Don’t donate money to Japan
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Individuals are doing it, banks are doing it — faced with the horrific news and pictures from Japan, everybody wants to do something, and the obvious thing to do is to donate money to some relief fund or other.
Please don’t.
We went through this after the Haiti earthquake, and all of the arguments which applied there apply to Japan as well. Earmarking funds is a really good way of hobbling relief organizations and ensuring that they have to leave large piles of money unspent in one place while facing urgent needs in other places. And as Matthew Bishop and Michael Green said last year, we are all better at responding to human suffering caused by dramatic, telegenic emergencies than to the much greater loss of life from ongoing hunger, disease and conflict. That often results in a mess of uncoordinated NGOs parachuting in to emergency areas with lots of good intentions, where a strategic official sector response would be much more effective. Meanwhile, the smaller and less visible emergencies where NGOs can do the most good are left unfunded.
In the specific case of Japan, there’s all the more reason not to donate money. Japan is a wealthy country which is responding to the disaster, among other things, by printing hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of new money. Money is not the bottleneck here: if money is needed, Japan can raise it. On top of that, it’s still extremely unclear how or where organizations like globalgiving intend on spending the money that they’re currently raising for Japan — so far we’re just told that the money “will help survivors and victims get necessary services,” which is basically code for “we have no idea what we’re going to do with the money, but we’ll probably think of something.”
Globalgiving, it’s worth pointing out, was created to support “projects in the developing world,” where lack of money is much more of a problem than it is in Japan. I’m not at all convinced that the globalgiving model can or should be applied directly to Japan, without much if any thought about whether it’s the best way to address the issues there.
That said, it’s entirely possible that organizations like the Red Cross or Save the Children will find themselves with important and useful roles to play in Japan. It’s also certain that they have important and useful roles to play elsewhere. So do give money to them — and give generously! And give money to other NGOs, too, like Doctors Without Borders (MSF), which don’t jump on natural disasters and use them as opportunistic marketing devices. Just make sure it’s unrestricted. The official MSF position is exactly right:
The ability of MSF teams to provide rapid and targeted medical care to those most in need in more than 60 countries around the world – whether in the media spotlight or not – depends on the generous general contributions of our donors worldwide. For this reason, MSF does not issue appeals for support for specific emergencies and this is why we do not include an area to specify a donation purpose on our on-line donation form. MSF would not have been able to act so swiftly in response to the emergency in Haiti, as an example, if not for the ongoing general support from our donors. So we always ask our supporters to consider making an unrestricted contribution.
I’ve just donated $400 in unrestricted funds to MSF. Some of it might go to Japan; all of it will go to areas where it’s sorely needed. I’d urge you to do the same, rather than try to target money at whichever disaster might be in the news today.
Update: Some bright spark has set up a “Socks for Japan” drive. I’m not making this up. I trust that none of my readers are silly enough to send socks to Japan, but this is a great indication of how wasteful a lot of well-intentioned giving can be.
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I’m appalled by what you’ve written. You, like Annie Lowery at Slate, have indulged your laziness rather than spending a tiny bit of time doing a little reading and research among Americans who know something about Japan. If you had done the latter, you could have actually REPORTED on it instead of exposing your ignorance.
It is VERY EASY to help by sending donations directly to the localities in Japan that have been hardest hit. The prefectural governments are well aware of the local groups that are most able to help and can probably distribute those funds quicker and more effectively than ANY international organizations.
You can help repair some of the damage you’ve done by contacting the following governments to find the easiest way to get donations DIRECTLY to the locales that are hardest hit, then disseminate that information widely in major American and international press outlets.
Donating to the Ibaraki Prefectural Disaster Recovery Fund: http://www.pref.ibaraki.jp/bukyoku/seika n/kokuko/en/data/donate.pdf
Ibaraki Prefecture donations contact information:
Phone 81-29-301-2862
Email kokuko@pref.ibaraki.Ig.jp
Fukushima Prefecture International Affairs Division web site:
http://www.pref.fukushima.jp/kokusai/IAD website/internationalprojects.htm
International Affairs Division, Fukushima Prefectural Government
2-16 Sugitsumacho,
Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan 960-8670
Phone: 81-024-521-7182
Email kokusai@pref.fukushima.jp
Miyagi Prefecture web English information:
http://www.pref.miyagi.jp/english/
Government International Affairs Division
3-8-1 Honcho Aoba-ku,
Sendai, Miyagi 980-8570
Phone: 81-022-211-2972
Email kokusai@pref.miyagi.jp
Iwate Prefecture Culture and International Relations Division
http://www.pref.iwate.jp/~hp0312/gaikoku gomokuji/info/information.htm
Culture and International Relations Division
Iwate Prefectural Government
10-1 Uchimaru, Morioka, Iwate, JAPAN
Phone 81-19-629-5336
Email FA0042@pref.iwate.jp
To everyone who has commented in outrage at this article; perhaps you should spend less time typing and a little more time trying to understand the article you just read.
Felix – yeah, I’m an MSF donor too for the same reasons.
Are you serious? Have you ever even been to Japan? Have you ever experience Japanese culture? The Japanese are by far the most unselfish people I’ve ever met.
When great tragedy hits those who do not have the means to survive, we look upon the wealthier nations for support. Yet when a wealthy nation needs your help, you’re going to turn your back on Japan?
UN Ban Ki-moon says “Japan is one of the most generous and strongest benefactors coming to the assistance of those in need the world over.”
Mr. Salmon, have some compassion!
Bravo Felix,
Great article however I am surprised at the those that could not get past the headline and properly digest your analysis.
It really is about the proper and efficient allocation of resources during a time of crises. The hard truth is that Japan does not need our money. It is a wealthy nation that can raise Billions of dollars with one phone call. Japan’s current problem is one of logistics, getting resources to where they are needed most. So unless you have a spare aircraft carrier with heavy lift helicopters, or can teleport heavy earth-moving machinery across the Pacific, perhaps your generous cash donations are better spent elsewhere (MSF comes to mind).
