I think the discussion about the UN website has missed a very important
issue - the changing relationships between non-profit organizations and
corporations. There has been some work done on this in Canada, the US and
the UK.
These new relationships are taking a myriad of forms including:
-the move towards more strategic forms of corporate philanthrophy, e.g.
money being given to fewer non-profit groups in a more targeted way
-corporate voluntarism (firms supporting employees in their volunteer
efforts, including provision of time off for such activities and possible
funding or secondments. Companies may also develop special partnership
arrangements with non-profit organizations, e.g. those favoured by a
customer group important to the company or that are seen to give the firm a
good image. Typically environmental organizations are targeted, along with
non-denominational public service or health organizations. Arts
organizations are often losers in this, as are groups such as the Salvation
Army that are religion-based)
-corporate sponsorship (e.g. Shell, the naming of public facilities in the
U.S. and Canada after private individuals or firms, even if the majority of
funds came from public sources)
-partnerships between non-profit organizations and firms. I have in my
office cards put out by the Canadian government for people to send it to
indicate their personal opposition to racism. These were published as part
of the March 21 anti-racism day here, and are sponsored by Pepsi among
other firms.
We need to understand the UN website mentioned in a broader context, one
that I think has been very neglected by critical geographers.
Tony Jarvis wrote:
> Hi folks
>
> This sounds rather twee but the UN has set a web site that allows you
> to feed a "hungry person" just by clicking on a button. (i.e. it is
> free, and only takes a couple of seconds to do!).
>
> You can feed one person each day and every day if you wish. The service
> is paid for by advertising revenue on the site.
>
> Whatever the ethics are relating to commercial sponsorship of UN
> international food relief programmes - and I don't think they are
> particularly good (what next? McDonald's logos on the side of UNHCR
> lorries, peace-keeping forces wearing Microsoft badges, or tanks
> displaying Shell logos (no pun intended)) - I don't think this
> should be used as an excuse for not supporting this scheme.
>
> If it really does save lives then we should "click that button" as
> often as we are able, not just because the individual action may save a
> life, but because all the individual actions added together
> may represent a significant democratic force in the global inequalities
> debate. (However I do remain rather dubious about the whole concept.)
>
> The web address is: http://www.thehungersite.com
>
> --------------------------------------------
> Tony Jarvis [log in to unmask]
> School of Earth Sciences and Geography
> Keele University, Keele, Staffs, ST5 5BG.
> Tel: 01782 583095 Fax: 01782 715261
> --------------------------------------------
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