World Hunger and Poverty

by Josh Riverside

Every year, in millions of homes and offices around the world, old computers are callously dumped to be replaced with latest technology computers. It is a callous act, because not many amongst us can claim to be ignorant of the fact that numerous organizations around us can put the old computers to good use. These organizations such as non-profit charity organizations, religious organizations, schools and a number of families have to sometimes carry on their work with no computers. You could also donate your computer to a person with some disability. You might, in all probability, be providing him with fresh opportunities and a chance to earn his livelihood. So, think hard before dumping a computer. You could be dumping somebody’s chance to earn his daily bread.

When you donate a computer in charity, you donate technology. Most charity organizations are dependent on generous donors like you for their technology requirements. They would rather utilize their limited funds in providing basic amenities to the needy rather than buying expensive computers. There are several organizations that accept computer donations and transfer them to the charity of your choice. Some of these organizations upgrade the computers according to the latest technology and then donate them to the concerned charity or school or even to a needy family. You can also get in touch with a local charity or a family in need of computers and donate directly to them. Several organizations act as a link between donors and organizations that are in need of computers. Certain organizations may also help you to get in touch with individuals, in case you wish to donate to an individual rather than an organization.

Computer donations are a valuable contribution for most organizations and play a very vital role in their development programs. Some organizations use the computers to provide training to people with disabilities or health problems. The organization, therefore, acts as a training center that helps create job opportunities for the disabled. Some people prefer to send their old computers to recyclers or refurbishers who repair and upgrade the computers before passing them on to schools or charities.

When you donate a computer, you qualify for a tax deduction if you donate to a registered charity. So, do not forget to get a receipt of the donated computer from the charitable organization you are donating to.

by Josh Riverside

To discard the old furniture, when you are about to makeover the decor of your house, is a natural impulse for most of us. But do you realize that every time you throw out your old furniture, you could also be throwing away somebody’s chance to lead a better life? Wouldn’t it be more fulfilling to get the desired décor for your house and in the process also help someone in need?

Donate your furniture rather than discarding it. But make sure that it is in a saleable condition. Furniture that is badly damaged or worn out is not accepted by most charity organizations. Many charity organizations welcome donations in the form of furniture and may even be willing to pick it up from your home without charging any fee. However, if you wish to avail the services of a free pick up, be sure to enquire about the availability of this service before you make the donation. Many organizations require a minimum donation before they provide the services of a free pick up.

A more preferred method would be to look for local charitable organizations that accept furniture donations. It is easier for the charity donations that are within your vicinity to pick the furniture from your home, especially if it is not viable for you to deliver the furniture to the organization yourself. Be sure to ask for the receipt of the articles from the charity after they have picked up the furniture items from your house. Make a list of these items along with their estimated market value. Preserve the list and the receipt for your tax deductions. The method of filing this information with your taxes varies according to the value of the furniture that you have donated. Information on this can be obtained from authorized sources, when you make the donation. A wonderful resource these days is the Internet where you will be able to find all relevant information, from locating local charities to methods of making the donation.

Parting with your favorite couch will not be a saddening thought any more, if you realize the comfort that its donation can bring to the life of another human.

by Allen Taylor

Charity avails so much as the old adage goes.

Most of us like to help others and you don’t have to go too far out of your way to give. In some cases, you need only walk right out your back door.

Charity is one of the best ways to advertise your business in a low-cost way. All you have to do is give and expect nothing in return.

But be very selective in the charity you give to. Be sure the charity is a bona fide charity with the proper legal paperwork that gives it a charitable distinction. Also, try to find one with a longstanding reputation.

Most charities will list their sponsors and donors in their newsletter or make mention in some other way that provides a public benefit. Ask charities that you consider giving to if they recognize people who donate goods and services.

A monetary gift is nice but you can get the same benefits by providing your business services for free. If you are a persuasive salesman and able to get people to let loose of their hard-earned cash, you could volunteer to be a fundraiser. A writer? Write copy for the charity’s brochure. Are you good with your hands? Offer to fix something when it breaks.