Also re the SocksforJapan guy, http://jasonkelly.com/helpjapan/, I understand he is being well intentioned but talk about a massive waste of resources. It boggles the mind to think that someone would think it was a bright idea to start up an NGO in order for Americans: 1) to purchase in America; 2) socks made in China; 3) at a marked up price using american dollars; 4) then pay $7 a pound to ship those Chinese made socks back across the Pacific to Japan. You should read some of the comments on their website where people have bought all these socks then balk at the idea of spending $200 just to pay for the freight to ship them over to Japan.
It seems to me that the more efficient way to accomplish the same task would be to accept donations, then purchase socks directly froma manufacturer in china and have them sent in bulk directly to Japan. Of course that would take all of the feel good spirit out of the donation experience.
Felix is dead wrong, but there is an element of truth to that he is saying… let me explain. There is a funding bottleneck in Japan because all funds are pouring in to just a couple of large ngo and npos. There is no guarantee these funds will actually be used for Japan (Red Cross admits this and can use your donation for any purpose). What is sad is the people who lost EVERYTHING are the ones that need the funds and how will they get it? I have launched a social venture that aims to introduce a new way to aid victims by working with an affected community and as it makes money keep re-investing it again and again… With NPOS, as soon as the next event occurs they will be pulling on your heart strings for another donation… Another problem is NPOs are not popular in Japan as they are in the West. An average community in the west will have over a 1000 NPOs operating in it. In Japan NPOs just are not popular and until recently the law kept them form being viable… If you donate to Prefecture offices, where will the funds go? I would imagine, they need money rebuild their community manciple infrastructure. Within a prefecture you have even smaller communities and villages… these are very unlikely to get the assistance they need because they are at the bottom of the pile. I live in such a small community in Japan and have witnessed this happening.
So what is the answer?
Simple, Diversify your giving and leverage your social networks! If you give small amounts to multiple groups and spend a week promoting it in your social networks your will have a much greater impact than giving to just RC, United Way, or MSF. You need to think of contributing the same way you invest in the stock market.
Give to Japan! but not to one solution… spread out your contributions and please include social ventures like HelpJapan.co — we have a very specific purpose and will be assisting JP recover in a very sustainable way!
Call me to learn more:
202 360 4467 (rings in Japan)
Michael J. Trout
CEO, Foundups Corp
1st the earthquake
2nd the tsunami
3rd nuclear reactor leaks
4th Felix Salmon
Did people die and suffered because of Felix Salmon? Are the donations less compared to other recent disasters … because of Felix Salmon?
What sort of cruel idiot are you? Yeah, it is wonderful this MFG or whatever does these great things, and I am sure they need their bit of your attention. This in no way should detract from the fact Japan does need our help. I think we can all agree the US is also a very rich country. Look at how much trouble we had with just a tiny sliver of the devastation experienced in Japan when Katrina happened here. Our ability to help and cope was completely overloaded, and to top it off, we resorted to looting, pillaging, rape, and running rampant. Just because unlike us poor rich kids here in the US the Japanese aren’t whining around with their hand out for aid and more aid doesn’t mean they don’t need and deserve our help. They certainly didn’t sit around waiting to see if we needed help after Katrina. They helped out to the tune of over 14 million. Now they’ve got the equivalent of multiple Katrinas hitting them in a one, two, three, four punch. First, they had one of the worst earthquakes ever recorded. Then they had a tsunami high enough to swamp three story buildings. Then they had a blizzard through those same areas before they could get heat and fuel to the people, and now they’ve got a nuclear disaster. Frankly, I am ashamed to be counted as your countryman and I truly hope you will take a good look at the cruelty you are perpetrating on the Japanese people. I sense you may be holding a grudge because of something long past. Did a Japanese person beat you out for a college scholarship or a much-desired job posting? If so, you should really see someone about it. I find it very disturbing that anyone could look at a picture of the devastation of Japan and proudly declare themselves too good to help. We are five years out from Katrina and there are still people homeless in the aftermath. Japan has at least six times the people left homeless, and that’s just the ones that survived. On top of that, the areas hardest hit by the tsunami and radiation are the bread basket of their country. This is like if half the midwest farming country were laid waste, the people made homeless, and the crops destroyed. How would the US cope with such a disaster? You can be we’d be the first ones come whining with our hat in our hands to the international community. Unfortunately, thanks to your cruel remarks, a freshly orphaned Japanese child in a far flung rural prefecture may go hungry or without enough heat tonight or in the near future. You must be so proud.
I deliberated whether I should open an account to leave a comment — I did not wish to open on simply to express disgust.
This article is truly self-indulging and presumptuous, and the few supporters comments are equally so. You only further expose your own narrow mindedness if you really think the responders expressing disapproval have not read past the title. The title is wrong on so many levels, and so is the content of the article, sentimentally, factually, logically — so wrong. I’m sure many can take it point by point, but for someone with such an unsophisticated and narrow life perspective, it’s just not worth it.
Here are reasons why you should donate to Japan.
Some people are saying you shouldn’t donate Japan because Japan is
such a wealthy country. Its true that Japan is one of the wealthiest
countrys and there are some poor countrys who are suffering.
But, Japan needs to rebuild and get back to normal as soon as possible
for the world.
There are a lot of people related to Japan all over the world.
Billions of people work for Japanese companies like SONY, NISSAN,
TOYOTA, TOSHIBA, SANYO, NINTENDO, SHISEIDO here in US.
