September 13, 2008
Burkina Faso - Mine, all mine!
Mining in Burkina Faso has become more accessible to foreign private companies over recent years, and - for better or for worse - here they come, taking advantage of the stability of the country and its attempts to make business more attractive to outside investers - not to mention the huge amounts of money to be made. But will it actually benefit the country...?
The area around Gorom-Gorom is one of the major areas of mining interest in Burkina - not only for gold and manganese, but now also uranium - yes, that stuff they use to make nuclear weapons...
* Uranium Mine. Apparently the mining rights have been obtained to look for uranium around Oursi in Burkina Faso, about 25 miles north of Gorom-Gorom. Australian company Southern Cross, in consortium with the Canadian company Crosscontinental and others, has been granted two Exploration Permits for uranium in Burkina Faso.
In neighbouring Niger, there is much debate as to whether the uranium found there has been a blessing or a curse. Niger has one of the world’s largest reserves of uranium. But, according to IRIN, analysts show that uranium mining by foreign-dominated companies has produced little for the country but environmental damage, health problems, and domestic political tensions, including attacks by the armed militia of the "Niger Movement for Justice" (MNJ).
* Gold Mine. Meanwhile, back at Essakane, 20km east of Gorom-Gorom. Canadian company Orezone (who bought out South African Gold Fields for $200 million last year) has secured a $330-million financing for its gold mining project there. Orezone now expects to spend $420-million to bring the mine into production. The Essakane mine is expected to produce an average of 315 000 oz/y of gold over a 9,4-year life.
Unless I'm much mistaken that's about $2.5 BILLION of gold in the ground of the poorest part of the third poorest country in the world.... I wonder how much the locals will get to see of that... The whole town of Essekane - and several other villages - are being moved to make way for the mine. I hope that Orezone sees the opportunity here to impact the region for good, and not just rape the area for the benefit of its shareholders.
* Manganese Mine. And at Tambao, about 40 miles north-east of Gorom-Gorom, the manganese mine is rumoured to be up for grabs again. The manganese deposits are potentially Burkina's most important resource, with a proven reserve of "4.6 million tonnes at 56.8% manganese". This makes it one of the world's richest sources of the mineral. Previous attempts at mining have been hindered by transport problems - Tambao is very remote, and the mountain was literally being trucked to the coast then shipped to South Africa for treatment. Political manoeuvering and corruption were of course also blamed at the time, with so much at stake.
Now, it seems Coronation International Mining Corporation (CIMC) has been granted an exclusive rights to conduct feasibility studies and, if positive, to exploit Tambao. It seems CIMC was bought by our friends at Orezone in 2002 for $7.216 million. CIMC is apparently looking at using "small 1 MVA portable furnaces". They estimate, at a market price of $1,000 per tonne, an annual revenue of US$12 million...
The mining companies must be thrilled at the opportunity to make so much money from such a poor country. I can imagine them rubbing their hands with glee...
"Burkina is mine, all mine...!"
Tags: africa sahel burkina burkina faso mining gold uranium manganese
July 20, 2008
To Plough or Not To Plough
“Yimbe Saouga ndeman hikka, tilay” said the hitch-hiker as we approached the village of Saouga. “The people of Saouga will be forced to plough this year.”
Saouga is the village where the road to Gorom-Gorom gets cut off each year during rainy season, the swelling river rushing over the road, often up to chest-height.
The people of Saouga have made a killing each year by helping people through the river – at a price. They have been renowned for their lack of pity for those without the money or willingness to pay, since they know there is no alternative – (although, they sometimes have shown surprising kindness.) A number of men have discovered this to be a more profitable way of spending the rainy season than working the fields.
But this year the Burkina Faso government has built a bridge over the river at Saouga...
Everyone is happy about the bridge at Saouga – except the people of Saouga, who will be forced to plough this year...
Meanwhile, back at the ranch.
Back in Gorom-Gorom, Pierre tells me of going to town to ask for a field to work. People looked at him in amazement, and asked “Where are you from...?” Apparently people are abandoning field work more and more because they are just not getting anything from it.
After one or two years of poor harvests, you might still believe that it is just a bad patch and hope that things will get better. But when year after year you invest time and energy over three months to plough, sow, and weed a field by hand, and then the rains fail at the end, leaving you with nothing, you begin to lose that hope.
Inconvenient Truth
A minority of people will continue, in the face of increasingly overwhelming evidence, to refuse the fact of climate change and the role of human activity in it. It could be argued that the testimonies from locals that the rains have been getting worse over the last 20 years, is just a case of “it was better in the old days”. The observations of more extreme weather, including the increased frequency of drought and flood, could be a blip. But the abandonment of fields worked over generations speaks of the reluctantly-accepted, and life-changing reality of a changing climate.
The people of Saouga will be forced to plough this year. But what of next year? And the year after that? Alternative activities here are scarce. What options do they have?
"La Vie Chere"
And, all the time, food prices are increasing. At this time of year, when millet is scarce and rises in price, people have often bought rice instead. People can’t do that anymore. Last year, a sack of rice was about £16. This year it is over £20. That is a huge price rise when, for example, new teachers earn maybe £35/month.
There have been demonstrations and riots in Burkina Faso because of the struggle people are having with “la vie chere”. The government has taken tax off basic foodstuffs, but people blame the government for the price rises. They of course don’t understand the role that gambling on international markets, the rich world fling with biofuel, or the growth of the middle class in China, have on their food prices.
If people abandon their unproductive fields, to try other alternatives, they will of course have to buy all their food. But what work can they find here to earn enough to feed their families?
Life Goes On
For us, climate change is still largely a cause for academic discussion or bad jokes. Price rises may mean inconvenience. For those in Gorom-Gorom, they are massive threats.
Yet, people carry on with life, less troubled by the coming storm than we westerners are by the fact that we have to pay more to fill up our car. They have seen famine and drought and know what it is to go without, and to trust God in those times.
In this morning’s 6am prayer meeting, Seydou was encouraging us with Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:25-34. In Europe and the US, we rarely if ever have had to actually put these verses into practise in the way these guys do on a regular basis:
“Do not worry about what you will eat, drink, or wear... but first get hold of God’s reign and righteousness, and he’ll take care of these other things as well.”
Tags: africa sahel burkina burkina faso saouga travel bridge flood poverty
April 25, 2008
World Malaria Day
Today is World Malaria Day.
1 million people die of malaria each year - that's one person every 30 seconds. 90% of these deaths are in Africa.
Ban Ki-moon wants to eradicate malaria in Africa. The solutions are possible, if not always easy.
What do you think? Shall we do something about it?
I wrote a series of articles about this a couple of years ago - you can find them here
November 06, 2007
Jesus and computer-shopping
I was recently given a couple of generous gifts towards buying a much-needed computer to help me in this new phase of ministry. But which computer to buy, and how to decide...?
Everyone who has one raves about how much better and more cool Macs are. But the money wouldn't stretch that far, so then I looked at good deals on Dell, who supposedly produce solid workhorse computers at good prices. However...
While I obviously needed a computer that can do the job, that was within my price range, and that has reasonable customer support, a question that concerned me, but that is rarely addressed even by Christians when it comes to computer-buying, is the ethical dimension.
Jesus and Shopping
Of course we are all now buying fair trade coffee, I hope... But what about fair trade computers? Are we willing to let our ethical values shape our attitude and decisions to shopping in general, and to buying computers and technology in particular? Or is the "cool-ness" of the thing my bottom line? A Christian ethic requires Christ's Lordship over all our lives, including our shopping.
Consumerism works because of greed.Quite apart from the issue of whether we actually need all the stuff we buy - and whether our willing and unthinking submission as disciples of consumerism is compatible with following Jesus, there is another question: are we concerned about whether the stuff we buy is part of a system that oppresses the poor in the pursuit of profit at all costs?
For example, is it right to seek the cheapest model, if by doing so, I drive down prices paid to the worker, and thus actively oppress the poor? Or if I buy a model which has better performance, but from a company which has a poor human-rights record? Or a computer which is cool, but produces pollutants?
Ethical computer-buying
So I went to the Ethical Consumer website. This charts the ethical values and practices of different companies for a whole range of products - including computers. They look at Human, Environmental, Animal, and Political issues. You can tailor the results to reflect the values which are most important to you - for example if respect for human rights is more important to you than whether they use animal testing.
The chart on the right shows results it comes up with for computers, showing the score out of 20 for each company. A more detailed breakdown is here
I finally decided to go for an Evesham model. And I must say I have been very happy with it so far, (especially having decided to take the leap and escape Windows and load a Linux operating system onto it).
"One-tenth to Jesus I surrender"...?
Now of course, this could appear to be a smug, self-righteous rant. And you might disagree with the ethical values chosen by the site or with its accuracy. You might even argue that we don't even need computers at all - that they are all a waste of money. You might accuse me of hypocrisy and point out other areas where I spend money unwisely.
All I'm trying to say is that we need to stop mindlessly following as disciples of Consumerism, and instead allow Christ to rule over what we do with his money. I know it is unpopular to suggest you can't do what you want with your money, but I'm afraid as a Christian it is true. And it is not just the tithe that belongs to God. It is all his. We are stewards of everything we have and are called to use it for good, not just for self-indulgence. Shopping is a Christian issue.
What do you think?
Tags: computers ethics christian ethics shopping christianity
October 14, 2007
Nobel Peace Prize and Climate Change
You have probably seen that the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Al Gore have just jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts in raising awareness about man-made climate change. Dissent to this decision seems to focus on two main areas which we will look at:
1. The Scientific Debate
2. Is it really a contribution to "peace"?
Conclusion: we will finish with a few thoughts from a Christian point of view.
Continue reading "Nobel Peace Prize and Climate Change"
July 20, 2007
Education Education Education
1. Education and My Website.
I was recently contacted by Taecanet to ask if they can use a page from my website on their "e-learning website". Apparently, my page "has been chosen by an expert subject teacher to illustrate principles which children need to understand to achieve core curriculum objectives." Wow! Bet you never knew my site was so clever, Certainly I didn't. Well, of course, it is only one page among thousands that they will use, but I am thrilled nevertheless.
Taecanet looks really interesting - it uses "safe and secure web based delivery" of material for both Primary and Secondary schools - go and have a look.
Oh, and the page they want to use...? This one.
2. Education and Burkina Faso
At the same time, I am continuing to investigate how we can help support education in Gorom-Gorom. (The photo shows a classroom in a nearby town - looks a bit different to a school in the UK, doesn't it?) I continue to run an education fund, which exists for two main reasons:
- to help put children through primary school who cannot afford to go. The cost of this is about £30/year (see here)
- to give grants to young girls of secondary school age to go away to a Christian college where they can receive a good academic and spiritual education in a protected environment (see here). Young women like this are vulnerable to the sexual advances of local men if they stay at home. The cost of this is about £450/year. "B" has now finished her schooling, and I am committed to putting at least 3 more girls through college currently, including "L", who recently became a Christian.
We are also looking at the possibility of starting a primary school in the region, and I will let you know as things progress. Education is one of the Millenium goals, and a priority in Burkina, where literacy (according to the 2005 UNDP report) is 12.8%.
(If you want to support this education fund, you can send cheques to World Horizons (in the UK or US) for the "Burkina Faso Sahel Education Fund")
3. Education for All.
My good friend Neil Logue has recently started an initiative called "Education for All" that captures the unseen potential of school refurbishment in the UK to help promote education world-wide, while at the same time helping protect the environment.
