How can we continue to ignore Africa?

[Strickly Bidness]

If today's cnn headline story on child soldiers doesn't make you angry, what possibly can?

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa...ers/index.html

I personally don't know how us americans can sit around pretending to be a great country while thousands of children die every day in Africa, an Africa that the white man has f-ed over for hundreds of years.

You guys are quite intelligent, what can we do to stop the hurt over there? I have started sending some $$ to child support organizations but it can't really be doing much. My only idea at this point is to spend my 2 weeks vacation this year volunteering for the Red Cross or Unicef over in Sudan, but is there more that I can do?

SB

[mosdef]

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I personally don't know how us americans can sit around pretending to be a great country while thousands of children die every day in Africa

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Africa is not in America and the atrocities there barely impact Americans, it's as simple as that.

[evil twin]

Part of the problem is this great myth that giving money to charities working in Africa will never get to people on the ground. While there are clearly very real issues, this is just about the worst reason ever to not help people out.

[MoreWineII]

Americans are selfish

[Dan.]

OP,

I've, in the past month or so, become obsessed with helping Africa, so lately I've been donating and looking for volunteer opportunities. It sucks to feel like you can't help anything.

[TomCollins]

[ QUOTE ]
OP,

I've, in the past month or so, become obsessed with helping Africa, so lately I've been donating and looking for volunteer opportunities. It sucks to feel like you can't help anything.

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It's much better to think you are helping even when you aren't. At least it makes YOU feel good.

[Strickly Bidness]

[ QUOTE ]
OP,

I've, in the past month or so, become obsessed with helping Africa, so lately I've been donating and looking for volunteer opportunities. It sucks to feel like you can't help anything.

[/ QUOTE ]

same here brother...its tough to reverse the damage that we have done over there. I thought about writing my company to sponser a trip to Sudan. Perhaps I can put this together later this year. I just cannot see how we consider ourselves a good and honest nation when we let kids die over there like this. No american is good, honest, or any of that when we let this stuff happen.

And by the way, wtf is up with the Euro countries? They are much closer to this tragedy than we are and they are directly responsible for the crisis (belgians and Leopold III taught dictators to be tyrannical in africa)?????

I'm glad that hollywood is putting out more african movies, like the Last King of Scotland and Blood Diamond. Perhaps this is what we need.

[Strickly Bidness]

and what about the "christians" in this country? Do we really need an air-conditioned mega-church on every corner and a preacher that lives in the hills? Can't we find a better way to donate our cash to those that really need it. After all, Jesus did say that if you love me, feed my sheep.

Americans suck

[BCPVP]

The Hunger Site

A free charity for those who don't have much money to donate.

[WordWhiz]

If you really want to help Africa's poor, get rid of tariffs and agricultural subsidies which prevent African workers from fairly and freely competing with Americans. Oh, and open the borders.