Save the Children

News, happenings
Post Reply
Message
Author
Poorman
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu 13 Dec 2012, 02:24

Save the Children

#1 Post by Poorman »

Guys,

please pat yourselves on the back!

Slacko is now helping "Save the Children", in a small way, in a small shop in England.

Who knows where it will lead...

Best regards,
po@poorman.co
http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/about-us

cthisbear
Posts: 4422
Joined: Sun 29 Jan 2006, 22:07
Location: Sydney Australia

#2 Post by cthisbear »

Poorman...welcome to Puppy.

Your site again..

http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/about-us

Chris.

User avatar
vovchik
Posts: 1507
Joined: Tue 24 Oct 2006, 00:02
Location: Ukraine

#3 Post by vovchik »

Dear guys,

I don't want to spoil the party, but when I was in Tajikistan the first time as acting UN ambassador (1995), I was shocked that, in my fourth or fifth day there (and staying at the presidential residence temorarily), in a country going through a civil war, the Director of Save the Children (global), arrived and threw a big party - a reception for diplomats. I thought that was a scandalous waste of money, when people were starving in the streets, had no electricity and the water coming out of pipes had enterococcus, mesophil and cholera. Priorities.

That was my impression....lasting.

With kind regards,
vovchik

User avatar
01micko
Posts: 8741
Joined: Sat 11 Oct 2008, 13:39
Location: qld
Contact:

#4 Post by 01micko »

Hello vovchik,

Let's just hope that that was part of the 11p that goes to making the next £1 for STC.
Puppy Linux Blog - contact me for access

User avatar
vovchik
Posts: 1507
Joined: Tue 24 Oct 2006, 00:02
Location: Ukraine

#5 Post by vovchik »

Dear 01micko,

Most such organizations have an administrative overhead for projects - they range from 17% to 28%. I think it is outrageous. In the UN, we had zero. :) That is why I tried to "execute" all projects alone (using UN resources), without such "kind" assistance. It appears as benevolance to the public but is self-serving. Believe me. I did the budgets.

With kind regards,
vovchik

User avatar
darkcity
Posts: 2534
Joined: Sun 23 May 2010, 19:16
Location: near here
Contact:

#6 Post by darkcity »

okay this is going off topic. But I wonder if vovchik saw any of the Why Poverty programs, it would be interesting to hear an opinion from someone has worked at the UN

http://www.whypoverty.net/

I noted the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was one donor which is something to bear in mind.

User avatar
vovchik
Posts: 1507
Joined: Tue 24 Oct 2006, 00:02
Location: Ukraine

#7 Post by vovchik »

Don't really know what this means, but I was a diplomat at the UN for 25 years and was accredited with real letters of accreditation - ambassador - in 6 countries. I think I know some of these things...from the inside. Dinners with at least 14 presidents. Birthday with Hillary. Dinner with Putin. Just relax, guys. I had a weird life. And tried to do the best.

User avatar
01micko
Posts: 8741
Joined: Sat 11 Oct 2008, 13:39
Location: qld
Contact:

#8 Post by 01micko »

Hello vovchik,

I am always very wary of any organisation touting itself as "not for profit". In Australia this loosely means "charity".

My wife works for a nursing home run by a "religious" group which is said "not for profit". Believe me, all they have in mind is their bottom line and the executives are on fat salaries driving fat company vehicles while the workers get minimum wage and are expected to do free overtime if they don't finish their work within the allocated time, even though they are not covered by insurance outside of "paid" hours.

UN does great work in my opinion. I guess you would be of similar opinion else you wouldn't have lasted six months. :wink:

Cheers.
Puppy Linux Blog - contact me for access

User avatar
vovchik
Posts: 1507
Joined: Tue 24 Oct 2006, 00:02
Location: Ukraine

#9 Post by vovchik »

Dear 01micko,

We know the ruses. Charities set them selves up as weird organizations. We did not in the UN. Thanks for the kind words, because we did not cheat people out of money, ever. But most charities do. They have so-called overheads. I think is is immoral. The problem is that you and I are normal people. That is why we try to do things in Linux without praise and profit.

