Not LDR, but IMPORTANT

[efish1042]

This isn't really LDR related unless you have an SO in central Africa. I just know this is the first forum I check when I log on and most posts seem to be here and I want this to be seen.
Invisible Children is probably a group you've heard of but likely forgot about in the rush of your next big school assignment, or work project or upcoming SO visit.
For those of you that know and those of you that don't, please watch this video (yes it's long, but it is WORTH IT)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc

Joseph Kony is the leader of a small guerilla group in central Africa with NO PURPOSE aside from Kony's own power. They ABDUCT CHILDREN, force them into slavery, fighting, mutilating and killing. They are forced to kill their own parents and burn their own villages. The girls are forced into SEX trafficking or are kept as the personal 'tools for amusement' of the leading commanders. This has been going on for OVER 26 YEARS!
Since 2004, Invisible Children has increased the awareness of this tragedy and finally in October of last year, the US sent a small group of Spec Ops to help the Ugandan army catch Kony.
Kony is the #1 sought after criminal by the ICC (international criminal court).
He must be STOPPED THIS YEAR!
Help raise awareness and money for this cause!! Help Catch KONY in 2012!

[Sierra]

I certainly applaud your trying to stop this, but this happens all the time in America so I'd much rather start there.

[CynicalQuixotic]

I certainly applaud your trying to stop this, but this happens all the time in America so I'd much rather start there.

I've never understood this outlook. Sex trafficking exists in America, yes, but this kind of violence and exploitation of children is practically institutionalized in many African countries. The US has resources to prosecute and convict criminals that the grand majority of countries in Africa couldn't even dream about. It's a completely different socio-political context.

[Jezah]

This seems like a good cause, but I also see what Sierra is saying. In general I keep most of my charity contributions to causes in America, not because I do not care about other countries but because my first loyalty as an american is to THIS country. Just my own opinion, when I see presidents and celebs donating millions upon millions to other countries when in our own country people are dying from curable diseases and struggling to survive...it makes me mad. Its your money, do as you like, but for me as a original descendent of a passenger on the mayflower, this country is my first priority.

[Biddlybiddlybombop]

I've never understood this outlook. Sex trafficking exists in America, yes, but this kind of violence and exploitation of children is practically institutionalized in many African countries. The US has resources to prosecute and convict criminals that the grand majority of countries in Africa couldn't even dream about. It's a completely different socio-political context.

I agree.

Also, the "my country is my first priority" doesn't sit well with me either. Your country? Your WORLD has dying people. Patriotism when it comes to charity just... doesn't make sense to me.I understand that you want to look after your country, but People are People. Geography shouldn't count.

[Jezah]

I am not saying anything against it, I guess we all just have our own ways of prioritizing who/where/what we donate. Its just my opinion, something that so far we haven't lost the ability to give here in the US

[BabyDimples]

There are lot's of causes out there. I don't chose any that have to do with the country I live in, other countrys, incurable diseases (mainly because they test for that on animals), cancer, child causes etc. I only put money towards things like RSPCA and Dogs Trust

[Moon]

This seems like a good cause, but I also see what Sierra is saying. In general I keep most of my charity contributions to causes in America, not because I do not care about other countries but because my first loyalty as an american is to THIS country. Just my own opinion, when I see presidents and celebs donating millions upon millions to other countries when in our own country people are dying from curable diseases and struggling to survive...it makes me mad. Its your money, do as you like, but for me as a original descendent of a passenger on the mayflower, this country is my first priority.

I agree with this. Not out of xenophobia, or even necessarily patriotism, but because we've seen untold billions in money, medicine, and food funneled to these countries, only to be stolen, mismanaged and mishandled by their corrupt governments. Sorry, but to me, that's a waste of my charity dollars. That doesn't include catastrophic natural disasters though, I'm happy to give to that. The other reason is there are Native Americans in this country living in such abject poverty, on reservations that cannot support their way of life, that my ancestors stuck them on. If you Google something like "dakota indian reservations" for the ones in the Dakotas alone, you'll see what I mean. Read up on them, Americans should be ashamed that anyone in this country has to live like that, especially because our own people (white, Europeans mostly) caused this situation. So yeah, when I've got the extra cash, they get it. Judge me if you want, I really don't care, my money, my choice. You can't solve all the world's problems, but pick your area of interest, and stick with it.