Items from the schools, instead of going to landfill, are re-furbished and re-used. EFA aims to provide "materials, equipment or knowledge, to enable local UK and overseas developing school communities to build for themselves sustainable schools and learning environments for their future." It is a great vision, and I hope to link up with them somehow.
Tags: africa burkina burkina faso education gorom-gorom schools
April 09, 2007
Feeding the 3-headed monster
The Times has more on the iniquities of US cotton subsidies and their impact on the poor of Burkina Faso:
Burkina Faso's cotton market has been brought to its knees by “the monster with three heads”: a weak dollar, low world prices and US cotton subsidies. The Times makes the following points:
- America’s 25,000 cotton farmers receive about $4bn in subsidies, allowing them to undercut their developing competitors.
- The same year, farmers in Burkina Faso produced a bumper crop of cotton more efficiently, and yet made a loss of $81 million
- The US subsidies were ruled illegal by the World Trade Organisation three years ago, yet only 10 per cent have been dropped so far.
- Washington still pays many times more in subsidies to these farmers than it gives in aid to Africa each year.
- As a result, world cotton prices are now at the lowest since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
- Burkina Faso depends on cotton for 70 per cent of its cash exports, and income for a quarter of its 13 million people.
The Bush Administration has said it will consider increasing aid to boost African farmers’ productivity, but that has been dismissed by developing nations, which would rather have a “fair playing field”.
One Burkinabe cotton farmer, Mr Outtara, is in despair, saying: “Cotton production is meant to be a way out of poverty, not a means of keeping us there.”
François Traoré, president of the Association of African Cotton Producers, says “Families who don’t even know where America is are being punished by their policies. We are not their enemies. Why are they destroying us with their riches? One day, when we face the same God, how will they explain themselves?”
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina cotton subsidies farm bill justice sahel poverty
March 19, 2007
Bono on God's heart for the poor
Bono speaking when receiving an award from the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) in the US. From Tod at It Takes A Church.
Tags: bono justice poverty god
July 29, 2006
Burkina Faso could sue the US!
Apparently, Burkina Faso and other West African cotton-growing countries are considering taking legal action against the US and its cotton subsidies, which are undermining the economies of poorer countries like Burkina.
Africast reports:
"African countries on Thursday warned they may launch a legal challenge over subsidies to cotton producers in rich countries, notably the United States, after the collapse of talks aimed at making global commerce fairer."
The countries are talking with Brazil, which won an earlier legal challenge to America's illegal cotton subsidies.
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina trade wto cotton justice poverty development subsidies farming agriculture
July 26, 2006
More on Cotton in Burkina. And re-thinking emergency Aid
Cotton
Following my posting on cotton a few days ago, the BBC have just filed this report on the struggles faced by cotton farmers in Burkina Faso, and the temptation to protectionism as a response to the inequities of American subsidies. Meanwhile, the US and EU continue to blame each other for the failure of the latest WTO talks, for which - as always - the poorer countries will be the ones to suffer in the fall-out of richer nations' bickering.
Aid
The BBC also reports on Oxfam's call for a re-examination of the approach to emergency aid. Oxfam say that recent emergencies have focused attention on immediate aid without enough attention to longer-term development strategies, and that aid is often late and expensive. They recommend buying aid locally and focusin on small-scale, low-tech development strategies such as livestock purchase deals as ways to break the cycle of dependance.
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina aid trade wto cotton justice poverty development subsidies farming agriculture
July 22, 2006
Murder suspect freed in the Zongo case
The BBC and UN report that the former head of Burkina's presidential guard, Marcel Kafaondo, has had charges dropped against him for the murder of journalist Norbert Zongo (pictured), due to lack of evidence.
Kafando had already been convicted for the murder of David Ouedraogo, the chauffeur of the president's brother. It was this murder that Zongo was investigating when he was killed in 1998. He and three others were found burned and bullet-ridden in Zongo's car, 100km from Ouaga. The official investigation in 1999 into Zongo's murder concluded that Zongo's death was for political reasons linked to his research, and six presidential bodyguards were identified as suspects.
Zongo was the country's most well-known and outspoken journalist, and publishing manager of the Burkina national newspaper l'Independant. His murder, and the apparent impunity of those behind it, sparked country-wide protests with street demonstrations by students, and vocal criticism by the press. After an initial official crackdown on the demonstrations, a more conciliatory approach was tried by the presidency, and the long-term benefit of the case has been a response of the government to public pressure to increase democracy and transparency in the country's institutions.
The "Zongo case" has continued, 8 years later, to stir people's emotions in Burkina. Especially in his home town of Koudougou, the anniversary of his death is remembered and marked, and this has kept a degree of pressure for justice. The latest ruling is being noted with disappointment and frustration, and leaves a lack of closure on a key wound for a country wanting to move forward into a new future.
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina norbert zongo journalism justice
July 19, 2006
US cotton farmers see the effects of American subsidies on Africa
A poor man's field may produce abundant food, but injustice sweeps it away."
(Prov 13:23)
A while ago, I wrote about the US cotton subsidies, how they depress world prices and harm the economy of poor cotton-producing countries such as Burkina Faso. Burkina loses more money through the effect of US cotton subsidies than it receives through US aid. These subsidies have been declared illegal by the WTO.
Then, to the hope of millions, the US announced it was scrapping its cotton subsidies.
US farmers see the reality for themselves
But it seems there is still a problem. US cotton farmers have recently visited Burkina's neighbour, Mali, and said themselves that US cotton subsidies are hurting Africans and "worsening hardship in the world's poorest region". In 2004-05, $4.2 billion in government subsidies was given to just 25 000 US cotton producers, affecting between 15 and 20 million people in Africa who depend on the crop.
In addition, a paper produced by TCS observes: "The vast majority of these and other commodity subsidies go to the largest and most profitable farm operations. ... one farm in Arkansas received $23 million in cotton subsidies between fiscal years 1996 and 2001."
The situation as it stands
So what happened to that "scrapping" of the subsidies?
Well, in fact, Congress only agreed to scrap one part of the subsidies (the the Step 2 cotton export subsidy program if you are interested), and that only comes into effect as from next month. Oxfam does a good analysis of that decision here.
It was a good start, but leaves $3.2 billion in annual cotton subsidies and $1.6 billion in export credits untouched - all equally illegal and unjust.
West Africa have seen a 14% increase in their cotton yields, but the absence of an equitable price, caused by the western subsidies, meant a 31% loss in the income they received from it. While the price of imports such as oil are rising, the price Burkina can receive for its key export is falling due to western subsidies. So we keep Burkina poor by our unjust trade rules, and then appease our consciences by giving a few million in aid.
International deliberations
Ahead of the WTO, the leaders of Burkina Faso, Mali, Chad and Benin have been continuing their fight for the elimination of cotton subsidies worldwide. President Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso spoke to the Trade Negotiating Committee of the WTO in June, and, with the president of Mali, has written a letter to the New York Times condemning the subsidies.
One year after the climax of the Make Poverty History campaign at the G8 summit in Edinburgh, the EU and US are still arguing over who needs to make more cuts to their subsidies and tariffs. The Middle East crisis then inevitably kicked concern for Africa onto the sidelines. Yesterday, there was more hope as trade ministers have been sent to meet at the WTO with a principle of "more flexibility" in the aim of resolving the issues of trade subsidies and tariffs.
Parallel to the G8 summit in Russia, there is another summit in Gao in Mali, trying to bring attention to the region's issues. With immigration from Africa to Europe a major concern for the "rich nations", the gathering in Mali observes that "working to improve the standard of living in sub-Saharan Africa is the only way to stem the tide of immigration".
Justice and common sense
The obvious injustice of the vast discrepency of wealth between the rich and poor world is also a cause for international social disruption - whether that be immigration or terrorism.
Justice in trade rules for the poor, giving a fair income for their work, is not only right on its own merit, but is beneficial to all. It gives dignity to people, allowing them to work to improve their lives rather than being so dependant on aid. And it takes away one of the main incentives to the international social unrest that so threatens our world today.
Please pray and campaign for trade justice for the poor:
UK:
Tear Fund
US: ONE
A good paper by Oxfam on the cotton issue is available here.
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina aid trade wto cotton justice poverty g8 subsidies farming agriculture
March 29, 2006
Women in Burkina Faso
On the way down from Gorom-Gorom back down to Ouagadougou during my recent visit to Burkina Faso, we bumped into various celebrations of International Women's Day. This is a day to commemorate the contributions of women in society, as well as to highlight the inequalities, oppression, and violence still suffered by many women around the world.
Women's Rights and Equality
The previous president of Burkina, the radical Thomas Sankara, was a big supporter of equality for women, and he banned female circumcision, condemned polygamy, and promoted contraception. Women's Day was a big deal. On that day, women stayed at home, while the men had to do the shopping and cooking. Unfortunately, the women got really upset about it because the men had no idea of prices and ended up paying up far too much for stuff at market!
There has been progress in many areas for women in Burkina - women have equal rights by law, and the government has campaigned vigorously against early and forced marriage, fgm etc. But, in rural areas in particular, where traditional customs dominate and awareness of legal rights are minimal, such laws are difficult to enforce, and reports show that women continue to suffer inequality and violence. In such areas, social and cultural factors negatively impact levels of female school enrolment, inheritance, custody of children, land ownership, access to work and finance, and political decision-making.
Famous Burkinabe Women
In the towns and cities, opportunities are increasingly available for women, and many are making use of them. Here is a list of some successful women from Burkina Faso. Fanta Regina Nacro is a film director from Tenkodogo, whose 2004 film "La Nuit de Verite" (The Night of Truth) has won several prizes. "Mai" Lingani is a popular singer, who divides her time between Burkina and New York, and whose band Burkina Electric, will be playing at the Ouagadougou Jazz Festival this year.
Tags: africa burkina burkina faso women travel women's day sahel
March 20, 2006
The right to die...?
A man in Afghanistan is apparently on trial for conversion to Christianity, with the sentence of death hanging over him if he is found guilty.
This is the same Afghanistan that has just voted in favour of a new Human Rights Council "aiming to strengthen the world body’s machinery to promote and protect fundamental rights, and deal with major human rights offenders".
Please pray for Abdul Rahman, and for the future of human rights and freedom in Afghanistan.
Tags: afghanistan afghan human rights conversion religion christianity islam
March 17, 2006
So what did I do?
Thanks for all your helpful comments on the article "To bribe or not to bribe..." There were some excellent responses.
So, what did I do...?
Well, I didn't pay the bribe.
As a result, I lost the bike, missed a key appointment in the afternoon, and finished the day with very sore feet and a sunburned face. The bike had to be collected and the fine paid the next day.
Burkinabe responses
Interestingly, the first reaction of almost all the Burkinabe I spoke to about it was an astonished:
"But if you'd have just given him a couple of thousand, he'd have let you go!"
"Yes, but if we keep allowing them to make us pay bribes, it will never finish!" I answered the three people in the tourist office. "How will this ever be 'la terre des hommes droits' (land of righteous men - the literal meaning of Burkina Faso) if we keep agreeing to it? We need to fight corruption!" They agreed enthusiatically, though I had the impression they were humouring me somewhat.
