UNICEF Appeal For the Somalia Region Famine

[cover drive man]

Hi guys. I know the forum doesn't allow advertising in threads, but this is by no way commerce.

You all know about the famine in Somalia and how over thirty thousand children under the age of five have died in the last three months alone. If you could spare £5 of phone credit please text 'SHARE' to 70007

More info here:
UNICEF Somalia - Home page

 

[cover drive man]

YouTube - UNICEF Somalia Appeal

 

[Daemon]

This is just for people living in England right?

 

[Neil Pickup]

This is just for people living in England right?

I'd imagine so - and, without wanting to sound too much of a heartless bastard, we have enough problems of our own right now without postponing another Somali famine for five years' time.

 

[Daemon]

5 years is still better than nothing. I like to feel I can make a difference. Donated $450 from my first ever pay to a Cambodian orphanage we had visited from school once.

It's a good feeling and a bonus is that when you show it off you get all the chicks

 

[cover drive man]

This is just for people living in England right?

Not sure. The site will have details on other methods though.

 

[PhoenixFire]

I'd imagine so - and, without wanting to sound too much of a heartless bastard, we have enough problems of our own right now without postponing another Somali famine for five years' time.

And of course those problems of our own pale into complete and utter significance when you consider that tens of thousands of people will die if we don't help them

 

[Neil Pickup]

As they will in other African states (and others) through war, famine, landmines, disease, AIDS, crime...

Why this particular one, and why does it matter infinitely more than anything else such that it alone deserves financing at others' expense? I try to look at these things with cold logic rather than seeing the emotional manipulation of a dying two-year-old on an advert, and I don't see why this particular cause is deserving of what is infinitely more support than anyone else.

Or, if they are so important to you, why only give a fiver? That's a drop of piss in the ocean. If it's that meritorious a cause, go and actually do something worthwhile. Raise an amount for a project that will make a real difference. Take time out to work out there and relieve things. These things strike me as being almost more about making the people who give feel good than about actually caring about the cause.

FTR, I'd be arguing exactly what you're arguing if I was still 18.

 

[PhoenixFire]

No I agree that other African states deserve a proportionate amount of aid given to them, I was more taking issue with the idea that home issues deserve the money more. We're all humans at the end of the day and I think we have a duty as a developed country to help out those who can't help themselves.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

Somalia in particular because they are the most needy at the moment. However, Somalia is the most ****ed up country in the world atm, and thus aid would be needed again in 2 years or so.

 

[Redbacks]

No I agree that other African states deserve a proportionate amount of aid given to them, I was more taking issue with the idea that home issues deserve the money more. We're all humans at the end of the day and I think we have a duty as a developed country to help out those who can't help themselves.

As they saying goes: 'The Nazi's lost the war but National Socialism won.'

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Thread reported.

 

[cpr]

Pickup, for all his scarily Conservative ideas (and thats from me) and lack of fear to express them, is right I'm afraid.


Also, how many people will donate to this but turn their nose up at the homeless man in the city centre? If only all the needy were so tear-jerking.....

 

[PhoenixFire]

It's far too simplistic just to dismiss it as tear-jerking and then conveniently missing the point that it's tear jerking because so many ****ing people are just dying left right and center.

 

[cpr]

No, thats very true, but at the same, as Neil says, you have to accept the point as to when to cut yourself off from emotional pulls. Unfortunately a cold logic is needed because there is sheerly too much suffering and need in the world, which charities constantly remind us of.... Not that you can blame them for that, but as an individual daily targetted it does give a blaise attitude towards the subject.

Personally, I've decided to keep my charity close to home, as I struggle to select who deserves and who doesnt (because they ALL deserve....). There are a few charities that mean to me I give through straight out of my wages, or in some cases give my time to, and if I have some change in my pocket that i was probably going to fritter away I'll probably give it away instead, but beyond that I try and shut out the other appeals.

 

[silentstriker]

As they will in other African states (and others) through war, famine, landmines, disease, AIDS, crime...

Why this particular one, and why does it matter infinitely more than anything else such that it alone deserves financing at others' expense?

Why does it have to matter infinitely more? People are dying, and I don't see why you can't put this at the top of your list. If you want to put something else at the top of your list, all the more power to you.

Yea, $5 is a piss in the bucket, but it's a hell of a lot better than $0. $5 is often all you need to get enough food to one person. That's better than 0 people. $10 would be better than $5, and one billion is better than $10. I don't see why you have to set some sort of minimal threshold of effort or have a minimum monetary value before it becomes worthwhile?

I really don't get the jaded viewpoint of 'cutting yourself off' from emotion - whether you help at home or somewhere else, you're still doing it because in the end, if you want to help a someone. It makes logical sense to prioritize a kid starving to death in some part of the world over someone who may have a much less immediate need at home.

Maybe the kid will die in five years at the next famine - but hey I'd sure appreciate five more years if I was in his shoes.

No one has to give, and it's up to each individual to decide it, but the line of argument of 'we have enough problems of our own' is just inane as far as I'm concerned. That's the line of argument you could use to stop yourself in ANYTHING. "Well all our problems aren't solved, why are we still spending money on X?" X being anything that doesn't directly relate to keeping people alive longer, from public transportation to scientific research, to building a public park.

 

[benchmark00]

Could go with some KFC myself itbt.

 

[Anil]

As they will in other African states (and others) through war, famine, landmines, disease, AIDS, crime...

Why this particular one, and why does it matter infinitely more than anything else such that it alone deserves financing at others' expense? I try to look at these things with cold logic rather than seeing the emotional manipulation of a dying two-year-old on an advert, and I don't see why this particular cause is deserving of what is infinitely more support than anyone else.

Or, if they are so important to you, why only give a fiver? That's a drop of piss in the ocean. If it's that meritorious a cause, go and actually do something worthwhile. Raise an amount for a project that will make a real difference. Take time out to work out there and relieve things. These things strike me as being almost more about making the people who give feel good than about actually caring about the cause.

FTR, I'd be arguing exactly what you're arguing if I was still 18.

18 or not, how in the world did you swing so far to the right?

 

[Uppercut]

The right ****ing love charity tbf.

Do the UN dare to send military protection to aid workers in Somalia these days?

 

[Daemon]

Agree with SS.

I don't care about anything else if whatever money I gave helped in any way possible. It's as simple as that.