Someone drew my attention to The (Red) manifesto recently. But I'd never heard of it! So can anyone tell me, is this (Red) thing important?
Thursday, August 16, 2007
The (Red) manifesto
Someone drew my attention to The (Red) manifesto recently. But I'd never heard of it! So can anyone tell me, is this (Red) thing important?
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9 comments:
Very important. The Red manifesto was created to launch Produt Red, the campaign that comtinues to sell their products such as Armani then part of the sale money goes directly to buying the medications for people with hiv and aids in Africa, then they live. Its very simple.
Try joinred.com
and http://redhaircollection.blogspot.com
Colour me cynical but the third world's problems will not be fixed by us handing them money in this way. The relatively small amounts gathered from the margin off a few products is just way too small to make a significant difference. Hundreds of millions of pounds of international aid money barely helps and this campaign has little chance of significantly boosting our international aid budgets.
I found a good explanation of why international aid isn't helping much in the book The Mystery of Capital by Hernando de Soto. The book is well researched and the prose quite accessible. Poverty, poor or non-existant education, land law reform, standardised valuation and deeply entrenched endemic corruption that cause some poverty to persist are at the heart of the problem.
The different made by handing pennies from my shirt or iPod purchase to a corrupt system versus getting the first world to drop its trade barriers is huge. The EU's CAP and US cotton subsidies are excellent places to start.
It's nice to feel like we're doing something about the problem but pennies from purchases and concerts in the park salve your ego more than they actually make a difference.
Indeed mister, you have done your research "sir wobin"! i was going to say the same thing! Thou these pennies are there to make consumers and general public feel better about themself, knowing they are helping, thou in reality, they are mis informed, and never makes a real difference! Its funny how most still don't know about the trade barriers!
A major problem in third world countries,is that they are too dependant on Aid and thus may never do anything to help themselves.Sir Wobin is right about nothing getting fixed by handing them money this way.Perhaps a better approach should be taken.You teach a man to fish,and he will fish for life.
Another amazing marketing campaign by usurping money with the good deed....
hypocrite...
My children (ages 11 & 9) of their own accord, chose Product Red Motorola mobile phones and iPods. Yes, I was dubious about the message it gives them, but wind the clock back 30 years to when I was their age and the equivalent gesture was putting your pocket money in a collecting tin to a person in town on Saturday and getting a badge/sticker. As adults we can afford to be cycnical & realistic, but the lessons for children about "giving" (and I use the word in the broadest sense) are valid.
GIL
Something from the beeb about food aid keeping poor nations poor.
Not all aid and not all food aid works the same. Emergency food aid is always well received and useful. The article above is about enduring aid projects.
Extremely important: how can you even question its value?
Did you really mean 'important'? Or did you mean 'big'?
I know many many people with Red products and commitments, including myself.
It's a pretty lame-ass way to make hedonists and sybarites feel good about themselves while looking good. It's a fad.
But, I hope it's making a difference.
Fad, no fad. NA is hooked.
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