"But now you have made yourself suffer!" commiserated the Christian guards outside an office compound. "You will have to walk in the heat, and go all the way to Patte d'Oie to get your bike back. Why didn't you just pay him?"
"It wasn't like this in the time of Sankara (the previous president)" ranted the taxi-driver. "At that time if you tried to take bribes you would be shot! And it's getting worse all the time. But what can we do...?"
"If only you'd called me on my mobile" sympathised my Christian soldier friend, "I'd have come and they'd have let you go. That's what my brother does. We understand each other, the police and us..."
"Ha!" cried the young guy at the coffee stall, "you shouldn't even have stopped. What could he have done...?"
I had the feeling that my "righteous stand" was seen as mere foolishness by all the Burkinabe. So, were they right? Maybe. I don't know, but here are a few thoughts:
It's not about me
I think I was right not to pay the bribe, since this would have been encouraging a corrupt system, by which the powerful exploit the weak for personal gain. It is not me, but the normal Burkinabe who are the true victims of this system, since they are less able to pay.
And there is the real dilemma. Was I not also supporting the system by actually paying the fine for a crime I didn’t commit? Again, I am well able to pay the fine, but what about the many other victims who are less able to?
So, are there ways of making a stand not only against paying the bribe, but against paying the fine? The option of being prepared to “hang out all afternoon” is a great one when you actually have the time. It can make a point without confrontation. Certainly, if everyone took the same personal stance, there would eventually be a change. However the police count on the fact that we rarely have that option, and the "lesser sin" might be to pay the fine rather than disrupt a working day. Sometimes we have to pick our battles.
But maybe there is also a time for confrontation. Maybe there is a time to speak up – not just for myself, but for the others. To speak up, humbly, yes, but clearly, saying that this is not right.
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
for the rights of all who are destitute.
Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy." (Pr 31:9)
I didn’t do that this time.
Tags: africa burkina burkina faso bribery travel ouagadougou mission sahel corruption
March 11, 2006
To bribe or not to bribe...
Yesterday I was stopped by the police in Ouagadougou.
Just as I was turning the corner at the traffic lights, the lights changed from green to amber. I heard a whistle blow, and knew I was in trouble. I looked up to see a policeman waving me down. I pulled over and he told me I had crashed a red light.
Patiently, but knowing it was a lost cause, I tried to convince him that the lights had changed as I was coming through. He sent me off to see his boss down the road, where I joined a small and growing group of frustrated moped riders trying to get the attention and sympathy of an older, and unsympathetic-looking policeman.
After dealing with the immediate scrum, he turned his attention to me, and gave me a piece of paper with official stamps on it.
"You crashed a red light. You will need to take this paper to the central police compound tomorrow morning at 8am, and pay a fine of 4800cfa (about £5). Then you can get your moped back."
Once more I tried to persuade him that maybe his man had made a mistake. I was careful not to accuse directly, but was trying to give him a way to back down. He drew me aside.
"Look, I want to help you. If you can pay half the price now, I can let you go with your moped. But I can't give you a receipt... In that way we can settle this as friends. But if you need a receipt, you will have to go tomorrow to the police compound, and then you will have to pay the full price..."
What should I do? If I paid now, I knew the money would not go into the proper box. Policemen - like everyone else in Burkina - are using whatever means they have to make ends meet. Their salaries are often barely enough, and the weekend was coming. If I pay the gift to my "friend", am I not sustaining the system of corruption that so weakens the economy of the country?
And yet, would it really be so bad? If I paid now, the money would at least be helping the poorly-paid policeman's family, rather than the over-populated bureaucratic system. I also had a very full programme, and to be deprived of my moped for the rest of the day would throw it into complete chaos. Without wheels, I would be forced to walk in the sun a fair distance to find a taxi to get me where I needed to go. For just £2.50 I would be free to get on with my day, and no-one - except maybe you, dear reader - would know any more about it.
What should I do?
What would you do (honestly)?
And what did I actually do?
Part two can be found here.
Tags: africa burkina burkina faso bribery travel ouagadougou mission sahel corruption
February 09, 2006
Global Warming and God
Some interesting pieces of news on the environment today:
1. Yet more evidence of global warming due to human activity. Evidence published in the reputable journal Science shows that the world is warmer that at any time during the last 1200 years. This follows on from another article published in November that showed greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane are higher now than at any time in the past 650,000 years.
2. Encouragingly, evangelicals in the US are taking an increasing concern about what we are doing to God's earth. And throughout the US, some industries and states are also taking initiative to tackle issues of energy and carbon dioxide emissions - even if for many it is driven by economic rather than ethical concerns.
The science is increasingly overwhelming. And we have the moral responsibility to steward what God has entrusted to us, both in honour of God, and in concern for the most vulnerable, who are always most severely affected by environmental disasters. Christians should be at the forefront of those opposing the destruction of the earth in the selfish pursuit of prosperity.
Tags: environment global warming
February 08, 2006
Cotton subsidies update
Following what I wrote here about the end to US cotton subsidies, the BBC have a good photojournal of a cotton farmer in Burkina Faso, and his life and views on the subsidy issues.
February 02, 2006
US cotton subsidies scrapped!
The BBC reports today that the US has scrapped its major cotton subsidies! This has to be good news for Burkina Faso.
These subsidies had been declared illegal by the WTO because they distorted the global market.
In particular, they undermined the prices that poor cotton-producing countries like Burkina Faso could get for their cotton. Such subsidies thus actively damaged efforts of these countries to work their own way out of poverty. I wrote about the issue here.
Now that the US has taken this step, let's hope the EU begin to deal with the iniquities of the Common Agriculture Policy subsidies...
Tags: africa burkina burkina faso trade wto cotton justice poverty subsidies us cotton subsidies
December 18, 2005
Spotlight on Darfur 3 - Christmas Edition
All Things 2 All is hosting the third Spotlight on Darfur - a collection of posts bringing attention to the continuing situation in the Sudan.
"In the Western world Christmas has become a time of glitz and tinsel, and also for many a time to give and receive gifts. The contributors to this Spotlight on Darfur are diverse and do not represent any one organization or group. But we share in wanting to give something to the people of Darfur at this time, and we hope for peace in that troubled and conflicted area."
Go read.
December 08, 2005
Murder by cotton
A poor man's field may produce abundant food, but injustice sweeps it away."
(Prov 13:23)
Cotton is a Christian issue! Cotton and other agricultural subsidies in rich western countries are robbing people in poor countries like Burkina Faso of honestly earned income. What should our response be?
Burkina Faso's exemplary efficiency
Burkina Faso is a model of efficiency and production - at least when it comes to cotton. Her cotton farmers are the most efficient in the world, producing cotton at only 21 cents/lb. Cotton, known as "white gold" in Burkina, is the main export of this, the third poorest country in the world, providing half her export earnings. So you would think that everyone would be keen to applaud such an exemplary effort of a developing country helping itself, independant of international aid. Especially in a country of which US officials recently said: "we are proud of their success in encouraging economic and personal freedoms..."
American cotton subsidies take from the poor
But not so, apparently. Even at such prices, Burkina struggles to sell her cotton. This is because American cotton, produced at 72c/lb is subsidised to the tune of 3 billion/year to her 25 000 cotton farmers, thus depriving the poor of an honest income. It is estimated these subsidies cost West African cotton farmers $250 million in lost income. Burkina Faso, for instance, received $10 million in U.S. aid in 2002 but lost an estimated $13.7 million in exports because of U.S. cotton subsidies.
Next to this, the U.S. pledge of $7 million (of which only $5 million is new money) to aid West African cotton farmers hurt by these subsidies seems ridiculous. As Francois Traore, president of the union of Burkinabe cotton producers, said:
"This is a question of human rights. We're not asking for a gift, we're asking for just rules."
Changing the rules
Those "just rules" can be decided at the World Trade Organisation meeting in Hong Kong next week. The "African four" - Burkina Faso, Mali, Chad, and Benin - are four poor West African cotton-producing countries, where more than 10 million people depend directly on cotton to pay for food, school fees and housing. . They are calling for an end to such export subsidies and for duty-free and quota-free access for cotton and cotton products from least-developed countries.
Cotton subsidies are just one aspect of the unjust trade rules that need addressing - and the US is far from being the only guilty party. While the U.S. gives more than $12 billion in subsidies to its farmers on everything from corn to sugar to tobacco, the EU gives $53 billion. A European cow receives $2.50 a day in subsidies, while 75% of Africans live on less than $2 a day. There is also concern about intellectual property rights, and attempts to liberalise the trade in services.
But cotton has become a symbol of the inequaliities of the current system, and unless something changes, the West African cotton industry - an engine for development and hope for millions of poor - could disappear. And we will be charged before the Great Judge of oppressing the poor, and denying them justice in the courts.
A Christian voice for justice
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.
Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." (Prov 31:8-9)
We need to develop a Biblical attitude and response towards poverty. As part of that, we should recognise that trade is a Christian issue. A Christian response to injustice in trade must affect our own lifestyle - to pursue our own prosperity at the expense of the poor is an offense to God. And we should also "defend the rights of the poor and needy" - calling for justice for the poor.
You can let your voice be heard.
* UK: vote for trade justice
* US: Contact President Bush and ask him to fight extreme poverty at the WTO by making trade fair.
* UK/Europe: Contact Peter Mandelson, European Trade Commissioner, to call upon him to do everything to act for the poor.
* UK/US: Join the Make Poverty History (UK) or ONE (US) campaigns
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina aid trade wto cotton justice poverty bible subsidies
October 01, 2005
Make Poverty History - where now?
After the big build up to the G8 meeting in July, where there was some progress on improving Aid and cancellation of Debt for poor countries, the Make Poverty History campaign was brutally pushed out of the public eye by the London bombings and subsequent events. So where are things at now?
The UN Summit and IMF/World Bank meetings in September (more information below) did little more than reconfirm the agreements made at the G8 Summit in July. And there were no moves towards establishing trade justice for the world’s poor. So all eyes are now on the World Trade Organisation meeting in December.
Make Poverty History is encouraging us to press for action at the WTO to change unfair trade rules and work towards trade justice. The call is upon rich countries to:
· stop pushing poor countries to open their economies
· respect poor countries' right to decide on trade policies to help end poverty and protect their environment.
· remove rich country trade barriers
You can do this by
* Voting for trade justice - if you haven't already done so.
* Joining a Mass lobby of Parliament.
* Getting ready for White Band Day 3 on 10 December.
* And more...
For more about these issues, read the postings I wrote earlier on
1. Biblical attitude to the poor
2. Corruption
3. Aid and Development
4. Debt
5. Trade.
Continue reading "Make Poverty History - where now?"
September 12, 2005
The state of the nations
This week will see the largest-ever summit of heads of State and government. They will be addressing the failure to reach the Millenium Development Goals of development and poverty reduction.
The league table
The Human Development Report 2005 is once more a call to action. This report places countries of the world in a league table according to development as measured by life expectancy, educational attainment and income.
As usual, Africa is gathering the crumbs at the foot of the table. Burkina Faso is third from bottom again, 175th of 177 countries measured. Only Sierra Leone and Niger are below it. Norway and Iceland are top, with the US in 10th place, and the UK in 15th.
