This is a forum for thinking women to express and exchange ideas. thinkingwomen is a discussion and networking group promoting the achievements and progression of women in society, politics and the workplace. It is open to all women who want to make an impact in their working lives and beyond, through sharing knowledge and ideas. Any enquiries: jessica@krata.co.uk See our website on www.thinkingwomen.org
Sunday, November 16, 2003
Someone asked the csr-chicks mailing list: do we need charities?
I don't think charities should be needed in a truly democratic society. People should be committed to looking after everyone in their society and funds should be provided to do that, either through taxation or other clever ways of funding (e.g. disadvantaged people earn money collectively to fund their particular needs).
Charity lets the government and the people off the hook, preying on the good will of some and letting others get out of their social responsibilities. It turns the recipients into passive observers rather than active participants in society and often fails to recognise that everyone is equal. It relies too much on the capitalistic view that you must be successful, fit, healthy and wealthy to be happy and anything else is lesser. Surely it is better to value the insights and perspectives of people in all the forms that they are in life rather than trying (and failing) to make everyone the same.
Charities that raise money to look for cures to disease may also not have the same rigour and independence as a government review and be subject to the manipulations of business (e.g. I wonder why the cancer charities pay so much towards pharmaceutical research to come up with a drug to treat breast cancer when it is plain that drugs are causing the cancer to begin with and women should stop taking them. But telling women to stop taking drugs doesn't make any money, so instead they come up with a new drug to combat the effects of the old ones..meanwhile people themselves are caught in between. Do the cancer charities have the strength to see through the people advising them?)
Oh and don't get me started on the cost of advertising and fundraising...
Friday, November 14, 2003
We forget too easily how far we have come in the past 50 years and how tenuous it really is. As we increase our reliance on a safe environment, we expose ourselves more and more.
For example, a caesarean needs experienced doctors and nurses, electricity, sterilised equipment, a safe and clean environment, help and time to recover. Currently 1 in 5 babies are born by caesarean and some say that all babies should be born that way. If our society ever comes under threat and our safe environment disappears, and we have allowed ourselves to lose the ability to give birth and assist births naturally, we really will be in trouble.
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