Seasonal Presents and Presence

We're rapidly moving into North America's season of greed and over-consumption.

Every year I loathe it more.

It is, however, the season of traditional gift giving.

This year we're going to do some non-traditional gift giving.

On behalf of our friends and loved ones we're giving gifts through Plan Canada and Heifer International.

Plan Canada, formerly known as Foster Parents Plan, has a section of their website they call Gifts of Hope.

Heifer International has their on-line Gift Catalogue.

Our friends and family will get cards, complete with pictures and descriptions, telling them what has been given to a family in the third world in their name. Some are receiving a card telling them they've donated mama kits to women in Uganda, some have donated farming utensils and seeds to families in Niger, some are donating flocks of chicks, ducklings and goslings.

This makes more sense to me than giving yet one more gewgaw to someone already over-gewgawed.

Consider it yourself this season and let me propose something while I'm at it and before I talk myself out of it.

By an accident of birth we live in the wealthiest countries the world has ever known.

None of us are particularly poor as poverty is known throughout the rest of the world.

Together, as a loosely knit community of people who appear to care for the third world, we could make a substantial difference were we to come together.

Heifer International makes it possible to open a gift registry where people can as individuals make donations collectively. There are some examples of gift registries here.

If we were to open a gift registry and collectively donate what we could afford, and spread the word among the blogging community to join us, how close might we be able to get to donating a heifer. Or two. Or other gifts. The donations are made via Heifer not through me so you know it's not going for beer and popcorn here in North Van.

What do you think?

What should stop us?

I'll volunteer to set up the registry if there's enough interest and post the URL here on the Beav in a separate post.

Discuss please.