If those companies goes to bankrupt, it would cause a lot of economic
damage all over the world including the US. Not only people who work
for Japanese companies, but there are also a lot of people related to
Japan. BESTBUY makes a lot of benefit from selling PS3, A lot of
artists go to Japan tour and sell a lot of tickets and CDs, Japanese
people spend a lot of money for traveling outside of Japan (in fact,
after the earthquake, its so quiet in Hawaii because of no tourist
from Japan), and many book stores and TV companies make benefits for
selling Japanese comic books, and playing Anime.
Some people say its not fair to help rich country, but why not? Japan
has been helping so many countries, but they don’t get helped when
they are in crisis? Because of they are rich?
Its like if you are a doctor, and there are 2 patients waiting for
your operation. You can only help one. One is always been your client
and support you a lot, and the other is poor. You choose poor one only
because you feel more sorry for the poor one?
If you help Japan, Japan will be able to help Africa after they get
back to normal and work hard again.
Japanese people have strong obligation. I’m not saying those people in
poor countries don’t have such things, but there are not much they can
do.
31million dollars donated to Africa from Japan last year. It won’t be
that much until Japan will get back to normal.
Also in economy side, Japan needs to get back to normal as soon as possible.
The money you were going to spend for Japan is definitely worth it if
you choose right organization.
There is a news that American red cross gathers all money for Japan,
but they decided to send it to Japan for only 10%, and rest of the
money goes to other places.
It’s just not fair. People who donate money were wishing it goes to
Japan. They can’t decide where money should go. What if your kid is in
some other country, and you send money to the school the kid goes to,
and the school decided to give these money to other kids because they
are poor even though your kid is in crisis and need money.
I’m not trying to say you shouldn’t donate money to other country, but
it doesn’t make sense that you don’t need to help Japan because Japan
is a wealthy country. They weren’t naturally wealthy, (look their
products, its all creativness) they made effort to be wealthy. They do
have rights to get donated. And you don’t have rights to stop people
to donate to Japan.
By the way, people in Japan don’t say “DONATE US”. They are not just
begging help or appealing. They are trying to stand up by themselves.
Is it too bad to help them?
Don’t get me wrong, donating to Africa is still good thing. If you
have money to give and you are willing to do it, go ahead. But I
disagree that money that supposed to go to Japan is taken for other
reasons.
I think your article is generally well-written and you present a good point about the donation of money.
I found your “Update” however very small minded. The socks for Japan program is clearly not about a financial contribution (unlike the rest of your article) but about providing a gesture of support. The socks are really a token item of care, they are accompanied by letters from people all over the world, aiming to raise the spirits of those affected by the disaster, something that money quite often doesn’t achieve. I’m a big supporter of this cause and your off-hand and uninformed comment about it has dimished the credibility of the rest of your article in my mind.
After Sept. 11 attacks people were donating money left and right. Then someone in the news said the money donated was not going to help injured people of the attacks. So people stopped donating to the Red Cross. Red Cross was putting the first money received to higher needs first. That need was a town in the mid west that was hit by a tornado that no one saw on tv. Greater Los Angeles Red Cross Chapter is bankrupt (FACT). Number one source that uses funds is single house fires in efforts to support the families. JUST VOLUNTEER AND YOU WOULD KNOW.
having worked for Reuters I find it confusing that this comment would be allowed ?
I will have to call old friends in Fleet Street ..
Don’t donate money to Japan
That said, it’s entirely possible that organizations like the Red Cross or Save the Children will find themselves with important and useful roles to play in Japan
. It’s also certain that they have important and useful roles to play elsewhere.
The damage to the GOOD name of Reuters is incalculable..
This article’s blend of callousness and intellectual muddle would not put me off giving to Japan. It does put me off having shares in Thomson Reuters. That’s not entirely logical is it? But the article offers proof in itself that money for Thomson Reuters is not always well spent. Should I get the same proof about how the Japanese Red Cross spend their money (I think this unlikely) I’ll leave it at the one emergency donation already made. It will however probably be important to give repeatedly to keep up the morale of aid workers and bereaved recipients. And there are indeed “culture of dependency” concerns to weigh up when giving to development charities but for many, the parable of the Good Samaritan has more to offer than all the learned commentaries.
What an incredibly ignorant – and lazy – update to the original piece.
It is beyond comprehension that the writer can so casually dismiss the Socks for Japan initiative as “wasteful” (and use the reputed Reuters vehicle to do so) without actually taking the five minutes or so necessary to learn the following:
a) The ultimate objectives of the initiative, which include the offering of much-needed emotional support and encouragement to those who are no doubt experiencing severe psychological stress;
b) How socks are a more practical contribution than one might think, as many who fled the tsunami did so without their shoes on (FYI – people take their shoes off indoors in Japan… or is this something else the writer failed to research?);
c) How socks are often an overlooked item by those supplying emergency supplies and clothing; and,
d) How the initiative is not negatively impacting the local economy, fuel supplies, relief efforts or delegated manpower in the slightest.
Mr. Salmon, it took me less than 5 minutes to glean all that information above from the extremely well-organized Socks for Japan website, and another 5 or so to write this post. A total of 10 minutes for me to do your job better than you do.
Did you really have to title your article “DON’T DONATE…” ?? How about, “SOMETHING TO CONSIDER BEFORE DONATING TO JAPAN” ??
Obviously, you had a hidden agenda to get readers’ attention, so that you could generate higher click-counts for Reuters.com and increase ad revenue.
Nice job Felix Tuna. Sometimes, it’s the “thought” that counts. Imagine yourself sitting in the ruins after a major quake and being homeless…while this little journalist with pretty glasses sits behind a computer on the other side of the world and writes an article like this. Other than your typing skills, what have YOU done to help?
You’re entitled to your opinion, but after going out on such a limb to express something so radical, it’s pretty classless of you to brag about your astounding $400 donation to all good things in the world.
I think Felix Salmon’s concern – we need to have someone to manage stock logistics and organize needs of affected people – is well managed in Japan.
