Seeing the coverage in the mainstream media of the tsunami/quake has certainly tugged at my heart strings
and i want to help . At the same time I am sceptical of many of the large international charities that give tainted
aid to what they call 'developing countries' with the aim of helping them be more like us.

Given that this part of Asia is rife with sweat shop labour , I worry that many displaced people will be pushed to working for money instead of being encouraged to continue working on their own land. Put simply , this is a bad situation because it puts them instantly at the mercy of the financial markets who decide the value of any money they earn, whereas , if they to continue to work their own land they would have incomes with more dependable value and free-er more community based lives.

This is a view shared by most academics who have studied the charitable sector and economic development paradigms and is currently driving the agendas of progressive NGOs. I am not saying do not donate to the mainstream charities if you really want to , i am merely trying to find ways to help people donate money in ways that suit their own beliefs and will help in the ways that

If anyone reading this article knows of good ecologically and ethically sound charities who operate in the area
who are promoting sustainable development based solutions could they please post them as comments to this
article.

The only truly local agency i have found is the indonesian branch of Friends of The Earth.
 http://www.eng.walhi.or.id/kampanye/bencana/quake_tsunami_appeal