There are lot's of causes out there. I don't chose any that have to do with the country I live in, other countrys, incurable diseases (mainly because they test for that on animals), cancer, child causes etc. I only put money towards things like RSPCA and Dogs Trust

Animal charities are actually what I give the majority of my charity dollars to I give monthly to the ASPCA, because I believe firmly in the cause. Nice to see someone who feels the same!

[nicole]

Whilst I usually give to local charities, this cause has my full support. Sorry, but this does not happen all the time in America. 30,000 child soldiers? Children being abducted, given a gun and forced to murder their own parents? Does not happen here, and if it did, you bet the government would squash it immediately. Most African countries do not have the army or court system we have- this has been going on for over 20 years.

It's not even necessarily giving money, writing a letter to your local congressman will do a lot if EVERYONE wrote to them. People who live under these regimes do not have a voice, but we can give them ours. We are privileged, and we forget that most of the time. Idk, I look back at history and I am ashamed of the times when the UK government just sat back and did nothing, I see this as a point in history where we can step up to the plate for a change.

[digitalfever]

This seems like a good cause, but I also see what Sierra is saying. In general I keep most of my charity contributions to causes in America, not because I do not care about other countries but because my first loyalty as an american is to THIS country. Just my own opinion, when I see presidents and celebs donating millions upon millions to other countries when in our own country people are dying from curable diseases and struggling to survive...it makes me mad. Its your money, do as you like, but for me as a original descendent of a passenger on the mayflower, this country is my first priority.

And African’s aren;’t dying from incurable diseases? The majority of poor Africans are living in poverty and are dying from diseases that are not only curable but no longer affect us in North America because we have the vaccinations and medication to remedy the illness. So to me this really doesn’t make sense. Are you saying that we should allow innocent people to die from curable diseases that we in North America no longer suffer from because of vaccinations that are readily available to us but not children in Africa? So lucky are we not to experience polio. Not the African child.

The majority of Africans living in poverty are suffering from malnutrition and inadequate access to safe water. How are these not preventable? You cannot compare your life style, or even the American lifestyle and the experience of poverty, disease and hunger to that of an African living in poverty. The North American experience of disease is different. Disease in America is dealt with in a very different social, cultural and political context.

[WakeUpSusie]

I agree.

Also, the "my country is my first priority" doesn't sit well with me either. Your country? Your WORLD has dying people. Patriotism when it comes to charity just... doesn't make sense to me.I understand that you want to look after your country, but People are People. Geography shouldn't count.

YES. Thank you.

[Haley53]

I agree with this. Not out of xenophobia, or even necessarily patriotism, but because we've seen untold billions in money, medicine, and food funneled to these countries, only to be stolen, mismanaged and mishandled by their corrupt governments. Sorry, but to me, that's a waste of my charity dollars. That doesn't include catastrophic natural disasters though, I'm happy to give to that. The other reason is there are Native Americans in this country living in such abject poverty, on reservations that cannot support their way of life, that my ancestors stuck them on. If you Google something like "dakota indian reservations" for the ones in the Dakotas alone, you'll see what I mean. Read up on them, Americans should be ashamed that anyone in this country has to live like that, especially because our own people (white, Europeans mostly) caused this situation. So yeah, when I've got the extra cash, they get it. Judge me if you want, I really don't care, my money, my choice. You can't solve all the world's problems, but pick your area of interest, and stick with it.

This.

I tend to prefer to support local charities simply because they often seem to be hurting more for money. I tend to volunteer more for grassroots organisations than larger ones, too. It's not that I don't think my dollar or time towards a bigger charity wouldn't count and it's not that I think that bigger charities have unlimited funding etc., but I tend to feel like my dollar is better served in a charity where they don't receive as much government or public funding or publicity. To each their own.

