Bill Gates' $600 billion challenge: can philantropy change the world?

Yes, three years later Bill Gates, the world's richest man for many years, turned into a real philantropist and he and his wife decided to change the world through philantropy. The W.H.Gates Foundation was renamed Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. To be honest, I did wonder whether my letter had could have acted as a catalyst for Bill Gates' decision to help the world but quickly dismissed my thoughts as very pretentious. However, I was very pleased by his action, and even more by his recent $600 billion challenge. Together with Warren Buffet, he is to asking 400 of the richest Americans to pledge half of their fortune to their favourite causes.

Will Bill Gates' philantropy through his challenge change the face of the world? Probably not, as $600 billion over the next 10-20 years is probably only a tiny fraction of what is required. In a short story about peace and justice I published in a local newspaper in 2001, The Eye of the Universe, I optimistically ended by mentioning the formation of a Fund for the Survival of Humanity to which all those who over-earn and possess much more than what is required to enjoy a decent living (businessmen, artists, sportsmen) were donating a substantial portion of their fortunes. If charity is to change the world, that's what has to happen.

Of course, we must ask ourselves:Can charity change the world? I think it is good a start. Bill Gates the philantropist is in the right direction and I praise him for what he is doing. Let us hope that all those who live in obscene wealth follow his path. Of course, we have to think of education, new ways of living, a world not governed by political sharks, new ways of building cities and so much more. In fact, we have to discover a new system which according to me should be based on love and happiness, as all other systems have failed, and these fundamental components were absent from them. To build a new world, we have to help the energies of love to unleash themselves completely.

But as I say, at least Bill Gates had the idea of changing the world and is encouraging his super-rich friends to do the same. Thank you Bill Gates.

I believe it is in the rich world's enlightened self-interest to continue investing in foreign aid. If societies can't provide for people's basic health, if they can't feed and educate people, then their populations and problems will grow and the world will be a less stable place. Whether you believe it a moral imperative or in the rich world's enlightened self-interest, securing the conditions that will lead to a healthy, prosperous future for everyone is a goal I believe we all share. Many people don't have a clear image of the benefits aid actually provides. That's not surprising, because aid covers many different areas. Also, in the past some aid was sent to countries to buy friendship without real regard for its impact. However, today a significant portion of foreign aid is spent on hugely beneficial programs that improve people's lives in both the near and long term.

Bill Gates in his 2011 newsletter

Bill Gates isn't alone to try to change the world. In 2003 former USA Vice-President Al Gore together with Costa Rican 1987 Nobel Peace Prize winner Oscar Arias Sanchez, 1976 Nobel Peace Prize winner Betty Williams and eight other influencial persons formed the Alliance for a New Humanity. The organization's objective is to group individuals sensitive to human values for influencing national and international policy to enable the advent of a new humanity.

The members of the Alliance for a New Humanity consider that our dehumanizing trends of our world has been caused by "the accelerating economic and social inequalities, terrorism and wars, social violence, ecological degradation and a generalized spread of social fear, individual frustration and lack of respect for life", and that the result is indifference, emphasis on selfishness, competition, accumulation, and separateness.

It is not clear up to now whether the Alliance for a New Humanity will have an influence on humanity's future, but the initiative is laudable.

The history of the past hundred years has proved that politicians cannot change the world, except in the wrong direction. Can we place hope on the initiatives of certain world leaders? I think yes, provided that those initiatives are not a platform for the achievement of personal ambitions.

Like Bill Gates, Bill Clinton is also a very active philantropist. formed his foundation after serving as President of the USA for eight years. The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) reflects Bill Clinton's "belief that governments need collaboration from the private sector, nongovernmental organizations, and other global leaders to effectively confront the world's greatest global challenges". As Bill Clinton already has a world repute and he is rich, I don't see him gaining anything personal except pride for serving humanity plus recognition from the world.

The William J. Clinton Foundation is active in combating, amongst other things, climate change, malaria, HIV/Aids, childhood obesity, and creating sustainable development in Africa.