Depending on the size of your business, you may want to give to a small charity. It is best to give to a charity that is relatively the same size as your company. If you are a small mom & pop shop you won’t get a lot of benefit by giving $100 to a multi-national charity. The large corporations will overshadow you with their huge gifts. But if it is a cause you really believe in, then by all means, give what you can.

But if you want recognition for your business, you are better off giving to a local charity or a smaller charity that lists its small business donors on its web site and newsletter. Consider the level of charitable donation very seriously. It may be to your benefit to be one of the highest givers, or you may opt to go in at the lowest rung on the donation ladder. How do you decide?

Consider this: How many other donors are there at your level? If there are only one or two then you will stand out more. Also, is the cause related to your industry in some way? Maybe you’ll want to give more. Are you a local business that caters to local customers? Give to a local charity. Are you an Internet company that does business worldwide? Then, maybe you should consider a charity with a worldwide scope.

The decision is yours but be selective about your charitable contributions. Put your charitable limits in your annual budget and stick to them like mud on a boy.

Also, don’t be afraid to volunteer your time. Most charities, particularly local ones, are in dire need of helpers. And you never know who you are going to meet.

“There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.” – Indira Gandhi

“The day that hunger is eradicated from the earth, there will
be the greatest spiritual explosion the world has ever known.
Humanity cannot imagine the joy that will burst into the world
on the day of that great revolution.” – Federico Garcia Lorca, Spanish poet and dramatist, 1889-1936

On June 13, 1942, in his “Four Freedoms” radio address, Franklin D. Roosevelt read a prayer that included:

“Our earth is but a small star in the great universe. Yet of it we can make, if we choose, a planet unvexed by war, untroubled by hunger or fear, undivided by senseless distinctions of race, color or theory. Grant us that courage and foreseeing to begin this task today that our children and our children’s children may be proud of the name of man.”

At his 1961 inaugural address, John F. Kennedy stated:

“To those peoples in the huts and villages across the globe struggling to break the bonds of mass misery, we pledge our best efforts to help them help themselves, for whatever period is required…”

1977, the National Academy of Sciences’ Study on Food and Nutrition, involving some 1,500 scientists, made this statement:

“If there is the political will in this country and abroad… It should be possible to overcome the worst aspects of widespread hunger and malnutrition within one generation.”

1980, the Presidential Commission On World Hunger concluded that:

“Each major cause of hunger could be averted or overcome if the human community were to act cooperatively and decisively.

“Conversely, the persistence of hunger reflects a lack of sufficient political will to eliminate its causes. If decisions and actions well within the capability of nations and people working together were implemented, it would be possible to eliminate the worst aspects of hunger and malnutrition by the year 2000.”

1980, the Brandt Commission, in a two-year study involving representatives of 17 rich and poor countries, concluded:

“Mankind has never before had such ample technical and financial resources for coping with hunger and poverty. The immense task can be tackled once the necessary collective will is mobilized. What is necessary can be done, and must be done.”

Recently issued Unicef report states:

“By the year 2000 the number of infant deaths in low-income countries could be reduced to 50 per 1,000 or less…. [this] goal is realistic in the sense that the principal obstacle standing in the way of [its] realization is the absence of the will and commitment to achieve [it].

The conservative American organization, the Heritage Foundation, has written:

“Hunger is man’s oldest enemy. There is now the scientific knowledge and the institutional arrangement that makes it possible to overcome hunger, not only within the United States but throughout the world. This can be done within the lifetime of people now living, if there is the political will to do so.”

1981, 52 Nobel laureates issued “The Manifesto Against Hunger.” They said:

“We must refute the false idea of reality that accepts as inevitable what is in fact a result of present politics; in other words, of organized chaos.

“Each and every one of us must support measures to save the living.

