From Hiroshima to Fukushima, An Ugly Journey

The tsunami of 2011 has caused the worst nuclear disaster in Japan's Fukushima and this can be the saddest tragedy the country suffered after 1945 when a single bomb struck Nagasaki. According to experts, the radiation readings at the Fukushima site have reached alarming levels. This disaster has triggered a serious debate about the safety of nuclear energy. This being the case, there is no wonder people shiver at the very thought of the devastation that can be caused by nuclear weapons.

In this context, survivors of the 1945 bombing are very actively campaigning against nuclear power. But, at the same time, there are allegations of a collusion between industries and governments. It is also alleged that governments are trying to cover up many things and are also engaged in a pattern of denial. These allegations are targeted against not only the government of Japan but other governments also.

Responding to the disaster at Fukushima, Sumiteru Taniguchi, aged 82, who is a hibakusha and the director of the Nagasaki A-Bomb Survivors Council, said, "Nuclear power and mankind cannot coexist. We survivors of the atomic bomb have said this all along. And yet, the use of nuclear power was camouflaged as 'peaceful' and continued to progress. You never know when there's going to be a natural disaster. You can never say that there will never be a nuclear accident." This response definitely represents the opinion of any hibakusha, as a survivor of the atomic destruction of Hiroshima or Nagasaki is called.

So, Fukushima has clearly exposed the safety myth surrounding the nuclear power. Nations need to change their energy policy on an urgent basis. At the same time, workers of the nuclear plants and people who are living close to these plants should be subjected to periodical health examinations.

These survivors of the devastating Hiroshima and Nagasaki have been complaining that though they have been demanding help from the government for treating their illnesses caused by exposure to radiation, they have not got any assistance. So, these survivors have genuine doubts if those who are affected by the Fukushima radiation will get any help from the government.

The observations of Nassrine Azimi, a senior adviser at a United Nations Institute must be considered seriously. "When it comes to nuclear issues-from atomic weapons to nuclear power-no two nations could be more irredeemably intertwined. After the atomic destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, despite dissenting voices of some of its own citizens, America drew mostly wrong conclusions as it plunged into nuclear expansion." A few experts also concur with her and allege that the purpose of the Faustian bargain was to blind the Americans and the people of other nations to the damages of radiation. According to these experts, even eminent journalists fell a prey to this campaign and embraced what was called the 'Dawn of the Atomic Age'. This campaign ultimately led to the "nuclear entrapment" into which America fell and this "entrapment" continues till this day.

Raman Kuppuswamy has been writing excellent and informative articles on many topics for the last many years. You may kindly visit http://rkuppuswamy.blogspot.com/ and also http://dreamdamodar.hubpages.com/ to read his other articles on many other topics.

http://EzineArticles.com/6493324

Leadership in Times of Crisis - The London Riots

The London Riots began on Saturday 6th August 2011 with a handful of people who were angry at the death of a civilian, shot by a police bullet. Over the course of the next week, the riots grew to encompass the majority of London, as well as some of the other major cities in the UK, and the after-effects have left the whole of the country reeling with shock.

The Prime Minister and the Mayor of London cancelled their holidays to return to the city, and whilst they were never going to don riot gear and tackle the problem in that way, it was vital that their leadership was visibly present. However, it was disappointing that their leadership constituted trying to tiptoe around and make everyone happy, rather than boldly marching in to solve the situation. Sometimes leaders need diplomacy - sometimes they need action. And the defining point of a good leader is that they know which approach to use in every situation they face.

No matter what the leadership challenge being faced, there are three things that remain a constant way to begin the process of getting the best out of a difficult situation.

The first thing is to lead your people rather than herding them. A son once tried to take on his mother's usual role of getting their chickens into the hen house each night to keep them safe from foxes. Try as he might, he could not round them all up into the hen house, so the next evening he watched to see how his mother achieved the task. Instead of trying to round the chickens up, she walked among them, dropping handfuls of grain. Once the chickens started following the trail of grain, the mother was easily able to lead them inside the hen house, and they willingly followed.

The same principle applies to human beings - if we have trust in our leaders, and a reason to follow them, then it makes for a much easier process.

The second thing is to ensure that as a leader, you set realistic expectations. These expectations need to be high enough to challenge your people and push them to the best of their ability, but it is also very important that they are set realistically enough to be achievable, or there is a risk of damage to morale, and an air of "can't be bothered to try any more" can set in.

