We'd Rather Kill 'Em Off By Peaceful Means

This child like all the other millions of Iraqi children has been caught up in war. For the third time in twenty years Iraqi children are suffering war. Conditions for children in Iraq, already bad, are deteriorating sharply. Even before the invasion led by America, the American domination of occupied Iraq, and now the American fomentation of civil war. This child's outlook is grim: 1. Nearly half of Iraq's population is under the age of 15. 2. 70 percent of child deaths are caused by diarrhea and respiratory infections. 3. One in eight children die before their fifth birthday, Iraq now has one of the highest mortality rates in the world. 4. Acute malnutrition among children has nearly doubled since the American led occupation of Iraq. On April 2nd this year at the behest of the American occupiers the Ministry of Trade cancelled food subsidies on and a food ration programme would be. According to the same trade ministry's own figures nearly 26.5 million of the country's 28 million people depend upon those monthly food rations. Paul Wolfowitz one of the men responsible for the dire conditions faced by this child is now using World Bank loans to promote the American government's agenda of "definitively dominating" the Middle East. Wolfowitz now really does hate the thought of war he's learnt that it's more effective to kill 'em off by peaceful means. From the comments: MFI - could you repost information on the groups who are doing good work in Iraq - was one Caritas? I'd much prefer to end my little donations to them instead of politicians who continue this insanity. American Friends Service Committee (Quakers) AFSC programs addressing Iraq Iraq Peacebuilding Program, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Iraq Program, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Middle East Peace Education Program, Atlanta, Georgia Middle East Peacebuilding Program, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Peace and Economic Security Program, Cambridge, Massachusetts Quaker United Nations Office, New York, New York City, New York CAFOD has been supporting: Cordaid CAFOD's Dutch sister agency has been implementing a primary health care programme in the north of Iraq. CAFOD supports this programme which has successfully restored eight primary health centres. A mobile health team ensures that those who are unable to get to the centres has access to free medicines and the services of a qualified doctor. Caritas Iraq Runs a Well Baby programme which addresses the basic needs of the mothers and babies in the community. IRAC IRAC is giving computer training to people in Kerbala. Basic word- processing and spreadsheet skills will make it much easier for them to find employment. Many of these trainees are former political prisoners and 30 per cent are women. Iraqi Al-Amal Youth reconciliation programme - forming links between Iraqi school groups and similar groups around the world via the internet. The programme will enable young Iraqis to meet others from troubled areas around the Middle East, at an international summer camp in Egypt. STEP Organisation working in Sulaymaniyah works with young people. They provide social workers at a drop-in centre for working street children. One of the centre’s aims is to encourage the children to continue their schooling, as a whole generation has had its education disrupted by successive wars and fighting. CAFOD, Romero Close, London, SW9 9TY reg. charity no. 285776 Tel: 00 44 20 7733 7900 Fax: 00 44 20 7274 9630 Email: cafod@cafod.org.uk CARITAS I don't know much about their programmes but a search on their site turns up a few items. They're still in Iraq I know. My recommendation is to give either via CAFOD or the Quakers rather than via CARITAS. I am investigating other charities but it is slow work. Here's a resource to check out who's who: The American Institute of Philanthropy The American Institute of Philanthropy (AIP) announces its top-rated list of charities offering aid to the potentially millions of people facing water shortages, power outages, and health epidemics. AIP, a leading charity watchdog that issues letter grade (A to F) ratings of nonprofit groups, identifies the following 19 relief charities, which are providing aid to the victims that receive an “A” or “B” grade based on the portion of their budget going to program services and their fundraising efficiency: · American Friends Service Committee (A) · American Red Cross (A-) · American Refugee Committee (A+) · AmeriCares (B) · CARE (A-) · Catholic Relief Services (A-) · Church World Service (A-) · Direct Relief International (B+) · Doctors without Borders (A) · Food for the Hungry (B) · International Rescue Committee (A+) · Lutheran World Relief (A) · Mercy Corps (B+) · Oxfam-America (B+) · Save the Children (A) · Samaritan's Purse (B) That text is unabashedly stolen from here My take is that I won't give a penny to the Red Cross. They're way too bureaucratic and there've been corruption scandals. My favourite medical charity - MSF (Doctors without borders in the US) has been driven out of Iraq and Afghanistan in the case of Afghanistan as a result of the US policy of deliberately trying to make it seem as though they were part of American forces. The same was done in Iraq. Many MSF people died as a result. There's also Interaction's List But it's quite old so you'd need to check. Listed on that page are the International Rescue Commitee you might be able to help refugees directly by contacting them. They do superb work. markfromireland