‘Worthy Cause Shop’ this Christmas

by Chiara Di Pietro (staff) | Thursday, December 17th, 2009

Rather than blow all your cash on name-brand prezzies for unenlightened distant relatives, how about helping a worthy cause instead by choosing your gifts from local charities’ merchandising lists?

It’s Christmas. It comes every year, on time, every winter, like spring blooms and the summer heat. Moneywise and given the global economic slump there are certainly a lot of people who would rather do without. It is precisely in times like these that every little helps and that everyone can and should help out.
Charity can come in the shape of cash donations but – more to the point – providing younger generations with a lesson in sobriety and solidarity would not go amiss either. The ‘little ones’ especially are raised to disquieting standards of consumerism. There are plenty of charities and non-profit organisations out there; all of which deserving. If you think you can’t choose between one or another, just focus on the cause which strikes a chord with your heart: the fight against poverty and disease, the environment, research, healthcare, animal rights, are just a few of the noble causes you can help support. True, even then, once your mind is made up, how do you choose which organisation or establishment to contribute your time or money to? Here’s a list of some of the less well-known but deserving associations:

Peter Pan
The Associazione Peter Pan Onlus, established in 1994 in Rome, is an association set up by parents of child cancer patients, and provides counselling for parents and children alike. One of its outstanding contributions is the set-up of facilities for families transferring to Rome on medical grounds. Striving to provide ‘shelter’ for its associates, Peter Pan affiliates have done much to ease the burden of medical transfers. The association can be helped by way of donations to individual projects or the purchase of charity gifts (eg, tickets, calendars and gift parcels). With cancer treatment requiring continued – albeit scheduled – costly transfers to and from the capital, the association is a participating member of the MilleMiglia Charity Program run by Italy’s flag carrier Alitalia, which relies on frequent-flyer donations of their air miles.
www.asspeterpan.it

CESVI
Cooperazione e Sviluppo (CESVI) is an independent humanitarian organisation which operates worldwide. Its work spans the five continents and tackles humanitarian crises ranging from natural disaster to war, supporting reconstruction and tapping civil society resources. CESVI’s foremost commitment is to fighting hunger; not through cash donations, but through grassroots projects in sustainable development, drawing on local resources and human potential.
Your donations sustain efforts as diverse as ensuring monthly anti-retroviral therapy to HIV-positive African mothers (to protect children from AIDS contagion); or the purchase of mosquito nets to avert malarial affliction in children. Donations also contribute to the running of its Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and Tamil Nadu (India) programmes. Contributions are acknowledged and certified. Cesvi also runs educational publications on intercultural, peace and sustainable development issues; available for purchase, these publications make for a worthy gift idea.
www.cesvi.org

CBM
CBM Italia Onlus is an NGO (non-governmental organisation) which tackles preventable causes of blindness, disability and psychiatric disease in some of the world’s poorest countries, foregoing ethnic, racial, gender and religious distinctions. CBM Italia is an active proponent of a number of programmes and initiatives. A core goal of the organisation is informing and raising public awareness on issues relating to the life of persons with sight impairments and disabilities, with a view to tapping domestic and international resources in aid of its struggle. A mere €5 donation delivers antibiotic cream; €60 can go towards the set-up of a small chicken farm (ten hens). Projects and funding is also allocated in direct response to grassroot demands.
www.cbmitalia.org

CIAI
The Centro Italiano Aiuti all’Infanzia is a non-confessional, apolitical NGO that engages in the debate on fundamental child rights and strives to secure recognition of their legal status. These include the right to life, good health, family, education, play and innocence. Why not change your Christmas, and theirs? Donations can go towards the purchase of livestock (eg, chickens, goats, cows), mosquito nets and sewing machines. These are just a few examples of what your support can do for the children and women of Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, India or other countries in which CIAI is present.
www.ciai.it

Associazione Canili Lazio
Each year thousands of dogs end up in pounds up and down the country. Even the best pounds rarely succeed in securing their guests’ rehabilitation and subsequent adoption. In less well-managed facilities many dogs fall prey to disease, savaging by other dogs and – more often than not – live what remains of their lives behind bars. The economic burden on local authorities is conspicuous. The Associazione Canili Lazio, was set up to tackle gross misconduct, neglect and even cruelty at a number of publicly-subsidised pounds. Pounds that are managed according to ethical standards make for more adoptions, less overcrowding and more ‘humane’ treatment. Join the association and stop malpractice. You too can adopt a canine friend, even long-distance, by becoming a member or donating to the association.
www.associazionecanililazio.it

PantelleriaBau
The beautiful island of Pantelleria, halfway between Sicily and Tunisia is perhaps most famous for its beautiful Mediterranean landscapes and intense blue waters, its archaeological heritage, its astounding cuisine and local produce. More recently the island has been placed on the charitable causes map via the establishment of a small but dedicated group of volunteers, PantelleriaBau. The group, set up by the island’s inhabitants, is dedicated to the protection and prevention of cruelty to animals, especially dogs. With the island greatly dependent on tourist revenue, caring for and preserving the natural habitat also demands ‘fair’ treatment of its canines. You too can help by providing donations for long-distance adoptions.
www.pantelleriabau.org