other threads where you said you were having trouble sleeping at night that worried me slightly

I think we all change a bit after having children, the I feel like I have become a mother to every child in the world syndrome!

It is dreadfully upsetting

[Branster]

have you any practical suggestions sophable for thsi particular news item yet? try and channel your passion in a way that can amke a difference to say at least 3 children from there and that would be something! have actually tried to sort out something tonight right after the news programme but it appears the only way is to give money to some charity directly involved in the situation. i have to admit i don't love the idea of just giving money, but apparently no other way of doing it! however, which carity and how do we know they will use the funds for this purpose only???

[hunkermunker]

Sophable, I watched the programme last night re the massacre at Beslan school and I have no idea why I did when I knew it would thoroughly upset me

When they said they'd let the babies go, and the women took them, but they wouldn't let them take their older children...I thought of leaving DS behind and taking my new baby with me and sobbed and sobbed.

I figure the best thing to do is bring up our children to be good, kind and sensible and to try to help people where we can. That is within our power.

[Heathcliffscathy]

i'm going to make a monthly donation to medicins sans frontieres....they seem to be the ones that are alerting the world to this crisis.

[Branster]

aha, medicines sans frontiere... do you know if they are acting in niger at present??
it's just such a palaver with all these organizations! i haven't had the best experieneces in the apst when wanting to help so i'm a bit put off and do not trust them 100%, which is a shame, but that's the way we have to go i suppose.
apparently one cannot easily organise a collection of supplies to the area as an individual.
i wonder if their embassy would be able to direct us more??

[Heathcliffscathy]

yes they are, but i can't make donations online....only from the US. anyone know if they have a uk site....

[Branster]

aren't they french then??

[Heathcliffscathy]

originally, but multinational now.

[Heathcliffscathy]

here

[Branster]

here?

[Ladymuck]

Try here for giving to MSF.

[Branster]

but how do we know our money will be used for niger not other cause. not that i don't want to help others, but that's the priority

[Heathcliffscathy]

thanks ladymuck, that's great...knew there would be a uk site somewhere.

[Branster]

do they only deal with medical aspects or help with practical issues (i.e. food supply distribution etc)?

[SenoraPostrophe]

Isoph, did you find www.msf.org/unitedkingdom/ ?

besides money though, how about a letter writing campaign or something. amnesty international have got some good results from it.

I'm on the wrong computer, but I have an idea - I'll emsail you tomorrow.

[Heathcliffscathy]

thanks senora.

[SenoraPostrophe]

sorry, don't know how you became isoph there.

[Branster]

will go off and read the site . it appears you can e-mail if you want your money directed for a speciifc crisis. goody, goody!

save the children and red cross might do something? will do some reasearch and update tomorow night.

[Branster]

senora, what letters re amnesty intl ??? can you send us a link on that to see how it works? cheers!

[Ladymuck]

Branster, MSF has in the past I blieve refused to nominate particular causes in order to raise funds, as it gives administrative headaches (especially if they raise more funds than that orgnaisation can use for that project). But thye have one of the best reputations in their field. (Didn't they win a Nobel Prize?)

[SenoraPostrophe]

branster - that's what amnesty do. they publicise injustice and encourage members to write to the governments concerned.

for example here is the campaign against the death penalty in Japan

I'm just thinking that a similar campaign involving letters to UK govt/UN about intervention or money for causes such as this might help. I haven't seen enough about the crisis in niger to know, but action should have been taken in Sudan a long time ago, for example.