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Hunger Petition
Date: Wed, 5 Jul 2000 22:29:41 -0400 (EDT)
Dear All,
Mass petitions aren't the most effective way of bringing about
change. But they can, at the least, focus attention on an issue and
let those in power know your concerns. And in the case of an issue like
hunger, such petitions can let those in power know that silence on
the problems that affect people with little or no political power -- young
children, impoverished families -- is not acceptable.
In this spirit of (as the oft-used but ever relevant saying has it)
giving voice to the voiceless, I encourage you to sign an anti-hunger
petition that will be presented to the UN Security Council in October
2000. The petition is at
http://www.thehungersite.com/rbt/THSPetition/h061322; see below for a
few more details.
Also, if you haven't come across it from the comprehensive Quick
Donations site (http://www.quickdonations.com/) -- an internet site with
links to sites where you can make a contribution to a charitable cause
that a corporate (or other) sponsor will pay for -- My Small Part
(http://www.mysmallpart.com/) is a particularly good site in that it
allows an unlimited (I think) number of donations to a variety of causes.
Incidently, it is possible (though not necessary) to "join" this
site, in which case it will keep track of your free donations. It will
also keep track (anonymously, so far as I can tell) of free donations made
by people you let know about the site who then proceed to join, if they
visit a certain page before signing up, in my case,
http://www.mysmallpart.com/join/ericfrie.
Obviously, there is no need for you to use this address if and when
you sign up, though I'd appreciate it if you do. I am very curious
about the distances we can travel together, and this is one -- though
certainly quite narrow -- measure.
Also, a piece of information that the New York Times reported about a
week ago (Lawrence K. Altman, U.N. Warning AIDS Imperils Africa's Youth,
June 28, 2000) that I think it important for any citizen of our era to be
aware of. It is a catastrophic number about HIV/AIDS in Africa. In the
worst affected countries, about half of today's 15 year olds are expected
to eventually die of AIDS -- even if infection rates fall substantially.
If the rates do not fall, more than two-thirds of today's 15-year-olds
will likely eventually die of AIDS in the worst affected countries
(Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Zambia). The UNAIDS report on which
the article was based is available at
http://www.unaids.org/epidemic_update/report/Epi_report.htm. A prevention
program that could lead to a significant drop in infection rates would
cost $2 billion per year; currently, about $300 million per year is being
spent. I will have more to say on this...
Thank you.
Yours,
Eric
"I have only dreams: to build a better world, a world of harmony
and understanding, a world in which it is a joy to live. This is not
asking for too much." -- Yitzhak Rabin
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Sign The Hunger Site Petition, which will be delivered to
the United Nations Security Council in October 2000. The
petition urges the UN to dedicate more resources to the
fight against global hunger. All you have to do is click on
the link below to sign up - and don't forget to pass this
e-mail along to all of your friends:
http://www.thehungersite.com/rbt/THSPetition/h061322
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