What can we do?

[burbs]

As students in a highly developed country, we are lucky for so many things. To cut a long rant short, what can we, as students, do to aid human rights globally and living conditions in the third world?

Also, is there something the VN community can do as a whole?

[werdna]

As students in a highly developed country, we are lucky for so many things. To cut a long rant short, what can we, as students, do to aid human rights globally and living conditions in the third world?

Also, is there something the VN community can do as a whole?

What a brilliant idea! We could organise for as many VN members as possible, to do volunteering/charity work, running free tutoring programs for the disadvantaged, fundraising events, etc...

Burberry, hats off to you.. this is a good starting point to 'make a change'.

[burbs]

I was thinking the obvious things such as pooling money together for a certain cause, but also more proactive things like helping in some online amnesty programs.

[taiga]

running free tutoring programs for the disadvantaged

I'm going to go do that now!

Also in the future, if all goes to plan, there will be something to do with VN, and trial exams, and charity =)

[ninwa]

I wonder if it would be feasible for the VN community to get together to sponsor a child or something

[Mr Edwards]

It would be a good way to try to get some publicity for the site, that's for sure.

[iffets12345]

lol next meet up $2 sausage sizzle or something.

[funkyducky]

You know how hard it is to find free tuition programs for refugee kids? I looked and looked...none of them seem to want teenage tutors :S

[littlebecc]

I wonder if it would be feasible for the VN community to get together to sponsor a child or something

That's a brilliant idea.
Also, this site is really cool Make someone elses Christmas special
http://www.oxfamamericaunwrapped.com/home.php

[burbs]

Yep that's exactly what I was hoping for. One child is a good start but we could pool funds and use them for aid work as well? I'm not sure on the legal steps that need to be taken though.

[ninwa]

How would we pool funds though? I looked into setting up a Paypal donation button but they charge money for every donation that goes through T_T

[stonecold]

Set up an account which everyone can deposit money into.  ?

I trust the mods enough to manage it all.

[burbs]

This time last year I was volunteering at a place called the Salaam Balak Trust, who are located in New Delhi. Basically they look after abandoned street children and try to get them out of the poverty cycle. There are people there who teach them English (I was surprised that some of them were pretty good at it!) and maths, as well as trying to get into contact with their birth parents.

They pretty much run off donations and people volunteering their time and when there I managed to get to talk to someone who grew up there and had got himself a job as a tour guide, making a living for himself.

That's one example.

Alternatively, I make a thread where people can link worthy causes and individuals on VN can donate if they feel so inclined? Something like this?

[physics]

i have forms to volunteer to talk to sick people at western hospitals cause i did it before. it was fun!
anyone want one?

[Russ]

How would we pool funds though? I looked into setting up a Paypal donation button but they charge money for every donation that goes through T_T

Tell people to send it as a gift or pay the transaction cost themselves.