[85] in peace2
Introducing our Discussion List
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (F. AuYeung)
Tue Feb 22 13:18:35 2000
Message-Id: <200002221818.NAA04745@sci-read-room.mit.edu>
To: peace-list@MIT.EDU
cc: nic@hennigweb.com
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Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2000 13:18:22 -0500
From: "F. AuYeung" <auyeung@MIT.EDU>
Hi Everyone, please take a brief moment to read this short message:
Nicole's reply about thehungersite is a great way to introduce the need
for a discussion site. We understand that while people want to stay in
touch with local events and hence subscribe to <peace-list> for news and
announcements, not everyone want to participate in what may potentially
be explosive discussion topics (for example, Bush and his advisor's plans
to auction off federal lands).
The Social Justice Cooperative and MIT chapter of Campus Action Network
proudly introduce the <peace-makers> club discussion list, where you can
express all your opinions, discuss with others about issues, plan events,
and be a part of all our meetings. This list is highly recommended for
all those who want to be more actively involved with making changes
around campus and discussing ideas about peace/justice.
Please email me to be added to this list! <Peace-makers> will also
automatically get all <peace-list> messages. Thanks for your time!
Felix AuYeung
end short message
*************
about thehungersite
(read only if interested; discussion part, example from <peace-makers>):
thehungersite is also a for-profit operation (hence the .com); however,
the creators say that they actually give all their proceeds to nonprofit
organizations, so it's just a tax status thing in the end.
this is one of those glass half empty or half full thing. surely, one
can look at the site and say you're not addressing the root causes; but,
i think it is important to recognize the good parts. normally, the ads
are sponsored by companies trying to be more responsible within the
capitalist framework, such as greatergood.com, and i applaud those
efforts. naturally, they also target the progressive, trying to provide
products and services that agree with that segment of the market. in
addition, first time people visiting the site on recommendation from
friends would get a good exposure to the problem of hunger and how
extensive it really is.
one great quote from Dom Helder Camara, Brazilian Liberation:
"When I give food to the poor
they call me a saint.
When I ask why the poor have no food,
they call me a communist."
thehungersite cannot be expected to solve the global problem of wealth
distribution as a singular website, but perhaps it can be suggested that
they add a section dealing with the issue. i will admit the irony though.
*************
Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2000 08:32:41 -0500
To: Karen Sachs <karens@MIT.EDU>
From: Nicole Hennig <nic@hennigweb.com>
Subject: Re: thehungersite
Cc: peace-list@MIT.EDU
There is an interesting article about this site in the latest issue
of Adbusters magazine. (Spring '00, p. 49, by Harry Flood) The main
point of the article is while it's a well-meaning idea that works,
it's also a bit ironic. Here's a quote:
"Here's a site that lets comfortable First-Worlders feel virtuous
about tossing crumbs to the less fortunate, but fails even to
question the appalling inequities of wealth distribution, courtesy of
global corporate capitalism, that make the site necessary in the
first place. And it's underwritten by some of the very folks who
helped create the problem."
From the FAQ on the Hunger Site:
"Our sponsors pay for the donations as a form of advertising and
public relations."
Nicole
