Comic Relief - all very funny but.......

[chewitt]

Why is there such a discrepancy between the rich and the poor? Why do developed countries like ours let this inequality persist? What can be done to fundamentally change things so that extreme poverty, deprivation and hardship doesn't exist.
Answers on a postcard please......

massive populations, terrible weather conditions, wars, no national health, corrupt governments...

Sorry - that was in answer to the first question, not a solution to the problems.

Oh chewitt...we have been asking the same question here or at least I have whilst sobbing and blubbing at the inequality of it all. I wish I had some useful answers.

The only things I can come up with are:

1. Stable governments and local government structures need to be in place that have a genuine interest in developing and supporting the needs of their people.

1. Richer countries need to have the commitment and ability to place ongoing, and meaningful support to developing countries.

1. all of us need to see ourselves as belonging to the wider world and looking beyond our own lives to the needs of others. i.e. making commitment to giving from income when possible/ giving time to charities etc.

oh, I don't know.

oh and supporting a free and compulsory education for all children 4-16 in those countries where that is not yet in place(somehow... god knows how???)

I'm not sure what can be done. Democracy in the western world has been hard won by brave individuals challenging the status quo, and gaining more and more support from the "common man" as it as gone along. I don't believe we can go in there and "sort it". Change needs to come from within. But these days they have bigger guns!

Part of me sees these poor children in Africa and thinks we should do ALL we can to make their lives better. The other half thinks that there is so much corruption, nothing will change whilst we continually sub them, and we should butt out and let history run it's inevitably grizzly course.

What do you do? I will willingly hand over cash to help orphaned and sick kids, because I look at my dd and think there but for the grace of God etc etc. But every year there are more and more. We can't save all of them no matter how much we might wish to.

but so we take the children from the rubbish dumps, feed, clothe and educate them, for what?
just wondered

Slarty - do you mean we just shouldn't bother?

i just don't know what will happen after their education?

SBF - are you saying 'what's the point' in edcucating & feeding and clothing?

If so, I would say because each and every life is equal and deserves a chance. A generation of children taken out of the rubbish tips/ extreme poverty and educated might be able to come up with some answers and investment for their country.

Children were living in rubbish tips and extreme poverty in Britain not so very long ago. I know the challenges facing our country have been less dire and complex but still...

I would rather throw every last penny at a country that needs it in the name of humanity...

also, I really feel that providing a glimmer of dignity and validation for children is money in the bank itself.

Those charities providing slight restbite for children here/ there are effectivly saying to those they work with that, 'you are worth something, your life is important.' For many these words will never be spoken/ this is not reflected. some children won't be able to do anything with that but for some it might make a difference.

Sparky, but with the greatest respect, you don't MEAN every last penny. You might tonight when there are dying babies on the TV....

I agree Portofino - with everything you've said and I look at those children and the struggle of those famillies and think how lucky I am. So Sparky - if we were to see ourselves as belonging to the wider world and looking beyond our own lives to the needs of others - do you think in the long term things would change? The political and corruption cannot be removed by anyone individual but culturally we just seem to accept it exists and ignore it. Third world poverty is seemingly just accepted as "the way it is". We give our money to comic relief and then move on to then next thing. But the struggle continues without the TV cameras. I am outraged that children die of starvation/malaria/anyother thing that we have known cures/preventions for. Outraged!

Crossed threads a bit there - sorry

Porto, I fully understand that we need and should invest in our own country and families.

I suppose I meant every last penny that our country can afford give. I see myself as having a responsibility in this by giving what I can.

And yes, tonight is emotive but I am aware that babies die around the world every day and not just on one night once a year on telly.

I have begun to question how I spend money - we "need" a new blind in my son's bedroom. It lets the light through and he's waking early. So if I spend £50 on a blind I will get a bit more sleep (possibly) however if I donate to Red Nose Day I will apparently save 10 children's lives by getting them each a mosquito net. Surely I have a moral duty to save live with my money rather than use it to get more sleep?

chewitt. My answers are simplistic and optomistic. I know that, but they are the only ones that I have.

I can only respond in a small way to the problems that exist.

I know - me too - I was hoping (also simplitically and optimistically) that if we cared enough things would change - I was not being critical. I think you are right about being aware of belonging to a wider world. I think the danger is we have stopped caring.

chewitt, you should nuy your blind of course and donate what you can afford to after you have sorted out your own family.

Comic Relief and others of its ilk play on our guilt. We're lucky. Other's are less so. We should all do our bit. We cannot sort out all the problems in the world though.

A colleague of mine used to have a print out on her wall. I don't remember all the "points" but one was if you even have £1 in the bank you are better off than 90% of the world's population.

We are very fortunate in this country, even the worst off of us.

But chewitt, we have not stopped caring.

The great thing about the distressing clips/ sound bites on tv is that it reminds us of the individuals caught up in political/ ecomonic/ climate (you name it) struggles.

I can;t think about the long term.

I can only relate to the humanity.

If (God forbid) our country was throw into disarray and our children- your and mine were hungry, vulnerable to disease what would we be willing spectators from other countries to do?

Could you bear the thought of people having 'stopped caring' when it was your family needing help?

Porto - you are the voice of reason and I know they are working us emotionally.
SFD - I would of course hope that people have not stopped caring.

I cant even watch it

It did me watching them go up the mountain last night.Catholic guilt.

Its very very sad.And to think we maon about the credit crunch...

Bugger all can be done - people support liberal, benovent, worthy causes in principle but psephologists have discovered that when people vote they are thinking only on the micro level of the £ in their pocket -and politicians know this. No election has ever been won on a commitment to spend more GDP on third world poverty

All you can do is cough up the dosh and make the largest personal contribution that you can manage

'benevolent'

Sparky, the reality is that if God Forbid, us Europeans faced a similar situation, there would be NOONE to help us. We cannot stop the spread of AIDS in Africa no matter what we do really. Hasn't Bill Gates dedicated the rest of his life to getting rid of Malaria? I wish him well.

We can do what we can, and we shouldn't see it all as helpless. If my £10 helps a child have a better/longer life than it might have done, it is money wll spent. But we have chucked charity at Africa for generations. The govts are still corrupt and shite and no effort is made from within to sort this.

Watching this is breaking my heart. Please please please donate