We had Niigata earthquake and had recognized about this typical problem.
Why he gets so bothered about it, have no clue.
We need more people:
More people to move debris and ideas to move debris, logistics, managing stocks, and everything. More people not machines to care people. Docs are gathered from all over Japan, but too few for so many. Specialists for caring kids are too few. Equipments (incl. medics) for people are too few, so that people need more people to contact more. Not machines. To move people around, we need cash.
We need more medicines:
This is exactly what money is for – no one can have stockpiles of medicines beforehand without knowing which one each patient would need – as some pharma plants closed for earthquakes, we need more medicines that would match with patients’ bodies, etc. This is a pretty big issue in Japan for not only affected people, but also rest of Japanese residents. To manage all safely and effectively (reaching to where must be reached), we need more cash. Personally I think this will take much of cash donated.
We need more ideas:
Ideas like how to recover Fukushima and other places. This will demand not only industrial efforts to clean up, but also new approaches, new studies, everything from academics and labs.*
*today, there was a discussion to cover lands with chemicals that will (1) concrete lands (not pouring concrete on lands), (2) pick radioactive substances in making itself solid, (3) be able to get removed like a block of sheet from the land. So that, even still so small areas affected in Fukushima, people can use their lands safely again.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki Universities have technologies and skills in collecting radioactive substances from the environment. Today Fukushima University made its announcement to have a tie with them. They have strong relationships with companies like Mitsubishi etc, so we may find something out of their efforts anytime soon.
To do just that, we need massive money.
All these are something Japan itself cannot afford waiting.
All cash we have won’t do anything much.
Oh, BTW. I am a strong supporter for Doctors without borders. And my life is deeply in medical practices.
And I don’t subscribe for Felix’s view.
Beyond 20,000 people, even they cannot voice today, I am super happy to help their love ones left. In every way possible.
Our factories are open for 24 hrs for people up North.
Where things are getting colder again.
South (aka West) Japan, Motojiro
As a Japanese person, I am deeply saddened by this article. But instead of spending my time on arguing, I will go and buy food and the necessities to be sent to those affected by the earthquake and tsunami.
I have been financially supporting a woman in Bosnia and Herzegovina through an international NPO, and I will continue to do so while I will also financially and physically help those victims of the quake and tsunami in Japan.
When US had Hurricane Katrina and 911, how would American people have felt if some writer from a rich country like Japan had written an article “Don’t donate money to US”?
You have probably succeeded in getting many hits with the catchy title, and I guess that all matters to you.
I am, on the other hand, touched by many people who commented here. If you are outside Japan, there are only limited ways you can help those victims in Japan unless you are able to come here. But your financial support would be much appreciated. Most of the victims are humble fishing people. They are not wealthy people.
Here is one NPO that I trust – Second Harvest Japan. They are sending supplies from Tokyo to the Northern part of Japan, where many victims are still without electricity and enough food in cold winter and some of them are getting sick. As I am in Japan, I will send food and the necessities to them, but Second Harvest Japan accepts only monetary donations from people outside Japan as sending food from oversea would take time to go through custom.
If you are interested, please visit
http://www.2hj.org/index.php/news/send_u s_food_and_supplies/
As a Japanese person, I am deeply saddened by this article. But instead of spending my time on arguing, I will go and buy food and the necessities to be sent to those affected by the earthquake and tsunami.
I have been financially supporting a woman in Bosnia and Herzegovina through an international NPO, and I will continue to do so while I will also financially and physically help those victims of the quake and tsunami in Japan.
When US had Hurricane Katrina and 911, how would American people have felt if some writer from a rich country like Japan had written an article “Don’t donate money to US”?
You have probably succeeded in getting many hits with the catchy title, and I guess that all matters to you.
I am, on the other hand, touched by many people who commented here. If you are outside Japan, there are only limited ways you can help those victims in Japan unless you are able to come here. But your financial support would be much appreciated. Most of the victims are humble fishing people. They are not wealthy people.
Here is one NPO that I trust – Second Harvest Japan. They are sending supplies from Tokyo to the Northern part of Japan, where many victims are still without electricity and enough food in cold winter and some of them are getting sick. As I am in Japan, I will send food and the necessities to them, but Second Harvest Japan accepts only monetary donations from people outside Japan as sending food from oversea would take time to go through custom.
If you are interested, please visit
http://www.2hj.org/index.php/news/send_u s_food_and_supplies/
The title of this article might as well be “the disadvantages of donating to Japan”. It’s so biased and without any solid argument. You shouldn’t walk because you might slip on a banana peel right? How stupid is that?
You write:
“Japan is a wealthy country which is responding to the disaster, among other things, by printing hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of new money. Money is not the bottleneck here: if money is needed, Japan can raise it. ”
What makes a country rich in your definition? Take a look at this chart illustrated at the site below. There have been numerous articles written on this topic, even by Reuters economics analysts, but were you aware of that?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sov ereign_states_by_public_debt
I am a Japanese living in the US.
While you actually had something to say about the donation system, you mislead and hurt many people by lack of research and unnecessarily offensive title line.
Let me tell you. Japan is not a wealthy country. It’s hard to believe that you don’t know that we are over 200% broke even before any of these disasters had happened.
Mr. Son of Softbank announced a donation of all his future earnings to the various relief organizations, on top of his personal donation of US$120 Million, and US$12 M as a company. Because he knows that the money is needed, and going to be needed for A LONG TIME. Since you are so interested in the donation system, perhaps you could write a follow up article about how his contribution is spent in supporting the country with a new added financial damage of over US$300 Billion. Mr. Son’s wonderfully generous donation still will not cover the huge area of the problems. WE. NEED. MORE. MONEY.
