Gifts to the third world.

[Lucy Thomas]

Have I missed the point of these 'gifts' that are given by other people on your behalf. Here's the scenario. You turn up at my house on Christmas Day to be greeted with a glass of something and a nibble. We then exchange presents. My present to you is something that I know you want but have never actually been able to get. It didn't cost much, about �30, but it is not easily obtainable and I used all my cunning and guile to seek it out. You are thrilled in the extreme. You hand me my gift. It is an envelope with my name on it. What could it be? A voucher for my favourite shop, tickets to that show I've been longing to see. No. Its a card telling me that you've bought six chickens and a goat for a Peruvian peasant on my behalf. All I can say is 'thanks for nothing, don't expect anything from me next year'. As I said, maybe I've missed the point of this whole excercise. If you buy something for someone else, how on Earth is it a present for me. You may like giving to charity and doing your bit for the third world, that is admirable. But don't do it, then try to pass it off as my Christmas present

[tufty7]

This is the scenario... a "business" keeps failing , do people keep sending millions upon millions bailing it out year after year after year after year infinitum???............. the "owners" of the "business" always make sure they have enough of the handouts, unfortunately the workers don't actually get much from the handout and struggle, although they have allways struggled and don't know any other, they have no pc's and don't need them and material things they also don't need... mainly because they don't know of there existance,

Right change the word "business" for "country" Now read it back ,

Its not for us to help these people year in year out , if there is no way of existing in that particular area and people still insist on trying to let them be , nostalgia has no place in the world and the thoughts like " this is the way we have lived for a thousand years" , they Know no better , either accept what you have got and be gratefull for what we have or move on , that said last week I was at a christmas concert and the school raised enough to buy 40 goats for wherever oxfam want to send them , I just hope that they are not sent to peoples who hate the west !! rant over Happy christmas.....

[jojojojoanne]

you are given the gift of giving with this gift?! no?!

[naomi24]

Jojo. precisely - but clearly some people don't see that.

[jojojojoanne]

Not wishing to sound utopian/dystopian (!), but I think the world would be a better place if simple things such as this were acknowledged on a wider scale. :0)