Great Eight

So the G8 Summit begins next week in Scotland. For those of you who don’t know (or perhaps don’t care), the G8 Summit consists of the “Great Eight” nations of the world coming together to make a collective global plan for the coming year.

Arguably, the "Group of Eight" list contains Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, United Kingdom, and the United States. Oh, and tack on that European Union thing for good measure.

Apparently, (or according to CNN), this year’s conference is going to attempt to tackle the hemorrhaging catastrophe that is Africa. People are dying daily; a child dies every 15 seconds due to AIDS. This number does not take in to account starvation, dehydration, malaria, or anything else. And that is just the kids who don’t know that their own country’s government is inept enough to close its eyes at its nation’s downward spiral into nothingness. No, exchange "inept" for "greedy". Good, that's more accurate.

The United Kingdom spends a mere 0.4% of its GDP on foreign aid. If you lived in England, and earned a paycheck of $1,000, on average, you would donate $4.00. That $4 would feed 4 people in Africa for a year. It could also supply 4 others medicine for AIDS. Somehow these numbers seem lopsided, but America is worse.

America spends 0.1% (if that) of its GDP on foreign aid. So, on average, if you earn $1,000, you would at least need to donate the change in your pocket to make par for our course. I know not all of us do that, which is disheartening, but not surprising. Thankfully our country hasn’t assumed the leadership position of the world.

www.projecthope.org
www.unicef.org
www.redcross.org
www.doctorswithoutborders.org

or, pick your favorite charity here:

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/12/28/tsunami.aidsites/