Help for Africa

[Davyred]

While I admire all those involved in Live8 and all its doing to end world poverty, I read something disturbing this morning and would like your comments.

A woman in Africa was featured who had to bury every one of her children as they had all died of starvation, a harrowing story I\'m sure you\'ll agree. But what really made my jaw drop was the number of children she\'d had.

17

May I suggest something. Use some of the money raised to give family planning advice, and make available family planning methods to these people. Reproduction on this scale doesn\'t help the efforts being made in ending poverty.

Your thoughts.

[mark]

absolutely right, and one that the vatican needs to be pressured about as much as aall the G8 leaders. 2 major killers, starvation - 2 many people not enough food, and AIDS. One simple solution, but the roman catholic church still refuse to acknowledge/condone the use of blobs

they have missions the length and breadth of africa, and lets face it the vatican ain\'t short of a bob or 2, they are one of the top ten richest nation on the planet. Perhaps their plan is to have the world completely filled with papists!

it is outrageous that no-one will stand up to them and say \'you are wrong and you\'re rules are causinf the death of millions\'

It would however appear that it is ok for catholic priests to interfere with smaall boys, at leeast there\'s no need for contraception.

[Charlton]

I agree entirely, sadlt though i doubt whether many of her 17 children will see adult hood due to another killer in Africa, aids, another resaon why contraception should be used. I wonder what effect it would have if all the churches disposed of their wealth and gave it to the starving in Africa. How many schools, hospitals, houses it would build. Do you need a building adorned with gold to worship god (who may not even exist) or preach christianity. I am sure God if he existed would be quite happy if christianity was preaches in a mud hut.

[Davyred]

Totally agree. I find it unbelievable in this day and age that people acually still believe, and pour money into, something for which there is no conclusive proof that it exists, or ever has existed.

[Edited on 3/7/2005 by Davyred]

[sless]

never a truer word said

[mark]

aye the church do seem to quietly gloss over the bit about rich men, camels and the eye of a needle. At a troke the roman catholic church good make as big an impact on the continent as would wiping out their debt, although I did read a great story in the paper today about a village where they gave loads of condoms away - they use for carrying water in!

[alan]

Could\'nt agree more Mark well said,

[alan]

We\'ve all got to remember that we cant change the enviroment/conditions they live in,thats there way of life.They live in mud huts because thats there way of life,what we can do is help them sell there products they produce so they have a better life,they require alot of advice and education.
I\'m still not 100% convinced that the debt relief proposal will work as most of these countries are as bent as Robert Maxwell,the people will never see any benifit from it,It will take years for any of this to work

[Charlton]

Education can help sove a lot of problems. Following on from what mark said about condoms. Aid workers where demonstarting to locals how to use condoms by putting them over the end of a broom handle. When they went back weeks later they found most brooms with a condom over the handle. Can assure you that this is true.

[alan]

Like I said its there way of life but they should\'nt have to put up with Civil Wars,Ethnic Cleansing,Persecution for some reason the West turn a blind eye to this and its normally a media story that shows the true extent to whats happening in some of these countries.A typical example is Zimbabwe the West are just standing back and letting this mad man run riot,maybe they have\'nt got any oil

[gogs]

got it in one Alan,no oil so west not interested in sorting out a dictator.

[willywetegg]

Beat me to that Alan and Gordon lol.

Don\'t want to get into the religion thing as there is no god IMHO. If there was, well that could almost be another post.

In most cases it will not matter about taking away the debt as the people that RULE these country\'s are as bent as a nine bob note.

Not saying not to give though as ONE day it WILL be worth it.

Jim.

[mark]

one of the big issues with the G8 Agenda is to stop arms sales to these countries, Russia and the Good old US of A are already spitting the dummy out on that one.

the medical aid agenda from the USA is that they will cut the debt on condition that american companies get the contracts for supply of medical equipment/drugs among other things. The americans have also requested that the debt write off would be in exchange for them getting those countries\' CO2 emmisions quotas