Picking a cause....

[jtaylor]

Sorry, I'm on a role this week!

If you had to choose THREE causes to fight for, at the exclusion of ALL others, what would they be? Would you still support "The Dog's Trust", would you still fund "Cancer Research", would you still give to your church, would you still devote time to picking up litter at a weekend with the village worthy, would you still fight for Green issues, and "save the planet"?

My three, without excessive thought or soul-searching:-
1. Child welfare, in the poorest regions of the world.
2. Adult welfare, in the poorest regions of the world.
3. Family planning provision across the globe, for free.

My basic reasoning? Look after those who can't look after themselves, and are already on the planet, and who haven't got the means to do so themselves. Follow that with Adults, who are marginally less self-sufficient than children, especially when looking in poverty areas.
Thirdly - through controlling world population, we have a long-term difference to the resources available for the living now.

You'll hate me for this - but I'd notably exclude any research into elderly diseases - world population is too high, we all have to die of something. I'm playing devil's advocate a little, as my best friend has recently reached the end of chemotherapy, at the age of 36....

No right or wrong answer, and don't slag-off each others views (especially mine!), but I'd be interested in others' views?

J

[anniexf]

What would you include as "elderly diseases" - dementia, cancer, heart disease? Would you bother about osteoporosis, arthritis, rheumatism, cataract ..? All these can affect young people too.

As for birth control, there would still be millions who'd refuse it on religious grounds.

For me, the welfare and education of girls would be a top priority. I haven't had enough time to consider my other two. But this is a fascinating topic!

[Kim2s70-77]

I'd be hard put to narrow down two of them - especially with so many global issues with which to deal - but the Stroke Foundation would be way up there for me, because my immediate family has been so closely affected by strokes.

[Katharine]

Annie, I'm with you all the way for Girls' Education. I've spoken many times on this topic and have raised funds for it too. Don't know what else to fill the other two spaces - I'll have to think on those!

[NEILL THE NOTORIOUS]

I would have to admit to a totally selfish selection ----

No1 Diabetes UK (Not only because I have been on Insulin for 53 years !) as so many young people are developing it, particularly in the Asian populations, and research is vital.
N02 Drought relief in Africa (Been there, done that, worn the T shirt)
No3 Ensuring that my own Tribe get a decent start in life .

Critisise if you like --- but that's an honest answer !!

[Mid A 15]

In no particular order:

Health (not necessarily just finding cures but improving quality of life and giving dignity)

Homelessness (at home and abroad)

Self Improvement (Education, vocational training, community activities)

I would seek to achieve these ends through selected local charites as, in my view and experience, too many larger national charities spend a disproportionate amount of income on "administration" and begging mailshots to existing donors. If a charity I give to can afford to waste money writing to me to ask for more rather than concentrate on the core objective it comes off my list! Mailshots should be about attracting NEW donors not hassling existing ones!

[englishangel]

I am with Neill, my own family comes first.

Then my direct debits (with Gift Aid) go to

Shelter and the NSPCC.

Inexpensive presents (for work colleagues and stockings) usually come from Oxfam and/or Cancer Research.

Think I have brought the family up right.

One son donates to Shelter, the other sponsors a child through Plan International and daughter donates to Unicef.

[Angela Woodford]

My own family are quite competent to survive unaided!

So...

The Benevolent Society of Blues.

A charity that repairs cleft lips and palates overseas.

A charity that promotes literacy teaching in prisons. If I didn't have to find a job that earned me a bit, I would be interested in doing this!

[sejintenej]

There's a group of doctors who spend their holidays in places like India doing cornea operations for free; that seems a more than worthwhile charity.

As for a cause, how about overcoming the problems which are highlighted in The Times today; doctors can increase the cure rates for some types of cancer from 10% to even 80% with medicines approved by NICE but are hampered because the NHS does not have adequate ability to run the tests required in order to prescribe the drugs. MPs need a kick where it hurts and when they are down a kick where it didn't hurt before - hard. Now that's a cause ......
All for £150 per person they waste huge sums in long term palliative and often unsuitable treatment which could be better used curing people.

[midget]

1 The local hospice, because money stays where it is paid.
2 The Camphill organisation, runs villages for people with mental handicaps, where they live in family groups with volunteer helpers. They are nearly self supporting for day to day needs, but have to fundraise for expansion and repairs etc.
3 ?

I don't like Julian's idea of casting off the old. Most of the old people I know are either caring for family members, or are ACTIVE volunteers.

[jtaylor]

Not suggesting we cast-off anyone - just being objective about over population as being a problem.
We've been frigging nature for years by curing stuff, and on a macro level the world is trying to control itself as over-population kills us.

Anyone see David Attenborough last night?
http://www.optimumpopulation.org/blog/?p=1544
and
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00pdjmk

We're worried that we're damaging the world through our CO2 emmissions, but what about damaging it through over-population? An inconvenient truth that the world can't go from 2 billion to 7 billion in ?70 years and not suffer some consequence?
What does the graph of population vs CO2 in the atmosphere look like?? A direct link?
Found this:-

Also:-

JT

[sejintenej]

We're worried that we're damaging the world through our CO2 emmissions, but what about damaging it through over-population? An inconvenient truth that the world can't go from 2 billion to 7 billion in ?70 years and not suffer some consequence?

JT

Certainly increasing over-population is a serious concern but I would remind readers that there are UK centres of population which, for years, have had negative population growth. The UK overall has very low like-for-like growth (if it is positive); our growth has been principally through immigration.
China attempted control by it's one child per family policy which failed. Who here would like to tell Georgie lad and Blair that they and all ther over 50's had to go to be made into green pills (I've forgotten the brand name)? Human myxamatosis? (?sp?) Swine Flu? bird flu? Whatever you do, enterprising people will circumvent your efforts in order to keep the old ones alive.
That said my local GP seems to have a policy that he will not make swine flu vaccine available to older people with chronic illness; is he telling me something? Whatever is done it will be drastic and very unpleasant; a large asteroid strike might be the best solution

[NEILL THE NOTORIOUS]

I have two "Chronic Illnesses" firstly Diabetes and secondly bl**dy Mindedness.
TBA and I, have had our injections -- much to the amusement of the Practice Nurse, who asked if we would permit it from an "Amateur " !

BTW both of us had a tender arm ,for about three days ! (On 4 injections a day -- we both know where the anaesthetic spots are ! and the upper arm, ain't one of 'em !!

[marty]

The planet has finite resources and the rate of population growth as it is cannot be sustained. I've been living in London for 11 years and have noticed in that time a sharp rise in the number of people. The roads are still busy at 11pm at night and are sometimes even more congested on a Sunday than a week day.

We MUST start thinking about how to curb the planet's population now. If every person on the planet lived a 'westernised lifestyle' i.e. had a car, running hot water, central heating, mobile phone etc the earth simply would not cope. It is therefore not in the interests of the planet or those with a higher standard of living to lift people out of third world poverty - if no one on the earth was poor all resources would run dry within a couple of years. We must stop over-burdening the earth. I'd probably start by bombing France

[Angela Woodford]

I don't like Julian's idea of casting off the old. Most of the old people I know are either caring for family members, or are ACTIVE volunteers.

I agree with Maggie. Although I'm not thinking on a global scale, very elderly people have suffered terribly during the last War, served in the Forces or done worthwhile unselfish work. My mother used to say "I feel so sorry for old people". She was 75 at the time and helped with Meals on Wheels.

If I can help them live an easygoing, healthy, painfree life now, then I will, and have done. They deserve it.