A WARNING: Please be extremely careful if you want to donate money to a “help rhino” cause. I am sure you would want to be sure your money is going to be used in a way that DIRECTLY benefits rhino conservation. There are OVER 270 “help rhino” entities out there…many ARE SCAMS…I know this and will show this on TV shortly! PLEASE PUT MONEY TO A CAUSE THAT IS A) CREDIBLE and B) CAN SHOW A TRACK RECORD. I will shortly be posting a list of bona fide organizations where you will be able to see the results of your ‘investment in rhinos’. DO NOT GET CAUGHT UP IN THE EMOTIONS OF THE MOMENT…make an informed decision.
Now, as promised, Chapter 2 of POSITIVE SOLUTIONS TO RHINO POACHING.
Chap. 2: EDUCATING THE ASIAN PEOPLE
People can change for many reasons but mostly we change for just two: because of conscience, morals, new principals, or, because it affects me personally. If I know what I am doing is bad does not necessarily mean I am going to change. I might, but then it affects me emotionally and pricks my conscience. If, on the other hand, I know it is detrimental to me personally, may even hurt me (think cancer-causing, heart disease, etc) then a possibility exists I may change. Even then, I may not because my knowledge of the problem is different to the actual effect. So, when I have the heart attack (and survive)…boy, now I change, because it really has affected me!
So how does this relate to rhino? Well, let’s look at a culture of traditional medicine that has been around for thousands of years. I returned from Beijing, China on the 10th of August. I have been with Chinese people intimately when I ran the Great Wall for 4 months…I ate with them daily. A few weeks ago I watched moms and dads with their children in the street markets eating snake, cat, sea cucumber and much more. Now, let’s change the thinking quickly to save our rhino? I don’t think so! I am the greatest optimist in the world. My mantra is NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE. I have spoken to QQ (China’s Face Book look-a-like) and yes, we may ‘change’ thinking over time…BUT NOT BEFORE THE LAST RHINO HAS PERISHED.
Look at the power of media…the Vietnamese government officials wife who said it cured her of cancer…has spiked the upsurge in poaching. If we ‘explain’ medically that there is no medicinal value in rhino horn, it will not matter. The BELIEF that it works is as powerful as something that does work! We visited a professor in Beijing…she said that if we tell all Asian people that rhino horn is useless will not change the individuals belief that it ‘works for me’.
The system (not just rhino!) is driven by two things only: IGNORANCE and GREED.
‘Educating’ people hopefully will one day succeed, but we have no luxury of time here…
PLEASE BE INFORMED AND ‘PAY THIS FORWARD’…read all my chapters…challenge me with pleasure after reading. Let’s fight the good fight together! PS Rule number 1: Know (and understand your enemy).
Chapter 3 tomorrow…POISONING THE HORN…
