Dead Men Walking

I have just finished watching the BBC News Special about the earthquake, the subsequent tsunami and the devastation that has hit the 12 countries involved.  I have two young children myself and to be brutally honest with you I had a lump in my throat and was on the verge of tears as I listened to the situation out there and in particular the stories of some of the parents out there who are searching for, or have found their now dead children.

I therefore want your (the members') permission to make a £50 donation on behalf of dMw to the DEC Tsunami Earthquake Appeal at www.dec.org.uk (http://www.dec.org.uk).  Please give your permission: VOTE 'YES' NOW.

Why £50?  This was a figure mentioned in the special report and this amount is sufficient to buy the materials needed to build a new home/shelter for a family.  Imagine if it were you.  Think about how you would feel if it were your family.  Comtemplate how you would cope with searching through debris in search of your children and your emotions as you find them, dead or alive.

Please vote now.  The poll will be reviewed tomorrow evening and the majority view will provide the Yes or No answer.

Thank you.

The Admins.

For those who do not know, the DEC is the Disasters Emergency Committee which is set up to launch and coordinate the UK's National Appeal in response to major disasters overseas.

Removing my Admin hat and speaking personally:
I am a huge fatalist and a massive sceptic.  When I know it's LiveAid my main thought is 'what a crap night of TV it is going to be'.   But this event has made an impact on me, so much so that I am going to set you a personal challenge.  

I have been sickened by the scale of the tragedy as details have unfolded.  However I have been even more disturbed by the level of aid to be provided by the so-called 'wealthy' countries to the devastated areas.  The UK's own response started at £500,000 and then our 'political generosity' increased in stages over a 48 hour period to the current £15m aid as the Government realised that the polls showed that the UK people actually cared about the people who have sufferred.  Well let me do the math for you:  Â£15m is not enough to solve the problem for an estimated 10m people who have been directly affected by this tragedy.  True, you cannot just throw money at the problem to solve it, but a sufficient amount would go a huge way to allowing certain materials and supplies to be purchased and airlifted into the affected regions.

I personally would be prepared to pay an extra 0.25% income tax for the next 12 months to donate to the DEC fund.  If we all did this it would raise about £0.5bn - that's over 33 times what the UK Government is proposing.  Now £0.5bn is a decent sum of money and if the UK confirmed aid at this level then it would force other countries to do similar and the total sum raised would be more like the REAL figure needed to help these folks recover from the total devastation that has befallen them.

So here's my personal challenge to you:

• Get out your calculator and work out what 0.25% of your salary is.  Yep, it's a small number so don't be alarmed.
• Go to the DEC website: http://www.dec.org.uk/ (http://www.dec.org.uk/)
  
• Make a personal donation, try to aim for that 0.25% figure.
• Now go and tell everyone you know about this post and get them to do the same.
• Spread the word, spread a little love and goodwill this Christmas.

You don't have to post here to say you have made a donation, but it sure helps others when they know that they are nto alone.  If you want to then just log out and reply to this thread as a guest, that way we get the moral support,  the DEC fund gets your money and you keep your anonimity.  

I have just done it myself.  Why don't YOU think about doing the same, NOW?

Thank you.

TL.

errr  go on then if we must.......NO, DO IT.
It'll be 100.000 dead b4 long every bit counts :(

Can we make it £100 and help 2 families?

And remember peeps they need this help NOW!!!!!

QuoteOriginally posted by BlueBall@Dec 29 2004, 08:39 PM
Can we make it £100 and help 2 families?

And remember peeps they need this help NOW!!!!!

[post=73343]Quoted post[/post]

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YEAH WOTEVA IT TAKES TBH
It does'nt bear thinking about...must be horrible out there :(

Anybody who is unsure have a look at this (http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/news_web/video/40673000/bb/40673025_bb_16x9.asx) and imagine that it was your town. Just look at the speed the water hit!

Those pictures surprised me BB cos the ones shown on tv dont seem to show anything to bad ...but then i dont watch the news that often.
But we must help them.
Live Aid can take a runnin jump and pudsey.
They NEED help and lots of it.

The link is to a video from BBC website. Its quite recent I think

0.25% done.

QuoteOriginally posted by Guest@Dec 29 2004, 09:01 PM
0.25% done.

[post=73348]Quoted post[/post]

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Me too.

I've allready given some money by sending SMSes but yes plz! Good call!!! 4 a good cause.

