Negative ONE

Bono, the U2 singer, in recent years has spearheaded a campaign to alleviate World Poverty. "Yes!" methinks. World Poverty needs some alleviating.

However, his organization has gone about fundraising in a different sort of way. He wanted the governments of rich nations to commit and give ONE percent of its budget to his organization to show that they care about starving children around the world. This is a sneaky way of fundraising - going to the top of the budget pyramid and asking there for donations while the millions at the bottom of the pyramid would supply the money. While this is might seem a simpler way to raise funds than to ask individuals it causes an unhealthy separation between the askers and the eventual givers.

Come to find out that Bono's program, titled ONE to match with its fundraising strategy, only contributed ONE POINT TWO PERCENT of its receipts to alleviate World Poverty. More than HALF of its receipts went to paying salaries!!!

... now my wounded sense of charity needs alleviating.