One day our view will prevail.

With kind regards,
vovchik

User avatar
Barkin
Posts: 803
Joined: Fri 12 Aug 2011, 04:55

#10 Post by Barkin »

vovchik wrote:... ambassador... Dinners with at least 14 presidents. Birthday with Hillary. Dinner with Putin.
You must be sick of "Ferrero Rocher" ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCLJy0KhWAE :¬)

User avatar
vovchik
Posts: 1507
Joined: Tue 24 Oct 2006, 00:02
Location: Ukraine

#11 Post by vovchik »

Yes, I went through at least 400-800 of things, but without those adverts. Actually, all those receptions are work, and not pleasure. You do deals and arrangements there.That is what dip life is like. You do not have an own life.

User avatar
Moose On The Loose
Posts: 965
Joined: Thu 24 Feb 2011, 14:54

Save the children with puppy Linux

#12 Post by Moose On The Loose »

vovchik wrote:Yes, I went through at least 400-800 of things, but without those adverts. Actually, all those receptions are work, and not pleasure. You do deals and arrangements there.
I think in many ways it is the building of a measure of trust and understanding that is the most important thing in such gatherings. You know that you don't like many of the people and many of the governments they represent but you also know you have to deal with each other repeatedly.


Things like puppy linux do make the world better in many small ways. People who can't afford computers with paid for software can have computers that do all that needs to get done. This doesn't move the very poor up but it does move perhaps the folks at the margin of poverty up to the point where they are self sustaining. Children get better educations and the like which is the one place where the rising tide really does lift all the boats.

Unfortunately for us lovers of Puppy Linux, I see it as likely that Android will replace most of the Linux market. A small machine with an ARM processor does what most folks really need. The trend is already started.

User avatar
vovchik
Posts: 1507
Joined: Tue 24 Oct 2006, 00:02
Location: Ukraine

#13 Post by vovchik »

Thanks, Moose On The Loose.

It is not easy to try to represent all humanity. I try and my family hs tried for at least 50 years. We should have been doing this for 1000 years :(

With kind regards,
vovchik

User avatar
vovchik
Posts: 1507
Joined: Tue 24 Oct 2006, 00:02
Location: Ukraine

#14 Post by vovchik »

I had the great pleasure of singing Tom Lehrer songs with the UK ambassador in Ukraine - after UN day and after i got the Odessa Philharmonic to play for our our event. He and I just were just in a corner after the event at our reception and remembered these things. It was great. That is why we actually do Puppy, because we are weird. :)

User avatar
Moose On The Loose
Posts: 965
Joined: Thu 24 Feb 2011, 14:54

#15 Post by Moose On The Loose »

vovchik wrote:Thanks, Moose On The Loose.

It is not easy to try to represent all humanity. I try and my family hs tried for at least 50 years. We should have been doing this for 1000 years :(

With kind regards,
vovchik
As I have said to folks who work with me "If i was easy, we wouldn't need you" or "if it was easy, it would already be done". Being the technical sort, I tend to think of finding technological fixes to all social problems.

Can Puppy Linux save the world?
Well sort of.

When the problem in merely the lack of communications or calculating ability, then technology helps a lot. The farmer really can be a lot better off if he knows what beans are selling for in the nearby city.

When the problem is a firmly held belief, technology can make matters worse. Making it easier for members of things like the KKK[1] to communicate privately with the like minded, results in the reinforcement of the evil ideas. Giving folks like the KKK advanced weapons makes them more able to act on the evil.

[1] I used the KKK as an example. Where ever you are, you can plug in whatever group suggests that murder of some group of humans is OK.

User avatar
vovchik
Posts: 1507
Joined: Tue 24 Oct 2006, 00:02
Location: Ukraine

#16 Post by vovchik »

Totally agree with you.

:)

cthisbear
Posts: 4422
Joined: Sun 29 Jan 2006, 22:07
Location: Sydney Australia

#17 Post by cthisbear »

Tom Lehrer...

Brilliant with sarcasm.

A Christmas Carol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtZR3lJobjw

Chris.

Post Reply