Two of my very good friends went out to Thailand for xmas and new year. I have no way of contacting them to find out if they are alright. I have contacted all the people I know who know them and no one has heard anything so I'm quite worried about them. So yes please donate the money.

done my bit but.. realistcily speaking its not enough so gonna try to do something in my local asda store where i work.. :(   ...and yes tl good call

I discovered tonight that family friends died in Indonesia. My fathers golf buddy was found drowned in his hotel room and his new fiancee has disappeared from the same room, probably washed away. My brothers best friend is still unaccounted for. Happily a cousin was on the other side of Thialand when the disaster struck and is safe.

I was going to post a message asking if we could donate more of the fund than £50. In fact I wrote half a post arguing that we give everything and then replace those funds through paypal in the new year. On reflection though TL (as usual) has the balance right.

All I'd say is if you do choose to help, maybe make that extra gesture. If your  0.25% donation is forty something pounds why not round it up to a neat fifty. If you earn a bundle and you calculate it to be eighty something pounds then what about a nice  round hundred quid. If you don't work at all why not just empty your wallet tonight and watch Tv instead of going down the pub. Of course ultimatley what each of us chooses to do is no ones business but our own and I've certainly no right to start preaching. My charitable work to date has been nothing to be proud of.

How can small gestures make even a tiny dent in a disaster of this size? They can't. But collectively many small gestures can make massive difference and will decide if someone somewhere lives or dies during the next few months and years. We'll never know who they are, or what their name is. We won't know if they are young or old or male of female. But they're out there none the less, sitting in the ruin of their lives.

It's Christmas. We've spent a fortune on booze, pressies and food. They call it the silly season, so why not do something a bit foolish. Bung another tenner on, be crazy  ;)

That's a really moving post Smilo. I think the bit that really got me was:

QuoteIt's Christmas. We've spent a fortune on booze, pressies and food. They call it the silly season, so why not do something a bit foolish.

C'mon peeps these people are sat there relying on people like us to do something for them, not because they don't want to help themselves but because at the moment they have the thin end of the stick and cannot help themselves.

I repeat my earlier request: Can we make it a £100? I'm sure the clan funds can meet that and if it leaves us short well we'll just go ahead and dig into our pockets again later this year - at least we can :)

Oh. And don't forget your 0.25% <- Thats an excellent idea TL and I'm glad you suggested it. If, like me, you find the site busy and responsive don't stop trying. It took about 11 attempts to get the pay site to appear - people are obviously willing to give and the site is under pressure. Thats good and we should put it under a bit more strain ;)

Great idea TL and my contribution has been made but as a 40% tax payer I'd like to see more of the money I give to the government going to help, lets face it the government are always bragging about how good the economy is so why not give some substantial help and not the token gesture made so far.

Hope you remembered to tick the "Gift Aid" box :)

I am not sure if any of the members of dmw saw or witnessed the programme shown on bbc a few months back but the topic was mega tsunami's. The programme showed the possibilities of a land mass falling into a lake and the huge wave that was made a mega tsunami in other words! From the graphics i could only imaging the sheer panic and pain, that could be caused by such a wave ripping through a country and decimating a population. Now, this event has occured and the true tragedy of famine and other conditions are yet to unfold. I am fore donating the £50 to the charities but i would recommend the international red cross. I hope that our communities money can help unite or feed some of our fellow homosapians in need.

I'm glad to see that the UK Government has upped it's fund to £50 million. I'm also pleased to see that people like you and me have raised £20 million in the last few days in the UK alone.

Anyone still wavering about supporting these people should watch John Simpson's report for the BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/news_web/video/40674000/bb/40674411_bb_16x9.asx). Some of the scenes are disturbing and I admit I was crying by the end. It has made me even more grateful for what I have and that I have been able to help a little bit. Hopefully it will be in time.

Can we take it that as we have 33 Yes votes and 0 No votes that the motion is carried?

Motion carried.  I will make the donation as soon as I can get through to the website.

TL.

QuoteOriginally posted by BlueBall@Dec 30 2004, 06:26 PM
I'm glad to see that the UK Government has upped it's fund to £50 million. I'm also pleased to see that people like you and me have raised £20 million in the last few days in the UK alone.

Anyone still wavering about supporting these people should watch John Simpson's report for the BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/news_web/video/40674000/bb/40674411_bb_16x9.asx). Some of the scenes are disturbing and I admit I was crying by the end. It has made me even more grateful for what I have and that I have been able to help a little bit. Hopefully it will be in time.

Can we take it that as we have 33 Yes votes and 0 No votes that the motion is carried?

[post=73428]Quoted post[/post]

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Why can't I open this report ....what format is it using .....???

Its Windows Media Video 9 (streaming asx file) Windows Media Player should just play it.

