August 01, 2005
Online Shopping With A Conscience
Frustrated by the gap between western consumerism and developing countries, Jonny Platt created Rectifi.org.uk to turn online shopping into international aid.
Rectifi provides search tools similar to those of Google and Yahoo, and more than 400 shops have signed up, including Apple, Sony and eBay. "There is no additional effort on the user's part and, with over half the world surviving on less than £1 a day, we all have a responsibility to make changes", says founder Jonny Platt.
Mr Platt came up with the idea of harnessing the spending of money in the West to aid the poor of the developing world while travelling in India. He was shocked by the contrast between the hunger for materialism he had experienced in the UK and the hunger and desperation he found in India. the money raised will initially go to Tourism Concern, a charity working with communities in tourist destinations to reduce social and environment problems. But as the site grows, eventually it may be possible for shoppers to choose where their money should go.
Posted by Buzz Webster at August 1, 2005 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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