CitizenSugar -- Breaking News, Together.

Humanitarian Aid Workers Face Growing Dangers

CitizenSugar — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:30:58 -0700

The UN has been doing everything to help the planet from warning about meat consumption to turning down their own thermostat, but there's one global danger that's harder to fix: serious threats to aid workers.

Gayle Williams, a British and South African aid worker stationed in Afghanistan, was recently murdered by Taliban soldiers illuminating this growing tragedy. Growing numbers of people who dedicate themselves to assisting those living in impoverished nations are becoming victims of fatal attacks.

In the year from July 2007 to 2008, 63 aid workers were killed. Eighteen in Somalia, 17 in Afghanistan, 14 in Sudan, six in Pakistan, and four in Chad. Since June, those numbers have increased. Recently 17 were killed in one bomb attack in Algeria. Although in some countries, the murder of aid workers falls along ideological lines, such as the Taliban murdering for what they believe are religious reasons (Aid workers are there solely for humanitarian purposes and not to promote religious ideology). While in other nations, they are murdered simply for their possessions, as a result of unchecked banditry.

To see some of the reasons behind it, and what one aid worker has to say,

Kids Go Hungry Over Weekend, Backpack Program Helps

CitizenSugar — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 08:00:14 -0700

This story caught my eye this morning because I thought it was the other Hillary — but getting my Clinton confused with my Duff led me to this great charity: Blessings in a Backpack.

It makes so much sense — there are 16.3 million kids getting free or reduced price lunches through the National School Lunch Program — so who feeds those kids on the weekend? The Blessings program packs backpacks with nonperishable food and passes them out at the end of the week to keep kids going until school rolls around on Monday. Food charity programs like this and Meals on Wheels fulfill a need especially poignant when economic times get tough.

Hilary Duff was in Fort Wayne, IN, to publicize the program. She said:

I feel lucky enough to have a voice or a name that people might pay attention to. I think that people might not be aware that a couple neighborhoods away, kids aren't having food on the weekends, and we just want people to be informed and to know what's going on in their communities and to help if they can.

To see why the need is so great, and how you can help,

First of Brad Pitt's Make It Right Houses Done in New Orleans

CitizenSugar — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 08:00:33 -0700

Three years after Hurricane Katrina, the first homes built in by Brad Pitt's Make It Right rebuilding project are complete. Touring the building site in the Lower 9th Ward with Angelina and kids in tow this week, one ecstatic grandmother gave Brad a huge hug. She said of her new electric yellow house, "Honey, this is like heaven on earth." She'll be moving into the house with five of her 22 grandkids later this month.

In all, 150 homes will be built on the site destroyed by the broken levees. Six of the homes are near completed and the happy grandma says, "I thank God for Brad Pitt. I gave him a big hug, and I told him how much I appreciate all that he's done for me and my family." The houses cost about $150,000, are built on property still owned by residents, and their monthly payments are based on income and subsidized by Make It Right.

To see more about the project,

Ben Affleck Says Successes in Africa Inspire Him to Do More

LibertySugar — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:00:00 -0700

I checked out a panel on combating global poverty this week, filled with a diverse set of people ready to talk about their experiences surrounding the issue. I was super excited to see panel members like ex-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, and the bearded and articulate Ben Affleck.

A humble Ben noted that he felt a bit out of place, but then shared what he's learned from his time in Africa. Ben thinks poverty activists need to re-package their message so it's not so doom and gloom. He argued that it's "more effective to talk about what people are doing successfully. [The successes] gave me added urgency to get involved."

Ben also highlighted how he and other Western folk are received in Africa. He said:

The countries that hold us in the highest esteem are in Africa. We don't carry colonial baggage. . . . [But] Western folks come in with a sense that "this is how it works." Imposing paradigm is much less effective than imposing solutions into social grooves. You hear people say, "If you teach a man to fish . . ." These people know how to fish, they need a pond to fish in.

Does Ben's insight impress you as much as it impressed me?

Part II: Interview With Tom Sheridan, Lobbyist to the Stars

CitizenSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:00:49 -0700

Here's the continuation of our interview with Tom Sheridan, the lobbyist who works with Bono on his ONE campaign to end global poverty. Liberty took in a ONE campaign panel with Ben Affleck, Madeleine Albright, and Tom Daschle at the convention yesterday — more details on that event soon! Here's the continuation of our conversation with Tom:

Who else do you work with?

Julia Ormond is another great example, she's a client of ours who is doing work on human trafficking and slavery, and speaking out before anyone was really talking about. She wasn't only talking about it, but she was immersed, was deeply immersed in the substance of it. You know, what are the major policy issues that need to be launched in order to track people, things like a universal birth certificate. She was on top of that stuff before anyone really wrote about this.

What makes a celebrity seek you out?