“If only people are told what is happening, then the world’s dark future, which now seems to threaten everyone ln it, may be changed.

“But only if we take action.

“Now is the time to act, now is the time to create, now is the time for us to live in a way that will give life to others.”

From: http://www.thp.org

by Nathan T. Lynch

We’ve all heard about the disgrace of sweatshops in Asia and other countries. Until you get first hand news of the horrible conditions in these places, it probably doesn’t seem ‘real’. Well it is. And it’s an ongoing tragedy throughout those countries. Following is an account of what Asian women are going through in these situations, specifically in the country of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is a country in South Asia that was formerly known as the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. Even though the country has gone through domestic and international efforts to improve its economic situation, Bangladesh remains an underdeveloped and overpopulated country. For the majority of people who live there, the annual income is only $440US, and lower still for others.

Bangladesh grows massive quantities of rice, tea and mustard. Although two-thirds of its people are farmers, more than three quarters of the country’s earnings come from exports through the garment industry. The ‘industry’, which employs more than 3 million workers, exports an average of $5 billion worth of products! 90% of of its employees, or slaves if you will, are Asian women.

Rents are very high in Bangladesh, especially for the factory workers who only earn about $38 US per month. To try to make ends meet, many of the women in the rural areas trek to the city’s sweatshops that offer horrible working conditions. At these sweatshops, the women work between 10 and 12 hours a day, seven days a week. That’s not including their additional household duties either.

Needless to say, the atrocious working and living conditions take their toll on the health of these Asian women. As many as 68% of them complain of constant weakness and fatigue which is related to the long hours of work. The second major problem is gastric ulcers which are mainly due to low incomes and irregular eating habits. Chest pain, backaches, eye trouble, headaches and joint pain are other common ailments stemming from their work environment. Asian women working in these horrid conditions are also prone to urinary infections which are a direct result of not having enough access to toilets at work. There are strong restrictions on the number of times they are even allowed to take bathroom breaks.

Believe it or not, these women have a union. The Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers’ and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said factory owners had prepared a master plan to start addressing these awful work-place conditions. That is yet to be seen. Sexual harassment is also very common in garment factories and the women there are threatened with being fired if they say anything or try to defend themselves. Exploited at work and living in poverty, many of these female workers have turned to prostitution as a way to make some extra money.

All in all, no matter how much you dislike the job you have, you’ve got to be thankful, at least, that you’re not an Asian woman living and working in Bangladesh.

Discover exotic culture asian culture at asian women

As of 2006, hunger continues to be a worldwide problem. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, “850 million people worldwide were undernourished in 1999 to 2005, the most recent years for which figures are available” and the number of hungry people has recently been increasing. An orange awareness ribbon is used to raise awareness of hunger in the world.[3]

There is a wide range of opinions as to why this problem is so persistent. Organizations such as Food First raise the issue of food sovereignty and claim that every country on earth (with the possible minor exceptions of some city-states) has sufficient agricultural capacity to feed its own people, but that the “free trade” economic order associated with such institutions as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank prevent this from happening. At the other end of the spectrum, the World Bank itself claims to be part of the solution to hunger, claiming that the best way for countries to succeed in breaking the cycle of poverty and hunger is to build export-led economies that will give them the financial means to buy foodstuffs on the world market.

Amartya Sen won his 1998 Nobel Prize in part for his work demonstrating that hunger in modern times was not typically the product of a lack of food; rather, hunger usually arose from problems in food distribution networks or from governmental policies in the developing world.

From: Wikipedia

From the Barbara Ehrenreich article on Alternet.org
http://alternet.org/story/39273/

* They are less likely to have access to large supermarkets and hence to rely on the far more expensive, and lower quality offerings, of small grocery and convenience stores.

by Seth Scolack, Savvy Seth’s Donate a Car to Charity

You may ask yourself, ‘if I donate a car to charity, are there any benefits in it for me?’ Like they say, “good deeds that you do always come back to you”. Without a doubt, donating your old car to charity is a generous gesture that can greatly improve the life of someone else, and it can also benefit you.

