Nov. 30, 2012 - You've heard of the starving children, homeless refugees, and millions of people dying of disease; not to mention wars, disasters, and celebrities raising money to fix the problems of the Global South.
But what about the Norwegians?
Where are Bono and Angelina when it comes to the invisible people of Norway, who are suffering, unnoticed, in their freezing habitat?
A new charity, Radi-Aid, seeks to help these poor Northerners by collecting and donating unused radiator space-heaters. As their promotional music video belts, "There's heat enough for Norway, if Africans would share."
The video, which was released on YouTube on November 16, has already garnered more than 1.5 million views and has been featured in media outlets like Al Jazeera, The Guardian, and NPR.
The homepage for Radi-Aid, a campaign spoofing the approach of celebrity-driven charities, states: "Imagine if every person in Africa saw the "Africa for Norway" video and this was the only information they ever got about Norway. What would they think about Norway?"
The organization's true purpose is to spread the idea that the media should show respect for, provide better information on, and not just exploit stereotypes of the people they seek to help. Radi-Aid says aid should be "based on real needs, not 'good' intentions."
Ayla Harbin is an intern for YES! Magazine, a national, nonprofit media organization that fuses powerful ideas and practical actions.
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