How can we Make Poverty History without government?
Thank you ‘anonymous’ for your response. Excellent, there is life out there! I got my first post from this site, and I’m very happy – keep ‘em coming!
I’d like to take a few moments to reply to my respondent…
Firstly, don’t worry, I’m sure no-one will boycott anything on the basis of my ranting.
I know there are loads of fantastic people and organisations doing fantastic work out there. It’s exciting that so many ‘stars’ can get together and organise such an international event, and it’s getting more exciting with the new concerts announced in J’burg, Tokyo, etc, as well as the inclusion of Black artists (even if the ones chosen are the same ones always reeled out for such events and could have been predicted - I still want Jah Shaka to play!) It’s terribly sad and predictable that people are getting sidetracked from the issue of poverty into concerns about celebrities and money-making.
I certainly do advocate lots of letter-writing to politicians and involvement in appropriate campaigns, but I also want to explore what we can do without government and without organised bodies. This probably reflects my lack of trust in organisations, which I’ve generally found to be unhealthy, bullying and based on abuse of power. I can’t see what they do so I can’t believe their words; all I truly believe is what I experience for myself, and that tells me if you want change, you have to make it happen for yourself. Also I’m really beginning to wonder about the financial and environmental cost of live8 – the venues, the stars, the roadies, the technicians, the publicity, the transport, the power, the days off work! If I was evaluating it I’d be running a tight cost analysis; I suspect there are better ways of using all that tremendous energy and money.
What I want to debate is how people can make a difference every day of their lives, and there are many ways to do this. I’m not trying to preach and say that I live my life perfectly; instead I’m trying to use conversation to seek out ways to really make a difference. For example, I was thinking about many of the African people I’ve met who have been working so hard and living in difficult conditions, in order to help people back home. Some are putting children through school, others are supporting elderly or disabled relatives, still others are investing in businesses. I’ve been privileged to work with Heritage Ceramics (see links), specialists in providing education and training in traditional West African Arts, and I’ve been able to introduce them to various organisations which work with young people. This has not only bridged the gap between urban British youth and traditional Africa, but helped to support the artists’ children, families and a business in Africa. It has also helped my business. This sort of collaboration can directly help alleviate poverty, and it’s a way we as individuals can do something practical and meaningful.
It’s funny, while I write this I can feel hordes of Daily Mail readers reading over my shoulder, muttering about ‘them’ taking ‘our’ resources – jobs, homes, money, women(?) – I wonder if they’ll be going to Live8? If there is going to be any real difference made then some of ‘our’ resources have to move towards Africa, we have to face it, and we have to support it too. One thing I already suggested was to seek out and buy African products; but in our personal and professional lives we can also collaborate more - without being patronising we can work alongside Africans, trade with African companies, make African friends, employ Africans and support them to support their continent. Then it’s not something that ‘we’ are doing to ‘them,’ it’s something we’re all doing together.
Another is to give blessings every day for every luxury we find ourselves with, to appreciate as much as possible how much we have, and to dedicate ourselves to finding meaningful ways of making poverty history. Got any more suggestions?
I’d like to take a few moments to reply to my respondent…
Firstly, don’t worry, I’m sure no-one will boycott anything on the basis of my ranting.
I know there are loads of fantastic people and organisations doing fantastic work out there. It’s exciting that so many ‘stars’ can get together and organise such an international event, and it’s getting more exciting with the new concerts announced in J’burg, Tokyo, etc, as well as the inclusion of Black artists (even if the ones chosen are the same ones always reeled out for such events and could have been predicted - I still want Jah Shaka to play!) It’s terribly sad and predictable that people are getting sidetracked from the issue of poverty into concerns about celebrities and money-making.
I certainly do advocate lots of letter-writing to politicians and involvement in appropriate campaigns, but I also want to explore what we can do without government and without organised bodies. This probably reflects my lack of trust in organisations, which I’ve generally found to be unhealthy, bullying and based on abuse of power. I can’t see what they do so I can’t believe their words; all I truly believe is what I experience for myself, and that tells me if you want change, you have to make it happen for yourself. Also I’m really beginning to wonder about the financial and environmental cost of live8 – the venues, the stars, the roadies, the technicians, the publicity, the transport, the power, the days off work! If I was evaluating it I’d be running a tight cost analysis; I suspect there are better ways of using all that tremendous energy and money.
What I want to debate is how people can make a difference every day of their lives, and there are many ways to do this. I’m not trying to preach and say that I live my life perfectly; instead I’m trying to use conversation to seek out ways to really make a difference. For example, I was thinking about many of the African people I’ve met who have been working so hard and living in difficult conditions, in order to help people back home. Some are putting children through school, others are supporting elderly or disabled relatives, still others are investing in businesses. I’ve been privileged to work with Heritage Ceramics (see links), specialists in providing education and training in traditional West African Arts, and I’ve been able to introduce them to various organisations which work with young people. This has not only bridged the gap between urban British youth and traditional Africa, but helped to support the artists’ children, families and a business in Africa. It has also helped my business. This sort of collaboration can directly help alleviate poverty, and it’s a way we as individuals can do something practical and meaningful.
It’s funny, while I write this I can feel hordes of Daily Mail readers reading over my shoulder, muttering about ‘them’ taking ‘our’ resources – jobs, homes, money, women(?) – I wonder if they’ll be going to Live8? If there is going to be any real difference made then some of ‘our’ resources have to move towards Africa, we have to face it, and we have to support it too. One thing I already suggested was to seek out and buy African products; but in our personal and professional lives we can also collaborate more - without being patronising we can work alongside Africans, trade with African companies, make African friends, employ Africans and support them to support their continent. Then it’s not something that ‘we’ are doing to ‘them,’ it’s something we’re all doing together.
Another is to give blessings every day for every luxury we find ourselves with, to appreciate as much as possible how much we have, and to dedicate ourselves to finding meaningful ways of making poverty history. Got any more suggestions?
posted by Firegoat @ 10:54 am
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