Causes to Think About

In July of 2010, major floods destroyed thousands of villages in Pakistan, affecting 20 million people. The damage it caused surpassed the scope of the 2004 tsunami, but the Pakistan floods received significantly less donations. People jump on certain isssues like the Earthquake in Haiti or recently Kony, but later on they forget about relief efforts because they lose their urgency in the media even though the problems are hardly solved. Because of this, I think it is important to bring issues that are serious to light and support them even if it stopped being "cool."

I am also interested in causes that are extremely complex and difficult to define to the public or effectively conquer, because these are often the most pressing issues. Human trafficking is a serious problem, but it is so widespread and underground that it can't be eliminated without far reaching new policies and diplomatic efforts beyond just your average $10 charity donation. Dire political situations also interest me because they affect every aspect of life in the country they take place in. The fighting in the DRC and the severe drought and famine in countries like Somalia are very complicated because they involve a delicate political climate that is not open to intruders. This makes it important to provide aid to people, therefore making the issue more significant and humanitarian aid more needed.

Racism/sexism in America really deeply bother me, especially recently with the birth control and abortion debates and cases like Trayvon Martin's. Sure, things seem better than they were before, but America has a long history of racism starting with the introduction of slavery soon after our conception. It's silly to think that such a deep societal construct has been nearly erased. I think that this is such a dire issue in America because white people, men and other socially privileged groups vastly underestimate the scope of this issue. Because of this, am interested in organizations like the Black and Missing Foundation, which brings to light cases about missing POC which are often forgotten in white-dominated media, and the various organizations devoted to LGBTQ rights and awareness.