Some interesting comparisons:
| Indicator | United States | United Kingdom | Burkina Faso |
| GDP per capita | $37562 | $27147 | $1174 |
| Below $1/ day (%) | - | - | 44.9 |
| Life expectancy at birth (years) | 77.4 | 78.4 | 47.5 |
| Infant mortality (/1,000 live births) | 7 | 5 | 107 |
| Births per woman (fertility rate) | 2.0 | 1.7 | 6.7 |
| Literacy rate (% ages 15+) | 99 | 99 | 12.8 |
| Undernourished people (%) | - | - | 19 |
| HIV prevalence (% ages 15-49) | 0.6 | 0.1 | 4.2 |
| Doctors (per 100,000 people) | 549 | 166 | 4 |
| Access to clean water (%) | 100 | 100 | 51 |
Burkina has been improving - in the last 30 years life expectancy is up from 43.9 to 47.4 years, and infant mortality is down from 163 per 1000 to "only" 107. However, the figures are still not acceptable. How many of us would be happy with the expectation of living only 47 years? (It would leave me two years to go.) Or how happy would you be if your newborn child had a 1 in 10 probability of dying?
There is a clear moral, ethical, and biblical responsibility to address such issues. The goals are attainable. The decisions made at the G8 summit will have some impact, but more is needed. At one level the question is whether there is the political will to address the structural changes necessary.
At another, more fundamental level the question is whether we ourselves care enough to make a difference? Are we prepared to pay the cost of justice and compassion? Are we prepared to make our own hard choices? To live more simply, to pay more, to give more - to care more? To deny ourselves for the good of others?
Tags: burkina faso africa aid burkina development hdi un summit human development report un poverty
August 11, 2005
What will you do?
The West African food crisis affecting Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Mauritania is not the only situation in need of attention in Africa. FEWS has highlighted that there are current food emergencies also in Chad, southern Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Zimbabwe.
Common problems
Although Sudan and Zimbabwe have particular situations, the common problems behind the situations in most of these countries is not corruption or bad governance or war, but long-term poverty in areas dependant on rain-fed agriculture. With climate change and the advance of the desert making subsitence agriculture in these areas more precarious, they are highly vulnerable to crises of drought or pests such as locusts. With no cushion, a bad situation turns rapidly into a crisis.
Such countries are not "sexy". When was the last time you heard of Burkina Faso, if ever, on the news? Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso take 2nd, 3rd, and 4th bottom places in the UN development table. How indeed, can it be "normal" for one in four children to die before the age of five, as is the case in Niger? But reports and blogs about poverty there don't get attention. Only film of starving children on our screens actually does that.
If you have followed this blog at all, you will know that - with all their faults - these countries are trying within their capacity to help themselves. But their resources are few, and the task before them is enormous, needing huge investment.
A free-market famine?
The situation in this year has been made worse by other factors. Normally food prices would drop after the harvest. But last year's harvest failure led to huge grain price rises. Partly this was due to traders holding back grain, or selling it across the borders to Nigeria or Ghana for a better price. At the same time, animal prices fell as pasture disappeared. This has given rise to the situation where food is available in markets, but people don't have the money to buy it. The crisis in Niger was, as Ethan points out in part a "free-market famine".
External pressure also played its part. Free food distribution was held back because of concern that interference with the free market could disrupt Niger's development out of poverty. The IMF had forced Niger to get rid of food stocks, and to put tax on products such as milk in order to receive aid.
So, what shall we do?
These countries need our help. Part of that is a direct response to the current crises, by giving. But if the underlying long-term causes are not addressed, we will see this again and again. Long-term commitment is needed, with massive investment of aid for development, and with fair trade rules that help the poor. On the one hand, of course, this brings us back to the Make Poverty History campaign. At the level of government, there is the need for a huge emergency relief fund, which is being called for at the UN in September. There is the need for change in the world trade rules, which need to be addressed at the WTO in December. And the promises of aid and debt relief made at the G8 must be implemented.
But we ourselves are also responsible as individuals and as churches. We must not just give our £50, and then forget, and go back to our DVDs, only to be surprised when the next famine hits our screens. We cannot build bigger barns and bigger houses, and push for lower prices and a better life for ourselves, and neglect the impact our greed and our choices have on the world. We are accountable before God.
There is much more to say on this, and I want to come back to consider again our responsibility as Christians to a radical and joyful commitment to generosity, compassion, self-denial, service, love, faith, and justice. But for now, think about how you can do more than just giving the once. Commit yourself to give regularly. Find out about other crises. Write about them on your blog. And above all, pray and ask the Lord what he requires of you.
God bless you.
Tags: burkina faso africa aid burkina niger food crisis famine
July 26, 2005
Niger
The food crisis situation we are facing in the north of Burkina has of course struck throughout the whole region of West Africa, and is particularly bad in Niger, where 3.5 million are at risk. 150 000 children there are suffering from extreme hunger, and less than 1 in 10 of those in need are making it to the feeding centres.
The food crisis has been caused by a combination of locust invasion and bad rains, which ruined last year's harvest. NGOs were warning of the forthcoming disaster since November last year, and calling for aid. Further appeals in January and June still failed to raise a penny in aid from international governments. The amount asked for initially to prevent the crisis - a few million dollars - was peanuts compared with the fact that "Europeans eat ice cream for $10bn a year and Americans spend $35bn on their pets each year."
Now that the crisis has hit, and it is on our television screens, governments are shamed into doing something, but it is still a fraction of what is needed. Food is now beginning to arrive, but it is too little, too late for many thousands who will die before it can reach them. And the amount of money needed to resolve the crisis now is much more than would have been necessary to prevent it several months ago.
"The World Food Programme appeal for $16 million is still only 40 per cent funded. The UN emergency appeal for $30 million has only received $10 million, although more has been pledged. Had this money been given six months ago, it would have cost $1 per person affected per day to prevent the food crisis... It will now take about $80 to save each starving person."
The Niger government also has a responsibility, since - in spite of NGO warnings - the government did announce its problems, but tried to play down the extent of the crisis. Niger is the second poorest, and Burkina the third poorest country in the world.
Information
You can read a BBC report on the situation, including a link to a video report on the arrival of aid to Niger here.
There is also a new website, Niger Watch, run by the prolific Ingrid Jones.
Help
You can send money to help to:
Red Cross
World Vision
Christian Aid/ ACT
July 11, 2005
G8 Outcome
There were few surprises at the final outcome. On the main issues, results were pretty much as expected:
Developments in Burkina Faso
Food Aid
The money we have sent out for food aid has arrived. This is following the failure of last year's harvest due to a locust swarm as well as bad rains. The food aid should be ready for distribution very soon. This is a key time, when people need food for energy to work the fields. Please pray for good rains through to September. One problem with the rains is that they wash away the roads by which the food aid has to come. Please pray for this aid that it arrives without problem, that it helps many people, and that it brings honour to the name of Christ.
Steve has also been distributing seed for people to plant. Many people had eaten the seed they had kept for planting because of the food shortages.
Burkina and the G8
Burkina is one of the 18 countries to benefit from the debt cancellation arranged by finance ministers in the lead-up to the G8 summit. The lack of progress in dealing with rich country agricultural subsidies, such as cotton and rice, is a concern. These harm Burkina's economy and the lives of many people there. However, George Bush's apparent readiness to deal with them may open possibilities for the WTO in December.
Burkina benefits from the Millenium Challenge Corporation
The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) has approved up to $12.9 million for a program to help Burkina Faso improve primary-education completion rates for girls. MCC said: "MCC congratulates the people and government of Burkina Faso for their innovative program to increase primary education rates among girls." The program will fund construction of schools and teacher incentives in 10 provinces with the lowest girls' primary education completion rates.
The Threshold Program is designed to assist countries that are on the "threshold," of Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) eligibility. If such countries make reforms as stipulated by MCA, they might eventually qualify for MCA assistance.
Tags: burkina faso poverty aid africa burkina
July 08, 2005
What does the Lord require of you...?
David Wayne at Jollyblogger has written a post on Live Aid, the ONE campaign and Africa. I don't agree with the assessments of all those he quotes, although it does give a perspective on different Christians ways of looking at the issue. He quotes an interesting perspective by Gideon Strauss, and promises us more of his own thoughts in the coming weeks, which I look forward to.
This is what I commented there:
"I've been a missionary for 15 years in one of the poorest countries in Africa. I am convinced that preaching the gospel and making disciples of Christ is the best thing we can do for the development of Africa. But I am also convinced that the situation of extreme poverty in Africa and elsewhere is an injustice that challenges us as the church to respond in our personal lives, in our discipleship, in our church life and mission, and - in the pattern of Amos and others - in our prophetic role towards political leadership.
For this we need humility and to struggle with what God requires of me. We need to avoid the arrogance of certainty in claiming we have answers - especially when they come without the cost of the cross. We need to avoid dividing ourselves from fellow believers by throwing our lot in with either Socialist or Capitalist solutions, and instead seek what the Bible has to say, and how it critiques both.
If we as the church are to be a model and channel of God's kingdom of justice and righteousness, this must have a serious impact on our lives as we consider our mission to the world and our attitudes towards our own wealth and comfort...
I would love to see a more Biblical and (to use Andy Jackson's phrase) missional discussion of these issues taking place among Christian bloggers."
Links to my articles this weeks on: Biblical attitude to the poor, Corruption, Aid and Development, Debt, and Trade.
Tags: g8 poverty make poverty history africa mission church discipleship
July 07, 2005
The G8 is underway
So, the G8 is underway. Let us pray for these leaders to make righteous and just decisions that will benefit the poor. Africa and Global Warming are at the top of the agenda at this summit:
Africa
1. Debt
G8 leaders are expected to officially endorse a debt relief plan proposed last month by their finance ministers. The proposal would cancel at least $40 billion in debt owed by the world's 18 poorest nations. The deal will save 18 countries about $1.5 billion annually, which they could use toward health care, education and poverty alleviation programs.
The deal has been criticised for two main reasons. Firstly, that it is too limited and should be extended to all 62 countries in need of debt forgiveness. Secondly, that the conditions for countries to receive debt relief are too harsh. The phrase "good governance", instead of focusing on dealing with corruption, insists on potentially harmful enforced market liberalisation and other governmental economic policies.
2. Aid
G8 leaders seem to have reached a deal to increase aid to Africa by $25bn (£18bn) by 2010/15. European countries have also agreed to boost their aid budgets to the UN target of 0.7% of GDP, though this has been promised before, and is too slow for the immediate needs. British proposals to double aid flows quickly by borrowing money from international financial markets (the so-called International Financing Facility) - have not found much support among other G8 countries. George Bush has pledged to double U.S. aid to Africa from $4.3 billion in 2004 to more than $8.6 billion by 2010. However, he has repeatedly rejected calls to increase U.S. foreign aid to 0.7% of the country's gross national income.
Poor countries are worried that aid will be conditional on them opening their markets to foreign investment, and that much of the aid will be tied to the purchase of goods or services in the country offering the aid. These two aspects of aid apply particularly to the USA. For example, much of US aid is in the form of food aid, which is spent on US farmers." Last week George Bush announced a $1.2 billion initiative targeting malaria in Africa and has promised to streamline the Millennium Challenge Account, which has been criticised as too slow and cumbersome. As a result, only $400,000 of US aid has actually reached sub-Saharan Africa so far, and only four countries have qualified at all.