I have to admit that our government does not have good international communication skills. I know there are countries / groups that are willing to help but hasn’t happened because of this. We need to learn, no questions about that. But did we stop donating Haiti just because their government was corrupted?
I moved here 10 years ago thinking that the freedom of speech is a wonderful thing. After 10 years, I have leaned that the freedom of speech is a powerful and scary thing. You, as a journalist, has a gift and responsibilities to accurately convey messages to the others. I am hopeful that you will come back to write about this topic again. Only next time, please spend some time to research and focus on suggesting the most effective way to donate, which I believe your primary point of the discussion was. If you are skeptical, then just donate directly to where money is needed. It’s really easy to donate to Japan Red Cross, or any of the local organizations. It takes 5 minutes googling so I am not even going to repeat here.
To you, this disaster might be just a catchy topic to express your opinion towards donation systems, but in the real world, to the real people, this is only the beginning.
I am not allowed to comments that are offensive; so, I am not going to speak my mind.
Mr. Salmon, were you always the smartest kid around or are you still trying hard to be one? I just donated to Japan and now you made me feel really silly. If a family member of yours (may God bless them all) were hospitalized, would you donate your pennies to MSF and not spend any on your own family, all for the greater good? By the way, did your smart preaches to us silly people help increase the number of visits to your blogs?
Mr. Salmon’s clever headline is more self serving than I’m sure he will admit to, and does more harm than good. Sure, it attracts readers to his article, good for him, but does he realize how many people will look no farther than the first few sentences and get the wrong message? He will no doubt blame the ignorance of others instead of taking responsibility for misleading, sensationalism of his “journalism”. People are in dire need of help, Mr. Salmon, can you think of no better way to help than this?
Dear Mr. Salmon,
My response below is directed towards your following comments:
“Update: Some bright spark has set up a “Socks for Japan” drive. I’m not making this up. I trust that none of my readers are silly enough to send socks to Japan, but this is a great indication of how wasteful a lot of well-intentioned giving can be.”
Although I strongly support everyone’s First Amendment right, it is unfortunate to hear such negative, uneducated and spiteful comments on a website such as Reuters. First, I am PROMINENT SUPPORTER of aid relief for Japan, specifically Socks for Japan. I’ve initiated a fundraiser to run for the next two weeks: we are specifically collecting newly purchased, unworn socks for the victims of the tsunami. Given the tone of your demeanor and general writing capabilities,it is without a doubt that you are a member of the privileged upper class. In fact, this may explain why you believe no monetary donations are necessary for Japan.
Let me try to explain something to you: there is a world of people out there who care for others in times of suffering. It doesn’t matter how much or how little they have: there is a global consciousness that compels people to help one another regardless of circumstances and unfortunately your narrow-minded, shelter upbringing prevents you from being part of this realization.
I have initiated a fundraiser in Fairfield,CT, USA with Socks for Japan and in fact, we have raised over 200 pairs for Jason Kelly and his organization. Moreover, we aren’t the only ones: there are thousands of individuals out there who care and are generously donating to Jason’s organization. I intend to run this fundraiser for weeks, and in fact, now your negative hateful words have inspired me to run it for even longer. I must say thank you: keep spreading your hatred and negativity as it will only compel people to do more good.
Now, you may ask: why socks? Japan doesn’t need socks! Japan doesn’t need money! Well, guess what Mr. Salmon: it doesn’t matter. People will want to help in times of suffering and disasters irregardless of those factors. It is unfortunate that you are not one of them, especially as it seems you are somewhat educated and could probably do a lot of good humanitarian work yourself.
My SOLE REASON for choosing socks was my lack of monetary funds with which to contribute. Let’s be real: this is the case for MANY AMERICANS RIGHT NOW and moreover, many individuals globally. Therefore, I set out to find a way to contribute non-monetary relief (i.e. clothing, shoes, socks, etc.) for the victims in Japan. Unfortunately, NO organizations contacted would accept non-monetary donations. I contacted the Red Cross, Save the Children, Americare, the Catholic Relief Services and the Fairfield County Japan Society: none of these organizations were willing to accept non-monetary relief. Feeling frustrated, I donated money to the CRS.
I took sometime to brain-storm, do research and ascertain a way in which I could help those overseas without digging into my bank account. When I finally found Mr. Kelly’s organization, it was an answer to my prayers. I was finally able to find away to help those without asking people to shell out money.
The response so far to my fundraiser has been overwhelming. Yes, it may be cheaper to purchase socks in China. However, there are several stores in my town closing and I was able to purchase bulk amounts at very cheap rates. Further, I do live in a very wealthy part of the United States and therefore, there are many people willing to donate to this cause and for which I feel especially fortunate.
If you really wanted to make a strong argument against non-monetary giving to Japan, you should have made an argument to focus more domestic relief. I am seriously surprised and disappointed by how weak, unsupported and uneducated your argument. Please do more research on your basic facts before ascertain an opinion as truth.
Mr. Salmon, I hope you can find it in your heart to re-think your negative position on aid relief for Japan. It is unfortunate that you choose to waste your intellect and energy on ending a global movement to help others. I will pray for your and for your strength to reconsider your positions.
With love and hope,
ffldsocksforjapan
This article is right. And it is wrong.
I agree with Mr. Salmon’s argument that, when making donations to charities, and all things being equal, our money should go to where the need is greatest.
However, for people like me who have a personal or professional connection to a community that has experienced a disaster, it is not a useful, or reasonable, argument to make.
It is akin to saying, “Don’t buy your child those shoes he needs, because a child in the Sudan needs them more.” Theoretically, that is no doubt true. But then…what?
So I will send money to Japan for tsunami and earthquake relief. And I will also send socks. I do believe that Jason Kelly’s “silly” project is a very small, but very welcome operation. His blog posts are amazing. http://www.jasonkelly.com
And no, I am not Jason Kelly
Pretty funny considering so many people are starving and having 2 rice balls a day.