Sorry, as I haven't paid anything into the dMw account for ages, I dont feel that I am justified a vote, however, I have myself donated today.

QuoteOriginally posted by BlueBall@Dec 30 2004, 08:24 PM
Its Windows Media Video 9 (streaming asx file) Windows Media Player should just play it.

[post=73431]Quoted post[/post]

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???? I got media 10 ...and still can't open ....?????


suggestions anyone ?

 :(

hmm, worked fine for me. Can you download it first, and then watch it?

QuoteOriginally posted by MAD_ness@Dec 30 2004, 10:20 PM
???? I got media 10 ...and still can't open ....?????
suggestions anyone ?

 :(

[post=73436]Quoted post[/post]

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Firewall settings maybe?

QuoteOriginally posted by smilodon@Dec 30 2004, 10:45 PM
Firewall settings maybe?

[post=73438]Quoted post[/post]

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nope ..nothing amiss there !!!

 :(

and no ...can't even d/l it then watch ...strange !!


 :angry:

Mmm, I can play it from my XP machine but not from my Windows 2000 machine. You XP or W2K Madness?

I think that the UK should be proud of itself. We knock ouselves too readily:

KEY AID PLEDGES
World Bank $250m
UK $96m
EU $44m
US: $35m
Canada: $33m
Japan: $30m
Australia: $27m
France: $20.4m
Denmark: $15.6m
Saudi Arabia: $10m

Source: Reuters, United Nations

Just remember, some of that was YOU!!!!!!

Gawd, you'd have thought America could have stumped up a little more, they probably spend that much every year on 4th July fireworks!

Sod it! I have just emailed the President of the United States of America! I can't believe I did it and I don't know if he will be made aware of it but hopefully other people feel the same. If you also want to email him his email address can be found at the Whitehouse Website (http://www.whitehouse.gov/).

QuoteSir,

Please consider increasing America's contribution to the disaster relief for the Tsunami Victims. As of last night support stood at:

KEY AID PLEDGES
World Bank $250m
UK $96m
EU $44m
US: $35m
Canada: $33m
Japan: $30m
Australia: $27m
France: $20.4m
Denmark: $15.6m
Saudi Arabia: $10m

Source: Reuters, United Nations

As of this morning the UK Government has offered £50 million ($96 million) and the people in the streets of Britain have raised £32 million ($61 million) on their own.

These people need your help. I hope you can beat what we have raised?

Sincere regards,

Mike Sutherland
Edinburgh
UK

I've pointed CNN towards this question as well and suggested they may wish to ask the Whitehouse why the US contribution is so small?  :devil:

Maybe we can embarras them into offering more.

GOOD IDEA. I already spend some money to them. they need help asap.

Good work BB. I'll be interested to see what kind of effect American public opinion will have on the US Government. While there are a lot of people in America who can't even find their own country on a map, their are millions of intelligent, compassionate people there, who I am sure are less that pleased with the US reponse.

Although CNN is reporting that the UK Government has raised its offer of aid to $95 million they haven't mentioned the fact that the great British public has dug deep and raised over $61 million in addition to the Government money.

However, all people affected by this will be heartened to read that Colin Powell and Jeb Bush are going to visit the region to assess the damage. I can save them a trip - it's totally flattened! There guys now start sending aid!

OK I'll make the obvious comment:

QuoteOriginally posted by BlueBall@Dec 31 2004, 01:33 PM
However, all people affected by this will be heartened to read that Colin Powell and Jeb Bush are going to visit the region to assess the damage.

[post=73473]Quoted post[/post]

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Well, if anyone can fix things Jeb Bush can!

Latest figures (well done Sweden etc for upping the ante)

KEY AID PLEDGES
World Bank: $250m
UK: $96m
Sweden: $75m
Spain: $68m
China: $60m
France: $56m
EU $44m
Netherlands: $36m
US: $35m
Canada: $33m
Japan: $30m
Australia: $27m
Switzerland: $23m
Norway: $16.6m
Denmark: $15.6m
Saudi Arabia: $10m
Taiwan: $5.1m
Finland: $3.4m
Kuwait: $2.1m
UAE: $2m

Source: Reuters, United Nations

Not wanting to seem totally heartless, I voted for the donation.  Personally, my preference is for cancer and ex-forces organisations - I've never been in a tidal wave, but I have been here:

"Ex-service personnel, especially single men, are vulnerable to becoming homeless, accounting for at least a quarter of the total number of homeless people in Britain. According to recent research by Crisis, that figure could be as high as a third. Crisis also found that, once on the streets, ex-service men stay homeless for longer. More than half of all homeless ex-service men are homeless for more than 10 years. Ex-service men are more likely than other groups to become homeless for complex reasons: some entered the Army after being in care, while others know little adult life outside the forces. The nature of life in the forces may not prepare them for life outside. In some cases, ex-service personnel suffer psychological damage as a result of serving in the forces, which affects their personal lives and well-being and indirectly affects family relationships."

