In early 2001, Queenslanders suffered from natural disasters that caused loss of life and property. The charitable support given to these people was overwhelming and the loss was softened by the generosity of other humans helping those in need. Can this generosity extend beyond our borders to help those suffering from the (avoidable) lack of basic needs such as food? Or should Australians – and indeed all global citizens – look only to their own nations, turning a blind eye to those beyond their borders? The answer seems morally obvious, but why does chronic poverty still exist? Giving to the hungry must be an absolute (or universal) obligation, which all rational moral agents can comply with in such a way that it has no significant impact on their own well-being. Firstly, many Australian citizens can afford to give a little; Our country's high standard of living allows many families to have a sustainable income that allows them to afford luxuries such as fine coffee, long weekend getaways, or a case of wine , from time to time. Peter Singer is an advocate for social justice and has discussed at length our moral duties as affluent citizens. His book “The Life You Can Save” offers a sliding scale of donations based on income, which nicely reinforces the idea that giving should not impact one's own well-being. It should be noted, however, that his idea calls into question the act of giving – normally considered as charity – and instead proposes it as a duty, and therefore an absolute obligation. To create this revision from charity to duty, we must view the act of indulgence – without the act of giving – as morally wrong; that we should give because it is wrong NOT to do so. Singer believes that once it is obvious that ...... middle of paper ...... should give as a moral obligation, because we can give and we will feel happier doing so. Works Cited Aknin, L., Barrington-Leigh, C., Dunn, E., Helliwell, J., Biswas-Diener, R., Kemeza, I., Ashton-James, C. (September 2010). Prosocial spending and well-being: Cross-cultural evidence for a psychological universal (Working Paper No. 16495). Retrieved from the National Bureau of Economic Research website: http://scholar.google.com.au/solar?q=prosocial+sending+and+wellbeing &hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholartHardin, G. (1974, September ). The ethics of lifeboats: the case against helping the poor. Psychology today. Retrieved from http://www.garretthardinsociety.org/articles/art_lifeboat_ethics_case_against_helping_poor.htmlSinger, P. (1972, April 1). Famine, wealth and morality. Philosophy and Public Affairs, 1(3), 229-243. doi:10.2307/d100428