USA helps the most on average but Japan helps the most PER CAPITA around the world!!
When disaster strikes USA Japan helps all the time, even one japanese man alone donated 3 million from his own pocket money durign the Katrina disaster.
It boggles my mind how selfish people are.
“Now, you may ask: why socks? Japan doesn’t need socks! Japan doesn’t need money! Well, guess what Mr. Salmon: it doesn’t matter.”
It’s like giving a lion bamboo and think you’re feeding it…
Anyhow good points in your article! Although I do agree that emotional donours is not utilising their money efficiently, it is usually better than if it wasn’t based on emotions as then they wouldn’t give anything. It’s strange how people like this can think they have a moral highground from the more pragmatic. (!)
For those of you who are somehow connected to Japan, as you are usually more enlightened about how the local communities work I can imagine your funding being far more effective. Helping a friend is better than helping a few strangers, so I fully understand why you would choose to donate to Japan, which I think is also the right and honourable thing to do. For the rest of the people that just gives mindlessly, however …
Who ever claimed that compassion must come in coins?
I donated to MSF in the wake of the earthquakes and floodings around the world and did not earmark the donation. I also donated to Shelter Box http://www.shelterbox.org/
And when I find the time, I also knit socks, jackets, hats etc. for children in emergency shelters, cancer wards and other refuge shelters. These things are a personal joy and active participation in the desire of millions of people who wish to help hands-on as well.
I find the thoughts expressed in the article “Don’t donate money to Japan” not very well reflected, thoughtless almost and certainly not compassionate, no matter whether the writer has a point with Japan being a rich nation, capable of helping herself.
The writer does not seem to realize that Fukushima affects us ALL.
Japan indeed does not need our money. It is a wealthy nation that can raise Billions of dollars. But it does not mean helping them such as through donating isn’t needed. It’s like ” If you were a member of a platoon and saw your platoon leader get shot at the knee, you thought.. his a strong, muscular and determined leader he should be able to walk alone thus leaving him without any help”. Have you ever realise the scale of the tsunami that struck japan? the lives that it took? Also if you ever tried to live in japan you will know at first hand how friendly the people there are (ofcourse there are also bad people there). And base on my research, a big percentage of donaters donate because they love japan because of many complicated reasons. Also you talked about >>”In the specific case of Japan, there’s all the more reason not to donate money. Japan is a wealthy country which is responding to the disaster, among other things, by printing hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of new money. “
Japan indeed does not need our money. It is a wealthy nation that can raise Billions of dollars. But it does not mean helping them such as through donating isn’t needed. It’s like ” If you were a member of a platoon and saw your platoon leader get shot at the knee, you thought.. his a strong, muscular and determined leader he should be able to walk alone thus leaving him without any help”. Have you ever realise the scale of the tsunami that struck japan? the lives that it took? Also if you ever tried to live in japan you will know at first hand how friendly the people there are (ofcourse there are also bad people there). And base on my research, a big percentage of donaters donate because they love japan because of many complicated reasons. Also you talked about >>”In the specific case of Japan, there’s all the more reason not to donate money. Japan is a wealthy country which is responding to the disaster, among other things, by printing hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of new money. “
Dear Mr. Salmon.
You can’t be serious.
There are no valid reasons not to send help anywhere
Take a minute to imagine your house, your entire neighborhood razed, gone.
You have lost everything and people far away decide that you are just another rich American.
I hope you can travel to Japan, Haiti, New Orleans, Thailand, and Alabama to see the pain and the need .
And give.
Bon Voyage.
I have transcribed this letter, in case the it did not show up in the mailbox.
Dear Dr. Mr Salmon:
I appreciate your role in helping people make good financial decisions. I find most of the online posts to be well written, fascinating, and pragmatic entries designed with the consumer in mind.
But a recent post entitled “Don’t Donate To Japan” concerns me.You start by linking the current article to one you wrote in the past relating to the events in Haiti. The overall theme displayed from both articles seems to be that of practicality and reason.
I personally believe that the problem of charity-oriented funds being limited to Japan is a legitimate one. After all, there are countries that are far more impoverished and in need of financial resources than Japan. However, the scale of the destruction created by the earthquake and resulting tsunami should not be underestimated.
According to my research, this is the worst quake to hit Japan since the massive earthquake that occurred in Kanto eighty-eight years ago. At a catastrophic magnitude of around nine, thousands of people stood and watched as the tsunami created by the current quake washed away their food, their homes, and their overall way of life.
There are around 150,000 people that remain living in evacuation shelters, many of whom lack running water and electricity. Eric Ounnes, the general director for MSF Japan, states that there have been “cases of hypothermia, serious dehydration and respiratory diseases in some of the shelters.”
In addition to these difficult circumstances, the flooding of a nuclear power plant in Fukushima has been generating a dangerous leak in radiation. The International Nuclear Event Scale identifies this calamity as the worst nuclear crisis in 25 years.
While it is true that Japan is a wealthy country, the amount of monetary resources a country has does not fully negate the physical or psychological toll inflicted on an individual. Though I concede that your emphasis on unrestricted funds is a good thing, the manner in which you disclose that information is disappointing. My fear is that some people will take your posts out of context and not donate to a charitable organization, thinking their contributions are in vain. I agree with you on the point that “philanthropy theatre” exists in the media.
That being said, I believe that the tonality demonstrated in some of your articles come across to readers as disconnected and insensitive.
You criticized an individual for encouraging people to donate socks and letters to Japan, dismissing the action as silly. Is purchasing new, carefully manufactured socks and shipping it to a “Sock drive” for Japan misguided and impractical? I think so.
However, it is my opinion that a person who wants to make a difference in the lives of struggling victims during this crisis should be the object of respect, and not ridicule.