D "     " M

I'd agree. It's impossible to support every cause and stay up to date with the relevent activities of every charity. Supporting one specific chairy or cause is a sound idea. We give to something we know about, care about and can learn about the problem and the solutions in greater detail. For my mum it has always been Dr. Banardo's, for me it's the NSPCC.

As long as we spread ourselves across all worthy causes and then maybe do that extra bit when something as awful as the Asian Earthquake happens.

QuoteOriginally posted by DogMeat@Dec 31 2004, 02:36 PM
In some cases, ex-service personnel suffer psychological damage as a result of serving in the forces, which affects their personal lives and well-being and indirectly affects family relationships.

[post=73483]Quoted post[/post]

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Yup. Sad to say I'm a fully paid up member of that club :(

Apparently the americans have upped their aid to $350m in the past few hours. Good Job BB your pressure on them worked!!

There's always the possibility that they simply didn't appreciate, like most of us, the enormity of the event in the first few days. It probably takes a while to get authorisation to increase the amount....even if you are the President. Then again it might have been a cynical move once the Bush Administration realised how disgusted the world was with their efforts.

QuoteOriginally posted by smilodon@Dec 31 2004, 07:21 PM
There's always the possibility that they simply didn't appreciate, like most of us, the enormity of the event in the first few days. It probably takes a while to get authorisation to increase the amount....even if you are the President. Then again it might have been a cynical move once the Bush Administration realised how disgusted the world was with their efforts.

[post=73503]Quoted post[/post]

[/b]

I was speaking to a neighbour who has just come back from the States and he said " I didn't realise the enormity of the disaster because the media coverage was practically non existent" all that was reported initially and for the first 24hrs was a tidal wave had occurred in Southern Asia. Makes you wonder their priorities.

I would also question the Sri Lankan Governments response to the Tamils in the Nort East of the island.

Just saw this over on ocuk's forum & thought it showed pretty well the sort of destruction there having to deal with -

Before (http://www.digitalglobe.com/images/tsunami/banda_aceh_shoreline_before_june23_2004_dg.jpg)

After (http://www.digitalglobe.com/images/tsunami/banda_aceh_shoreline_missing_dec28_2004_dg.jpg)

Spoke to one of my corporate clients today (I popped into the office this morning to check post etc).  They have a Sri-Lankan subsidiary and all of their employees are safe.  However the same cannot be said for their families.  One employee is the sole surviving member of his family.  The subsidiary company was on the other side of the island to where his family lived.  He lost 27 relatives in the tsunami: wife, children, brother, sisters, mother, father, aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews.   He lost everything, his entire family.  It makes you think.

TL.

QuoteOriginally posted by Gh0st Face Killah@Dec 31 2004, 06:37 PM
Apparently the americans have upped their aid to $350m in the past few hours. Good Job BB your pressure on them worked!!

[post=73502]Quoted post[/post]

[/b]

BB 1 - Bush 0

:D

He they need all the help they can get so do it now.
If something like that would happen here we would be glad for the help allso.
I agree with tl if we all would give a % of our salary, that would make a great differance.

DEC Tsunami Earthquake Appeal


Thank you. Your donation has been successful, and your donation of £50 will soon be helping people in the countries affected.

Your Donation Reference no is 30000000069530

TL.

QuoteOriginally posted by TeaLeaf@Jan 1 2005, 05:20 PM
DEC Tsunami Earthquake Appeal
Thank you. Your donation has been successful, and your donation of £50 will soon be helping people in the countries affected.

Your Donation Reference no is 30000000069530

TL.

[post=73560]Quoted post[/post]

[/b]

Cheers for sorting that TL

Just for reference, if you happen to shop at M&S they can add your donations straight to your shopping bill if you are so inclined.

QuoteOriginally posted by smilodon@Dec 29 2004, 11:54 PM
[snip]. My brothers best friend is still unaccounted for. [snip]

[post=73361]Quoted post[/post]

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Quite why I'm telling evryone this I don't know, but there you go.

My brothers best mate  who has been missing for a week has turned up safe and well in Cambodia. Not one for the tourist spot clearly. It seems possible that he was so deep up-country that he didn't know about the terrible event thatt the whole world had known for several days and then took several more days to find a working phone.

