Thursday September 4, 2014 – 10am
Posted Aug 29, 2014 12:22:59 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
0:00- Scott Gilmore, former diplomat and the founder of Building Markets
Gilmore in the recent issue of Maclean’s Magazine writes: The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is bad for you. I don’t mean you will catch a cold (you won’t), or look like a craven sheep (you will). I mean that when you are inspired by a viral fad to donate your limited dollars to a charitable cause, you ignore the diseases that genuinely threaten. The marketing gimmick is very clever. It is short, immediately understandable, and like the most popular forms of slacktivism, it is easy to do, entertaining to watch, and narcissistically self-promoting. The ice bucket’s ubiquity rivals other famous charitable stunts like Movember, Livestrong, or the infamous Kony 2012. As a result, the ALS Association has received more than $70 million so far, compared to only $2.5 million during last year’s campaign. It is a great way to raise money – but it is a horrible reason to donate it. When we decide where to spend our charitable dollars, we need to consider three factors. 1. Where is the greatest need? 2. Where will my dollars have the greatest influence? 3. What is the most urgent problem? The ALS challenge fails all three of these tests.
10:15- Tammy Moore, Interim Chief Executive Officer, ALS Society of Canada
Dousing your friends and family with ice cold water is creating a media storm around North America, raising awareness for ALS. The ?#IceBucketChallenge?, inspired by Boston College baseball player Pete Frates, who is living with ALS, has placed the challenge to anyone who wants to get involved. Canadians generous support to the Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS has almost reached $10 million in donations. In the scope of our organizations and the need to fund research it is not overwhelming. ALS Canada’s annual budget is $7M and collectively with the Provincial Societies across the country, the annual budgets are $14M. We haven’t specifically allocated the funds at this time as we don’t yet know the magnitude of the gift, but we do anticipate it will enable ALS Canada and all of the Provincial Societies to accelerate our strategic plans to deliver client support and services in our provinces and to better support the ALS Canada National Research Program.
10:30- Dr. Derryck Smith, former President of the BC Medical Association, Member of the Board of Dying With Dignity Canada and a co-chair of their Physicians Advisory Council.
Death hastened by a physician would only be appropriate after all other reasonable choices have been exhausted, says the head of the country’s largest doctors’ group. Dr. Chris Simpson, newly installed president of the Canadian Medical Association, made the comments before a landmark Supreme Court of Canada hearing expected to add fuel to the emotional end-of-life debate gaining urgency across Canada. He said there are enough doctors in the country willing to perform doctor-hastened death, if the federal ban were lifted. But first they need safeguards to protect the vulnerable and a strategy to shore up palliative care “so that [euthanasia] is not seen as a first, or second or even third choice, but a choice that’s appropriate for people after all other reasonable options are exhausted.”
Listen:
