For this quarter I decided to concentrate on the world at large. The three organizations I chose focus on either improving the third world or helping the environment, or both. My contributions, like always, were small, but I hope they helped the recipients.
One Laptop Per Child
I have been interested in the One Laptop Per Child project since I first heard about it a couple of years ago. In short, researchers from MIT have been working on an ultra-cheap, portable, durable laptop suitable for aiding and enhancing childrens’ education, especially in developing nations.
Further, the reasoning behind the project is something I believe in wholeheartedly - that children can benefit enormously from new technology if it is easily accessible and presented in the right way; technology is secondary to the idea that education is what is necessary to pull developing nations into the first world, and it is the responsibility of developed nations to help do so.
And, on a lesser note, the new technology being developed for this project is just cool. The computers form mesh networks, are based on linux, and can be used for several different functions from e-mail to e-book reading and sharing.
The project is nearing its finishing stages, with some countries having already placed orders and the first units ready for sale this fall.
Kiva
Kiva.org has gotten a lot of press as one of the cooler ways to donate recently. Actually, they are not technically a donation recipient as they pass on the money, in the form of a microloan to those who need it. They boast of a very high success rate, based on the number of people who receive loans, use them to do what they need, and then repay the loan provider.
For example, I signed into the site and looked for people who were requesting loans. I found Chung Por Yip, a woman in Samoa, who was looking for about $300 USD in order to expand her vegetable garden, and I decided to help. I made the donation in late August and I have not had much feedback yet, to know whether or not she met her goal and how well she is progressing on her project, but I’m not worried about it. The amount I lent was small enough that I am willing to write it off as a donation should she be unable to repay it.
Having said that, I hope she does repay the money, not because I need it, but because I would see it as proof-of-concept. Having her repay me would mean that there are alternatives to massive loans and burdens of debt for the third world.
Worldchanging
Worldchanging is an organization dedicated to raising awareness and activism for environmental issues through education about green lifestyles and technologies. Their book is on my list of ones I should get, just as soon as I have enough money and some room on the to-be-read shelf; their book, like the website, has a strong focus on things you and I can do to help protect and / or restore the environment.
Last February, I posted a short essay about donations and the act of giving. Since then, I have kept to my aim of doing at least some research on various charities before donating and of selecting a new organization (roughly) every month. The organizations listed below represent a few of my political ideologies and are all groups to whom I feel comfortable entrusting my money and effort. I have attempted to provide a brief overview; I make no claims that everyone should follow suit, I only recommend these as organizations one may wish to examine if you are inclined to donate. Here is my recap:
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
The CBLDF is an organization that provides money and legal support to comic book creators and retailers who run afoul of obscenity laws and censorship efforts. As an example, the CBLDF are currently involved in a legal battle to protect a comic book retailer who has been charged with exhibition of harmful materials to minors during a free comic book day in 2004. Membership in the CBLDF can be cheap or expensive depending on the individual, but year-long membership results in gifts of various quality and number that have been donated by well known comic book authors and artists. (One note - the website is often a month or two behind, but inquiries are usually answered quite promptly.)
The Electronic Frontier Foundation
The EFF is dedicated to preserving and furthering electronic freedoms, such as net neutrality and anti-DRM reforms. Their website is quite up to date and provides an action center for members as well as useful documents, like the Legal Guide for Bloggers. Currently, the EFF is engaged in several campaigns, including support of the Fair Use Act, calling for Congressional investigation of NSA spying, and reformation of the Patriot Act. Membership in the EFF is either by a one-time donation or repeating monthly donations; the amount donated is directly proportional to the swag received by the new member.
The American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU exists to protect the Bill of Rights of the United States and the citizens thereof. They also provide an Action Center on their website. At the moment, they are actively engaged in calling for reformation of the Patriot Act, calling for the close of Guantanamo, and supporting Prevention First. Membership in the ACLU is much the same as it is for both the CBLDF and the EFF.
For the second quarter, I believe, due to some unexpected circumstances, that my donations will be of a more personal nature, rather than the political organizations listed here. I will, however, still endeavor to post an update on Q2 in late June or early July. Thank you for reading.
When I was a child, my Sunday School teachers introduced me to the word tithe. They explained that it was the voluntary giving of 10% of one’s salary to help those less fortunate than themselves.
It sounded, and still sounds, like a lovely idea. However, the idea of letting someone else decide how best to donate my money, and to whom does not rest well. Further, ten percent can be a lot of money, in importance to the holder, if not in actual value. After all, there are electric bills and car insurance to pay and that does not always leave a lot, especially for younger people.
Still, giving is important - it helps maintain the social networks we create and allows us to leave our mistakes behind. Giving allows organizations to fund research, relief, prevention, or protection of dozens of causes and issues while allowing the giver to feel that they are part of the effort to further their cause.
Most people, I believe, like the idea of giving; most people feel better when they know they are helping other people. However, I think most of us give randomly and with little thought beyond the impulse to donate. Unless we are somehow directly affected by something, say cancer in the family or a natural disaster, we really have very little idea of where or to whom to give our money.
For example, I calculated that during the year 2006, I gave around $600 U.S. to various funds and drives, without really being aware of what or to whom I was giving. It was a ten dollar bill here, or a twenty-five dollar PayPal link there for whatever cause had caught my eye that day.
I decided that I did not want to repeat that pattern this year while, at the same time, I wanted to continue to give what little I could to help; I decided to be much more organized and focused in my giving this year. I decided I would do research on the organization and their efforts before donating. I would also look for renewable memberships and participation opportunities before blindly throwing money at the group. In short, I wanted to stop donating randomly and think about where and why I was giving my money away.
After thinking about and researching many subjects, I have chosen to support First Amendment and free speech organizations. Some of the organizations I intend to look into and possibly donate to include the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Words Without Borders.
Lastly, I would like to say that this is not a boast or point of pride with me. This is just something I wanted to do, to support people and organizations that work to protect ideals that I believe in. I do not expect that everyone will agree with my idea or in my choices but I hope that some may take an interest in the groups that I mention here and consider donating to them.
Thanks for reading.
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