On Fri, Jan 02, 2004 at 09:53:45PM -0600, Steve Sloan II wrote: > As for the Irregulars question, Dr. Brin suggested that I donate part > of each sale I make at my store to an appropriate charity, as a way to > promote my store and do good at the same time. Which groups do good > work preserving wildlife in general? Which ones are good at protecting > the individual species that are so important to the Uplift stories, > the dolphins, whales, chimps, and gorillas?
I'm not aware of any good wildlife-specific charities, but I think my favorite charity is also very much in the Brin spirit of regular people using their innovative ideas to efficiently accomplish worthwhile goals: Ashoka. http://www.ashoka.org/ "In the last 21 years, Ashoka has invested in more than 1,200 leading social entrepreneurs in 43 countries around the globe (including the U.S.), working on issues such as education, healthcare, the environment, human/gender rights, economic development, and poverty alleviation. Ashoka is unique in that it searches the world for local visionaries with local solutions to local problems, whose models can be replicated nationally and globally." Here's a link to a New York Times article about Ashoka: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/20/arts/20SOCI.html Here's an older, but very good, article from the Atlantic: http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/98jan/ashoka.htm EXAMPLES: Investing about $30,000, Ashoka helped Mary Allegretti save more than 9 million acres of the Amazon Rain Forest in Brazil -- that's less than a penny per acre. She developed the first system of extractive reserves by setting aside areas for jungle dwellers whose livelihood depends on the forest. By encouraging sustainable use of the tropical forest, the plan has also benefited more than 70,000 rubber tappers and 200,000 native inhabitants in the rain forest. Investing a total of approximately $11,000 over three years, Ashoka enabled Jeroo Billimoria to launch Childline, India's first 24-hour emergency telephone hotline for street children. They also receive follow-up support services such as police assistance and healthcare. Launched in Mumbai (Bombay),Childline has answered more than 2 million calls and directly provided assistance to more than 26,000 street children in the city over the past four years. Ashoka's investment amounts to a mere $0.42 per child. The model has spread to 38 cities nationally and to Thailand. Within 10 years, Jeroo plans to replicate it in 158 cities in India and Asia. For approximately $20,000, Ashoka enabled Dr. Vera Cordeiro to develop 'Renascer', an organization providing critical outpatient follow-up care to poor children who have suffered acute illnesses. It has spread to 11 hospitals in 5 states throughout Brazil, befitting more than 11,000 so far and reducing hospital re-admission rates by 60%. Her approach integrates health care, skill building and education services for children as well as for their families based on multidisciplinary teams and community support. Since 1998, five consultants from McKinsey have worked with her organization on a 'pro bono' basis to spread the model nationally. The first lady of S. Africa, Graca Machel plans to import it to southern Africa. For $23,000 Ashoka enabled Ngozi Iwere to develop the first model program for HIV/AIDS prevention in Nigeria benefiting several hundred teachers and more than 5,000 youth both in and out of school. It targets and involves the entire community instead of focusing on small high-risk target populations. Her Community Life Project works within existing community networks to develop and aggressively disseminate prevention and treatment information. _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