For many of us, the thought of having to try and sell our old car that we have had for years is a bad one. Haggling over price with a car dealer and having to spend money to ensure the vehicle is in good enough condition to sell is a nuisance. In fact, spending the time and money on an already old car is sometimes actually counterproductive and ends up costing more money than it’s worth. When you donate a car to charity, you are not required to see that your vehicle is up to working standard. Furthermore, you do not have to spend the money to get your car towed to a lot. You do not have to place an ad in the paper and wait around for people to call or visit your less than perfect automobile. When it comes down to it, selling an old car requires effort. If you are in the position to part with your car and the money that you might make on selling it is minimal, you might just simply choose to donate it.

Speaking of money, one of the great benefits of donating your car to charity is that you are eligible for a tax deduction. In the United States, if you donate to a charity classified with the IRS as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, you may be eligible for a tax deduction. Before donating your car, it is useful to know the fair market value, which can be assessed by using one of the several guidebooks on the subject. Also, be clear on what your charity will do with the car, as it will make a difference in your tax break depending on whether the car is resold or broken down for parts. Taking the time to speak directly with your chosen charity will answer all your questions and give you a good idea of how they operate.

Donating your car to charity will help someone and will also benefit you. Whether it is to save yourself the inconvenience of selling an old car or not, you can still feel good knowing that you have been generous.

For more information see: Savvy Seth’s Donate a Car to Charity

by Scott Hughes

In respect to hunger & poverty in America, the U.S. people believe in a myth. The real myth is NOT that hunger and poverty don’t exist within America. Albeit, the prevalence of poverty hunger in America is largely downplayed and ignored by the collective American opinion. Regardless, no one can deny the staggering statistics. In the United States, 38.2 million people–including 14 million children–live in households that experience hunger or the risk of hunger. 3.9 percent of U.S. households experience hunger. 8.0 percent of U.S. households are at risk of hunger. Though often ignored, the facts are blatant.

The real myth in America is the myth of meritocracy – the myth that the poor are just lazy and stupid. Most Americans seem to believe that the poor in America deserve poverty. These people believe the United States is a meritocracy, in which wealth and status is determined by merit. These people believe that the wealthy in the United States have earned their wealth through intelligence and hard work. And accordingly, these people believe that laziness and stupidity cause poverty.

The prevalence of this myth shocks some people, who wonder how over 14 million U.S. children could deserve poverty. Children. The non-meritocratic reality is obvious to most anyone who has worked or knows someone who has worked two or even three jobs and barely earns enough to survive. Indeed, many intelligent hard-working American families struggle to feed, house, and clothe themselves.

It seems that the belief in the myth of meritocracy isn’t based on logic or empirical evidence. Rather, it seems the belief in meritocracy is based on desire and cognitive dissonance. Not to say that the majority of non-poor Americans directly want to believe that 38.2 million American people are lazy and stupid. Rather, the majority of non-poor Americans want to believe that they, the non-poor, have earned their wealth and status. The majority of non-poor Americans choose to reject the notion that poverty is unfairly determined by non-meritocratic forces, because they don’t want to accept that their own wealth is equally unfair. The majority of non-poor Americans don’t want to admit that the majority of the poor Americans are unlucky, because that would entail that the majority of non-poor Americans are just lucky. Understandably, Americans want to feel like they are deserving, decent citizens living in a fair meritocracy. They don’t want to feel guilty, lucky or responsible to the poor.

