General Chat

according to todays news britain is preparing to upt the money given to third world.countries.is it right?with the state of tis country at the moment.wards closing,hospital waiting lists and othere areas of the sector don't you think that money could be spent there.i am all for giving to other countries but sometimes charity begins at home.love and hugsxxxxx(:

Lisa, The problem with doubling aid to Africa is that there are so many African countries at war, that the money will fall into the wrong hands and go towards buying weapons and feeding armys, whereas the poor people will not be helped, in fact it could have the reverse effect, and will cause them more suffering. I think this is just a case of Gordon Brown wanting to give himself a pat on the back for being such a good boy!! Love, Kathy x

i agree but with the elections coming up i don't think that it will go down well with votersxxxxxxx(:

I expect he'll be sending aid to Zimbabwe, too, whereas that old devil, Mugabe, should be shot!

more than likely!xxxxxx(:

Why give them more aid, when we could just cancel the debt they already have which they can't pay! Economics never was my strong point. nell

nor mine helen.a am not being selfish or i do not feel nothing for these people.but hospital wards are closing through lack of money and overbudget and operations are being cancelled through money.what is going on.we haven't got the money to give awayxxxxxx(:

Helen, The plan is to cancel third world debt, too! Lisa, There always seems to be money for others, but not our own, as according to the Big G7, we are one of the richest countries in the world. You wouldn't think so though, the way it is spent! I just wish it went into the right places! Kathy x

I think enough is enough, as fast as we are pouring money into these countries it never seems to make a difference. Whereas our NHS is going down the pan, so much so that they have now decided in their infinate wisdom to allow people to die because of lack of funds. Then we get this girlfriend of Huntlys, I've forgotten her name, who cant work, gets all the benefits, housing, anonomity etc, etc, for the rest of her life, which will cost us a fortune. I'm off my soap box now. Jo.

Hi, I have no problem with overseas aid as long as it's directed to the right people. There are very few people in the West as badly off as the poor in third world countries. Aid now seems to be directed to help people to help themselves which is much better than it used to be when governments gave money overseas and it would come back to our arms industry. I also think we have an obligation to help when natural disasters like the Tsunami or earthquakes strike. Gwynne

Hi lisa, i dont think we should give them any more money ,it never gets to the right people, ie, the poor and needy we are a very charitable people here in Britian but in this case charity should begin at home, but then there is an election comeing up so we will probably give to the wrong people again. The goverment should after the old and needy at home first after all we will al be pensioners some day, i hope.

Charity begins at home. It shouldn't end there. Hannah

Might just as well throw it in the English Channel for all the good it does, giving it to these African Countries it ends up buying luxury cars for the top people and big Swiss Bank accounts, and as someone has said Charity begins at Home, and I dont mean building houses for asylum seekers either, theres plenty of native Britains who havent got a home, VIVA LA REVOLUTION Len

The most useful action would be for the EU to drop subsidies to our own farmers, both here and on the continent. Drop duties on imports and let the third world trade with us on an even basis. No subsidies for us and no tarifs for them. Bob

I've just returned from Sri Lanka, we arrived there to visit friends 3 days after the Tsunami hit. Aid starting flooding in 3 days after that. The first time I exchanged money the rate of exchange was 201 SL rupees to the £, 2 days after the aid started coming, the £ was only worth 182 SL rupees. I know nothing about finance but I would like it if someone somewhere could explain to me how world aid for displaced victims enables a country's economy to suddenly blossom. Sri Lanka has been devastated by that tidal wave and apart from the appalling loss of life thousands of people are homeless. There are teams of aid workers out there from all over the world trying to help get the country's infrastructure back up and running and all the various political factions appear to be doing is arguing amongst themselves about who should be in charge of the cash. My friends asked me specifically to make sure that anyone I knew who wanted to contribute only gave to organisations like Christian Aid, Save the Children, Red Cross - all the recognised agencies - not the newly set up Government Account. That must tell us something. No matter how much world aid goes to the 3rd world it will not get to where it is needed unless someone outside is administering it and there is some form of accountability. Sorry to go on - anyway my soapbox just fell over!! Jan

I was going to post something similar to Judith but wouldn't have worded it as well - completely agree with her though. I think those of us born in the affluent west have a responsibility to those of less fortunate. I always think that any of us could have been born there and living their lives. How would we feel if we were them and the West was saying no I'm not sending money to you as I need chocolate, cigs, alchohol, DVDs etc. There was a discussion on this on Radio 2 the other day and I thought it really odd that our country was raising millions a month ago for the tsunami appeal but was debating whether or not to give spare cash to those starving, war-torn , AIDs ravaged countries who are in such terrible conditions year after year. I agree that aid needs proper organisation but it's not neccessarily just money they want but in some cases the tools to improve their lives. I know that I couldn't look someone from the 3rd World in the eye and refuse to help when they lack what I have.

Exactly right David, I agree totally. Problem is not many of us from the West understand anything at all about what sort of lives the ordinary folk like us have to lead. They're downtrodden, scared and helpless. Getting the right aid to where it is needed is the biggest problem of all. Their own Governments and politicians shaft them at every opportunity. Most of these folk don't even know the rest of the world is trying to help them, whether it be with medical supplies, the means to grow and cultivate or earn a living. The ones that do know people are trying to help also have their pride; mostly they just want a fair chance and we in the West have to find the right way to give them that - politicians step aside I think. Jan

i agree charity begins at home.and to the goverment start getting this country sorted befor anyone elsesxxxxx(:

Thank you David. Lisa we should count our blessings for living where we do! In the 3rd World they don't have clean water to drink. They don't have waiting lists because there are NO hospitals. Only a day ago I was watching a programme on the Mercy Ship. It's a Christian run charity that travels around the 3rd World with Doctors and specialists who treat severely ill folk who are living in a poverty state. The poor people travel by foot for days when they hear the ship is docking and queue for hours to be seen. Many many cannot be treated and are turned away to die. Only because they didn't have the funding or the resources to be treated in the early stages. These people are no different from us! They cry the same as we do for their loved ones. They feel the same as we do! A little girl was given minutes to decide whether she'd have her eye removed. She had been mutilated by the militia. In this country she would have had many hospital visits and councelling. Another 9 year old was sent home to die. Sadly there were hundreds indeed thousands in the same position. These people are not after charity, they are only asking for a means to survive and to keep their pride. I for one cannot watch people dying in a cruel way while having another scoop of ice-cream and complaining about a couple of extra pence on my taxes. Charity does begin at home; the world is our home and these people are our brothers and sisters.

david please don't take this the wrong way but why.how many countries need our help.quite a few.are we a rich superstate like so many people say we are no.we have hospital wards closing,people living in poverty in this country,pensioners freezing to death because they cannot afford to heat their houses.the list is endless.so where is this superrich state that cannot look after their own people let alone othersxxxxxxxxx(: