James. Posted 24 October 2010 Posted 24 October 2010 I have the urge to get this off my chest and here seems as good a place as any to do it. As you may know I'm living in India, I came here in July and I'll be leaving in December. It's an amazing place - so vibrant, colourful, fascinating, intriguing and overwhelming. I'm fortunate enough to work for an investment bank that not only gave me this opportunity but also pays me very generously to do it. I've worked hard to get where I am and I like to think I'm good at what I do but what I am coming to understand are my responsibilities away from the workplace given the fortunate position I find myself in. I'm lucky. Everyone that reads this thread is lucky to some extent. None of you are the little kid I see squatting by the side of the road to take a shit in the morning or the man who had his eyes removed when he was younger so he could compete with the other beggars. None of you are the family that lives under the flyover hanging their dirty clothes on road signs. Nor are you the girl with tuberculosis whose family can't afford to see a doctor or the man that has to move around on a wheeled platform because he doesn't have any legs. India opens your eyes and your mind. I sit here in my 5 star hotel, on the internet, with Stoke vs Man United on the TV about to order enough Chinese food to feed a slum and I think to myself - I'm lucky. I could have been the man with no eyes or the family under the flyover. I could have been on the other side of the car window when on my way to work and children carrying smaller children tap on my window for money, food, anything. I'm not preaching to people. Most of you know this is the reality of the developing world. Where sparkling shopping malls cast shadows over the people living on the street or in the slums. Where 150 diet clinics exist in a city that still has people starving to death. The contradictions are everywhere. Maybe my intention is just to make people think, even just for a little bit, about the lives they lead and what they might possibly do to make things better for others who aren't as lucky. Everyone has their own issues and problems - life is complicated. But that doesn't mean we can't take a step back and put things into perspective from time to time. What am I doing? I've volunteered at a school in Dharavi, Asia's biggest slum, I've donated a decent sum of money to an organisation that my girlfriend is working with over here and I plan to donate more before I leave. But I could do more. It doesn't even have to be to do with money. And that's why everyone can help, in some small way, whether it's in Mumbai or Market Harborough - there's work to be done. Anyway, I'll leave it at that. I hope my somewhat rambling monologue hasn't depressed or bored you too much. If even just one person reads this and thinks, you know what I'm going to give a little back, whether that be time, money or whatever, then I'll be happy.
ozleicester Posted 24 October 2010 Posted 24 October 2010 Congratulations on alll you are doing, if everyone does even a little bit to help those less fortunate, the world will be a better place.
Fosse Boy Posted 24 October 2010 Posted 24 October 2010 Yeah, very good post. I think everyone's guilty of taking the relative comfort of their lives for granted at some time or another. I've always meddled with the idea of doing some kind of volunteering, maybe I should actually get off my arse and do it.
Guest Bilo Posted 24 October 2010 Posted 24 October 2010 Ruddy deep for a Sunday afternoon that James, but great post and fair play to you for the hard work you're doing. I'm a bit embarrassed to say that I haven't done any such work, save for volunteering at the Walkers as part of the Playing For Success programme in my first year. I'd love to go abroad and really help out at some point in the future. I've seen some real grinding poverty in the Caribbean, especially the Dominican Republic, on my travels before though that makes you feel terrible as you're heading back to your all-inclusive hotel and really bloody angry when you see some fat Yank piling their plate high with food that they aren't going to eat in a million years but the waiters could only dream of affording. When people in this country complain of being skint when they're down to their last £100 in the bank, they have no clue how lucky they really are.
fatmando Posted 24 October 2010 Posted 24 October 2010 Meanwhile Rooney's now paid £1,000,000 a month. The world is wrong.
James. Posted 24 October 2010 Author Posted 24 October 2010 Meanwhile Rooney's now paid £1,000,000 a month. The world is wrong. It's complicated. The difference between the rich and the poor hits you like a brick when you walk around Mumbai. I gave examples in my first post and I could give a hundred more. But I understand this is how capitalism works and I'm not sure I could give a convincing argument for an alternative. The problems in India as with anywhere aren't simply a function of free markets, there are deep running cultural issues, political corruption and religious divisions (within and between religions). But that's no excuse to sit by and watch it happen. Surely one way towards alleviating the scale of the problems is by everyone who can spending a bit of time helping those that need it. I appreciate the compliments but as I said I could do more and I didn't post the thread to boost my ego, just to get people to think a bit. Oh and Bilo yeah it is a bit deep isn't it, I blame my girlfriend going off travelling round Rajasthan leaving me alone with my thoughts!
Jon the Hat Posted 24 October 2010 Posted 24 October 2010 Good effort. It's upsets me though that India has nuclear weapons and a space program but seemingly makes so little effort to look after it's poor.
Finnegan Posted 24 October 2010 Posted 24 October 2010 Good effort. It's upsets me though that India has nuclear weapons and a space program but seemingly makes so little effort to look after it's poor. I'd make a jibe about the Conservative party there for a chance at top WUMing, but in all reality it'd be somewhat disrespectful and completely missing the point. It is quite alarming. For all of our raging back and forth about the politics of this country, there's such a staggering gulf of wealth between the poorest here and even the richest-of-the-poor in the "developing" world. It's something that hit me quite noticeably in Hong Kong. You cross to Kowloon and start heading out further and further away from the lights of the harbour and the gulf in class begins to stretch. Even on Hong Kong island there are custom built shanties, salvaged from whatever people could find, slums hidden away in the undergrowth off the main road to Aberdeen. Gives a very strange feeling.
fox123 Posted 24 October 2010 Posted 24 October 2010 It's a fortunate position you are in compared to those around you, but I'm a great believer in charity begins at home. I may be ignorant in the fact that I will probably never visit India, and I will never see the poverty that they are in, but I do see (in my work) people struggling to make ends meat and struggling to provide for their family. I will sympathise for those struggling in this Country of ours before I do in others I'm afraid.
Finnegan Posted 24 October 2010 Posted 24 October 2010 It's a fortunate position you are in compared to those around you, but I'm a great believer in charity begins at home. I may be ignorant in the fact that I will probably never visit India, and I will never see the poverty that they are in, but I do see (in my work) people struggling to make ends meat and struggling to provide for their family. I will sympathise for those struggling in this Country of ours before I do in others I'm afraid. I think it's important to remember both. It does annoy me when people brand about clichés about people starving in Africa when we've poor and homeless in our own country who are just as unhappy. Everything's relative in this life, it's possible to be rich and miserable, famous and depressed - there are plenty of examples. We often get caught up in the destitute about the world and forget about those in need of help on our back yard and I agree with fox123 with the notion that charity begins at home. But I also find it hard to detach myself from humanity globally, I do think it is worth remembering our position in things on a greater level. I think I wish I came from a generation that was far more socially and politically motivated. I exist in a generation of apathy and it's a little sad. I know it's likely I'll go back in to education and I know it's likely I'll live my life in a position to give back to people in a less fortunate position than myself and I hope I still have the integrity to follow through and be faithful to those claims when I'm more comfortable or upwardly mobile in my life. But I think in a perfect world I'd try to find balance and distribute what charitable intentions I could between both our own back yard and the wider world. At the end of the day, as a race, we are collectively one.
Thracian Posted 24 October 2010 Posted 24 October 2010 Good effort. It's upsets me though that India has nuclear weapons and a space program but seemingly makes so little effort to look after it's poor. see below.
broughtonblue Posted 24 October 2010 Posted 24 October 2010 James although you make an excellent post I also agree with Jon the hat and fox 123. How much was spent on hosting the commonwealth games? Also how much did south Africa spend on the world cup when a lot of their country doesn't even have electricity? I remember watching one programme where they had installed a generator and a tv for one of south africas matches, the locals had never seen such luxuries before. During the match when s.Africa scored they showed a replay of the goal, the locals having never seen a tv before thought they had scored again, it took a lot of explaining to sort the situation out! I think a lot is wrong in the world but when there is such a divide in countries, more should be done to educate governments before trying to get to my conscience.
