With thanks...
Here are some of the charities, groups and people I find inspiring, powerful and worthy of praise and support... I'll be adding to it regularly...
Wildlife Warriors
On World Environment Day 2010 I donated to Wildlife Warriors because I find Bindi and her mum and their cause so inspiring. Wildlife Warriors was established in 2002, initially by Steve and Terri Irwin, as a way to include and involve other caring people to support the protection of injured, threatened or endangered wildlife – from the individual animal to an entire species. Terri remains involved as our patron and significant supporter and advisor, but the charity now operates independently. Their vision is for people, wildlife and habitat to survive and prosper without being detrimental to the existence of each other. At the moment they are focusing on helping threatened koalas and whales, along with many other projects such as purchasing land to ensure the habitats of endangered animals remain safe.
Wildlife Warriors Worldwide’s Objectives are:
* To protect and enhance the natural environment.
* To provide information and education to the public and raise awareness of wildlife issues.
* To undertake biological research.
* To research, recommend and act in the protection of threatened or endangered species.
* To enter into cooperative arrangements with like-minded organisations.
Visit Wildlife Warriors.
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
A controversial but inspirational cause is the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, led by Captain Paul Watson, which is dedicated to research, investigation and enforcement of laws, treaties, resolutions and regulations established to protect marine wildlife worldwide. Last year I went to a Writing Festival event where Peter Heller was discussing his book Whale Warriors: On Board a Pirate Ship in the Battle to Save the World's Largest Mammals, which detailed his time onboard a Sea Shepherd vessel with Paul Watson and his crew during their campaign to stop illegal Japanese whaling in Antarctica. It's a fascinating read about a fascinating man, who is loved and loathed in equal measure, but is so passionate about his cause that he often puts his life on the line to protect the animals he lovesso much. Whatever you think of his methods, it is inspiring and very moving to understand the depths of his commitment.
Read my blog about Sea Shepherd here.
Visit Sea Shepherd.
KIVA – loans that change lives
One of my favourite organisations is Kiva, which makes loans to people in developing nations so they can start their own business and become self sufficient, breaking the cycle of dependence on aid and empowering them to take control of their own lives.
Each person “donates” US$25 – which is nothing to us – and becomes part of a group financing a business, be it a woman wanting to start a sewing business in Chile or a pig farmer in Africa needing to buy a boar for breeding, a single mum in Nepal trying to support her family or a widow in Afghanistan hoping to get into retail to earn enough for food. They get the start-up costs and get straight to work, and repay their loan promptly. And despite many of them living in war zones and in countries where it can be hard to grow crops, there is far less defaulting on loans than from westerners to their banks!
Most loans are repaid in full – all of mine have been – and when that happens you can either take your money back, or re-loan to someone else. I love it when a loan is repaid because then it can be put to use for a new person.
I’ve made six loans in the last 18 months – to a young mum near Cusco, Peru, to open an internet café, to a group of women in Uganda to start a poultry farm, to two women in Peru’s jungle to expand their food production company, to a widow in Bosnia for piglets for her farm, to a group of women in Nicaragua for their cooking business, and to a man in Iraq to start a taxi business – four have been repaid in full, and two are in progress. I love getting the updates on the businesses, and seeing in such a tangible way how lives can change so easily. These people desperately want to be able to work and earn enough to support themselves, and this is a brilliant way to empower them to change their own life.
As a wise man once said, don’t give a man a fish, teach him how to catch his own.
Visit Kiva.
40 Hour Famine
I've been doing the 40 Hour Famine since I was a kid, and throughout high school I was a group organiser, "encouraging" my fellow students to do it too, and chasing them up for the money at the end.These days I do it accompanied by my sweet husband, who takes part as much to be supportive of me.
It's not easy, but it's not *too* hard, and it's definitely worth the effort to be able to raise so much money to help people in developing nations. The famine is run by World Vision, which this year was fundraising to help alleviate the pain of the global food crisis. Currently there are over 900 million chronically hungry people around the world, and approximately 1.4 billion live in extreme poverty. Malnourished children are more likely to die from ordinary illnesses like diarrhoea, malaria, tuberculosis and respiratory disease. 25,000 children die from hunger and preventable diseases every day.
Funds raised in the 2009 40 Hour Famine will help to:
* provide emergency food aid
* provide sustainable agriculture and development programs
* increase reliable access to food and water
* reduce the effects of climate change by creating sustainable environments
* bolster investment in agricultural education and development.
Remaining funds also provide short-term relief to poor countries as emergencies arise.
In Australia, the 40 Hour Famine began in 1975, in response to the famine in Ethiopa, and similar events are held around the world – although in the US they do the 30 Hour Famine, and in the UK it's the 24 Hour Famine. Wusses!
Kids can take part in the 8 hour famine, and today you can give up something other than food if you'd prefer – furniture, technology, sleep... This year's is now over (thanks to everyone who sponsored me!), but the next one will take place next August...
Visit 40 Hour Famine.
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