Zaadz: End Poverty Now!

Re: Buy products

Sat, 23 Sep 2006 02:54:38 -0000

Hi Lisa

Here is a link to a list of the products that ethiopia exports to America. So if anyone is in the market for any of these things and is interested - look for ethiopian product.

http://www.ethiomarket.com/products.htm

L8r
mike

Re: Helping Village

Sat, 23 Sep 2006 12:17:02 -0000

Yeah, I noticed. It was the only part of the site that wasn't translated. But I gathered from the smiles and the pictures what was going on and how happy everyone was to be a part of it.

I will get something started by the end of the weekend. Thanks so much for you participation and help. It's nice to know exactly where you can help when it is needed.

I am broke too. I got laid off over a week ago and haven't found another job yet. I am optimistic that something will come along soon. But I feel so home with trying to help other people, especially in my time of need. It makes me feel as though nothing is missing, you know? I almost dread going back into my same line of work because it wasn't as fulfilling as it should have been.

Thanks again Chad.

Lisa

Re: Buy products

Sat, 23 Sep 2006 12:28:21 -0000

Thanks Mike. I will be sure to start checking items and where they come from when I shop, become more conscious of who I am supporting.

When I was looking for more export websites I came across a very good site on boosting trade within Africa, by Africans for Africans. Because there are parts of Africa that are wealthy and could contribute to the less fortunates areas. If anyone is interested in reading about the efforts taking place here is the link:

http://www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/afrec/vol16no2/162reg3.htm

Re: Buy products

Sun, 24 Sep 2006 02:13:41 -0000

Why do we have to be so possessive and powerful? The only country that is in deep panick about the oil peak problem is the US, the rest of the world is thriving to find a solution, but the Americans aren't even trying hardenough.

I think we need to be more aware of where our goods come from, not just take them for granted. Then we'd be more careful.

We buy so much the rest of the world gets so poor, except of course Europe. I have and wear pants that are one year old but are from Target and are beginnging to wear out, but I won't buy a new pair unless it is really needed. I mean what do the rich need such things for? Why do they thing it's important to spend so much money on something you can get for cheaper with a longer life? I heard somewhere that say for instance a peson buys a $5,000 suitcase, that suitcase doesn't last longer than that of one that cost $100.

Let's look at Luxembourg. They can give all their money and goods to Africa because they are so rich, their economy won't be shot just by being kind and generous.

I think we need to redefine Walth and power, the common meaning is killing us!

Re: Helping Village

Sun, 24 Sep 2006 06:38:49 -0000

we are broke but rich
no money but give our all
that's all, that's it, us...

Re: Helping Village

Sun, 24 Sep 2006 22:19:21 -0000

May I suggest you donate money to help children survive?

Go here...www.feed.tv

New blog!

Mon, 25 Sep 2006 13:59:03 -0000

Please see my new blog and add lots and lots of comments.

Sharing love always,
Lisa

On the lookout

Wed, 27 Sep 2006 23:53:47 -0000

I am on the lookout for 2007 Quarter 1 worthy cause. If anyone knows of anyone or comes across anyone who is doing something great either big or small or if you yourself are wanting to do something to help maybe the homeless in your area, give me the ideas. I appreaciate all of your help, support and contributions. Together we will become a different world.

I am you, You are me. We are ONE.

Love and Peace Eternal,
Lisa

"Everybody can be great..."

Thu, 28 Sep 2006 13:30:22 -0000

"Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve...you don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul "generated by love"

-Martin Luther King Jr.

http://www.vitaminangelalliance.org/

http://www.servefirst.org/

Light, Love, Joy & Inspiration,
MagnumVox

Re: Buy products

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 00:46:01 -0000

That's a great idea!

Not just Ehtiopia ... so many places and so many products for the poorest places.
Afghanistan, Pakistan, Congo, Somalia, Sudan, Ghana, Uganda......

Re: Buy products

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 11:26:36 -0000

YES YES YES! I couldn't agree more. We really need to start being conscious of buying things from any less fortunate country. Most things are made in China, HELLO...They are becoming more powerful than the US, we need to balance the scales of world economy and help out people who can't afford shoes or food.

The New NGO's - an integral approach?

Thu, 05 Oct 2006 01:45:15 -0000

How daunting is it to move stuff from point A to point B? When point B has no roads or airports accessing it; it is locked in a regional ethnic conflict, and suffering from a devestating AIDS epidemic? This is what today's aid organizations have to deal with on a daily basis in Africa. I just read a little about Mother Theresa. We all know her legacy, and what I particularly admire is her leadership. Going against the grain of traditional "big-picture" thinking that ruled and still rules most NGO's, she operated day to day, problem to problem, one person at a time. What a remarkable difference - and she was even criticized for not doing enough! Yet given time, her organization achieved astonishing success who's legacy carries to this day. (Call a tech support phone line and you will hear the accent of that legacy.) Given Mother Theresa's example, perhaps there is a better more efficient way to manage aid? Granted, today's aid organizations achieve monumental success given the size and scope of the problems they face. What about an integral approach? Such as going beyond just merely dollars and bags of food stuffs but into a full perspective, comprehensive package of aid. (AQAL etc.) What would such an approach look like? How would it be different from today's organizations. Would it work or would it become too ambitious? -J

Re: The New NGO's - an integral approach?