The third thing is to remember that as a leader, you cannot be all things to all people. You cannot be the friend, the colleague, the sympathetic ear, the supporter, the inspiration, the motivation and the firm kick-up-the-behind all at the same time. In pleasing some people you are going to end up offending others, and leadership is about having the courage to believe in your choice of actions, and to see them through to the very end.

Finally, those in leadership should always remember this - people will not remember what you say to them. People will not even remember what you do. But people will always remember how you made them feel. Therefore, a good starting point for leadership is to regularly ask yourself "How do I want my leaders to make *me* feel?"

Lucy Cadman Developing People Limited Helping individuals, teams and organisations maximise their performance.

http://EzineArticles.com/6497715

Freedoms a Princess Surrenders When She Gains Her Official Regal Title

The highly publicized wedding of Prince William to Catherine Middleton was an event that took the world by storm. Interested viewers in the United States woke up at 4am to watch the ceremony and to catch a glimpse of the new princess. Every detail of the wedding was captured, analyzed and commented on. Catherine's dress, her make-up, her hair, every inch of her was analyzed and scrutinized. Can you imagine what amazing gifts the couple would get for such a special day? However, instead of accepting royal princess gifts from their high profile guests, Catherine and Prince William instead provided a list of recommended charities for their guests to give donations to in their family's name. But what was missing from this fairytale? Reality! This particular wedding wasn't just a union between a man and a woman; it was a change in the way of life for both of these young people. By signing the marriage license and saying her vows, Catherine was also certifying that she would change a few things in her life. With all the things that Catherine will be able to do now that she is princess there are some things she can't do. Is becoming princess really worth all the hype?

As a freshly minted princess, Catherine is prohibited to vote. Now as royalty, she must refrain from voting because it would be seen as unconstitutional for her to do so. Catherine's new public role dictates that she must appear to be politically neutral. As a member of the Royal Family, Catherine must follow in the footsteps of the Queen and other members of the Royal Family when Prince William and Kate present themselves as identifying with every faction of society. Catherine must display strong support for all English constituents and part of that is giving up her right to vote. Is this something you would be able to give up? Is giving up your right to vote to become princess a fair trade? It seems as though as soon as you marry into royalty you are under the rule of the family you just married into.

In addition to giving up her right to vote, Catherine is also prohibited from holding a job. Now I'm sure most of you are thinking, "She's a princess, why would she want to work?" But what if she wanted to work? What if she were passionate about her career? Due to the fact that she married a prince, Catherine's career came to a halt. Luckily for Catherine, she has a degree but doesn't seem to be in a rush to do anything with it. She has decided that she is content with just being a housewife to her prince and will make public appearances with her husband when necessary. Why shouldn't Catherine be able to choose for herself whether or not she would like to work? Why does this decision have to be made for her? Is this "royal rule of law" setting a good example for the future women of the world? Leave all of your ambitions behind because now you're married and have to become HIS housewife. Is this sending the message that it's acceptable for women to be educated, but if you're lucky enough to find a wealthy man early on, you won't have to use your degree? Is a degree to some women a "nice to have" and only serves the purpose to complete your "MRS" degree? Catherine is considered the oldest spinster to get married to a future king at the age of 29.

Most people might think that once you're a princess you have some authority to boss people around and do whatever you want, but in fact you are still under the reign of the Queen. And when the princess has the pleasure of eating with Her Majesty the Queen, she is to stop eating the minute the queen does, fork in hand. No matter how hungry Princess Catherine might be, once the Queen decides she is done eating - so must all princesses stop eating. Not that she looks like she eats a lot, but Catherine or any princess for that matter should have the option to finish her meal if she wants to. What if she has to go to the bathroom during dinner and by the time she walks all the way down the palace hall to the restroom and comes back and the Queen has since been stuffing her face and she's now full and Catherine can't finish her meal? That doesn't sound like something that is desirable. It seems like a princess would be able to decide when she's full and when she's not. Princesses should be setting the example of healthy eating.

Additional liberties that Princess Catherine gave up when she took her royal title is the ability to sign unofficial papers (I guess that includes the right to sign autographs!), do or say anything controversial, and believe it or not - Catherine can no longer play Monopoly - it's true. Prince Andre Duke of York found that the game got "too vicious" when played by the Royal Family, so it was banned from royal grounds. Are these prohibitions easy to adjust to, or are they going too far? For us "common folk" it seems that with royalty comes freedom and the authority to do whatever you choose, but it seems that in some respects it's the complete opposite. Catherine's royal ways will be so severely scrutinized that everything is predetermined for her all the way down to what board games she is allowed to play. Does that sound like happily ever after?