Furthermore, it would be good of you to suggest other ways to help citizens of Japan besides the use of financial donations. To indirectly send a message of hopelessness and despair might discourage people from wanting to reach out.
My final point is this, that the controversial headline you chose within a limited time-frame should have had some minor revisions to it. “Don’t Restrict Funds To Japan” seems like a better headline for making your point accurately without losing the importance of your overall message.
Many online commentators respond with a highly emotional and gut-level response, making it harder for your real intent to come forth.
The truth is that you aren’t discouraging charitable giving, but the practice of earmarking such donations to the wealthiest country behind the United States and China. I have a few ideas related to this situation. I think that you should write a blog post on why it is important that other countries that need it should not have money misdirected by high profile, media-hyped natural disasters.
It would also be optimal if you would post a link to a well written opposing viewpoint to allow for a substantive debate of ideas. While I admit this is a rather lengthy passage on my part, I want to compliment you for seeing a bigger picture here.
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to read and analyze my letter.
Sincerely,
John Alston
Felix, please visit the http://www.socksforjapan.com website and you will see what good people can do for each other.
I have followed the account of each visit to cities that are completely gone, the visits to people that lost their families, children that are orphans and people that still living in shelters or in their cars waiting for the funds to find their way to them.
The photographs are haunting as you see close-up the devastation that will take years, years to recover. The personal stories from the people…the photographs of the reality-up close that I have yet to see in any other news story.
I cry every time I read his stories and see the faces of the people that lost so much, including hope. The humble boy who asked if he could sit next to their van with his head bowed and said that he wouldn’t cause any trouble. When asked about his family, he cried because they were all gone.
The sad woman who took her socks back to her mat in the shelter and read every word of the care letter from an unknown friend who thought it was important to send socks and kind words of hope and support.
Socksforjapan has reached out to individuals on a human level with a smile of encouragement and bringing messages of kindness and support from around the world.
You or Reuters should nominate socksforjapan for a Pulitzer prize, it is by far the best account of what is happening to the survivors of the earthquake and tsunami.
O Felix, I suspect you haven’t even looked at the aforementioned site, or you would have no doubt noticed the ‘bright spark’ you mention is bestselling author and financial analyst Jason Kelly. Given your history, perhaps your reason for singling him out lies in ‘sour grapes’, but I do thank you for pointing out his moving portrayal of the issues facing Northern Japan right now.
Well. I just got an email from my college friend in Tokyo, a Japanese national. He recently mailed a box of artists supplies that I mailed there prior to my painting trip that was scheduled to start 2 weeks after the disaster. We cancelled as our destination was 80 km from Fukushima. My friend paid for my box to be returned to me. When I tried to find a way to compensate him, he only asked that I make a donation of any amount to the people in Japan who have lost everything, including their homes and many loved ones. Everyone thinks Japan does not matter like Haiti. Well folks, it does! I am sending my contribution to
http://www.pref.ibaraki.jp/bukyoku/seika n/kokuko/en/data/donate.pdf. Thank you to my friend for showing me Japanese selflessness and charity at this time of disaster for all Japanese people.
According to USGS, the Great Tohoku Earthquake (northeast Honshu, Japan) of March 11, 2011 was
Magnitude 9.0.
I quote:
“The March 11, 2011 earthquake was an infrequent catastrophe. It far surpassed other earthquakes in the southern Japan Trench of the 20th century, none of which attained M8. A predecessor may have occurred on July 13, 869, when the Sendai area was swept by a large tsunami that Japanese scientists have identified from written records and a sand sheet.”
Yes, that’s right… look at that date one more time
-> AD 869. (over 1000 years ago).
We all know there are many Japanese people who do need our help. It is up to everyone to figure out the best way to do as much as each one of us can.
Some are contributing skills rather than money. Some are contributing money. Some are contributing material and physical goods.
What none of us should be doing is standing high-handedly surveying the devastation and telling people not to donate.
The selflessness of the Japanese people is a beacon of light and love for all people. Nowhere has there been looting, everywhere the people are pulling together.
Why do some people, like the person who wrote this article, solicit controversy in the wake of disaster simply for the sake of it when there is much to be done in Japan – and elsewhere – to alleviate poverty following catastrophes of this magnitude?
I know you mean well by this article, but to say “Japan is a wealthy country which is responding to the disaster, among other things, by printing hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of new money. Money is not the bottleneck here: if money is needed, Japan can raise it.” just shows your lack of knowledge on the situation.
I was just up in the disaster zone documenting the real, on-the-ground volunteers who’ve given up their lives and careers to help the tsunami victims. And the stories they’ve told me contrast greatly with what you’ve written. A former hair-stylist now working as a volunteer setting up temporary housing for those who have lost everything told me, “We only have enough money to keep things going up here for two more months… people forget so fast what happened up here. Memories fade, but these people’s lives are changed forever.”
You, my friend, must do some real research before you discourage people from giving aid to those who need it… believe me, they need it. I was there.
I concur with MasaRider’s statement. After having seen first-hand how terrible the destruction and hopelessness of Ishinomaki and the surrounding area, this article appears extremely biased and without proper research. The Nihonjin living in the damage-stricken region are falling into despair as the vast majority of donations and volunteers have significantly curtailed steadily over the past couple months. The few on-site volunteers reassure the Nihonjin almost constantly that “We haven’t forgotten about you. See! Even these Americans are here to help! We haven’t forgotten!” While in reality, an immense number of people HAVE forgotten and the region is hanging on by the remaining group of volunteers around the globe. As several comments have already explained, the Socks for Japan cause is driven nearly entirely by that motive: To remind these poor Nihonjin that somewhere out there a group of people still remember. My family has started doing fundraisers and getting the school and neighborhood to help after seeing these tragedies and it’s amazing how many of these people thought the area had already rebounded. I blame the media a great deal for this. People NEED to know that Tohoku still needs a tremendous amount of help and an updated article to replace this one would be a great way to kick off the revival.