So a happy note in an otherwise bleak environment  :)

Today was my first day back at work after New Year. My Manager was meant to have flown to the Maldives last Thursday but the hotel he was going to stay in has been wiped off the face of the planet. I think he should buy a lottery ticket.

Alomg the same lines as Smilo's post I have since found out that both of my friends who were out there are ok. This is obviously great for me but not so good for all those who have died so my thoughts are still very much with their families.

Another good animated guide of exactly what happened is here. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4136289.stm) Did you know that just 7 hours after the earthquake the tsunami had reached Somalia! :blink:

Wow, excellent find. I didn't knew that the seabed was split up. Now I understand how it worked out in to a Tsunami.'

QuoteOriginally posted by TeaLeaf@Jan 1 2005, 05:20 PM
DEC Tsunami Earthquake Appeal
Thank you. Your donation has been successful, and your donation of £50 will soon be helping people in the countries affected.

Your Donation Reference no is 30000000069530

TL.

[post=73560]Quoted post[/post]

[/b]

Hmm I didn't get any reference when I made my donation...... ??

I'm gonna check with my bank now to see if the money has been taken.

Weird

PEN

Just caught a broadcast of an advert from the DEC Tsunami Earthquake Appeal. They were just saying thankyou to  the British public for stumping up a little over two hundred million quid in the last four weeks.

Also

QuoteDEC Tsunami Appeal breaks world record
20 January 2005

 

Officials at Guinness World Records announced today that the response from the British public to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Tsunami Earthquake Appeal has broken a World Record.

Between 6.16pm on 30th December and 6.16pm on the 31st December 2004, the DEC website, with the timely help of BT and their increased capacity, received 166,936 donations, raising £10,676, 836 for the Tsunami Earthquake Appeal. This is the most money ever donated online in 24 hours.

Brendan Gormley, chief executive of DEC, said: "The unprecedented generosity of the British Public has been humbling. DEC agencies are immensely grateful, and are working closely together to ensure that the money from this appeal is spent wisely and well."

The DEC predicts that it will raise £200 million for the Tsunami earthquake appeal. To date there have been 1.7 million telephone donations.

The size of the response has meant that the DEC can now wind down its appeal and focus on ensuring the money is moved to where it is need most.

Members of the Disasters Emergency Committee are now in an excellent position to respond to the emergency. Hundreds of thousands of people are already being provided with food, shelter, clothing, medical supplies and access to clean water and sanitation. Rehabilitation and livelihood projects to make a lasting difference to people's lives will go on for years to come.

Nice post thanks.

makes you feel all warm and cuddly doesn't it :)

QuoteOriginally posted by ThePENDRAGON@Jan 6 2005, 05:18 PM
Hmm I didn't get any reference when I made my donation...... ??

I'm gonna check with my bank now to see if the money has been taken.

Weird

I know at least a few people who had the same issue - but were pretty sure that the money had gone.

As a complete aside, the users of another forum I'm on (forum.lush.co.uk - long story...) just raised 28000 quid from their users worldwide....and the company matched it!  Just amazing. And this after we were so proud of having raised 3 grand from the xmas raffle the UK forum users organised to benefit charity.

People are incredibly generous. Don't get me wrong - I'm by no means suggesting that we should try the same here, but it's incredible how generous people are being.

It's good to see some business's doing their thing too. My employer runs a scheme whereby they match pound for pound any charitable donations made by their staff. For the Asian Appeal they upped it to two pounds to a pound, so giving say £100 results in a donation of £300 going to the DEC. Which is nice  :)

I know its well after the fact now but people still need help and by clicking the give free food box in the following link you can help every day for the cost of a mouse click
The Hungersite (http://www.thehungersite.com)
P.s Please help the other sites there too breast cancer, rainforest ,animals etc a mouse click a day costs nothing and helps.Feel free to tell as many people as you can,each pc is allowed one click per site per day
Thanks..
scot[/color]

Resurecting an old old thread but I was browsing Wikipedia and made an interesting find.

We (the public) ended up giving £330,00 as shown here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanitarian_response_to_the_2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake

Also http://www.dec.org.uk/item/51

Im guessing you meant 350 million :norty:.

Over 10 Billion raised :blink:

and the winner of the thread resurrection award goes to... SMILO!!

Quote from: Ninja_Freak;244329and the winner of the thread resurrection award goes to... SMILO!!

No this is not an open invitation for eveyone to resurrect the oldest thread they can find .