Is wearing the tiara worth relinquishing freedoms that most of us take for granted? It depends on the woman, but one thing is for sure, being a real princess is a lot different from what the fairy tales portray and for some it may not seem worth it. There are lists of other specific liberties Catherine has given up now that she's a princess, but only a few examples were discussed here. She is now going to live her life under a microscope and under the control of the Royal Family with particular guidelines to follow. Is she sacrificing too much? Is she sacrificing anything really, besides the opportunity to play Monopoly?

We don't have royalty in the US, but we do have Everything Princesses where you can select a great princess gift for your royal-in-waiting family members, and for those ever so special events in her life, including princess birthday supplies.

http://EzineArticles.com/6505282

2012, The Antichrist and The Second Coming

Is the dark shadow of the 'Antichrist' looming? Is the specter here already? Is the earth preparing for the second coming of the Christ? Both of these theories have been voiced by psychics, sages, religious groups and ordinary people going through near death experiences. The apocalyptic sense of upheaval commonly experienced today, through successive waves of panic, trauma and menace - combined with the instantaneity of communications - has left human consciousness in a pre-tensile state of anticipation.

So what is the reality? In order to understand the question of the 'second coming' - or of the arrival of the Antichrist - we have to look at things in a Christian context. The most global or cosmic context is given by the gospel of St John. There are two very significant indicators here concerning recognition. Firstly, there is oft-depicted scene where Jesus informs the disciples that one of them will betray him. 'Who is it?' they clamor to know. The question of identification is uppermost in their minds. Even though Jesus indicates by his actions who it is, the disciples are unable to understand. At that moment 'Satan' enters into Judas who then leaves the room.

The second question of recognition concerns the divinity of Christ. The disciple Philip says to him, 'Lord, show us the Father and it is enough for us'. Jesus replies with a question: 'Have I been with you all for such a long time and you have not recognized me?' He rebukes them gently for not seeing that the Father is in him. Thus in the context of one sequence in this essential Christian document there are two questions of recognition. The one about recognizing the divine is of course far greater. The other, concerning the betrayer, ends with Judas sloping off into the night, possessed by a demonic intent. In both instances the disciples are not awake enough to make the identification.

I believe that in the discussion of Christ/Antichrist the same question of identification comes down to us today. (You can use your own terms, according to your particular background or beliefs.) In the gospel Christ makes it clear that the principle of recognition is a matter of consciousness, of being awake. The recognition of the divine represents a new or heightened consciousness. The decision to oppose or betray requires a diminution of consciousness, an opening up to the demonic. The demonic demands physical entrance. The divine requires a non-physical acceptance of its own element.

From this it seems clear to me that we would be very dull in our senses or apprehension if we expected a second coming on the physical plane. On the other hand it is also apparent that the counterforce, the demonic, is constantly trying to infiltrate itself into physical thought and action. The two forces are diametrically opposed. The second one is like the force of gravity. The first is its opposite - the force which attracts life upwards. It doesn't cajole, or attack or persuade - it just asks you to see, to recognize. It precisely doesn't need a physical form.

When the light is strongest the shadow is darkest. The second coming is an overwhelming inner sense of the way forward, of the validity of existence and the permanence of the inner being. Those things are the answer to the trauma and panic of our times. The light of the world is present in us and around us now. Its menacing counterpart, the dark shadow, is also stalking the earth, urging itself into physical manifestation. The brighter the light shines, the harder the shadow becomes until it is there - walking among us. Again it's a question of recognition: Satan went out the door with Judas but he comes back in again in his own form.

We may expect to see him as an 'Antichrist'. But isn't this looking too far from home? Isn't he present in a more immediate way? He is. He is present in the forces which are anti-Christ in us. Thus he is present particularly in hatred and vengeance. When we give way to hatred and vengeance we are anti-christ. These are not merely feelings - they are forms of possession. And the possession grows rapidly more present in our 'apocalyptic' times. Love and forgiveness are the opposites of course.

An actual incarnation of the Antichrist? Perhaps. Who and when? Well, to know the sun is to know the shadow. Learn the form, the being, the deeds of the Light - recognize them truly, come to them in yourself - and you will be in no doubt about the identity of evil: in yourself and in the world, in human shape.