To see his answer and more,

Meet a Celebrity Lobbyist Committed to Star-Powered Activism

CitizenSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:45:08 -0700

Parked in the intersection of politics and pop culture is the celebrity activist. There all kinds of ways celebrities get involved in causes from serving on boards to inspiring laws on Capitol Hill, and Tom Sheridan knows how to harness that fame and make the issue the real star. A lobbyist based in DC, he represents Bono and his work on the ONE campaign against global poverty. We sat down with him this week ahead of the big ONE event Kanye is headlining to benefit the organization here at the convention, and we couldn't have been more impressed. Tom Sheridan is using the intersection of fame and charity to inspire real change and a legion of committed issue advocates.

Can celebrities distract from an issue or a message? What are the hallmarks of a happy marriage between celebrity and activism?

It really comes down to two Cs. One is commitment and the other is credibility. I think if we go with alliteration and add in celebrity, I think that is where people will discern the difference between a celebrity using an issue to distract and/or promote themselves. There may be a fair trade in that but it doesn't always sustain a cause, and it doesn't get to the level of a policy change that we look for celebrities to engage in.

Well, we see celebrities speaking out on issues all the time. Is that enough to motivate change?

To see his answer,

Laptops & Role Playing: Is Technology the Answer to Poverty?

CitizenSugar — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 08:00:39 -0700

Though Dungeons and Dragons has weirdly wormed its way into the campaign, technology is popping up worldwide as not an escape from the drudgery of every day, but as an escape from poverty. Laptops and role-playing games are a double click of cure.

One Laptop Per Child, a program designed to bring technology and opportunity to kids in developing nations has completely fulfilled that mission in the tiny South Pacific island of Niue. Every single kid, 100 percent of them, now has access to the Internet on the inexpensive, rugged, waterproof (and pretty cute!) laptops. Though Niue is a developing nation, they've been ahead of the technology curve — in 2003 they were the first territory to offer free wireless to all residents.

Once you've mastered the web, can gaming be a golden ticket? Oh yes. To find out how,

Thirsty Boy Interrupts TV – Viewers Make Charitable Splash

LibertySugar — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:00:26 -0700

Hoping to raise awareness about suffering caused by the lack of drinkable water, an ad agency in Belgium came up with a campaign called: "Thirsty Black Boy Interrupting Live Television."

Get Flash to see this player.

During various prime time broadcasts, a young boy ran onto the set, chugged the glass of water sitting next to the host or the guests, and then quickly ran out of sight. The viral awareness campaign helped raised $5.24 million for the water cause in only six days!

Every day 1.1 billion people — equivalent to the combined population of North America and Europe — go without clean water. Even worse, every 15 seconds a child dies because he or she doesn't have water to drink. While some could derive colonial or patronizing undertones from the title "Thirsty Black Boy," it's refreshing to see creative viral marketing going to a good cause.

Source

Charities on Wheels Want Congress to Help Ease Gas Pain

LibertySugar — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:30:54 -0700

Are gas prices driving volunteers away? Some charities say yes, and they want Congress to help. US corporate drivers get a tax deduction of 58.5 cents per gallon, while those driving their cars for charity only deduct 14 cents. When charities pay volunteers the corporate rate, the altruistic drivers must declare the reimbursement as taxable income. If all that doesn't sound right to you, 100 charities and four senators agree.

Charities that rely on volunteer drivers, for example to take the elderly to medical appointments or the grocery store, cannot sustain high gas prices. So a group of 100 charities, like the American Red Cross and Catholic Charities, got together and wrote a letter to Congress to ask lawmakers to address the problem. Today, four senators announced their plan to raise the deduction to 70 percent of the corporate rate, and eliminate the tax on reimbursements above that rate. Since a $1,000 charitable donation is tax deductible for $1,000, it seems only fair that those donating their time and gas get a break, too.

Have you changed your charitable participation because of gas prices? Should charities get special consideration?

Source

Changing the Present — Give a Gift That Makes a Difference

CitizenSugar — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 07:00:00 -0700

This website is a gift in more ways than one. What happens when you have to buy a gift for the person who's ungiftable? Give them the present of changing someone's life. ChangingThePresent rounds up nonprofit organization from all categories — like hunger, disaster relief, education, and human rights — and ties them with a neat bow. Earlier this week we looked at the rampant hunger in Haiti that's making dirt a diet staple, and played the FreeRice game — in your comments you wanted more ways to help. This site is stuffed full of them! And it turns your donation into the perfect present like this: for $24 you can give a girl in Afghanistan the gift of food for her family so she can go to school. Each gift comes with an explanation of the situation you're about to help:

Problem

Today, there are 115 million school-aged children who are out of school all around the world. Two out of every three of these children are girls. In a country like Afghanistan, poor families cannot afford to buy the clothing or the books children need to go to school. Many girls are pulled out of school because of traditional attitudes that value a girl’s work in the household. These families rely on their daughters to make ends meet.