Thank you
I have nothing against donating to Japan and I do not know what is the best way to do that.
But, I have seen the Red Cross in action where
I live – Louisiana – after Katrina. I will never give to the Red Cross.
The Red Cross is a bunch of Yuppies who set up
some tables in the Community Center in the small town I live in – and started passing out
money.
Problem was, all you had to do was show up with picture ID – and you got free money.
I saw a local millionaire in the line. He collected several hundred dollars just for showing up. Most of the people who the Red Cross paid had no damage, they just showed up.
These Yuppies are too lazy to get out in the community and find out who the Really Needy are.
If you want to donate – Give to the Salvation
Army. It ain’t lazy yuppies. The Salvation Army is Street Level and knows what they are doing. They get help to the truly needy.
If you want to donate to one charity over another, that’s fine and good on you. But how dare you tell people not to donate to certain organisations?
Japan is a better country than America in so many ways. The people of Japan deserve and need how help, and our money. And I hope one day, when disaster strikes you, that people will refuse to give money to the charities that would get to you first. Then you would be able to feel how the people in Japan feel even now, months after the tsunami.
man,dude,your article was the most ‘USELESS’ one i’ve ever saw…SERIOUSLY?!?!?! im not japanese but i like japan and it’s cult. and i think you are sooooo veeeerrryyyyy ignorant,japan is maybe rich but they still need help,they helped other countries and the countries doesnt help them back,HONESTLY, that is sooooo immature of you to be this heartless,you really decieve me,i think the next thing that will hurt\kill some japaneses people here is YOU,you know what?!?!? i dont think that people like you will be really usefull in the world -.-” i think the japanese people are the NICEST ones on this world,they have a BRAIN and a HEART!!!! and you,you dont have those -_-” they need help too,they even need MORE help cause when everything will be fine,they will be able to help too,and they WORKED HARD to be rich,they didnt wait to get money from other people like the others,they WORKED!!!!and when they’ll be fine,they will help others. did THIS entered in your goddamn little useless brain?!?!? =_=” seriously your article was useless that it pissed me off =.=”
When Hurricane Katrina happend, Japan donated a total of $13 million dollars to us. So far, America has only donated $6.25million to them. Please donate money to Japan! They were there for us when we needed them!
Wow…what a backlash. I can’t agree with that over-the-top opposition. The letter from John Alston was well-put, and I share his feeling. I also agree to some extent with MasaRider and LastTimeLord.
I’m an American living and working in Kesennuma (Miyagi Prefecture) through the Japanese Exchange and Teaching Program (JET Program). Last month, I was finally able to move back into my apartment (which had been partially destroyed by the tsunami), but my neighborhood (Minatomachi–”Port Town”) is still a bunch of rubble and debris. Thankfully, some companies have built up temporary gravel roads so that when the area floods twice a day, we can still commute, but it’s like wondering trough some apocalyptic zombie movie set every day. These places used to be peoples homes, businesses, schools, community centers, etc, but they *remain* rubble even now. People are still living in the gymnasiums of my schools because there’s not enough temporary housing.
So…
Tohoku (the north-eastern part of Japan) still needs a lot of help. Money, however, may or may not be the answer.
I agree with you, F.Salmon, that if your readers don’t know what they’re donating to/for (like some vague “we don’t know yet, but we’ll find something” organization) they should do more research or should find an organization with a clear plan for gathering and distributing globally like Red Cross (an organization which has been amazing here after the disasters).
However, if it’s possible to find a smaller organization that’s directly connected to areas in need, a monetary donation would be extremely helpful! Take these organizations, for instance:
** volunteerAkita’s Fruit Tree Project ( http://volunteerakita.org ) – They’ve branched out now in order to respond to the current needs here, but I’ve seen and participated in their fruit tree “banana drops” at Kesennuma shelters. It’s shocking how much those bananas meant to the people living in shelters in my city… (The people in the volunteerAkita group also volunteer for clean-up and other things in affected areas.)
** Smile Kids Japan in conjunction with Living Dreams ( http://www.smilekidsjapan.org , http://livingdreams.jp/main ) – This is an organization providing direct and long-term support to orphanages affected by the March disasters. The Taylor Anderson Fund is also connected to Smile Kids Japan and Living Dreams. (Taylor was a Miyagi JET who died in the tsunami.)
** The Taylor Anderson ’04 Memorial Gift Fund ( http://www.st.catherines.org/taylorander son ) – This organization is helping to support the orphanage in Kesennuma (orphanage closest to Taylor’s J-town, Ishinomaki) through Smile Kids Japan as well as Living Dreams.
Aside from money, what disaster areas really need is manpower. We need companies and workers to come in and physically clear away debris and rebuild. Unfortunately, time and manpower (not to mention equipment and materials) aren’t things readily available–especially when those people and companies can’t afford to suspend their normal work/business to “donate” their time, material, and equipment.
And…
That brings us back to needing money.
So if you can’t volunteer your time or connections for rebuilding, please donate to a group who can. If you don’t specifically know a group who can do something physically, donate to a global organization who will continue to help all areas in need of help.
(And if you want to give socks, douzo. We don’t need them now, but right after the tsunami, most of us were longing for a nice, clean pair of socks–especially after wading through mud and snow–so thanks for that, Socks for Japan. :)
This just simply upsets me. How in the world would someone say such nonsense.HAVE YOU BEEN TO JAPAN Mr,Salmon if so you would see why The U.S donated the money and besides if they didn’t the U.S would look like a total ass.
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i hate your guts. i wouldnt mind if the japanese came and got you. i am a korean living in the us. our country has a rivary with japan, but that didn’t stop me from helping them recover. you piss me off. i hate your damn guts