I have often wondered whether this Century will be the last. Is humanity heading directly towards destruction, or is it still time for it to save itself? Given the tendency since more than a Century (wars, genocides, terrorism, epidemics, famines, catastrophes caused by global warming, concentration of wealth, proliferation of poverty), it is probably too late, even with the actions of people like Bill gates, Al Gore, Bill Clinton and others, but my feeling is that it could still be possible, provided that the energies of love are unleashed. Love between the people of each country and love between the peoples of all countries. Only those energies will have the power to stop the greed of the superpowers, general wastage and the evils I have mentioned above. Of course, finding the key to the liberation of the energies of love is more complex than finding that of fusion energy, but the reward is worth the effort. A new world where poverty will have been eradicated, no wars, no violence. A world based on love and happiness.

The mission of unleashing the energies of love is that of millions throughout the planet who think and feel like me. So many have contributed so much already, and they are continuing to do so in anonymity. We all have to unite in a Web of Peace so as to prepare for the advent of a new era. We have to propagate the message of peace through our daily actions, through loving our neighbor, through helping the weak. Millions and millions of little actions will add up over time and will transform into something gigantic, something that will explode. That will be the Big Bang of the energies of love.

The most important revolution in history will not be that of politicians, ideologists or gurus. It will be that of all the pacifists of the planet.

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According to the World Institute for Development Economics Research of the United Nations the richest 2% own more than half of global wealth.1% of adults alone own 40% of global assets, and the richest 10% accounted for 85% global wealth. More shocking is the fact that 50% of the world population own barely 1% of global wealth.

Are you super-rich? Do you earn much more than you need? Think about what you could do for the eradication of poverty. Build a lens on Squidoo and tell the world why you have changed. Invite your super-rich fiends to follow your example.

Maybe you are not wealthy but you have acquaintances who are. Try to convince them to contribute to a good cause. Build a lens on Squidoo to propagate the message and invite your friends to do the same.

Maybe you do not have any rich relatives or friends. Write to well-known people who are (politicians, businessmen, artists, writers, sportspersons) to let them know how you feel about their greed and how they could help alleviate poverty.

It is estimated that if Americans eat 10% less meat, that would be sufficient to eradicate malnutrition on Earth. In addition, obesity and the incidence of several diseases (cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, diabetes) will diminish considerably. Wouldn't the savings on health costs be enough to provide free health many Americans?

Some facts about obesity in the USA:

There are 70 million obese people in the country.
31.7% of American children are obese or overweight.

Evidently, not all obesity is related to behavioral problems. But obese persons have to eat more and if there were less obese people in the USA, the country would be consuming less food.

1.2 billion of the world population suffer from hunger.

Malnutrition affects 32.5 percent of children in developing countries

Poor nutrition plays a role in half of the 10.9 million child deaths each year.

Hunger causes poor health, low energy levels, and even mental impairment. By reducing the poor people's ability to work and learn hunger leads to even greater poverty.

World Vision organizes a 30-hour famine every year. Students go without food during 30 hours and raise funds to help hungry children. If you're a student, maybe you could think of joining them

If you're not a student, you can stll fast: once a week or once a month, and donate the value of the meals you miss to charity. You have 1095 meals every year, so missing 52 (if it's once a week) or 12 won't starve you. On the contrary, you will feel much better, first for doing a great action, and secondly for overeating less.

Just look at all those hungry mouths we have to feed
Take a look at all the suffering we breed
So many lonely faces scattered all around
Searching for what they need

1. Make a donation now.
2. Build a lens about anything related to changing the world and link it to this one.
3. Tell your friends about this lens.
4. Tell them to build a lens too.
5. Do you have super-rich or rich friends or acquaintances? Tell them about this lens. Tell them that they have to contribute to change the world and then build a lens to explain their initiative.
6. You don't have rich or super-rich friends or acquaintances? No problem. Search for a list of rich people on Forbes or Fortune websites and write to them.

This lens has been blessed by the following Squid Angels:

Norma_Budden on 01/25/2011
Moonlitta on 01/26/2011
Jack2205 on 02/17/2011
foovay on 04/01/2011

Thank you very much, Norma, Moonlitta, Jack2205 and foovay.