3. Trade
George Bush has said he is willing to give up American subsidies if the EU will do the same. The BBC says "Neither the EU or the US is likely to make any real concessions at this stage of the trade talks - that will come, if at all, in Hong Kong" (at the WTO talks in December). "Meanwhile, they are arguing that developing countries must fully open their markets to Western products, despite the fact that their own markets were protected for many years while their industries were developing."
In addition, many African countries lack the capacity to take advantage of any trade deal without years of investment in infrastructure like roads and ports.
Global Warming
Tony Blair has insisted he will push hard for a deal on climate change, which he believes is inextricably linked to boosting African countries' share of international trade. There seems to be an effort to develop a new strategy to tackle global warming which had the support of countries such as China and India as well as the US. This should focus on developing fuel-efficient technology and exploring alternative sources of energy.
George Bush has now acknowledged that Global Warming is an issue, and that human impact plays a role, but rejects Kyoto-style legally-binding reduction on carbon emissions, preferring to focus on new technologies as a way of tackling global warming.
Other related links
* American Christian groups are increasingly getting involved - from the Washington Times and Christianity Today.
* Multinationals: A case of the foxes guarding the hen-house?
* Corruption in Africa and complicity by the G8.
* Keep up-to-date on G8 issues at the BBC
Tags: g8 poverty make poverty history africa trade aid debt global warming
July 06, 2005
G8 Blogging 5 - Trade
(I've been knocked out with a migraine today, so just a quick one for now...)
A poor man’s field may produce much fruit, but injustice sweeps it away (Prov 13:23)
Aid and debt relief are necessary parts of an approach to promoting development, but trade is a far bigger issue than either. It may be that the deals done on aid and debt will not accomplish much without progress on trade.
Africa's share of global trade has dropped from 3.5% in 1970 to around 1.4% in 2005.
The UN estimates poor countries are losing $700 billion/year through unfair trade.
A 1% increase in trade would give an extra $40 billion/year to Africa.
A quick look, then at the situation, at some Biblical perspectives on trade, and at some application.
Continue reading "G8 Blogging 5 - Trade"
More G8-related links
G8
Maggi on whether our expectations are too high of the 8 making a difference: "the reality is that global poverty will only be shifted if you and I (and all the outrageously rich rock stars in the world) take seriously the fact that global poverty will cost us - in our pockets, in our lifestyles, in our wish to consume all we want without counting."
Trade
George Bush is apparently ready to give up American subsidies if Europe does the same. Sounds good to me.
Aid
It seems claims that US aid to Africa has tripled were an exaggeration.
Jeremy Sachs offers his perspective on the American approach to Africa
Debt
Monbiot on the failings of the G8 debt relief plan.
African leaders seek an end to debt
Young people, poverty and Jesus
The Telegraph reports:
"Young people are more interested in tackling poverty and climate control than getting extra pocket money, living without rules or having their football team win, a survey says.
They also identify Jesus as the figure who most represents what it means to be a "superhero"
July 05, 2005
G8 Blogging 4 - Debt
Africa's total external debt is $300 billion. Each year, Africa faces demands for over $10 billion in debt repayments. Most of the very poor countries in sub-Saharan Africa owe money to rich country governments and to international organisations - the main ones being the World Bank, the IMF and the African Development Bank. Many countries still have to spend more on debt repayments than on meeting the needs of their people. For example:
* In Malawi, more is spent on servicing the country's debt than on health, despite nearly one in five Malawians being HIV positive.
* In Zambia, debt repayments to the IMF alone cost $25 million, more than the budget for education despite 40% of rural women being unable to read and write.
G8 finance ministers agreed at a meeting in London on 11 June to write off a total of $40billion in debt owed by 18 of the world's poorest countries, most of them in sub-Saharan Africa. This will be followed by 9 more countries in another year, and another 10 sometime after that.
I will look briefly at the history of the debt crisis, consider some Biblical principles, and their application to the current situation and the latest G8 effort.
Continue reading "G8 Blogging 4 - Debt"
Protest and the kingdom of God
What a difference the protests in Edinburgh were last night from the peaceful rally of 225 000 people on Saturday. The protest of several hundred anarchists and anti-capitalists began yesterday in apparent good mood. And it seems many wanted to keep it that way. But it soon turned disruptive, with clashes between a minority of protesters and the police. Accusations were flying thicker than the stones, bottles, and supermarket trolleys. Some locals accused the protesters of starting the trouble, while others blamed the police with antagonising the situation and using "bizarre" tactics. 90 people were arrested, and 20 injured.
It is easy to dismiss the whole protest because of the violence of the few, but it is worth asking some deeper questions. I am sure that some were out for violent confrontation from the start, although one does wonder if that would have happened if the police hadn't been there in such force, since it was they who seemed to be the object of the violence.
Looking at the websites of some of the groups concerned, the Carnival for Full Enjoyment say "we seek the end of this system based on profit, and we work towards a global community based on freedom and cooperation." I am sure there are those in this movement who are genuinely angry at injustice, and frustrated by the apparent powerlessness of peaceful protest. As Christians, we might disagree with these protesters' approach and solution, but we too, surely seek a kingdom that is not based on profit, but one of "justice, peace, and full enjoyment in the Holy Spirit" (Rom 14:17). We are to be a community of an alternative lifestyle, called the church, where this is possible, and we are to refuse to bow down to the lordship of either Mammon or Caesar.
The zealots were of course the political revolutionaries of their time, and their approach was one of violent confrontation with the political authorities. I suspect Simon the zealot would have been there in Edinburgh yesterday. Yet, in Jesus, Simon found a different kind of revolutionary. Jesus called his people to live by a different set of values - the values of the kingdom of God that offered a true alternative to the self-seeking of this world's system. Instead of violent confrontation, he taught the way and power of the cross. He didn't seek political power, but he did call people to a total new affiliation - to himself and the values of his kingdom, where everybody, especially the poor and weak, found worth and freedom. Yet Christ and his teaching were seen as a political danger. The affiliation to a new Lord, and a kingdom that gave freedom and worth to the downtrodden threatened to undermine the ruling system value. The church by its existence was a protest. And the followers of Christ suffered for it.
We are not called to violent protest. We are called to Christ. And in bending the knee to him alone, in accepting his Lordship over our lives, we declare that Caesar is not Lord, and that we will not serve Mammon. We commit ourselves to be a people shaped by the cross, where we choose self-denial, serving, and suffering in the pursuit of obedience to God. We choose to be a kingdom where all people can find worth and freedom, where the poor, blind, and outcast can feast. We are to be people who demonstrate and proclaim a different system, and in this offer a challenge and protest against that of the world.
Yet we are too compromised to offer a threat. We have bought into the system of this world's values of possessions, prestige, and pleasure. We willingly bow down to Mammon, and to Caesar. We are not offering an alternative vision to that of the political pursuit of national prosperity. We are offering no hope of a different possibility for the Simons of today. We are no threat to the system that accepts the suffering of millions in the pursuit of our own prosperity. And so we enjoy our comfortable Christianity. And others suffer for it.
July 04, 2005
Various G8 links
Video
In response to the MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY video, Ira Israel and some Southern California teens created this message to show solidarity with ONE and Make Poverty History campaigns in the global fight against AIDS and extreme poverty. (Thanks Mike for this.)
ONE
ONE, the Make Poverty History campaign equivalent in the US, now has over 1 million supporters. Support seems to be broadening there. Christian singer Michael W Smith, Pat Robertson, and Bill Gates are all supporters. USA Today observes that evangelicals in the US seem to be increasingly broadening their political involvement from abortion and family values to include humanitarian concerns such as AIDS, Sudan, and even environmental issues.
Bush and Global Warming
While some progress has been made on Aid and Debt, Trade and Global Warming remain to be dealt with. George Bush seems now to acknowledge that human activity plays a part in global warming, but rejects Kyoto-style legally-binding reduction on carbon emissions, preferring to focus on new technologies as a way of tackling global warming.
Pope
The Pope has added his voice to call the G8 to act to help eradicate poverty in Africa. He said: "My heartfelt hope is that this important meeting is successful, that it leads to a sharing out of the costs of reducing debt and puts in motion concrete measures to eradicate poverty and promote genuine development in Africa,"
A lifetime's work
Gordon Brown observes that it will take more than one G8 meeting to deal with long-term poverty in Africa. He told the BBC: "It is a lifetime's work where we empower the people of Africa and the developing countries to make decisions for themselves." While we should still look for significant movement at the G8 this week, this is a reminder to us that a commitment to justice is not for one week, or one rock concert.
What Live8 was about
Live8 was not about rock music. It was not Live Aid 2, aiming to get people to give money. It was about educating and mobilising people to call upon our leaders to act for justice for the poor. The organisers of Live8 sent this open letter to the G8 afterwards:
"We just thought it was worth writing a reminder of what it was all about.
The very simple fact is that thousands upon thousands of people are still dying each day, in one damn way or another, as a result of extreme poverty.
No one, absolutely not one person in the world, thinks this is a good state of affairs. And yesterday millions and billions of people took part in an event that was meant to say that. They don't know how to stop the dying. But they are desperate and passionate that something should be done right now."
Tags: g8 live8 make poverty history
July 03, 2005
Make Poverty History Edinburgh - some thoughts
"The only thing necessary for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing." (Burke)
I don't know whether the "8 men in a room" will listen to us. I don't know whether it will have achieved anything. I don't know whether we are naive and simplistic. But I'm glad I didn't do nothing.
May God keep us from remaining silent and doing nothing when injustice and suffering are rife.
While it was Live8 that of course got all the media attention, I'm glad I was at Edinburgh. The 225 000 who descended there were from all kinds of backgrounds and persuasions. There seemed to be huge numbers of Christians there - reflecting the centrality of the churches to the Make Poverty History campaign. Tear Fund, Christian Aid, CAFOD, WDM, World Vision, and Traidcraft banners were everywhere. But there were also people from across the spectrum of different ages, races, religions, politics, and pressure groups.
The whole event was remarkably good-humoured. Even after waiting 2 hours, standing in the sun, to set out on the parade, people were not pushing or getting irritable. The Socialist Worker group were good-humouredly trying to sell their papers, and most people were equally good-humouredly smiling and passing on by. There was almost no alcohol to be seen, and the police - who seemed nervous at the start - had nothing to do, and by the end were smiling and relaxed.
There were a few provocative banners, and a handful of protesters for other causes who would have liked to co-opt the march for their own ends. But they were studiously ignored. I am sure there may have been disagreement in the details of how people thought poverty should be tackled. But what united the majority of this diverse group was simply a selfless passion to see justice done for the poor - a conviction that it is simply not good enough to allow the current situation to continue, where we allow a child to die unnecessarily every three seconds. We cannot say, when we have the wealth, the knowledge, and the ability to wipe out death from poverty-related disease, that our own comfort is more important.
We can do our own bit personally, by giving generously. And we need to ask ourselves if we are really doing that. But - as Steve points out - we can't get rid of the agricultural subsidies, or wipe out poor countries' debt, or change the system that keeps the poor trapped in powerlessness. Our leaders can do that, and we can call upon them to do it in our name.
Some photos and personal highlights from the festival coming tomorrow.
July 02, 2005
This Week's Good Idea - Pray for the G8 leaders
This week, the leaders of the 8 most wealthiest countries in the world are meeting in Gleneagles in Scotland. They have the potential to make decisions that can hugely impact world poverty.
