h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Nice breakdown of the issues. have you submitted this for peer review? Guess you probably have. It could be good to have a kind of rolling news service on this issue (one of the few that actually matters) on the Guide. Whaddaya reckon?

If you're not pissed off, you're not paying attention...

Hi Fraggle - the entry has indeed been through PR and this is the version that's being edited.

It would be good to have a new thread at the bottom of this entry for each new development.

Alex

where are the educated and the skilled accomadared?

I assume you mean 'where exactly are they accommadated by the project?'

Make Poverty History is not specific to anyone in poverty - the aim is to get *everyone* out of poverty. This should allow the skilled and educated a better chance in life.

There are major issues in education - in certain countries teachers are being laid off because the government can't afford their salaries due to debt repayments. Which means that millions of kids don't even get the chance to get educated or develop skills. HIV/AIDS affects millions of teachers as well, so students aren't sure whether their teacher will still be alive in a week's, a month's or a year's time.

Make Poverty History is not a project aiming to relieve short-term issues. The whole point is that it is trying to give fat, rich, selfish governments in MEDCs a serious kick in the jacksie and shame them into doing the very simple things that would mean 30,000 less deaths each day.

Radicalactivist.net have some wicked t-shirts for the more militant anti-poverty campaigner, bearing the slogan "Make Capitalism History" (I've also seen "Make Bullshit History" ones, with the faces of the glorious G8 leaders). Plus, if you get doorstepped during the election, ask difficult questions about what their respective party will do on the issue. Give 'em hell, and get poverty relief back on the agenda - less poverty = less crime, less immigration (if you are the kind of person that is worried about it), and better economic stability. And not just for us in the MEDCs.

Message for everyone - stop moaning about tax and speed cameras and get with the real issues, like those 30,000 people who die every day.

Here endeth the rant...

Well said Fraggle!

I believe that this counrty and the people in it, would be in a lot better state if less time and effort went into thinking what can we get out of things and more effort went into thinking about what can we give. It is the rights and responsibilities aregument - we like the rights but are less keen on taking the responsibilities!

We, as the 4th largest ecomomy in the world, should be doing all we can to Make Poverty History. That does not just mean leaving to the politians it means everyone making a stand. Buying a whilte band and writing to or mailing the PM/ local MP,does not take a lot of effort but if everyone does we can make a difference.

I now will put away my soap box!

Cordwangle

NEVER put your soapbox away! It is a shock and a shame to see that this election "campaign" (read "bitchy playground argument") has all but ignored this issue in favour of telling us, the voters, what WE can get out of the parties. Saving 30,000 lives a day (yes, I know I keep banging on about it, but it is a disgusting number of needless deaths. Or are they murders?... Whole new can of worms there) does not apparently win votes, but promising to shoot anyone wearing a sovreign ring and a burberry cap apparently does. Not that that would be a bad thing, but let's get some (apologies for the profanity) f'ing perspective here!

It does not take much effort to buy a wristband or click a mouse, but it needs to be done, so let's make some bloody noise and get this issue back on the agenda.

Who's gonna storm Downing Street with me?!

G8 summit, anyone? July 2nd, Edinburgh. Skanky is going

i am at newcstle uni and we have had big support from many students and young people in the area. I think the campaign is a brilliant idea but i do have one problem with this one and others like it. What about the kids and people living in poverty in this country? the last figures i read it was something like 17% of kids technically live below the poverty line. How can this be? Yes i know that there are many reasons but why make the kids suffer. is this a case of we don't want to look at what is going on in our own back yard??

I see your point. It is a disgrace that children and adults in the UK live in poverty, but I guess the whole point is that at the end of the day, no matter how poor you are in the UK, you have access to free education and healthcare, something that many in the developing world do not.

Organisations like Comic Relief, Children in Need, etc all work in the UK to help relieve child and adult poverty. I guess that no society is perfect, there will always be those who do not reap the benefits, but it is just the sheer numbers involved in the developing world that is the real scandal.

I do agree that a lot needs to be done about poverty in the UK. As a teacher (albeit in Surrey) I see disadvantaged kids every day, and the Powers That Be need to get their tongues out of each other's arses and do something about it (a billion dollars a day spent by the USA, with a fairly whopping sum being spent by us too, on the "war" in Iraq, anyone?). But when the shit hits the fan, we can get some form of help, if paltry and subject to unbelievable beaureucracy. We don't have to pay someone to drive us 100KM to the nearest hospital, then bribe someone to see us quickly and then pay for treatment.

1 child does not die in Britain every 15 seconds as a result of dehydration brought on by the gastric effects of drinking dirty water.

Yes, Jessa, 17% is too much. 1% is too much, but until governments get their priorities right and stop lining their pockets and those of their cronies, we will have to put up or shut up.

Make Poverty History is not a charity drive, as I'm sure you know. Buy the wristband, send the emails, etc. But you can still help those closer to home with donations and time.

It is not one or the other.

Sorry if that all sounds holier-than-thou, I don't intend it to.

F

Yeah i agree with what you say and the whole not one or the other thing but people seem to make a decision based on the advertising and public campaigning that these organsiations. I have bought a wristband because i do believe that the cause is worth helping and supporting. I wish the governement would do something about it. Thanks for your response in this though.

PS where in surrey are you a teacher. Know surrey rather well as my boyfriend if from there.

Unfortunately we live in a PR society. Unless there's celebrities involved, a lot of people don't want to know. Shame really.

Teach at Hinchley Wood School in Esher. Know it?

Fx

Know Esher a bit but not the school i'm afraid. I agree with you about the PR society though. Shame really but hey this is what we get with modern living and life. Although at the end of the day people generally don't change. They canstill be the bain of life.

J

And the new Big Brother is just around the corner. Another couple of months of gawping at desperate wannabes. People are very, very dumb.

What is it with tv companies andflogging dead horses? I enjoyed the first Big Brother as it was something new and a bit different and the contestants actually played the game. Now like Fraggle says it is just desparate wannabie trying to make some money and get celebrity. What is the world coming to!!