Guest Posted 24 October 2010 Posted 24 October 2010 I am volunteering with a nationally recognised advice service. I appreciate the brownie points on my CV, but if I do get where I want to career-wise, I still want to carry on working with these people on a pro bono basis, if I could. Given the cuts that the ConDems are bringing in, services like the one I am with are going to be more important in the future.
z-layrex Posted 24 October 2010 Posted 24 October 2010 I know how lucky I am, but I also put 110% back into society through my occupation so I won't feel the least bit guilty. But yeah everyone should do their bit, whether that be donating money for volunteering etc. Good on you for caring mate a lot of people wouldnt.
FoxyPV Posted 24 October 2010 Posted 24 October 2010 Thrac - the mrs was in the States a few years ago and said it was like visiting a third world country. The poverty was everywhere for all to see.
z-layrex Posted 24 October 2010 Posted 24 October 2010 Thrac - the mrs was in the States a few years ago and said it was like visiting a third world country. The poverty was everywhere for all to see. The usa is a third world country.
Smudge Posted 24 October 2010 Posted 24 October 2010 Thrac - the mrs was in the States a few years ago and said it was like visiting a third world country. The poverty was everywhere for all to see. Which third world country has she been to and where in the US was she making the comparison? I've lived here for 23 years, have been to most of the States and have never seen anything close to third world country status. Which I assume means, no electricity, no running water, no sewers, widespread child death and where diseases like cholera, typhoid are rampant. @James Great post, good luck in all your ventures.
Jon the Hat Posted 24 October 2010 Posted 24 October 2010 In the charity begins at home stakes I support at least one family of four on a council estate sonewhere with my taxes... And on a slightly less facetious note, I have a lot if respect for those who give their time to others more needy, but at the moment I work 50 hours a week, travel with work a night or two most weeks so my time is very valuable to me, and I spend it with my family.
Finnegan Posted 24 October 2010 Posted 24 October 2010 In the charity begins at home stakes I support at least one family of four on a council estate sonewhere with my taxes... Oh come on, I held the Olive branch out early in this thread. <_<
z-layrex Posted 24 October 2010 Posted 24 October 2010 Oh come on, I held the Olive branch out early in this thread. <_< I'm starting to think you're unemployed and on benefits.
Finnegan Posted 24 October 2010 Posted 24 October 2010 I'm starting to think you're unemployed and on benefits. Yes, I couldn't possibly be both employed and have a moral compass. Besides my wages (which I earn by working for it - as do you, I should point out before you get glib about your tax money) I receive nothing from the state. It's probably best you leave the mudslinging to other threads, particularly when you've so little to throw.
Zingari Posted 24 October 2010 Posted 24 October 2010 Slightly unrelated to the original post , but before I give to any cherridy , I try to find out what the salary of the CEO is . And I'd like to know what the likes of the head of the fookin donkey sanctuary does for her 94 grand p.a. (but good luck James ) http://society.guardian.co.uk/salarysurvey/table/0,12406,1042677,00.html edit; these are a few years old , so probably get more now .
Webbo Posted 24 October 2010 Posted 24 October 2010 Slightly unrelated to the original post , but before I give to any cherridy , I try to find out what the salary of the CEO is . And I'd like to know what the likes of the head of the fookin donkey sanctuary does for her 94 grand p.a. (but good luck James ) http://society.guardian.co.uk/salarysurvey/table/0,12406,1042677,00.html edit; these are a few years old , so probably get more now . So the CEO of Association for International Cancer Research gets £45k a year and the head of Donkey Sanctuary Gets £95k.. Doesn't say how many hours a week each one does but it seems a little wrong to me.
z-layrex Posted 24 October 2010 Posted 24 October 2010 Yes, I couldn't possibly be both employed and have a moral compass. Besides my wages (which I earn by working for it - as do you, I should point out before you get glib about your tax money) I receive nothing from the state. It's probably best you leave the mudslinging to other threads, particularly when you've so little to throw. Wasnt trying to mudsling, was just wondering as you seem to believe in what you do so strongly (which is a good thing mind, I suppose). And I have a very strong moral compass, it's just different to yours and focused in other ways.
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