Thu, 05 Oct 2006 12:10:41 -0000

Ambition can be controlled if one doesn't allow greed or ego to get in the way. But that is the dilemma faced by most big organizations. I think they loose sight of the purpose or intent and it becomes about them.

I watched a movie again the other night that got me thinking, CRASH, about how things or why things happen in this world. Granted, it was primarily focused on racial issues but I saw something else. Something, anything, happens to a person and they react toward other people. They carry some of the hurt or anger and redirect it, however slight, onto another person. It made me think about how many times people don't lend the right of way because too many people have not lent it to them. Or any situation where they feel they have been wronged by a total stranger, so they let just a little bit of anger form within themselves at the situation. That anger gets stored away to be added to another little anger and then poured onto another.

What if love was the reaction to wrong doing or hurt? What if helping was the automatic internal reaction to greed? The people who have led this world with love have been the one's to leave a permanant legacy of positive change (even if some feel they didn't do enough) Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Jr., Oprah Winfrey, etc. People who have found a way to do things out of the goodness of their hearts, out of the folds of love, regardless of money, have changed the world. Those people didn't need to worry about greed and ego or too much ambition. They reaped more reward that any amount of greed could buy, they made a change, they saved a life. And they understood that.

To me, that is integral. But how do you get entire organizations to think that way, to feel that way, to love that way, to act that way?

Great question Jay.

my project

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 17:03:03 -0000

My goal is to make all of the tools that the Internet has to offer available for a very low fee.

Right now I have made available all of the basics (website, email, storefront, online office tools and more) for $10 a month. If you take advantage of the Launch Special you would pay about $4.16 a month.

There is more information on my blog.

I wanted to do more than talk so I looked around to see what some of the struggles were to bridge the gap between the haves and the have nots and decided to create RainboeRiver.org.

I hope to have co-ops from all over the world join. This will not only make it easier for them to find markets but easier for us to know who they are.

Stop by and see what you think.

Next Aid- orphans' center South Africa

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 10:07:08 -0000

hello friends!! is anyone out there interested in orphans in Africa? to learn more or to get involved please check out the pod i just created:

http://pods.zaadz.com/nextaid

thank you,
brooklyn

Oct 16 & 17; Worldwide; Stand Up & Speak Out Against Poverty

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 23:32:01 -0000

"What is Stand Up and Speak Out?

STAND UP and SPEAK OUT is a worldwide call to take action against poverty and inequality and for the Millennium Development Goals*. On October 16th and 17th, be a part of this growing movement of people who refuse to stay silent or seated in the face of poverty. Help us break the world record so we can break the record of broken promises."

There are a number of events going on around the world, one of which you might want to participate in. You can also set up an event. The website is:

http://www.standagainstpoverty.org/ If you want to go straight to where you can find events happening near you, go to:

http://www.standagainstpoverty.org/en/events and pick the country where you live. You should be able to see all the events happening where you are.

*If you want to know more about the United Nation's Millenium Development Goals, see:
http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/

I hope you will consider getting involved.

Re: Oct 16 & 17; Worldwide; Stand Up & Speak Out Against Poverty

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 13:35:41 -0000

Make Poverty History sent me the following email reminder of the above event about standing up and speaking out against poverty and inequality. I am going to one of the events in Toronto, but there are events happening all over the world.

La version française suite

Dear Make Poverty History supporter,

Join millions of people around the world to STAND UP and SPEAK OUT to make poverty history between October 16th and 17th - and set a Guinness World Record at the same time!

Between 5pm Eastern time on October 16th and 5pm on the 17th, millions of people in Canada, Pakistan and Namibia and dozens of other countries will be sending a message to government leaders - that we need bold action now to make poverty history - by standing up and speaking out in their communities. Join this movement and help set a record for the number of people standing up in a 24 hour period!

Check for STAND UP events in your community that you can participate in.

Find out how you can organize a STAND UP moment in your school or workplace.

Check out the STAND UP video, an up-beat look at this global event.

The STAND UP Global White Band Day of Action - the 24 hours between 5pm on the 16th to 5pm on the 17th (Canadian Eastern time: see makepovertyhistory.ca/e/stand-up/when.pdf for your local time) - coincide with the opening of a new session of the Canadian Parliament.

Your participation in the STAND UP Global Day of Action can help to send a strong message to Prime Minister Harper that his government needs to give high priority to ending poverty both at home and abroad.

Canada needs to help to make poverty history by:

committing to a 10 year timetable to allocate 0.7% of Gross National Income for official development assistance;
supporting efforts to make trade rules more equitable by insisting on development-friendly WTO rules and bilateral agreements;
pushing the World Bank and the IMF to stop imposing harmful conditions for debt cancellation and development financing;
developing and implementing a plan to end child and family poverty in Canada;
implementing the Kelowna Accord, a plan to narrow the living standards gap between Aboriginal people and the rest of Canada.

