Re: how to help Afghanistan

Dear Richard Hutchinson

Excellent question - how can individuals help Afghanistan.  My thought and
suggestion to you would be to find a local Afgan family in your own home
town and get acquainted.  Many Afghans have become refugees in various
places all over the world.  They will doubtlessly have relatives and needs
and opportunities for personal as well as humanitarian aid that will be
much more likely to go to appropriate places and people without huge
overhead costs, including advertising, fund-raising, bureaucratic and other
charges.  In addition, you would be able to get personally acquainted.  Too
often we embark on large scale world-wide projects without checking out
local "small is beautiful" opportunities.

Cheers 

bob gregory


At 15:49 13/11/2001 -0700, you wrote:
>I just looked at a few web sites and I have not found an organization I
>would feel confident donating to in order to get aid to starving Afghans.
>
>Yes, yes, I know, "the poor shall always be with us" in the capitalist
>world-system, but I feel compelled to join whatever humanitarian effort
>there is, to counter what my Evil Empire of a government is doing.
>
>The American Red Cross is sponsoring Bush's "American Fund for Afghan
>Children," which is a disgusting propaganda exercise as far as I'm
>concerned.  I looked at the Oxfam and AFSC (American Friends Service
>Committee) sites too, and while I respect both organizations, it's not
>clear what sort of relief efforts they're involved in.
>
>Does anyone have any information or suggestions?
>
>RH
>
>
>
>
Pacific Used to Mean Peace

Robert J. Gregory
School of Psychology
Massey University
Palmerston North, NEW ZEALAND

Phone 64 6 350-5799 extension 2053
FAX   64 6 350-5673
E-Mail R.J.Gregory@massey.ac.nz
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