The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
The Forum - On Line Opinion's article discussion area



Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Main Articles General

Sign In      Register

The Forum > Article Comments > Time to act > Comments

Time to act : Comments

By Njongonkulu Ndungane, published 17/11/2006

Over the two-days the G-20 meet, 60,000 children will die from poverty related causes.

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. Page 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. All
If countries living in extreme poverty want to enjoy the benefits of capitalism and democracy they then have to democracise and become entrepreneurial (capitalist). They have to get rid of the restrictive aspects of their traditional culture and become more western. Ultimately all reforms have to come from within. Westerners cannot return to colonialism, so third worlders will have to do the hard yards themselves!
Posted by hells angel, Saturday, 18 November 2006 9:40:33 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Arjay, Your compassion is just so deep and plentiful.
Posted by Rainier, Saturday, 18 November 2006 11:31:57 PM
Find out more about this user Visit this user's webpage Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
The violent protest riots in Melbourne were less of people wanting to make a meaningful difference, but exert a power by media attention...the message is unclear though, how will the starving millions going to directly benefit from what was seen yesterday?

Want to make a difference, then work and save at least $6,000. Forget donating to agencies, as they have been in operation for ages and have had little impact on the problem despite the billions in donations received...bar some carefully released media showing bore holes with smiling children drinking clean water, the reality is the proportion drinking dirty water is by far the majority...

Then donate about 6 weeks of your life, go to needy country and spend a week to see how YOU can spend your $6000 most effectively, taking care to respect the local way of life and yourself, then spend the rest of the time doing so...you certainly will return with a sense of fulfillment especially if you 'connect' to the people directly...

Imagine if we all did this at some time of our lives...

Sam
Posted by Sam said, Sunday, 19 November 2006 6:50:30 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Radical protestors seem to sometimes go too far as had occurred during the week, perhaps taken into context what they are standing against is the loss [death] of 30,000 people a day on the globe.

If you say it really quickly 30,000 lives every day doesn't sound a lot, however to these people those lives are worth fighting for.

The ecomony runs a distant second in my humble opinion to climate change, which if not addressed immediately will cause the world economy to bankrupt itself anyway.
Posted by SHONGA, Sunday, 19 November 2006 10:31:59 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Arjay - "... there are just too many people on the planet ... Very few seem to mention contraception"

I also wondered why nobody mentioned this very obvious and basic point. The premise seems to be that India, China etc. overpopulate their countries knowing they will be bailed out by the West. Does the world truly need billions more Chinese/Indians/Africans?

If these countries stopped producing excess people they can never hope to feed and educate, let alone provide employment for, perhaps it would not be 'necessary' to export our jobs.

Kip - "You and I can go down to the supermarket and feed ourselves."

True - but not if your job is exported to some Third World country via corporate greed. After all, some desperate Third World person will be happy to do your job for one third of your salary and no safety net.
Posted by dee, Sunday, 19 November 2006 11:01:31 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Perhaps its time that the Archbishop contemplated his navel and
accepted the role that religion plays, in being responsible
for so much poverty and hunger in Africa.

Forcing women to have far more kids then they can provide for
or feed, will no doubt result in suffering and starvation.
That is basic natural law, ignore it at your peril.

Sending boatloads of food will simply increase the problem,
it won't solve anything.

So perhaps its time to get real in Africa, where population
growth is amongst the highest in the world. Provide all
women with family planning, so that they can choose the size
of their families. If a woman or man want their tubes tied,
don't let religious fanatacism get in the way of common sense,
lets provide it.

The Archbishop might be an Anglican, but he clearly should speak
out about the misery and suffering that the Catholic Church is
responsible for in Africa, in the name of religious dogma.
Posted by Yabby, Sunday, 19 November 2006 12:54:59 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. Page 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. All

About Us :: Search :: Discuss :: Feedback :: Legals :: Privacy