Last week’s story about the rise in demand for food and shelter for the homeless is yet another reminder that Bermuda remains in the depths of recession.The problem becomes especially severe in the winter months as this year’s unseasonably cold weather has demonstrated.The great challenge is still how to help the poor and the homeless to get back on their feet and to lead meaningful and worthwhile lives. While there will always be a minority of people who prefer the freedom of the streets and the tramp’s life, the vast majority of the homeless do not. They may have lost their jobs or their homes. They may have some form of mental illness or suffer from some kind of substance abuse.There are halfway houses and other forms of assisted living that can be made available to Bermuda’s growing homeless population. Treatment for drug abuse and the like is also available.More can and should be done, within the constraints of the economy. There is a tendency to expect “Government to do it”. But there are private charities and private sector organisations that can and do help, including the Salvation Army, the Eliza DoLittle Society and Project 100.They cannot do it without financial support from the community. Very often, they also deal with the “sharp end” of the problem. The long term solutions, which include assisted living and rehabilitation, take longer and are not always successful. But they are successful in some cases, and should not be rejected.The real answer lies in a growing economy in which all people who want to work and the vast majority of people do can work and earn a reasonable wage. That in turn provides the tax revenue and money to donate that enables others to be helped as well a virtuous circle.WikiLeaksInvariably, as 2010 came to a close, some discussion took place about WikiLeaks and its decision to release into the public domain hundreds of thousands of US State Department diplomatic cables.That decision was, somewhat predictably, hammered by governments and diplomats around the world, who felt it was grossly irresponsible and damaging to global diplomacy. To a degree, that is understandable.Certainly, there will have been some awkward moments as blunt descriptions of world leaders were made public. And diplomats should have some confidence that the information they provide is treated confidentially. They are obliged to be honest with their superiors, if not with the leaders of the countries where they are stationed. Honest and informed assessments help their superiors make better decisions on how to shape policy. If diplomats are fearful that their candid assessments will be made public, they will be more circumspect, and their superiors will thus be less well informed. This could lead to dreadful miscalculations about how other countries may react to decisions.However, the public information test followed by most Freedom of Information Acts, including Bermuda’s Public Access to Information Act, is that release of the information cannot cause harm, rather than embarrassment.Little of what has been made public so far has caused real harm, although there will be plenty of red faces. Revelations that US diplomats were asked to spy on their counterparts at the United Nations, or that Saudi Arabia was eager for the US to attack Iran, are important and in the public interest. But little harm has been done as a result, at last so far.Thus any further information that does become available must pass two tests it needs to be in the public interest to know about it and it must not do harm.The further truth is that in the Internet age, getting this kind of information is easier than ever, and once in the public domain, its virtually impossible to suppress it again.