Best wishes, today,
Jay Landar

Jay Landar is a poet, author and storyteller. He lives and works in Kilkenny, Ireland. Landar is the author of a number of books. He works extensively in schools, arts centres and community venues as a teacher and communicator - and with particular pleasure as a storyteller. With long experience in the areas of inner development, meditation and spirituality, Landar has created unique resources of poetic wisdom and insight. These beautifully crafted works are available to everyone through his websites PageLight and Light on the Page. Contact details can be found on those sites - Jay Landar is always ready to respond to questions or to provide information on a variety of subjects. He would be particularly delighted to hear your comments on the articles here in Ezine!

http://pagelight.blogspot.com/

http://lightonthepage.com/

http://EzineArticles.com/6492458

News Bias More Common Online

In the past, television and printed news was measured by its ability to present the facts as plainly as possible. By suppressing the views of journalists, it was easier for the public to hear about events and form their own conclusions. While this practice definitely made for interesting dinner conversations, if a media house were to attempt such a thing today it would not hold the attention of viewers for very long. Put simply, the times have changed. People want to interact with commentators and hear the opinions of others as events unfold. Given the fact that people also have a tendency to listen more to those they agree with, it's not surprising that bias is what helps ensure that news sites have regular readers.

If you take a look at how people respond to top news, the combination of sensationalism and in-depth analysis has proven to be an effective one. With the recent popularity of blogs and blogging, readers initially started turning to these writers to read both trending news and viewer comments. Different paradigms appealed to different individuals and the rest was history. Popular news sites and print news organizations have simply caught on to what draws readers in and started incorporating it into their own reporting.

While this state of events definitely has its good points, these relatively recent changes do have their negative aspects. For one thing, since objectivity doesn't have the kind of value that it used to, most sites will try to trade on how quickly they can get the facts out. As a result, news outlets are often so busy trying to break the story first that they don't always properly source their information and journalists can become unethical in their practices. What this means for "old-school" readers is that it's a lot harder to receive lean and fact-based reporting. This might not matter much to you, but it's something that can and does bother some people.

Bias in news reporting can also be a good thing. There are some writers who have a talent for helping you look at things from a different perspective. Though pretty much anybody can string together a few words it takes something more than that to really communicate with other people. Adding the internet and blogging to the equation has opened up lots of opportunities for these talented individuals. Embracing the human tendency to receive information and comment on it allows all kinds of individuals to experience the news together. Perhaps that explains the popularity of bias. It helps reveal personality.

People can easily detect bias in their online news sites by comparing the reporting of breaking news stories. When a story breaks, open two browsers. Point each browser to a different story. Then compare. You'll be surprised at what you find.

http://EzineArticles.com/6498195

Social Science Experiment Is Over

Somewhere along the way we lost ourselves. We no longer demanded that you act responsibly, work and civilly participate in society.

No One to Blame but Ourselves

We looked the other way, selfishly enjoying ourselves, while ignoring our responsibilities to parent and teach. We didn't set expectations for those dependent on us and attempt to manage the results. We needed to instill core family values and discipline them, instead, we threw money at problems and poverty and went our merry way. You see it is much harder to do the tough work to form behaviors than to buy them and our conscious off.

We gave things without requiring anything for it. They had no skin in the game, why are we surprised they feel entitled?

Different kind of Ellis Island

We also compounded our problems with newer immigrants.

What a difference a generation makes! When millions flocked to our shores for a better life, they toiled hard at work and even harder at becoming Americans. They learned the language and assimilated quickly. It was not an abdication of who they were, they still practice their customs and cultures, but realized and desired to be a part of something bigger - AMERICA! Their contributions are legendary and a reason prospered into a beacon for the underclass around the world.

Newcomers to America are accommodated to such a large degree that they have no incentive to learn English and integrate into our society and culture. Thinking we'd make it easier for them led to neighborhoods filled with signage in other languages and children unable to learn in school because they didn't know English, resulting in tremendous disaffection. (Interestingly, Arizona, now maligned for its immigration policy, actually mandated that children be taught in their native language and 'imported' Spanish speaking teachers from Mexico! It proved to be a colossal failure as Spanish speaking children performed even more poorly.)

Disastrous Results

This disaffection and resentment manifested itself in many ways but some recent events like the riots in England are ringing alarm bells. In short, we need to turn course quickly in order to have a chance at changing the tide.

In order for a democracy to survive and prosper it needs the far majority of its people participating. We cannot have the outrageous amounts of folks we have now living off the government! Fiscal disaster that it is, it is just not sustainable for democracy.