The Gift

Your gift will provide take-home food rations to girls in school for six months to help ease the economic burden on parents. This will help convince parents to keep their daughters in school and free them from their household chores. This gives girls, who otherwise may stay at home, the chance to learn.

That sounds like an unbelievable gift for everyone involved.

How to Help Meal Delivery Programs Hit by Food, Fuel Costs

CitizenSugar — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:30:23 -0700

It's easy to see the economic toll on food and fuel in our own everyday lives — but the effect is trickling down past commuters and bargain shoppers to silver citizens who rely on meal delivery programs to survive. Advocates for the elderly nationwide are concerned that many seniors are going or will go hungry soon — and blame the 20 percent increase in fuel and food prices over the past year, as well as leveling or reduced government subsidies and a failing economy.

According to the Meals on Wheels Association of America, nearly 60 percent of the 5,000 programs have lost volunteers, most of whom say they can no longer afford gas. This has resulted in the elimination or consolidation of entire routes and nearly 38 percent are now serving frozen instead of hot meals. Another 30 percent are reducing personal visits from five to one day per week. To see how some states are fighting back, and what you can do to help,

Waitress Shaves Hair For Charity, Told to Take Time Off. Fair?

CitizenSugar — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 15:45:15 -0700

A restaurant owner in Ontario, Canada has gotten himself into a very hairy situation. Waitress Stacey Fearnall recently raised more than $2,700 for cancer research by shaving her hair, but she claims when she showed up for work without her locks and refused to sport a wig, her boss unceremoniously told her to take the summer off without pay. The restaurant is described as an "upscale steak and seafood eatery" and Fearnall, who is 36, had worked there for two years.The boss said his "restaurant has certain standards prohibiting men from wearing earrings and requiring employees to keep their hair at a reasonable length," adding that the waitress is still on the payroll and can return to work when her hair grows back. My favorite part? The owner of the restaurant said all workers are expected to "dress appropriately" and that he didn't think Fearnall's look was "appropriate." Really? Would he rather she wear Britney Spears' extensions?

Waitress Shaves Hair For Charity, Told to Take Time Off. Fair?

Yes. Owners should be allowed to dictate the "dress code" or hairstyles of employees.

No. She has every right to donate her hair to cancer. It won't affect her ability to work.

Something else. See my answer in the comments.

Saving Cats and Helping People? It's GOOD News Time!

CitizenSugar — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 06:00:09 -0700

This story caught my eye and made me say "aw!" the other day (ask Liberty, it's true) and now it's got a happy ending.

Patches, a beloved family cat in Ogden, Utah was going to die unless it received an operation to repair its spinal cord. Unfortunately, the operation costs $500. Aspen, 10, and her brother, Skylar, 8, hatched the brilliant plan to sell lemonade, hoping the proceeds would be enough to help Patches. But at 50 cents a cup, they were still having trouble raising the cash.

Patches future changed when a local newspaper ran their story and readers around the country, from New York, North Carolina, Texas and Arizona clamored to offer money. An Ogden resident has offered to foot the whole bill. Purr.

Charity doesn’t stop at house pets. To find out how a disfigured man might get the surgery he needs,

Disaster Fatigue Hits America: Giving Less to Recent Victims

LibertySugar — Tue, 20 May 2008 09:00:00 -0700

Donating money for the victims of the Myanmar cyclone and the Chinese earthquake has not been an easy sell. Americans have given $12.1 million so far to the Myanmar cause, compared to the $1.92 billion that was collected for the 2004 Tsunami, and $5.3 billion for Hurricane Katrina. Donation amounts for China are not yet known.

One AP writer suspects that Americans have come down with "disaster fatigue." The article explains that the more bad news there is, the less likely Americans are to give. Americans, who unconsciously clump distinct occurrences as "faraway disasters" may feel helpless when hearing of mounting, and incomprehensible death tolls. Thus, by competing to be disaster of the moment, China and Myanmar have unknowingly dissuaded charitable individuals.

There may be other factors leading to a light trickle of donations. For some other explanations,

Dick Cheney More Generous Than Santa Claus

CitizenSugar — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 12:00:23 -0700

Tax time means sometimes us mere mortals get sneaky peeks into politicians secret financial records. After much clamor, it turns out Obama gave about 6 percent of his income in 2006. That fraction was up from the 1 percent they gave in 2000-2004, which clocked in far lower than the national average.

How generous is Dick Cheney? Very! Cheney gave away a whopping 78 percent of his income in 2006. (For the mathematically inclined and curious, 78 percent=$6.9 million, so 100 percent=x. Come on cross-multipliers! I know you're out there!) Do the wealthy like our friend Mr. Cheney give away the most loot? To see the surprising answer,