the big ones - orbis? oxfam? msf?
the small ones that get featured in magazines that are more intimate, and that the same donation amount might mean more?
my schools, who have been crucial to my becoming who i am?
charities my friends are running?
start a charity for a cause i believe in?
how do i get the highest "return", so to speak? how does one measure the cost of life? saving one life in richer countries could be saving several thousands in poorer countries. with the same funds, do you fix someone's eyes, or do you give someone a chance to walk again? if you could either build a hospital or several schools, what do we go for?
thing is, we don't want to end up helping people who didn't need our help in the first place. we don't want our donations going to corrupt officials. we don't want to coddle the needy so they never stand up on their own feet.
and in any case, our donations are only a drop in the ocean of pain. it just really might not matter at all. those people in need will actually go away if we don't think about them too much.
there might never be a conclusion. but perhaps, the least we could do is think about it. maybe, the second least is to chat with our friends so more people are thinking a tad more about it. and possibly, the third least, is to help someone, rather than no one.
