Heathenry and Charity/Aid/Service to Others, etc.

[Hyacinth Belle]

So, do you never give to international charities? Personally I find it hard to choose charities to give to but gave to UNICEF for the famine appeal and support Amnesty International (because I think the right to a fair trial is extremely important) and WWF among others.

So how do you guys choose charities to give to, if you do? If you don't, why not?

Hey, Maythe!

I've donated to Heifer International before. But not on a regular basis.

So no, I don't give to international charities, or any charities, at this time. I'm just about to graduate college, I'm piss poor, and "my house" is decidedly not in order. Oh wait, what house?!? lol.

When I'm more on my feet and have started my career in +/- a year? Absolutely, I will probably end up giving to more charities, either from the goodness of my heart or to a related charity as a form of offering/sacrifice. Although like cwummel, I suspect I will tend toward more local charities, or ones doing work about which I'm particularly interested in.

[sailor]

So, do you never give to international charities? Personally I find it hard to choose charities to give to but gave to UNICEF for the famine appeal and support Amnesty International (because I think the right to a fair trial is extremely important) and WWF among others.

So how do you guys choose charities to give to, if you do? If you don't, why not?

 
I don't give to international charities. I don't see that they are doing much good, and in the case of UNICEF and Amnesty International, they are actively doing long term harm.  The famine relief in Africa has been going on for 30 years and the distribution of free food has destroyed the agricultural economy in the area.  Amnesty's efforts are leading towards normalizing the killing of civilians as an accepted tactic of warfare.

[Hyacinth Belle]

I don't give to international charities. I don't see that they are doing much good, and in the case of UNICEF and Amnesty International, they are actively doing long term harm.  The famine relief in Africa has been going on for 30 years and the distribution of free food has destroyed the agricultural economy in the area.  Amnesty's efforts are leading towards normalizing the killing of civilians as an accepted tactic of warfare.

Don't know too much about what you've said here, but that's one reason I like Heifer International... the idea is to help people be self-sufficient and "pass it on."

[Juniperberry]

Don't know too much about what you've said here, but that's one reason I like Heifer International... the idea is to help people be self-sufficient and "pass it on."

Another way to give is through Locks of Love (?). I know a few heathens that donate hair for kids with leukemia.

[Maythe]

I don't give to international charities. I don't see that they are doing much good, and in the case of UNICEF and Amnesty International, they are actively doing long term harm.  The famine relief in Africa has been going on for 30 years and the distribution of free food has destroyed the agricultural economy in the area.  Amnesty's efforts are leading towards normalizing the killing of civilians as an accepted tactic of warfare.

 
The UNICEF rep talking about it on the radio said they were mostly providing money and helping traders to move food in, reserving direct food aid for the absolutely dire 'food or die' situations.

Have you got any links on the Amnesty accusation - I've not come across it before. I have to admit I can't see how that's possible!

I give to local things too, but when faced with children dying in Somalia it seems more likely my thirty quid may actually save a life there, as opposed to planting a single tree or putting someone up for two nights here. Maybe this just points to the fact I should do more research and make sure my money is doing something rather than running on a bunch of assumptions.

[sailor]

The UNICEF rep talking about it on the radio said they were mostly providing money and helping traders to move food in, reserving direct food aid for the absolutely dire 'food or die' situations.

Have you got any links on the Amnesty accusation - I've not come across it before. I have to admit I can't see how that's possible!

I give to local things too, but when faced with children dying in Somalia it seems more likely my thirty quid may actually save a life there, as opposed to planting a single tree or putting someone up for two nights here. Maybe this just points to the fact I should do more research and make sure my money is doing something rather than running on a bunch of assumptions.

It probably won't happen until late in the weekend.

The NGO food effort was covered a few years ago in the Economist.  UNICEF might be trying at this instance to not provide direct food aid, but I'll try and dig up the article showing their longer term efforts.

Amnesty's problem is lack of competence in the arena of international law, especially the law of armed conflict. By invoking the image of LOAC violations against one politically unpopular side in a way that gives a pass to violations by the other side undermines respect for the LOAC.  Don't be surprised if common people accept Amnesty's interpretation and thus demand that such international laws be repealed or ignored.

[Maythe]

How would pointing out violations by one side be giving a pass to the other side to commit violations? :confused:

Anyhoo I can see I really ought to do more research myself. I've been meaning to for a while... thanks for the reminder to actually bloody well do it! :p I would still be interested in the links though.

Having said that I would like to donate internationally, for at least a proportion of my giving as I feel living in a western country there are many millions of people worse off than even our poor who may have not had any opportunity to drag themselves from dollar-a-day poverty.

[sailor]

How would pointing out violations by one side be giving a pass to the other side to commit violations? :confused:

 
By pointing out violations by one side and not reporting on violations by the other side. Even more so by claiming violations by one side that are not violations but ignoring violations by the other side.

[Maythe]

By pointing out violations by one side and not reporting on violations by the other side. Even more so by claiming violations by one side that are not violations but ignoring violations by the other side.

 
Ah ok thanks.

[Hyacinth Belle]

Having said that I would like to donate internationally, for at least a proportion of my giving as I feel living in a western country there are many millions of people worse off than even our poor who may have not had any opportunity to drag themselves from dollar-a-day poverty.

Good point I hadn't really considered! I agree.

[Maythe]

Good point I hadn't really considered! I agree.

 
There are also international considerations when it comes to the environment so I give to WWF.

[Monica Mc]

Having said that I would like to donate internationally, for at least a proportion of my giving as I feel living in a western country there are many millions of people worse off than even our poor who may have not had any opportunity to drag themselves from dollar-a-day poverty.

 
I use Kiva loans. That way I get to help people become more self sufficent. Plus that way I get the money bak so once I had a few loans out there I can keep giving without it costing me any more money. Mind you I did no research so maybe they do terrible things I just don't know about.

[Lokabrenna]

Having said that I would like to donate internationally, for at least a proportion of my giving as I feel living in a western country there are many millions of people worse off than even our poor who may have not had any opportunity to drag themselves from dollar-a-day poverty.

I think there's always this double bind regarding giving to charity in general. On the one hand, someone might say: "How can you help people 'over there' when there are people over here who need help?" which is valid, and then there are those who say: "The people over there have absolutely nothing, and their communities can't/won't help them, so who else is going to help if we don't?" The same thing could be said about people who support organizations that help animals when there are humans that need help, and one can only donate to so many causes.

[Maythe]

I think there's always this double bind regarding giving to charity in general. On the one hand, someone might say: "How can you help people 'over there' when there are people over here who need help?" which is valid, and then there are those who say: "The people over there have absolutely nothing, and their communities can't/won't help them, so who else is going to help if we don't?" The same thing could be said about people who support organizations that help animals when there are humans that need help, and one can only donate to so many causes.

 
For me it's about working out priorities. I like to do something for wildlife/the environment, something for people in dire need and also something to protect/promote rights to fair trial and to do those things both locally and internationally. I'd love to be able to do more than that but I'm not exactly rich. It's down to each individual to make the choices I guess since even Bill Gates couldn't fix the entire world with money. It's interesting to see how others make these decisions.

I don't do any voluteering or 'service to others' though (unless helping to run the local Pagan network counts  ). How about you guys?

[sailor]

I don't do any voluteering or 'service to others' though (unless helping to run the local Pagan network counts  ). How about you guys?

 
Weekly (and now maybe twice a week) working at a bingo game for local charity. Food bank donations couple times a year. Also target archery marshal for the SCA.