Unfortunately, this pretentiousness and arrogance alone cannot explain the prevalence of the myth of meritocracy, because not only do non-poor Americans believe in the myth of meritocracy, but also poor Americans believe in it! While arrogance and a desire to feel proud could explained the non-poor Americans belief in the myth of meritocracy, it can’t explain why poor Americans believe in this myth. Just like non-poor Americans, poor Americans believe that they are inferior and deserve to be poor. Poor Americans literally have – both collectively and individually – an inferiority complex. Additionally, working-class and middle-class Americans never question their own status in relation to the upper-class. Indeed, working-class Americans don’t avoid poverty with actual wealth, but rather with credit-lines. Their houses, cars, and clothes are all financed with borrowed money. The majority of non-poor working-class Americans are literally on the brink of poverty. Generally, their apparent wealth is just an illusion.

To understand the prevalence of the myth of meritocracy, one must understand the socioeconomic structure of the United States. The true wealth in the United States is in the hands of a few. The top 1% in the United States have more wealth than the lower 95%. Generally speaking, the upper-class doesn’t work or produce. Generally speaking, this upper-class is unproductive and uncreative. Instead of being workers or managers, the upper-class make money by share-holding and banking. Money controls everything, so the richest of the rich don’t need to work. Indeed, the government-sponsored dollar is mightier than the sword.

It’s not in the interest of the richest and most powerful, the true owners of America, to have a rebellious working-class. The powers that be all have a stake in the continuance of the non-meritocratic oligarchy. So, right from the start in the government-run schools, students are taught to believe in the myth of meritocracy. The schools literally teach students blind nationalist patriotism. The entire social system, namely schools, indoctrinate the people to believe that America is completely fair and meritocratic. Any evidence that contradicts the myth of meritocracy is omitted from the courses, whether historical or contemporary. Indeed, even women-oppressing Indian-killing slave-owners are made out to be American heroes.

A very small minority of non-working unproductive people truly run America, and indeed most of the world. A very small minority of people have all the wealth and power. Simple Machiavellian philosophy says that those who benefit from the current social order will do whatever they can to keep that order in place. Simple Machiavellian philosophy says that those whom change would adversely affect will furiously try to stop change. It is no surprise that the very small minority of wealthy and powerful leaders want to keep the current social order; they’re living the good life. Wealth without work.

The main way to keep the masses of people from uprising is by tricking the masses with the myth of meritocracy. Convince the lower and working classes that classism is based on merit, and they’ll keep going to their jobs. Even as more children starve and middle-class debts increase, they’ll keep going to their jobs. So long as the working-classes and lower-classes have an inferiority complex, they’ll keep working. They’ll be depressed, stressed, and hungry, but they’ll keep working. Nothing changes, and those few people with a stake in the oligarchy prevail. The prevalence of the myth of meritocracy guarantees the prevalence of the oligarchy.

And, as long as the oligarchy prevails and nothing changes, 14 million American children go to bed hungry every night. And, 16,000 children die everyday.

About The Author: Scott Hughes has a blog about hunger & poverty at http://millionsofmouths.com/blog/nfblog/. You may republish this article so long as you keep all links intact and include this “about the author” footer.

The latest U.S. federal data indicate that:

• In 2004, 13.5 million households (or 11.9% of all U.S. households) were food insecure. Over 38 million people (13.2% of all Americans) lived in these households.
• During the 12 months preceding the 2004 survey, 4.4 million households experienced hunger. Over 10.7 million adults and children lived in these households.
• In 2004, 13.9 million children under age 18 lived in food-insecure households (19.0% of all children).
• Food insecurity and hunger are concentrated in low-income households. In 2004, households with incomes below 130% poverty line had a food insecurity prevalence more than 3 times the national level. More than two-thirds of households reporting hunger had incomes under 185% of the poverty line.
• Female-headed households showed disproportionately high levels of food insecurity and hunger, with 33% reporting food insecurity and 1 in 11 experiencing hunger.
• Black and Hispanic households had food insecurity prevalences that were at least 2.5 times those of White (non-Hispanic) households.

From: http://www.centeronhunger.org/hunger/facts.html (Source: Nord, M., Andrews, M., Carlson, S. (October 2005) Household Food Security in the United States, 2004. Washington, D.C.: Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.)