Make Poverty History

[nev]

Make Poverty History

I would say that poverty is a lack of an essential to live a life of satisfactory value.

What is essential for us to live? I believe that to live a satisfactory life we have a material need for food, water, housing, earning a living, etc. such that our physical bodies will survive, and a spiritual need to develop our minds, attitudes, values and behaviours. Both are of equal importance and achieving a suitable balance of both, I believe, allows us to live in harmony with ourselves and therefore with others.

In the last year we have heard of the movement to “make poverty history”. The developed countries of the West seem to hold a dominant role in the global economic structure and therefore is able to control the meeting of their needs better then other parts of the world. And in the extreme it looks as if the countries of Africa have been brought to their knees in their absolute incapability to even barely survive. Let alone meeting any basic needs, it seems like in Africa vast areas have absolutely nothing to sustain themselves whether by way of food/water or medically or otherwise. But then not only in Africa is it the case; numerous other parts of the world are equally in either similar or reaching similar state.

The Live 8 concerts and “make poverty history” movements would have us believe that the solution rests in the hands of the 8 most powerful countries leaders. If the G8 leaders make the correct decisions we can look forward to the eradication of poverty forever. Can this be true? Is it really as easy as that? Are we saying that if the 8 most powerful men/women of the world say “aye” to helping the “poor” and “nay” to anything that increases unfairness to the “poor”; then we will all live in a world where our physical and spiritual needs are met suitably in the right balance to ensure that we all live in harmony and therefore happily ever after…

Let us look at us at the West for a minute. Our economies are actually dependant on huge corporations, growing ever larger by globalisation. The corporations are owned mainly by shareholders; normal people like you and me. So we went to Edinburgh last year to protest our demand for awareness of poverty and then came home and checked the price of our shares! So while I want my G8 leader to stop poverty, I expect the value of my shares rise higher, to make me richer regardless of whether I am using unfair trading rules to make my money or mistreating women/children in poor countries to ensure big profits which will do well for me!

Let us look at us in the West again. Our earning power and therefore wealth compared to those in the poorer nations is much higher. Yet our moral values are in a state of decline: we are selfish, intolerant, and have materialistic attitudes to an extent that makes us spiritually deficient such that all we care about is “how much money we can make or how many cars we have or how large is our house regardless of how much we actually need?!” And then we go to Live 8 concerts and protest marches while our next door neighbour dies of loneliness and there is a guy down the street who is homeless and hungry.

And the countries we give aid to. Most of the aid goes into corrupt pockets that become rich, live as we do in the West and equally without any care for their hungry brothers and sisters. The poor starve and protest but if ever they do get that helpful aid then suddenly they become one of the corrupt pockets! Status quo therefore does not change. But hey, we in the West and our corrupt colleagues elsewhere are ever so pleased: we marched and protested and rocked to show we are aware and really care! And we fool ourselves that it’s all somebody else’s problem to deal with!

As long as we live in a world where it’s all somebody else’s problem, then things will never change – even for ourselves! The Live 8 and “make poverty history” movements are undeniably well intentioned, with admirable aims and we should all be part of it. But poverty is not solely in the hands of G8 leaders. It begins in our hands. This means that side by side with marches, demonstrations and rock concerts; we must examine ourselves and our lives. Side by side we need to look around us and see how we treat the environment and people around us. We have to work at finding that balance of the physical and spiritual by “me” doing what’s right and striving for that “contented life” in the right way. Then and only then do I believe that I have any authority to demand that my leaders “make poverty history”.

neville

[OpenMind]

Is this what you do? I have no shares, I cannot afford to travel to concerts, and if I am lonely, it's because my internet connection has broken and I cannot gain access to the FG.

I do not own my home and I struggle to keep my car going so I can earn money to pay the taxes to keep my political leaders in affluence. Yet, I do not consider myself to be poor. Poverty, to me, means being unable to feed myself and keep myself warm.

Poverty is relative and means something different to different people. I can only judge my own state relative to poverty by that of my neighbour. I am aware that I have much more than those that inhabit the third world. Yet I would bet that they are happier than we are (and why would that be). There is a truth here that underlies a lot of our social afflictions that creates a yob culture. But I am also aware that their problem lies with their rulers and until this is put to rights, then charity is simply throwing money into a bottomless pit. The only way to really be charitable to these people is to live there amongst them. Charity is about more than money.

Don't be fooled by the images on your TV. How disgusted can you imagine I felt when, after such an instantaneous financial response to the Tsunami disaster (before official charities even got into gear) was thrown up against a myriad of political brick walls. Those people are still waiting.

But I can't get on a plane and go over there and help them. Well, no, that's not true. I could sell everything I own and I could then afford to go over there and help them. But I wouldn't be able to get back. My life would become the same as theirs. Worse, I would be an outsider.

Sigh.

I hate it when people start pontificating about how I should be charitable. I will do according to my heart and my means.

[Accountable]

Gee, Neville. I don't want you to think we're ganging up on you, but I think government's role in charity is as a cheerleader only. They should only have enough money to cover minimum essential governmental issues, such as highways and the military.



Government is the very reason none of these wonderful programs work. It's like using a cargo truck to carry water instead of a tanker truck. It just wasn't made for that purpose. Bust still, we as a people look to the gov't to do our charity work for us, and the real charities use gov't involvement to excuse their own failings, usually because they didn't get enough money from the latest gov't program.



Each of us individually can only do what we can do, and hope that that will cause a ripple, influencing others. Maybe you've done just that.

[Accountable]

Wow. Thanks D. I didn't know. Maybe that's a good cause to push for.