Blog Action Day 2008: Poverty
Last year we talked about the environment, and this year the topic is poverty.
If you haven’t signed up to join Blog Action Day 2008 yet, there’s still time so long as it’s still 15 October where you are. Go here, sign up, and get writing!
Alternately, you can simply promote the event or even donate your day’s earnings to microfinance a loan through a fabulous organization like Kiva, which I’ve told you about before, or to a charity like CARE, which I’ve recently become a part of.
CARE was founded in America after World War II to provide relief for survivors in Europe; since then it has evolved into one of the leading humanitarian organizations fighting global poverty. Here is some more information on the organization from CARE’s website:
We place special focus on working alongside poor women because, equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help whole families and entire communities escape poverty. Women are at the heart of CARE’s community-based efforts to improve basic education, prevent the spread of HIV, increase access to clean water and sanitation, expand economic opportunity and protect natural resources. CARE also delivers emergency aid to survivors of war and natural disasters, and helps people rebuild their lives.
I have signed up as an online volunteer with CARE to help fight global poverty and to ask my friends and family to get involved–by donating, by sending emails to government leaders, and by making their voices heard regarding issues like action in Darfur, world hunger, violence against women, and more.
Need more inspiration to take a stand on poverty today?
21 Beans of Wisdom to “Blog Action Day 2008: Poverty”
Michelle Kaminsky is an American attorney-turned-freelance writer who lived in her family's ancestral village in Calabria, Italy for 15 years. This blog is now archived.
Calabria Guidebook
Recipes
Good on ya for participating and being proactive!
Absolute Vanilla’s last blog post..Blog Action Day 2008 – Do we really want to see the end of poverty?
Thank you for reading and helping to spread the word yourself with that great, smart read–go read it everyone!
I ditto Absolute Vanilla. Thanks for reminding me of BAD this year.
Cherrye at My Bella Vita’s last blog post..Blog Action Day: Reversing Poverty through Volunteer Travel
Thanks Cherrye; everyone, go read Cherrye’s fabulous post!
Thanks for writing about this YESTERDAY!! If you hadn’t I might have missed it today!
joanne at frutto della passione’s last blog post..Blog Action Day 2008 Poverty
I’m so happy you participated Joanne–excellent info in your post! Go read it everyone!
I will check out Joanne and Cherrye’s posts.
nyc/caribbean ragazza’s last blog post..What’s Cooking Wednesday – A kick butt marinara sauce from Giada De Laurentiis
Please do, as well as Absolute Vanilla’s!
Thank you so much for mentioning Vestine’s story in Rwanda here 🙂
Thank *you* for continuing to raise awareness, Maryam. Your posts on Rwanda are all so informative and touching.
Thanks so much for spreading the word! It’s too late for me to post about poverty today but I did register and update my site.
Milanese Masala’s last blog post..Around the world in one city
Meglio tardi che mai!
Great information for a very important cause. Thanks for bringing it to us, Michelle!
My Mélange’s last blog post..Tour del Gelato: Pozzetto
Hope it inspires you to become more involved, Robin!
Seriously, people, I do not believe that using blogs we can fight something as big as poverty. How on Earth writing about it helps people who starve? Who die because they cannot afford water? Who are scared that the crisis that is upon us will break down their lives?
I just do not understand all that hype – but I do not mind to participate, not in the least. Although I do believe that “writing about poverty” is not the same as “fighting poverty itself”.
And even though I believe that poverty of mind (if I use the terms correctly) is way worse – since this is the only reason there is technical, monetary poverty in the world.
With all due respect, I think you may be missing the point of Blog Action Day, which as I understand it, is to get the discussion going, to get people thinking about this enormous problem instead of what to put on their credit cards in this weekend’s shopping spree or complaining about how they can only eat out four times a month (these two are my own, and not “official” points), and to be inspired to take action–NO MATTER HOW SMALL IT SEEMS–to fight against global poverty.
If you take a look around at some of the participating posts, you’ll find that many bloggers have suggested ways that every single person can help NOW, and if even half the people reading these posts does something, it’s better than nothing.
Without discussion and solid suggestions of action (and ACTION) on how to fight poverty, we have no hope, and I refuse to believe that we have no hope.
wow, look at you, provoking debate! plane boards in a half-hour and I’m a lil sleepy for thumblogging… but let me see if I can’t bang out something upon my arrival
paul of the clue-by-four’s last blog post..Cluesday communiqué: the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, and voter fraud
Looking forward to it!
Oh I’m glad to you’re in too. I think we can all make a difference. Have just posted too. My last post is…http://passionateaboutbaking.blogspot.com/2008/10/blog-action-daya-perspective-on-poverty.html
Cheers & take care
Deeba’s last blog post..MANGO JELLY MOUSSE WITH CHOCOLATE…bidding a sweet farewell!
Thanks for including your link Deeba!
I’m hoping I’ll still get my post up. I’m so glad you focused on CARE – it’s been a crazy week, Michelle, but my response to your action page is coming. I’ve long been a CARE supporter and I love the organization.
jen of a2eatwrite’s last blog post..World Hunger Day, pt. 2 – How you can help
You can do it Jen! Your posts all week have been fabulous!
Very good post. I had no idea that CARE existed! Thank you for participating and for sharing this information. I am off to go check it out!
