There's a disconnect in the way we've run our civilisations, a disconnect that leads to nothing but blasted fields and razed mountainsides -- and has left the developing world with an unstoppable drive to sell off whichever natural resources will bring the highest buck to help pay down an unsupportable debt-load.
I don't know how long it's going to be before the people who run things realise that you can't eat dollar bills, but for now there are NGOs, publications, and concerned citizens' groups across the globe who need our money, our eyes, and our word-of-mouth. Here's an incomplete list:
- Make Poverty History
- Oxfam Canada
- Make Trade Fair
- TransFair Canada
- Unicef Canada
- The Sierra Club of Canada
- The Nature Conservancy
- Amnesty International Canada
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Activism doesn't have to mean standing in the street and getting tear-gassed. Where you spend your money can help as much as (and these days, more than) screaming at a cop with a riot shield in his hands. Here's a list of retailers and such who deserve our money more than the big-box coffee and fadware chains do:
- Ten Thousand Villages \ cool Fair Trade goods.
- Mountain Equipment Co-op \ Green and fair outdoor gear.
- Bridgehead.ca \ Certified Organic and Fair Trade coffee, tea and chocolate that doesn't taste second-rate.
- Solio \ Take your cellphone and PDA off the grid.
I play with a gorgeous French-Canadian | I ride one, too | I have been known to fall for foreigners | I use only Nikon cameras | I follow the rules on the trails | I believe in human dignity | I also believe in taking a long view of things
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