April 9, 2008 at 10:51 pm

First I would like to acknowledge the great work people all over are doing by drawing attention to the tremendous human suffering ongoing in Africa. However, it saddens me to see this effort focused on a reactive rather than proactive philosophy, namely throwing money at trying to regulate the symptoms of AIDS rather than preventing its rapid spread. Out of all the celebrities and intellectuals delivering emotional plees for monetary aid, not one piece of information was conveyed as to how AIDS has gripped and spread through an entire continent. The fact is the poverty stricken and largely illiterate populace central to this issue engage in an alarmingly high rate of promiscuity, perpetuating this crisis. Financial efforts must be directed at cultivating a strong moral foundation, reducing promiscuity, fostering a true value of self, family and community, and ultimately stemming the tide of AIDS. Focusing on treating the infected patients rather than preventing the contraction of AIDS is the equivelant of handing out pails at the bottom of a leaking dam rather than fixing the leak.
Above all we must be vigilant with our prayers to ease the suffering of the infected. God Bless.

April 10, 2008 at 12:50 am

I work every day with the homeless and have also been homeless.. I get so frustrated because when a mother comes to me asking me to help her get a place to llive for her and her children and I have to tell her there is nothing available. It makes me upset when a elderly couple comes to me needing help to get a place to stay because the money they had for retirement isn’t enough to pay rent for a place to stay. These situations should not exist in this country. Children didn’t ask for this and when you work all your life you find out it was for nothing because now your homeless or a woman who has spent many years raising her children and then the income becomes not enough to pay the rent anymore but was enough just a few months ago. Money is spent for so many other things that are not near as important as human life. I beg for assistance every day from companies, churches, and private individuals but very few ever help. What is it going to take to stop homelessness, poverty and AIDs.. More money goes to agency’s to pay the employees then actually goes to the people who really need it.. It needs to start changing today.. Give to IDOL gives back or any other agency who really puts the money where it is needed.

April 10, 2008 at 9:53 am

I noticed the shirts (Chris wore ONE) last night and idol and I wanted to get some things at the store but for some reason it is not working. This is my first visit, so I am not sure if there is an issue because of the volume. But just in case it is not…someone who works for ONE should look into that issue.

Idols gives back was GREAT and I share you sentiments Judy. There is not reason for the suffering that is going on…when people and companies make m/billions a year. I give to many causes it is not much ($20 here $30 there..it is all I can afford as a single mom), but I feel good knowing that I helped someone else. I would just love everyone who can afford to at least give $5, 10, 20 to do so…just make a little sacrifice to change or SAVE a life. Give even $1 seriously it all adds up…”no man is an island…no man stands alone”. Peace and Love!

April 10, 2008 at 11:06 am

Hi Bird O,

We are currently looking into the error with our third party store vendor. I believe the issue has been taken care of. It was giving out errors for people using IE and I just cranked up ye olde Internet Explorer and was able to get the store:

http://store.one.org/donate.aspx

If you continue to have problems, please let us know.

Thanks!

April 11, 2008 at 2:03 am

That is an interesting point, Tim, and I think you are certainly right about poverty and illiteracy being central. In fact, ONE is working to reduce those two factors in order to help prevent further spread of AIDS and other diseases. (See the coverage in the blog of Education Week coming up this month, for example). But I don’t think one can draw a direct relationship of poverty to bad morals and promiscuity. In his book The End of Poverty, Jeffrey Sachs sites a study in the UK medical journal Lancet:that found “…African men typically do not have more sexual partners than men elsewhere. For example, a compartive study of sexual behavior found that men in Thailand and Rio De Janeiro were more likely to report five or more casual sexual partners in the previous year than were men in Tanzania, Kenya, Lesotho, or Lusaka, Zambia…” Researchers think that other factors may cause the higher rates in Africa, such as lack of circumcision.

Telling people not to have sex (any sex?) I don’t think is going to work. After five years of emphasizing abstinence in the AIDS programs funded by PEPFAR, workers in Africa have concluded this prevention method is not working, and AIDS is still spreading unabated. The one thing I think is lacking actually, that is part of PEPFAR’s use of “Abstinence, Be Faithful, Wear Condoms” method has been providing condoms. As literate, affluent, people here in the US, we all know the importance of “safe sex” precisely to avoid AIDS and other STDs. Africans are too poor to afford condoms, have not been taught their importance and acceptability, and they are shunned by traditional religions, who often do sponsor health programs in Africa. I believe we really have to overcome these obstacles because wider use of condoms will surely slow the spread of AIDS. Leave the morals teaching to the preachers, and allow people to make their own informed choices.