Pray that Tony Blair, George Bush, and the other leaders will act for justice in the areas of Trade, Aid, Debt, and Global Warming.
And if you haven't yet done so, you still have time to follow Last Week's Good Idea and send a message to the G8 leaders.
July 01, 2005
White Band Day and Edinburgh
Today is White Band Day
Tomorrow I'll be in Edinburgh for the MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY festival to call on the G8 to act for the poor on Aid, Trade, and Debt. We have already seen some movement on Aid and Debt - even if not as much as we hoped. But the big prize is Trade. Western agricultural and other export subsidies have to go.
G8 Blogging 3 - Aid and Development
(Congratulations if you managed to wade through yesterday’s post on corruption! These posts are getting longer than I intended, and there is so much more to say. I’ll try and shorten them a bit, and then maybe come back to them later.)
More aid – while essential in the short term – is not the solution to Africa’s poverty. Changes in the trade system are more urgent. Christian Aid estimates that Africa has lost $1,440 billion to the rich world over the last three decades through unfair trade, debt servicing and bad investment policies.
But aid does have a role in poverty reduction and promoting social and economic development. The call from the Commission for Africa and from development agencies has been not only for a huge increase in aid, but also for better aid. They want an extra US$50 billion each year, a timetable to reach 0.7% of national income by 2010, strategies to ensure that aid works more effectively for poor people, and an end to the imposition of damaging economic conditions on poor countries.
Recently the EU agreed to double devopment aid to poorer countries, worth an extra $14 billion/year. Following suit today, George Bush announced a doubling of American aid to Africa over the next 5 years, on condition of good government and the rule of law. This would mean an increase from $ 4.3bn (£2.4bn) in 2004 to $8.6bn by 2010. Congress has not yet approved Mr Bush's proposed increase in aid, and the announcement has been met with the usual mix of “good start” and “not enough.”
Is aid worthwhile? Does it help? And how should it be given. I will start with a few Biblical perspectives on aid and development, and touch on some of the harmful and helpful approaches to aid in international development in looking at the question does aid work?.
Continue reading "G8 Blogging 3 - Aid and Development"
June 30, 2005
G8 Blogging 2 - Corruption
"Corrupt politicians make the other ten percent look bad." (Henry Kissinger)
A frequent criticism made of aid and development in Africa has been that it is not worth trying to help African countries because of corruption in leadership there – that well-intended aid will only enrich the powerful and not reach the poor. Examples are cited of leaders like Sani Abacha (President of Nigeria, 1993-98) and Sese Seko Mobutu (President of Zaire 1965-97) who siphoned off billions of dollars. Certainly corruption is a major issue for development in Africa. But how valid is the suggested analysis that corruption is the "root problem"? Should we stop helping Africa because of it? What other issues are involved? And what can be done about it?
We must not write off Africa because of corruption.
Firstly, a Biblical concern for the poor, can not allow us to continue to ignore the iniquity and injustice of such poverty. It is, as Tony Blair said, a scar on the conscience of the world. Rather, it should encourage us to greater efforts for the powerless and victims of injustice.
Secondly, while recognising the problem that corruption has been in the past, and continues to be, we distort the picture by painting corruption as the root of all Africa's problems. Rather, we need to recognise the wider picture of other issues, acknowledge the progress that is being made against corruption in Africa, and recognise and deal with our own complicity in the corruption there.
Thirdly, we need to find ways forward in partnership with Africa to address the issue of corruption and facilitate a more effective strategy for development.
I will take a quick look at a few Biblical perspectives on corruption, make some comments on the situation of Corruption in Africa, and think about what Implications this has for development strategy.
Continue reading "G8 Blogging 2 - Corruption"
June 28, 2005
G8 Blogging 1 - A Biblical attitude to the poor
This is the first in a series of posts leading up to the G8 summit in Edinburgh. I will be thinking about Biblical perspectives on issues surrounding the call from Tony Blair and Gordon Brown for G8 responses on world poverty and global warming.
There is increasing agreement across the Christian spectrum of our need to respond to the apalling poverty that continues to this day. In this posting I will look briefly at the current situation of world poverty, some biblical attitudes towards the poor, and some guidelines for biblical responses to poverty. In the coming days, I hope to look at corruption, aid, trade, debt, and global warming.
Continue reading "G8 Blogging 1 - A Biblical attitude to the poor"
June 26, 2005
The girl in the cafe
I went away for the weekend, but something in the car's engine packed up very noisily on the way. Managed to limp the last few miles in third gear, but had to get the AA to bring me home. Looks like it's the gear box. Now I have to decide whether it is worth repairing, or whether I get back on my bike...
While away, I watched The girl in the cafe by Richard Curtis. At one level, it was a typical Curtis romantic comedy like Four Weddings, or Love Actually- except Bill Nighy played the role usually assumed by Hugh Grant. But this time, the film also had a message.
It was set around the G8 summit, and was highlighting the moral dilemmas around the decisions made by these 8 powerful men. A child dies every 3 seconds because of preventable poverty-related causes. These 8 men have the power to do something about it - to seriously change the status quo in favour of the poor. There are so many concerns and calls upon them, but the 30 000 children dying each day must be a more urgent moral imperative than simply pursuing our own prosperity.
I thought it was well done, and was pleased to see the message going out on prime-time TV. When you live around people who are struggling to provide for their families day by day, much of the political posturing, and criticism of Live 8, "Saint Bob", and stuff is really hard to listen to. There is injustice in the status quo, resulting in millions of people dying. The answer can never be charity alone, if we don't address the fundamental injustices. How can we not fight to change it? We need to recognise that for the poor to get a good deal, we need to be willing to pay a price, and that international structures and decisions should reflect this. Surely this is an expression of righteousness - to help others at our own cost. You too can send a message to the G8 leaders to tell them you want them to act for the poor.
Whatever you think of his films, Curtis, who made "The Girl in the Cafe", has not just jumped on some bandwagon. He normally takes 6 months in every 2 years to work for charity. He was also one of the founders of the British charity Comic Relief, with the associated Red Nose Day. Go here for a Time interview with Curtis, Bono, and Bob Geldof.
The BBC actually has a series of programmes about Africa at the moment, called "Africa lives on the BBC". There are some good programmes, and the website also has some useful links.
June 23, 2005
This Week's Good Idea - Send a message to the G8
Next week is the MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY festival in Edinburgh before the start of the G8 summit. Even if you can't go, you can send a message to the G8 leaders.
1. Send a message by email
Email Tony Blair.
Email George Bush
For the other G8 countries, follow these links:
Canada, Germany, France, Japan, Italy, Russia
And for all other countries, check here
2. Send a message on a white band
MPH are hoping for tens of thousands of messages. The messages will be collected and displayed before being handed over to the G8 leaders in Gleneagles.
Write your own message on a white strip of cloth 7cm x 50cm, and wrap it round to form a band. It could be a prayer, an encouragement to action, or a verse of Scripture speaking of God's concern for justice for the poor.
June 17, 2005
This Week's Good Idea - Say no to plastic bags
Every year on average we in the UK use 134 plastic bags each - that's 8 billion bags/year in total.
Each bag takes up to 500 years to decay. What a mess.
Either
* save your bags and take them with you next time you go shopping, OR
* use an alternative - a shopping bag or trolley.
June 15, 2005
Wolfowitz in Burkina Faso: Agricultural subsidies must be cut
So, Paul Wolfowitz, head of the World Bank, has been to Burkina Faso.
And he has said that the key to helping Africa's poor cotton growers is to cut the subsidies paid to U.S. and European agriculture producers. Great stuff.
Reuters reports: "On a tour of a cotton-processing factory in Burkina Faso, Wolfowitz said the World Bank would have a "strong voice" at the Doha trade talks to make a case for wealthy nations to reduce agricultural subsidies worldwide.
The subsidies cut into revenues of impoverished countries like Burkina Faso, one of Africa's biggest cotton growers...
Developing countries are pushed out of the market by the subsidies rich nations pay their cotton farmers. They argue the huge subsidies to U.S. cotton producers - which at $4 billion are larger than the whole Burkina Faso economy - are the cause of a collapse in cotton prices. America's cotton subsidies were declared illegal earlier this year.
"The key to tackling the problem of cotton subsidies, which obviously hurts farmers here in Burkina Faso and in other poor countries ... is to tackle agricultural subsidies across the board (in the Doha trade round)," Wolfowitz said.
The World Bank estimates that cotton subsidies in the United States and Europe are cutting into the profits of seven West African producing countries by about $250 million a year. Burkina is estimated to have lost $22m this year as a result of the subsidies.
Wolfowitz was speaking after a tour of a cotton-processing factory in Bobo-Dioulasso, the second largest city in Burkina. It is encouraging to hear him acknowledging the trade injustice with agricultural subsidies that benefit the rich at the expense of the poor. Burkina Faso, third poorest country in the world, is a typical example of this. It has a good cotton industry - it is now West and Central Africa's leading cotton producer. About 4 million of its population of 11 million depend on cotton for a livelihood. But this is being undermined by rich country subsidies.
Let us pray for justice in trade to benefit the poor, and for G8 leaders to tackle the issue when they meet together in July.
June 12, 2005
Wolfowitz, the Fulani, and Burkina Faso
Paul Wofowitz has begun his first trip to Africa with a visit to some Fulani in Nigeria! He will later be visiting Burkina Faso - my adopted second home. Ah, I would have so much to talk with him about when he gets back!
Wolfowitz' appointment as head of the World Bank was controversial as he was seen by many as lacking the necessary development credentials, and unsuitable because of his involvement in Iraq. He appears at this point however to be displaying genuine commitment to listen, learn, and act for the poor in Africa. Let us pray that this all leads to action promoting justice for the poor.
Towards Jubilee
More than expected, less than hoped - this seems to be the summary of the response to the G8 finance ministers' meeting yesterday.
It is nonetheless a good start, following on from promises made at the G7 finance ministers meeting earlier in the year. £22 billion is available to write off 100% of debts of the 18 countries who have already qualified. They have qualified through achieving targets of "good governance" and "tackling corruption." It will allow these countries to spend money on education and health that would otherwise have been given to servicing debt.
My adopted second home country of Burkina Faso is one of the countries that will qualify.
Now, we need to see more action on vastly increasing and improving Aid, and especially on improving justice in Trade for poorer countries. Resolving issues of in justice in trade would give more help than all the aid we give.
June 11, 2005
This Week's Good Idea - Feed the Hungry
There is severe hunger in the north of Burkina Faso this year, following the devastation of last year's harvest by locusts. People are dying. We want to buy grain to distribute around Gorom-Gorom, through the church there. More information is here.
If you can help, please write a cheque for "World Horizons", marked on the back: "Gorom-Gorom Famine Relief in Burkina Faso", and send to World Horizons, at one of these addresses:
North Dock, Llanelli, Carms SA15 2LF, UK
PO Box 17721, Richmond, VA 23226, USA
Thank you.
June 10, 2005
G8 Blogging
I’m trying to hire a minibus at the moment to take a group from our church up to Edinburgh for the Make Poverty History festival before the start of the G8 summit on 2 July. Will you be there?