We must make the distinction between those who are unable to take care of themselves and those who are simply unwilling. Safety nets for legitimate, verifiable reasons should be maintained. Other programs dealing with poverty must be managed with an eye to outcomes. If it does not change behavior, leading to independence, it should be changed until it does. If you get something (Sickness and aged etc aside) from the government or society you should be required to do something. Is there a legitimate reason, that those getting a year or two of unemployment checks not be required to gain a new skill to be employed (or clean a park?) as a condition of getting the check?

Nothing less than the very fabric of our society is at stake. We need ideas and action now!

http://EzineArticles.com/6498713

Cloaking Unmanned Underwater Vehicle Assets Within Large Schools of Fish

When it comes to submarine warfare it really is a game of hide and seek. A stealthy submarine or an unmanned robotic submarine can give vital information and do important surveillance during times of war, but also in times of peace, or political unrest. Currently we see that the Chinese are pushing their weight around in the Sea of Japan, the Straits of Taiwan, and they've had incidents now with Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan, and other nations as to who owns those ocean territories near their coast. You might also recall the P-3 Orion incident several years back with the US.

And if you think this doesn't matter, it very much matters to the Chinese, because some of these ocean areas are rich with minerals, and oil and gas resources. These resources are needed by all of these nations which are expanding their industrial base, and have strong GDP growth. Whether the United States likes it or not, we are involved when China starts pushing around our allies in these regions. Therefore, we need constant information, and sometimes we need information that we can't get by satellite alone. Therefore we need to deploy more unmanned robotic underwater vehicles.

There was an interesting article in the August 2011 edition of IEEE Spectrum Magazine which was titled; "Unidentified Floating Objects - New Sonar Imagery Reveals Mysterious Echoes to Be Enormous Schools of Fish," by Nicholas Makris. The new type of sonar being researched and developed at MIT sheds some light on just how large some of these schools of fish are. It appears that we could hide a submarine, or unmanned autonomous underwater assets within these giant schools of fish, or use them as cover.

There are some eight different species which have been identified as congregating in absolutely enormous schools. All we really need to do is find a way to get them to congregate around our underwater unmanned autonomous vehicles, and we could send swarms of these units into enemy territory, or use the cover for our surveillance operations without them ever being detected.

This might be great if we wanted to get close to a Chinese aircraft carrier for instance or enter a harbor undetected or go into a geological straight, and then allow our underwater assets to hide themselves at the bottom. We need to immediately do more research in this regard, and find out ways to attract these schools of fish to go where we would like them to go, and to follow them where they are already going so that we can infiltrate closer to those places we need to be to do proper underwater surveillance. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.

Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes writing 24,500 articles by August 24th or 25th will be difficult because all the letters on his keyboard are now worn off now..

http://EzineArticles.com/6507889

How To Find And Meet People On The Internet

The internet offers an excellent way of interaction with other people. While it is often associated with a lot of negative things, people are still fond of using this modern innovation. There are several websites that allow us to discover and come across with other people that somewhat makes our lives exciting and inspiring. These situations made the internet popular and a superb way for finding lost people. It's not only a free method, but it's also quite reliable for finding those you have lost touch with and need to find.

One of the most popular features of the internet nowadays is online dating. This would allow you to meet and acquaint with other people quickly and practically. However, if a person acts irresponsibly, he may experience negative situations that may harm his personality significantly. Bogus and fraudulent individuals typically lurk behind the curtains of the internet. Thus, it is important to act sensibly and cautiously to avoid frustrating and exasperating things.

If you want to make acquaintances in the internet, you must maintain propriety and decency in your actions. The internet offers plenty of opportunities to communicate and meet other people such as relatives, friends, and distant loved-ones. In order to ensure the welfare of your purpose, you may try a number of effective options that would preserve your credibility and integrity while searching for lost people on the web.

In joining chat rooms or websites that allow encounters with other people, it is important to start anonymously. Refrain from divulging information about yourself that may compromise your safety and reliability. It is recommended to use aliases or pseudonyms that would generally protect your identity against spurious individuals. According to statistics, abused individuals are those who divulge their personal information in the internet naively and foolishly. It can be quite dangerous if you open yourself up on the Internet by providing too much personal information. Always be aware that the web is a very large place with many people from around the world having access to it and some of those people may have your best intentions not in mind.

In finding people online, it is imperative to use a lot of common sense. This would allow you to separate the real and honest individuals from the fraudulent ones. Always remember that fairytale is uncommon and does not happen too frequently. Online conversations must not also be taken seriously at all times to avoid further frustrations and disappointments.

