One of the main focuses at General Convention 2006 was on mission. Support of the Millenium Development Goals was one of the most positive victories, to commit to end poverty by 2015, calling upon individuals, congregations, dioceses and beyond to give .07% of their income to NGO’s, to lift the poorest of the poor up on the economic ladder. 0.7% is an attainable goal. And ending extreme poverty is also an attainable goal, if people have the will and the generosity to work to attain it. I believe that this goal can be reached without supporting the exploitation of animals, undoing the damage that has been done in the wealthy countries to our health, the animals and the environment, and protecting the poor from Western diseases that are manageable with the dependence on the Western pharmaceutical and medical industries.

As you consider how you might participate in supporting the MDG goals, please choose to support organizations that do not focus on building economies based on the exploitation and commodification of animals — even if you yourself are not a vegetarian. We can put an end to hunger and extreme poverty without the use of animals! This could be a “win-win” opportunity for humans and non-humans alike, with no extra effort, and without having to put animals on the “back burner” until all the world’s problems are solved.

Here are some alternatives:

Fair Trade (Be sure the proceeds will go where you think they should, or include a note to designate.)
or organizations such as:

All Souls’ (San Diego) Kenya Project,

“Our projects are focused on

sustainable vegetable agriculture because

that is what it takes to

keep people from dying of starvation.

It is focused on medical care and education
especially for the AIDS orphans
and urban poor children.”
– The Rev. Michael Russell, Rector of All Souls
(quoted with permission)
- Plenty International,

- Lifewater International(or similar organizations that dig wells where clean drinking water isn’t available),
- Trees for Life,
- The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation,
- Sustainable Harvest International
(not totally cruelty-free, but commendable),
- Food for Life (Hare Krishna, but virtually 100% of donations go directly to feeding people in disasters and war zones),
- HIPPO (UK),
- VegFam (UK).

Both ERD and Heifer Project, which are popular charities among Episcopalians, also offer non-animal projects. If you or your congregation supports either of them, or other similar organizations, please designate your gifts to ensure they will be used to support non-animal projects, and not simply thrown into the general pot.

(Although this focuses on the way things are in the USA, click on the links for a brief background on
health, animals, and the environment.)

More info about some of the organizations listed above can be found at: http://episcoveg.weblogger.com/2005/01/28
More info on Fair Trade will be added, as I find appropriate websites.

Also, here is a site that gives statistics of lactose intolerance by ethnicity:
from lactoseintolerant.org, and an interview from Satya.