this must be the place

This year, like many years before it, has sucked for most of humanity. What might make this year a little different is that for the first time in a long time, it's sucking even for the rich countries. This will most likely make the people in those formerly wealthy countries hold on tight to their money and grow even more selfish (and ignore the world problems that they helped create and which are now partly responsible for their current predicament, it being such a small world after all).

However, there is hope. There's always the off chance that someone out there actually might give a crap, that someone might see how the problems in a small village thousands of miles away actually really do affect their economy too, they might also see that the world's well-being is their well-being.

Of course, these people, like me, might be lazy, or worried about fucked up agencies like the Red Cross. No organization is going to be perfect, but some do actually get things done. Some even have a variety of goals and causes that you can specifically give to.

I'm going to name two.

Operation One Warm Coat Go here, it will tell you where (in the US) you can drop off any old coats you might have, since this promises to be the coldest winter in a long, long time.

And UNICEF. UNICEF is mostly an agency that promotes the rights and safety of children around the world. Right now there are cholera outbreaks and genital mutilations and sex trafficking in minors and forced child service in armed forces going on around the world. Right now girls are discouraged or outright forbidden from learning, and many children live in shantytowns or refugee camps. You can pick any of those causes and give whatever amount you want to help fight it. Or you just give to UNICEF. You can give in your name, or someone else's. You can even buy gifts for others and the proceeds will go UNICEF. Donate

Or you give anywhere else, to any charity you want. Just do it. :)


Now I'll return to my usual bitterness and cynicism.