Scarlett & Viaggiatore
Wanderlust Scarlett’s last blog post..Streets Paved In Poverty
I just learned of it recently myself–a truly amazing organization 🙂
Ioni:
Learning more about poverty can only help us to overcome it. Ignorance is no way to live, it binds us in immobility and inaction.
Using a resource like the internet to teach others, share experiences, open doors and minds and promote education about this is one way to help; certainly not the only way, but definitely one very good, very powerful way.
It is careless to underestimate the power of words; there will be change in some places, accomplished by some people because of what they read and find as a result of the work done online on this day. I didn’t know about CARE until I read this post of Michelle’s, and now I know that there are more tangible ways that I can help than I was aware of before.
Scarlett & Viaggiatore
Wanderlust Scarlett’s last blog post..Streets Paved In Poverty
Thank you for this, Scarlett. I couldn’t agree more.
Michelle,
As always a great post!!! I love “CARE” and “kiva” too. Aren’t they great?
Good to see you mention about Vestine’s story! That was pretty quick considering that I sent the link so late yesterday.
And it was great to see that it coincided well with the theme of blog action day.
Cheers
Deepa’s last blog post..About me
Thank you for bringing Vestine’s story to me, and yes, CARE and kiva are both wonderful 🙂
Michele, your activism is a reminder to me that there is so much to be done, and your spreading the word reminds me that there is continuous strength in numbers. I have been buried under B&B business the last two weeks but I am going to get out from under this pretty soon and get back to joining you on these things.
To those who doubt the validity or value of what a couple of blogs can do: it’s the continuously growing path of awareness which is going to help resolve some of the largest problems of mankind. If you are cynical, you pull back and add nothing out of a sense that there is nothing significant which can be done. Might as well roll up in a ball and give up altogether. However, if you are loving, you open up and you touch and get touched by the generosity of others. It’s the only way to accomplish anything — out of love and a sense of expanding knowledge. It’s pretty much that simple, I think. If everyone just gives what he or she can — be it time, money, a well written post, the giving will have no end. And if we really just touch one person who is beaten down and help that one individual, who is to say a blog post can do nothing?
Diana’s last blog post..What’s Cooking Wednesday 2 – Preserved Lemons
Sometimes it’s easy to forget that even the smallest actions, if they affect one single person, makes a difference. And yes, opening and offering the good that we each have to the world can only be a good thing overall. Thank you, Diana, for contributing this to the discussion.
What a remarkable post! It’s events like Blog Action Day that remind us that small actions can create great positive change!
I’m actually writing to let you all know of a nonprofit, Survivor Corps, that is doing great work for survivors of tragedies (whether it be war, famine, sexual abuse, Hurricane Katrina, etc.). Survivor Corps connect survivors to one another to encourage new survivors find hope, get jobs, and get on with their lives. We also equip survivors with the tools and experience to become leaders in their communities and advocates for change.
To learn more, visit http://www.survivorcorps.org. In the meantime, keep on blogging for good!
Take care all,
Lauren
Thanks so much for the info Lauren! Another great cause!
I didn’t get a chance to read many of the Blog Action Day posts until today. But, it’s great to see countless individuals participating in this important event! Fascinating, too, to see how much controversy can be generated by one event.
Thanks for all the great suggestions — and for using your voice to spread the word!
We CAN make a difference — one person at a time!
Lo!’s last blog post..Blog Action Day: Poverty and Local Eating
Thanks for stopping in Lo! I admire that you’re hitting as many posts as you can and providing insight and support 🙂
Hi Michelle,
Of course! And I really love your blog – so much valuable information on here! Also, have you heard of the GuluWalk? It’s taking place this weekend (on Oct 25) and it’s a great cause – it’s a worldwide walk, happening in a number of cities both in the US and abroad, that raises awareness about Ugandan children who are being left behind by war. I found out about it through http://www.survivorcorps.org and I think it looks amazing! If you or your readers don’t have any plans for the weekend, you can check it out here!
http://www.wherewillyouwalk.com/
Thanks so much for stopping by and for the info, Lauren!
Michelle, I am so glad to see you participated to. I really do think the more people talk about something, the more people do something. If this effort helps someone some where, why not? Every little bit of difference, right? Most of my friends in my program are students that cant really afford to donate that much to charity, but they do a lot right by each other. I, myself, know someone who has hit quite a hard patch and the way people chipped in was amazing! And you guys and the O food contest…amazing what people can do when they band together, eh?
NewWrldYankee’s last blog post..How to Not Lose Money in Getting the Local Currency
Couldn’t agree more. Every little bit counts!
hi, Give something to help the hungry people in Africa and India,
I made this blog about this subject:
on http://tinyurl.com/6p6lb8
Thank you for this info 🙂
I think you are right. These issues of poverty and world hunger needs to be brought out. Many Americans as well as other well developed countries do not appreciate of what they have and take advantage of it when in the other side of the world people are dying with hunger and poverty.
That reminds me of a project Unicef is doing, partnership with Volvic to raise awareness and provide water to the children of Ethiopia in their drink 1 give 10 campaign drink..1give 10.com (take you the first two dots) . I think more companies brand should be involved in saving the world and fighting agains poverty.
Thanks for this info, Jen 🙂