Shayde on 6/2/2007 at 11:38
Ok I'm sure this thread will degrade into flames and name calling very quickly but I'm posting it anyway. Because I'm hurting and I want to. So fuck you.
My job involves making educational radio programmes. Not all South Africans can read but they all do need to know about domestic violence, AIDS, financial literacy, children's rights etc. I research, develop content, write scripts etc all to get vital messages to those who otherwise have no access to them.
We are an NGO which means we are funded by corporates and foreign governments and aid organisations. One of our major programmes is a radio drama about HIV & AIDS and youth. It allows dialogue without personalizing it, long story but essentially it is a very valuable and successful project. Funded (through a variety of channels) by USAID.
Now I'm not going to comment on the fact that they won't let us advocate condom use or admit that there is prostitution. There are problems with every funding agency's conditionalities. What I am going to say is that this money is going to good use.
And ours is by no means the only group funded from this agency. Some of our partners include care givers who go into the community and take care of AIDS affected individuals such as a 7 year old little girl who is taking care of her 4 younger siblings because her parents died of AIDS. There are research agency's, education centres for senior citizens, clinics who provide counselling and testing, groups who take care of orphans and vulnerable children, antiretrovirals to pregnant mothers etc
We have just found out that there are to be huge funding cuts. We should survive, we have support from other agencies and countries, but some projects & organisations will have no choice but to close entirely.
This is because the money that was marked for AIDS relief in Africa has just been spent sending more troops to Iraq.
That money is being spent on war instead of aid upsets me, from my perspective it seems a cruel waste of resources.
And the whole world hears that "George W. Bush announced a US contribution of $15 billion to help fight AIDS in Africa". But you don't hear how that falls apart once the press has gone home.
There are many more people who are facing consequences from the war in Iraq than most know about.
And Africa is expected to smile and be grateful and say "please sir, can I have some more" when the realities of our global positioning are a great deal more (
http://monkeyfist.com/articles/838) damning then northern nations would admit!
:( bad day.
PigLick on 6/2/2007 at 12:51
I dont see why name calling and flames will be instigated. This just sounds like a truly sad, yet not unsuprising situation. I am just glad I live in such a privileged country that today my main worry was that I didnt have enough olive oil to make a peppercorn sauce. However, when the shit hits the fan its people like me who will go down first.
Scots Taffer on 6/2/2007 at 12:52
Human suffering caused and perpetuated by Big Money? Not surprising, but yes, as Piggy says, just very sad. :(
Shayde on 6/2/2007 at 13:27
Quote Posted by PigLick
I dont see why name calling and flames will be instigated.
Well I expected an argument that would start with "America is not obliged to provide aid" and continue with justifications of the war vs Iraq and then kaboom.
fett on 6/2/2007 at 13:33
No, we promised aid to you guys and I'm ashamed for what has happened. I heard about this yesterday through DATA, and was appalled as well.
The U.S. owes you an apology, though that doesn't really help anything. Personally, I'm sorry that we ever allowed a sack of shit person like Bush to be elected as our leader. Hopefully the tide will change soon and we can set it right.
Thief13x on 6/2/2007 at 13:58
what makes you so sure it's the war?
If I'm not mistaken, our congress pledged to get our troops out of Iraq first thing after they got elected, anyone else up in arms about forgotten promises?
Shayde on 6/2/2007 at 14:05
I'm sure it's the war because the funding agencies' mediator sent a letter saying that funding has been cut because the money has been reallocated to the war effort in Iraq.
I don't think I misinterpreted that.
BEAR on 6/2/2007 at 14:05
Im not entirely sure how the budgeting works, but I would be surprised if the cut in funding was directly due to the sending of more troops, I dont think it works quite that way. It might be due to the war in general, or our general budget fuckedness atm but I think budget concerns are slightly more complicated than that.
I think alot of americans are pretty ashamed by our insane 'defense' budget spending. Far from thinking we're not obliged to send aid, I think we should send much more aid, just because we can. Up my taxes for a bullshit war in iraq? Fuck you. Up my taxes to fund aid programs to poor countries with nothing? Go right ahead.
I expect only 1/3 of the population, maybe more but not 1/2 probably feel like that. The daily show makes regular fun of the insane defense budget by showing all the programes in america that have been cut as well.
Hope for a democratic president in 2008 I guess.
edit: oh shit, so yeah we suck :( (although to be fair the entire war is costing so much it probably has little to do with the troop surge specifically)
Thief13x on 6/2/2007 at 14:09
Quote Posted by BEAR
Up my taxes for a bullshit war in iraq? Fuck you.
umm, taxes are at an all time low and the economy is currently in very good health, and gas prices are the lowest they've been in years, but we are at war and that fucking congress has done nothing to stop it, seriously, does anyone know what's up with that? or are they taking their sweet time too like Bush?
fett on 6/2/2007 at 14:17
Ummm...it's only January. Stopping a war isn't like flipping the off switch on your TV.