While it may seem ignorant to compare America to Africa, or our problems to their problems, I think it's equally as ignorant to accuse someone of patriotism or of not caring or of being ignorant themselves. We all have biasies. We all have organisations and causes we will or will not donate to (I refuse to donate to cancer research when I personally see it as paying to keep people sick, but I've known people who have been very big into supporting cancer research in whatever way they can. I have donated time and money to local organisations that work rescuing and rehabilitating animals, and some people find putting money into animals to be a waste) and we all have reasons and it doesn't make any of us better people than any other. Someone who donates to organisations that help children in Africa is no better of a person than someone who donates to organisations that are based in America. Someone who can recognise what's happening but doesn't care in the same way they care about America is not less of a person, nor do I consider it a particular affinity for their country and apathy towards everyone else's. People tend to adopt really Elitest attitudes when taking on international causes and I don't think it's fair to criticise anyone for not believing in those causes to the same degree. We all donate to some and pass up others, and I think we're all entitled to that.

[Sierra]

I've never understood this outlook. Sex trafficking exists in America, yes, but this kind of violence and exploitation of children is practically institutionalized in many African countries. The US has resources to prosecute and convict criminals that the grand majority of countries in Africa couldn't even dream about. It's a completely different socio-political context.

The US doesn't do anything about the sex trafficking here. Why should I support something happening in another country when we have the same problem that needs to be stopped here? I'm sorry but I'm more concerned with young women I KNOW being kidnapped and forced into the sex trafficking world here than I am elsewhere. We need to fix OUR problems before fixing others.
Feed the children in Africa but turn your back on those in your backyard. THAT'S something I never understood.
As for me being elitist or whatever you want to call it for wanting to fix the problems closest to me? That doesn't mean there's anything wrong with me, I'm a huge humanitarian and I've done THOUSANDS of hours of community service and donated money, but I am supporting people in my country because I support others. There's no flaw in that logic, I'm sorry.

There are other causes that are country specific that I feel very strongly about, but sex trafficking is VERY PREVALENT here, why would we think we could stop one person in another country when we can't stop it here ourselves?

[snow_girl]

Its like saying 'Oh well what Hitler is doing is really bad but there are really bad things happening here so I won't bother' I think regardless of whether or not you think it is worth giving money to it is something that someone has put a lot of love and effort into to change and it isn't that hard to sign the petition if anything. If you have such strong feelings about something happening in your own country then do something about it but don't say that something that is happening somewhere else is any less worthy or being addressed.

[CynicalQuixotic]

The US doesn't do anything about the sex trafficking here. Why should I support something happening in another country when we have the same problem that needs to be stopped here? I'm sorry but I'm more concerned with young women I KNOW being kidnapped and forced into the sex trafficking world here than I am elsewhere. We need to fix OUR problems before fixing others.
Feed the children in Africa but turn your back on those in your backyard. THAT'S something I never understood.
As for me being elitist or whatever you want to call it for wanting to fix the problems closest to me? That doesn't mean there's anything wrong with me, I'm a huge humanitarian and I've done THOUSANDS of hours of community service and donated money, but I am supporting people in my country because I support others. There's no flaw in that logic, I'm sorry.

There are other causes that are country specific that I feel very strongly about, but sex trafficking is VERY PREVALENT here, why would we think we could stop one person in another country when we can't stop it here ourselves?

I never said that you were elitist, or questioned your humanitarian nature. Honestly, after Moon made her really quite excellent point about how charity funds are mismanaged and abused by their governmental recipients in African countries, I think the outlook that one should be more dedicated to domestic, grassroots organizations really makes sense. I just think that dismissing a charity just because the same thing happens in your own country is sort of short-sighted, but your money is your money. I commend anyone giving to any charity, especially with the economy being so bad. I wish I could donate more.

Also, Invisible Children has come under fire by having some..uhh...interesting tactics and ways of appropriating their funds. Link here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...31wR_blog.html