Even if you're not a person of faith (Christian faith in particular, but faith of all kinds are valuable in my mind), please watch this short video - there's a very important message about Canadian spending during Christmastime in contrast with solving the world's safe water access issues.
A quick post today, I'll just link to a few places that I think relate well to the message of The Advent Conspiracy video above.
Please remember that even if you don't believe in anything, surely you believe in "humanity". Please give to help other humans this year - after all, even if you don't believe in Jesus, Christmas came for a very deliberate reason (to save the humans!).
Clean water - World Vision Gift Catalogue 2011 (print edition) |
Remember also Santa Claus/Saint Nicholas/Sinterklaas/Father Christmas; he was a lovely old man who gave gifts TO THE POOR. Jesus aside, "Christmas" as we know it in modern times was still meant to bless the poor! And the marginalized; an excerpt from the Wikipedia article on Santa Claus:
Nicholas was famous for his generous gifts to the poor, in particular presenting the three impoverished daughters of a pious Christian with dowries so that they would not have to become prostitutes.So give a charitable gift this year - to help the homeless and hungry of the DTES, youth escaping abusive homes who are forced to sleep on the streets, the women forced into the sex-trade by addiction and poverty, or look more broadly and contribute to foreign aid around the world.
Some favourite related links of mine:
- Buy Nothing Christmas (started by the Mennonites! Alright!)
- World Vision Gift Catalogue (use your VISA card to buy a goat and donate $20 more for free!)
- Food for the Hungry Canada Gift Catalogue
- The UN World Food Programme (no catalogue, but you can make a donation)
- WaterCan - clean water charity
- TheWaterProject.org - a chance to donate, or to support through purchases at their gift store
- Alternative Gifts: "water rights are human rights" gift here
- Amnesty International - make a donation in the name of a loved one (I did - it feels great!)
I bought a goat - and Visa donated an extra $20 on top of that. Great deal! |
And some past blog posts related to ethical Christmas gifts:
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