Blog - Dio5.com: digital playground of Dieter Orens

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Now that the storm about Music for Life has calmed down, here's my 2 cents about the initiative: I think it's a bit of a charade.

Ok, it is nice to collect money for the poor people down there so they can dig more wells, but do you really think that would solve their problems? Maybe for a little while some people may have a little more water, but what will it bring on the long term?

Digging new wells has a huge impact on the ecosystem. More people alive over there means more water and food needed, which will lead to more famine. Setting up new irrigation-systems means more chance that deserts will expand and the ground becomes useless, desertification in other words.

Helping is good, but what we really need is a change of mind and a shift in the way we think.

Water should be available to everybody, whether a person is living in the northern or in the southern hemisphere. That means we'd better stop those multinationals from monopolizing and privatising water to begin with. Water is not a product, it is not here to make profit with, and it is certainly not intended to be controlled by some people who see it as a means to become rich. So keep your hands off please.

How easy is it for us again to clean our conscience by sending money, money in some cases even generated out of 'air'. But does it actually change how we behave? Does it touch the root of the problem? Like in: do you close the water tap while brushing your teeth? Do you flush the toilet everytime you take a leak or do you wait a few turns? Do you flush your toilet with rainwater? Do you think before you take a bath for the seventh time this week?

The amount of money collected is quite a lot, but in the end it is really peanuts compared to the amount of profits made daily with useless products or even unethical ones. Did you know that there are only 31 countries out of 210 that are consuming more oil than the US Pentagon and their war machine on their own (so not the entire US State!)? You don't want to hear how much money is spent on war every day.

So, yes. I think it's a sham. I'm not saying it's a bad initiative, but I don't think it tackles the root of the problem. After all, it was Europe that raped Africa during colonial times.

Sorry if this sounds rude for some people, and no I didn't send in any money. But I do think everyday about how I can spill as little energy and resources as possible. I replaced all the light bulbs with energy saving bulbs. I first put on a trouser before turning on the heating. I do not flush the toilet everytime.