During the recent Ontario election, Make Poverty History supporters helped to get all provincial parties to support a poverty reduction plan for Ontario. Your action is needed now to push for change at the national level. Stand Up and Speak Out on this date!

Thanks for your support.

Dennis Howlett
National Coordinator
Make Poverty History

Cher partisan de la campagne Abolissons la pauvreté,

Joignez-vous aux millions de personnes partout dans le monde qui, les 16 et 17 octobre, répondront à l'appel Debout et Manifestez pour abolir la pauvreté - et aidez à établir un nouveau record Guinness du même coup!

Du 16 octobre à 17h, heure de l'Est, au 17 octobre à 17h, des millions au Canada, Pakistan et Namibie et dans des douzaines d'autres pays enverront un message aux chefs politiques - la nécessité aujourd'hui d'entreprendre une action ferme pour abolir la pauvreté - en se tenant debout et en manifestant dans leurs communautés. Joignez-vous à ce mouvement et aidez à établir un record mondial du nombre de personnes se tenant debout sur une période de 24 heures!

Consultez la liste des événements DEBOUT auxquels vous pouvez participer dans votre communauté.

Découvrez comment vous pouvez organiser un événement DEBOUT dans votre école ou au travail.

Regardez la vidéo DEBOUT, un vue fraîche sur cet événement globale.

Le jour de la mobilisation mondiale DEBOUT et du bracelet blanc -les 24 heures entre le 16 octobre à 17h et le 17 octobre à 17h (heure normale de l'est du Canada : pour voir d'horaire des activités dans votre région, allez à abolissonslapauvrete.ca/f/debout-et-manifestez/quand.pdf )- coïncide avec l'ouverture de la nouvelle session du Parlement canadien. Votre participation à la mobilisation mondiale DEBOUT peut aider à envoyer un message fort au premier ministre Harper, à savoir que l'abolition de la pauvreté au Canada et ailleurs devrait venir eu priorité majeure. Le Canada doit contribuer à l'élimination de la pauvreté. Pour ce faire, il doit la promesse :

S'engageant, d'ici dix ans, d'allouer 0.7% de Revenu National Brut à l'aide publique au développement;
Le soutien des efforts pour rendre le commerce international plus équitable, en exigent que l'OMC adopte des règlements plus favorables au développement;
Mettre de la pression sur la Banque Mondiale et le FMI pour qu'ils arrêtent d'imposer conditions défavorables à l'annulation de la dette et au financement du développement;
Concevoir et appliquer des mesures pour mettre fin aux pauvreté infantile et familiale au Canada;
Appliquer l'Accord de Kelowna, qui permettrait de réduire le fossé entre le niveau de vie des populations autochtones et celui du reste du pays.

Durant la récente campagne électorale en Ontario, grâce aux partisans de la Abolissons la pauvreté tous les partis provinciaux ont acceptéé de soutenir un plan de réduction de la pauvreté en Ontario. Nous avons désormais besoin de vous pour une action nationale. Debout et Manifestez les 16 et 17 octobre prochains!

Merci de votre soutien.

Dennis Howlett
Coordinateur national
Abolissons la pauvreté

It exists already, and it's called The Hunger Project

Sun, 21 Oct 2007 18:55:15 -0000

Jay,

Your question is spot on. And....

....as luck would have it, there's already a great answer. The Hunger Project is an NGO that's existed for 30 years, doing very much the kind of work you're describing.

They always work from the bottom up, looking at a community and asking the question "What's missing here, right now, the presence of which would make a difference?" Often it turns out that much of the answer is things that the community themselves can provide, given some solidarity and empowerment.

The really extraordinary thing about The Hunger Project is that everything they've achieved (which is a great deal) has been accomplished on an annual budget of around 3 million US Dollars, which is next to nothing when compared with large aid organisations.

The big question I'm looking at is this: what will it take to scale up The Hunger Project's operations over the next few years, so that they're impacting hundreds of millions of people, rather than the current millions?

All the best,
Patrick

Re: It exists already, and it's called The Hunger Project

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 10:50:07 -0000

Re: The New NGO's - an integral approach?

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 19:25:20 -0000

Its true that bags of food and money is not enough to solve a country's problems that is suffering from AIDS, poverty, unsanitary hospitals, and unclean water. Many of the times, when we enter a country we assume what that country needs through our observations. However, we often forget to ask those that will be affected by the changes that we make, we forget to ask what do you need, how can we accomdate you, etc. I know for the US government that its way of helping is to provide a country with more food and money and that's it. However, that always seem to fail. I think in order to fully be able to allivate the pain and suffering of others we must give them resources and teach them how to use it. It's very much like the EU approach, where you go into the country, give them a resource, and teach them how to use it. I ran across this organization a couple of years ago, and i think its the Heifer foundation, where the money that an individual donates will be used to buy a farm animal for a family in a third world country. The organization will teach them how to use the animal to its full potential. So for example, if we give a family a cow we teach them how to milk it, use its manuver for fertilization, etc...instead of simply just cutting it up and eating it. I believe that the current ngos are doing great work in helping other countries and those in poverty and such, but i do think that their needs to be a new and innovated approach to their process.