I hope to blog over these coming weeks in a bit more depth about some of the topics that will be features of the G8 conference. In particular, I’d like to try and reflect on some Biblical perspectives on the issues – for example on global warming, aid, trade, and debt.
In the meantime, the G8 finance ministers are meeting tomorrow. If you haven’t yet done so, you probably just have time to send an email to them calling on them to do their part in acting justly for the poor.
May 29, 2005
This Week's Good Idea - Switch to energy-saving lightbulbs.
Energy-efficient lightbulbs cut energy wastage by over 75%. That means:
* They are good for the environment, as there are fewer climate-changing gases being released by the power stations.
* They save you money. Each bulb can reduce your lighting costs by up to £7 a year.
Though they may not seem cheap to buy, they last up to 12 times longer than ordinary light bulbs, so you don't have to change them as often!
May 17, 2005
Feed a child, watch a video
Feed a child
You can feed a child just by clicking on your mouse button - go here. (Thanks Ingrid for the link)
Watch a video
I had an email from Dido today. Having been so long in Burkina Faso, I don't really know who she is, but she reminded me that today is World Debt Day. And today - as on every day - the rich world will demand $100 million from poor countries in debt repayments while poverty is killing 50,000 people every day.
She also pointed me to this poignant video about Third World Debt, highlighting the craziness of Africans giving us in debt repayments MORE than we give them in aid.
May 13, 2005
This Week's Good Idea - Book a day trip to Edinburgh !
On 2 July, MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY is having a major gathering at Edinburgh to coincide with the meeting of the G8 leaders at Gleneagles.
As the leaders of the richest nations get together, we will be calling on them to use their power to act justly in favour of the poor. Specifically, we will be calling for trade justice, debt cancellation, and more and better aid for the world's poorest countries.
"The day's events will start from 11am, and will include: rallies with international speakers, celebrity supporters and music, and the creation of a giant human white band around Edinburgh city centre..."
"The event will be a family friendly, safe and fun day," with lots of activities..."
Ideas for travel and accommodation can be found here. See you there...
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and the needy.
(Proverbs 31: 8)
May 12, 2005
More on Sudan
It is good to see Sudan getting some attention at last in blogworld. Ingrid at Sudan Watch, and Steve at Two and two makes five have been calling for our attention with persistent regularity, but often it seems we Christians are too preoccupied with blogging against each other to be concerned about such trivia as genocide or third world famine.
Now, Catez at Allthings2all is bringing together a collection of posts on the crisis in Darfur, and a number of people are responding to the challenge.
Since my last post on Sudan, the World Food Programme has announced it has only received half of the money it needs to feed the 2million people it is trying to help. Rations will therefore have to be cut.
The UN Security Council has recently adopted two resolutions on Darfur, one imposing sanctions and the other making it possible to refer the matter to the International Criminal Court. Good news. But action is needed to support the African Union troops there. The BBC says NATO is still examining the possibilities of sending more troops for peacekeeping work, but is not rushing in. Last week over 200 asylum seekers from Darfur protested outside Downing Street, calling for £30m to pay for a larger peacekeeping force of African troops there.
Human Rights Watch has some suggestions about what you can do if you are in the UK or US. They give addresses of people to write to, including Kofi Annan, the Sudanese Government, and your own elected representatives, to call for action. And, of course, you can also donate through HRW, World Vision, or many other organisations.
April 30, 2005
Sudan
"The two-year conflict has left some 180,000 people dead and two million people have fled their homes."
"During a scene in Hotel Rwanda, Paul - the hotel manager - sees some footage that the Western journalists have shot in the streets that shows piles of bodies and roving gangs with machetes in the streets. He is certain that once this is shown on American and European television that the powers in the West will come to the aid of the Rwandan victims of genocide. In one of the most gut-wrenching moments of truth I've ever seen on film, the cameraman replies, "I think if people see this footage, they'll say 'Oh, my God, that's horrible.' And then they'll go on eating their dinners." (from Steve.)
How will we respond this time?
More on Sudan:
A challenge and Pictures from Steve
Save Darfur
Sudan Watch
Save the Children
Latest news:
"The African Union has agreed to more than double the number of its peace monitors in the war-torn Sudanese region of Darfur. The peacekeepers are monitoring a ceasefire signed a year ago, which both Darfur rebels and pro-government Arab militias regularly violate.... the AU asked Nato for logistical and financial support for its mission in Darfur. Nato is considering the request."
This Week's Good Idea - Recycle your inkjet cartridges
Empty ink jet cartridges are valuable; they can be recycled and reused. Those from my desktop printer for example are worth £2.50 each. Last year we in the UK dumped over 350 million empty cartridges into landfill sites, when we could be recycling them to raise money for mission.
Our church, for example, collects empty inkjet cartridges, and uses them to raise money for a "Bible and Bandage Clinic" in Zambia. You make money for mission and improve the evironment simply by not throwing something away. Can't be bad.
This website tells you more, and where you can send them in the UK. I'm told this company do a similar service in the US. Just put your empty cartridges aside and, when you have enough, send them off. If there is a group of you, of course, you'll raise more, quicker. Remember, every cartridge that we recycle helps reduce landfill usage and improves the environment... and raises money for mission - or to send to Sudan
April 25, 2005
Africa Malaria Day - Part 4: What can we do?
So today is Africa Malaria Day. We have seen the disastrous effects of malaria, the tools for fighting it, and the obstacles. Today, Roll Back Malaria is calling upon western donors to support the use of DDT, and highlighting the shortfall of affordable effective malaria treatment. So what can we do?
The battle against malaria can not be won in isolation from the context of poverty that perpetuates it. Individual families need the means of prevention and treatment. But there is also a need for efforts in combatting the poverty that is the main obstacle to its defeat. There are things we can do personally, and things we can call upon our governments to do. Here are some suggestions:
1. GIVE. Firstly, our own personal response. Here are a few ways of giving:
* Donate. You can give a one-off or regular gift to organisations helping to combat malaria and other health issues in Africa. (eg to AMREF, Tear Fund, or UNICEF).
* Child Sponsorship. You could sponsor a child through World Vision, ensuring that that child receives health care, education, and clean water.
* Alternative gifts. Instead of amassing more stuff on your birthday, why not ask people to send a couple of mosquito nets to Africa through World Vision's alternative gift catalogue?
* Adopt a school. As an individual or church, you could get in contact with a missionary in Africa who can put you in touch with a school or hospital that you can adopt. You could supply them with treated mosquito nets. One friend sent out 100 treated mosquito nets for a local school where I was working in Gorom-Gorom.
2. CAMPAIGN. As well as our own response, there is need for government-level intervention. There is a need for investment in training, education and distribution, support for the use of DDT, subsidising of malarial treatment, debt cancellation and other anti-poverty initatives, such as trade and aid.
* Make Poverty History. Join the Make Poverty History campaign, or its equivalent where you are. In the US there is the ONE campaign, and in Canada there is MPH Canada. Call your government to act to help those living in extreme poverty - especially at the G8 meetings later this year.
3. PRAY. Just take a moment now, and ask God that effective treatments and vaccines may be developed, that he moves the hearts of people to respond to the need, and that world leaders may act to counter extreme poverty.
4. BLOG! Write a post about malaria on your blog this week to promote awareness of malaria.
The BBC has an interesting series of photos and comment on malaria here.
For more information on Malaria, see WHO, the Roll Back Malaria partnership, or the Global Fund for malaria, TB, and AIDS.
Tags: malaria africa africa malaria day health disease
UK election: World Poverty Day
Yesterday was supposed to be World Poverty Day in the UK election, with the three main parties agreeing to give the day to debating world poverty issues. On the day, election media coverage of the debate was rather overshadowed by parties positioning on Iraq.
Nevertheless, it is good that justice issues such as Aid, Trade, Debt, and HIV/malaria/TB have at least been on the election agenda, when they are not usually election issues. All the parties are making some of the right noises. But, as the BBC observes: "There is no area of political life where promises are more routinely broken than international development."
The British public are hugely in favour of change: 75% want debt cancelled for poor countries, 88% want fairer trade rules, and 50% want aid up to the agreed 0.7% of GDP by 2010. The 0.7% goal was agreed by rich nations (in 1970 I think), but has never been anywhere near reached. In the 1990's it actually dropped. It is currently at about 0.3%.
As Christians, there are many issues that concern us when we vote, but certainly we should not only be voting based on issues that promote our own prosperity and comfort. Justice for the poor and oppressed should be one of our most pressing ethical and moral concerns. Compare the main parties policies on Aid, Trade, Debt, Africa, and Health here.
April 24, 2005
Africa Malaria Day - Part 3: Obstacles
Malaria kills nearly 1 million children in Africa/year. We have the tools to prevent and treat it. So why is it still such a big killer?
1. Poverty
"In Africa today, malaria is understood to be both a disease of poverty and a cause of poverty." (RBM) Families cannot afford the drugs or mosquito nets. And African countries often don't have the resources to develop effective anti-malarial campaigns. Often they have had to cut back education and health spending, for example, in order to repay the interest on debt from western loans. It would cost about $2b to put effective malaria control in place. In the meantime, malaria costs African countries $12b/year.
2. Conflict.
Up to 30% of Africa’s malaria deaths are in countries where war, food shortages and displacement affect large numbers of people. Today, over 120 million people in Africa alone are living in countries affected by such emergencies. Malaria deaths during these events are usually more than those caused by the conflict itself. The chaos following civil unrest can destroy health systems, cut food supplies and expose people to many infections. Poor living conditions in temporary camps and war-affected towns increase disease, and weaken people’s immune defense. (See RBM)
3. Practical considerations.
To put an effective long-term anti-malarial strategy in place, also requires training, education, reliable distribution to remote areas, and workable structures and partnerships, and these are not always easy. Roll Back Malaria is a main partnership working to bring countires and organisations together to combat malaria. Although they have had some successes (see also here), they have also been criticised for inefficiency. There have also been problems with supply shortages of drugs.
4. Lack of international commitment
Clearly, combatting malaria requires financial, practical, and legislative help internationally. As AMREF said: "We have the tools to both prevent and control this disease, but we lack sufficient resources." More financial investment is needed to assure that affordable (therefore subsidised) drugs are available, and that organisations like RBM have the necessary funding to operate properly. The appropriate use of DDT should be supported. Poor countries' debt should be forgiven, to allow them to spend resources on priority issues such as health and education. And aid and trade should be reformed to be made more effective for poor countries.
So what can we do? The final part tomorrow...
Tags: malaria africa africa malaria day health disease
April 23, 2005
Africa Malaria Day - Part 2: We have the tools.
Malaria kills more than 1 million people a year, 90% in sub-Saharan Africa, mostly children under 5. Malaria accounts for one in five of all childhood deaths in Africa. Anaemia, low birth-weight, epilepsy, and neurological problems are all consequences of malaria, and affect the development of millions of children in Africa.
But we have the tools to combat malaria in Africa, using a combination of prevention and treatment:
1. Insecticide-treated mosquito nets.
Nets are the focus of malaria prevention. Most malaria-carrying mosquitoes bite at night. Mosquito nets provide a physical barrier to hungry mosquitoes. If treated with insecticide, the nets are more effective again. Insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) are shown to reduce deaths in young children by an average of 20%. Almost 20 African countries have reduced or eliminated taxes and tariffs on ITNs to make them more affordable. But they are still expensive for families at risk of malaria, who are among the poorest in the world. Also, people who are not familiar with ITNs need to be convinced of their usefulness, and persuaded to re-treat the nets regularly.