On our website, about finding lost persons, we provide you with a wide range of options for how to find lost people At this time the procedure of finding lost men and women is a lot less difficult and inexpensive than in past times because of the Internet's on-line research programs.

http://EzineArticles.com/6511166

Finding Dead People Via The Internet

Maintaining contact with your loved ones who are living in distant places is quite difficult. You are probably unaware whether they are dead or alive. Finding people is not an easy thing to do because it involves intricate details about certain individuals. In most cases, people fail to locate their loved ones because the latter was unable to give any posting address or contact number. And unfortunately, these searches typically end up in wasted opportunities due to the demise of the involved individuals in far away places.

With the advancements in technology, it is quite achievable to find dead people with the use of the internet nowadays. Several websites offer these services that allow certain persons in confirming the death of their distant relatives. It works similarly with the other search websites that normally asks for a person's profile and information. However, these specific types of websites contain details about the demise of a person like the exact time and cause of death, the name and location of the burial place and the certifications of the individuals who provided the information.

If you are interested in trying out this search method, you may visit the findgrave.com website. This website allows you to view the actual gravesite in real-time. It is beneficial for individuals who have dead relatives in far-flung places. In relation to this, you may send flowers and notes of condolences to the surviving family members of the deceased. Your physical presence may not be there directly but the thought itself is quite helpful in lessening the agony of the grieving family who is mourning the death of a loved one.

Some funeral parlors also place a photo of the deceased person in their websites. This is quite helpful to those who are quite unsure about the real status of their distant relatives. Posting the photo of their deceased relatives would provide a quicker and easier way of finding departed persons.

Furthermore, these websites are free of expensive charges. You only need a quality internet connection to verify the death of your loved ones. This would allow you to sympathize with the feelings of the surviving members of the family wholeheartedly and committedly. The creators of these websites which help in finding lost people are committed in preserving the memories of each and every person in the world. Likewise, it is beneficial to those individuals who are keen on mustering and tracing the lineage of their families.

On our blog, about finding people, we provide you with many different options for how to find a lost person. Now days the procedure of finding lost people is much less complicated and inexpensive in comparison to past times due to the Internet's online search programs.

http://EzineArticles.com/6511162

Charity in the Current Economy

The economic situation over the last few years has had a major impact on British society. But what impact has it had on charities and charitable donations? Have people been giving less to charity? With people having become employed, and others with reduced or unchanged incomes, many people have less disposable income so they don't have as much they are able to give away. This article investigates the impact of the economy on different aspect of charity.

The government have made cuts to many areas of spending, something that is set to continue. One area in which money is being saved is by charity funding being reduced. Some have lost around half of their funding while others have lost it all. Many rely on this funding as well as individual charitable donations. More than 2,000 charities are being forced to close services and it is particularly having an impact on smaller charities.

Compared to pre-recession figures, the total amount of charitable donations by individuals has dropped by around £700 million a year. Fewer people are giving money to charity and those who are giving are tending to give less.

Cash charitable donations makes up a higher percentage of giving that any other type of donation, 50% of the total. This is an area that is impacted by people's personal circumstances. With the financial situation of many people very different to a few years ago this means a lot of people are unable to give as often as they would have previously. This is the area of charity that suffers most in an economic downturn.

People giving to charity in connection with natural disasters has been impacted less. Donations for those affected by disasters such as the earthquake in Haiti and the earthquake and tsunami in Japan have been as high as would normally be expected. These are more emotional decisions, for example based on seeing the devastation on television and being compelled to help out. In these circumstances people often give without thinking about their finances so much.

One area where the news has been good has been with charity shops. For one thing, more people are looking to work in charity shops. More people are unemployed so are free to volunteer their time or work for low wages. They would rather be doing some work or earning a little than be at home earning nothing. The most significant thing about charity shops in an economic downturn, though, is the number of people buying from them. With people having less disposable income it means they are less able to afford to shop at more expensive outlets. This is driving them to charity shops. It can be a great way of giving to charity for people struggling financially. Rather than spending more money by giving to charity, people are spending less money while still giving to charity.

Although the news is good with regard to charity shops, overall charities have been negatively impacted by the recession and its aftermath. Funding for charities is being reduced and people are donating less.

Andrew Marshall (c)

Stone King are nationally recognised Charity Solicitors, able to assist all types of charities.

http://EzineArticles.com/6490227