2. DDT spraying.
As an insecticide, DDT is more effective and cheaper than most alternatives. However, its use has been highly controversial. DDT is a "persistant organic pollutant", or POP. These are chemicals which take a long time to break down, accumulate in the food chain, and therefore can be damaging to the environment, and potentially hazardous to human health. DDT does have environmental consequences, but - until recently - was not shown to have harmful effects on humans. Environmental organisations are widely considered to have scored an own goal in persistently seeking a complete ban on the use of DDT. More recently, they have come to recognise that the potential benefits of discriminating use of DDT as an effective insecticide outweigh the current risks. Sprayed on the inside of houses it can significantly reduce malaria without significant threat to environment or human health. WHO now authorises the use of DDT, but its use is generally not funded by western donor agencies or countries, and some countries are still seeking its complete ban.
3. Treatment: Cheap, effective anti-malarial drugs.
Anti-malarial treatment has been prohibitively expensive for many living in absolute poverty on under $1/day, and resistance has become widespread to the drugs. A new combination of two drugs - artemether and lumefantrine - is the most effective way to treat the disease. But Theonest Mutabingwa, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, says: "The cost of the drug means that it is likely to reach only a fraction of those who need it, unless the price is substantially reduced either through market mechanisms or, more realistically, through subsidy."
We have the tools. So why is malaria still such a major killer? More tomorrow...
Tags: malaria africa africa malaria day health disease
April 22, 2005
Africa Malaria Day - Part 1
Monday 25 April is Africa Malaria Day (thanks, Brandon, for pointing this out), so this is the first in a short series of postings about malaria.
Malaria kills over 1 million people each year, 90% of them in sub-Saharan Africa. That is 3 tsunamis each year....
Malaria is caused by a parasite injected into the blood stream by the mosquito. It causes fever, shaking, and headaches, and can produce vomiting, delirium, and - evidently - death. I have had it a few times, and have friends - African and western - who have died from it. It is bad.
Work is still continuing to look for a vaccine for malaria, but it is still thought to be 10 years off. As westerners visiting Africa, we of course have the possibility of preventative medicine, mosquito nets, mosquito sprays, mosquito-proofed houses, and access to medical treatment if necessary. Most Africans have access to none of this, either because it's not available, or because it is costs money they don't have. In addition, their resistance is often lowered by poor diet, as well as by other disease. Malarial death in Africa is thus directly linked to poverty. Malaria is a justice issue.
Unless the world shows a greater commitment to tackling the disease, many of the Millenium Development Goals remain unattainable. Malaria is relevant to at least five of the eight MDGs: poverty eradication, universal primary education, child mortality reduction, maternal health improvement, and the combat of other diseases such as HIV/AIDS.
Chris White of AMREF says: “We have the tools to both prevent and control this disease, but we lack sufficient resources to scale them up, particularly among the more remote and marginalized communities of Africa.”
So, what can be done about it? More tomorrow.
Tags: malaria africa africa malaria day health disease
April 16, 2005
Praying for Justice 7: Pray that God sustains the poor
I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy. (Ps 140:12)
The poor and oppressed are of particular concern to God, and he acts for them.
· Pray that the Lord comforts and sustains the needy, and acts to secure justice for them.
· Pray that they may turn their hearts to the Lord and find comfort, strength, and provision in him.
This week, I am posting short meditations and prayers around the theme of justice for the developing world. God calls his people to stand up and to respond to injustice. During this week, I am focusing on issues of justice for the developing world as part of the Make Poverty History campaign.
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and the needy.(Proverbs 31: 8)
April 15, 2005
Praying for Justice 6: What does the Lord require of you?
“And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Mic 6:8)
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and the needy.(Proverbs 31: 8)
Are we truly concerned for justice for the poor? Is it something that motivates us and impacts the way we live, shop, and vote?
Are we acting justly, living it out in our daily lives, assuring that our choices and lifestyle do not oppress the weak?
Do we make an effort to buy fairly traded goods that give a fair deal for the poor?
Do we speak up for the poor and oppressed, calling our leaders to act for them?
· Let us repent where we have ignored the cry of the oppressed, or have been part of a system of injustice.
· Let us ask God what he requires of us as individuals and as a church. How should we pray, act, and speak for justice?
This week, I am posting short meditations and prayers around the theme of justice for the developing world. God calls his people to stand up and to respond to injustice. During this week, I am focusing on issues of justice for the developing world as part of the Make Poverty History campaign.
"The righteous care about justice for the poor." (Prov 29:7)
April 14, 2005
Praying for Justice 5: Pray for leaders
The heart of the ruler is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases. (Prov 21:1)
These are the G8 leaders who will be meeting in July, and who have the possibility of making decisions that will promote justice for the poor:
UK: Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Japan: Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
Russia: President Vladimir Putin.
Italy: Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
Germany: Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.
France: President Jacques Chirac.
Canada: Prime Minister Paul Martin.
USA: President George Bush.
· Pray that the Lord may direct these leaders to make righteous and just decisions with wisdom and compassion.
· Pray that the Lord’s concern for justice for the poor may be a priority at the G8 and EU summits.
This week, I am posting short meditations and prayers around the theme of justice for the developing world. God calls his people to stand up and to respond to injustice. During this week, I am focusing on issues of justice for the developing world as part of the Make Poverty History campaign.
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and the needy.(Proverbs 31: 8)
April 13, 2005
Praying for justice 4: Pray against the spiritual powers of wickedness
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Eph 6:13)
Injustice is not just political, but a manifestation of spiritual forces of darkness. There is a link between spiritual realities and socio-political structures of injustice and wickedness. We must therefore engage in spiritual warfare to see situations change.
· Pray that God will uproot and demolish forces of injustice, corruption, and oppression.
· Pray that he raises up righteous men and women to speak and act for justice.
This week, I am posting short meditations and prayers around the theme of justice for the developing world. God calls his people to stand up and to respond to injustice. During this week, I am focusing on issues of justice for the developing world as part of the Make Poverty History campaign.
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and the needy.(Proverbs 31: 8)
April 12, 2005
Praying for Justice 3: Pray for the rules to be changed
A poor man's field may produce abundant food, but injustice sweeps it away.. (Pr 13:23)
The fields of cotton farmers in Burkina Faso do produce enough cotton to feed their families. But they have been unable to sell it, because American subsidised cotton is dumped on the market, undercutting the Burkina cotton. Yet "free trade" rules imposed on Burkina means they are not allowed to subsidise their own cotton. Often this is the case - the Lord acts to provide for the poor, but unjust rules bring poverty.
International rules that take food from the mouths of the poor need to be changed. Such rules should be made to work for the poor and weak, not just the powerful. Rich countries should stop their own unjust subsidies. Harmful free trade rules should not be imposed upon the poor - they should be allowed to choose policies that help them work their way out of poverty.
· Pray that international trade rules and policies in the WTO, IMF, and World Bank will be changed to help the poor.
· Pray that rich country subsidies will be removed and that poor countries may have the right to choose policies that help the poor.
This week, I am posting short meditations and prayers around the theme of justice for the developing world. God calls his people to stand up and to respond to injustice. During this week, I am focusing on issues of justice for the developing world as part of the Make Poverty History campaign.
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and the needy.(Proverbs 31: 8)
April 11, 2005
Praying for Justice 2: Pray that the voice of the poor may be heard.
Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. (James 5:4-5)
God hears the cry of those suffering from injustice. And he calls the rich and powerful to account because of it.
· Pray that the voice of the poor in the developing world may be heard in the corridors of power.
· Pray for open hearts among those with power, that they may respond with justice.
This week, I am posting short meditations and prayers around the theme of justice for the developing world. God calls his people to stand up and to respond to injustice. During this week, I am focusing on issues of justice for the developing world as part of the Make Poverty History campaign.
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and the needy.(Proverbs 31: 8)
Business for Africa
Following on from the Commission for Africa report, over 200 business leaders gathered in London recently, and committed themselves to action in support of Africa. They are also calling on the business community throughout the world to sign up to a Business Action for Africa Plan. This is a clear set of actions that seek to promote a prosperous Africa for all its people.
April 10, 2005
Praying for Justice 1: Pray that God’s will may be done.
‘For I, the LORD, love justice’ (Is 61:8)
Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! (Am 5:24)
Our God is a God of Justice. He hates injustice, oppression, and exploitation. God knows no compromise or reconciliation with evil. His kingdom is the realm where justice rules, and his mission is to bring his love and justice to all. God's love for justice and his love for the outsider come together particularly in his concern for the poor and his commitment to justice for them. He hears the cry of the oppressed and reaches down to set them free.
Since God’s will is for justice and righteousness, we engage in a spiritual battle when we try to do his will in this area. And prayer is a vital weapon. We should pray that the Lord will act for justice.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven… (Matt 6: 9-10)
· Pray that God will act to establish justice for the poor and oppressed.
· Pray that his people will be agents of righteousness and justice in the world.
This week, I am posting short meditations and prayers around the theme of justice for the developing world. God calls his people to stand up and to respond to injustice. During this week, I am focusing on issues of justice for the developing world as part of the Make Poverty History campaign.
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and the needy.(Proverbs 31: 8)
April 09, 2005
This Week's Good Idea - Vote for Trade Justice
Vote here.
Many poor countries are suffering as a result of international trade policies. Harmful policies are imposed on poor countries, while subsidised goods from the West swamp their economies and destroy the lives of many poor people around the world.
For example, cotton is the main export crop of Burkina Faso, my second home, and the third poorest country in the world. International “free trade” rules have forced Burkina to stop subsidising her cotton production. But the US continues to illegally subsidise cotton, which then undercuts the cotton from Burkina.
Forced free trade on Burkina’s cotton industry, combined with American cotton subsidies, has been destroying the livelihoods of poor farmers in Burkina. We prevent Burkina from working herself out of poverty. And then we make ourselves feel better by giving aid - although this aid does not even cover what we take away through unjust trade.
A poor man's field may produce abundant food, but injustice sweeps it away. (Prov 13:23)
It is not only the US of course. The EU and Japan are also heavily subsidising their agriculture, while the IMF, World Bank, and WTO are in drastic need of reform.
As part of MakePovertyHistory, many organisations, such as Christian Aid, World Vision, and Tear Fund are supporting the Vote for Trade Justice. Read more about the issues surrounding trade justice here.
What Vote for Trade Justice is calling for:
1. Rules to allow poor countries to choose solutions to end poverty
2. End trade subsidies that destroy the livelihoods of poor people.
3. Laws to stop big business profiting at the expense of the poor.
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and the needy (Proverbs 31: 8)
This week, I will be posting short meditations and prayers each day as we think about how we can respond to the need for justice for the poor in the international market place.
This week's good idea: Vote for Trade Justice
April 07, 2005
More locusts coming to Burkina Faso
This report from Relief Web tells us the consequences of the last locust invasion of Burkina Faso and the Sahel. We have still a second distribution of food aid coming up because of the severe shortages from this and the drought. But the report also warns of another invasion in the coming months:
"A serious food crisis is developing in the Sahel region, particularly Mauritania, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. The desert locust invasion which swept across the semi-arid Sahel region of West Africa in 2004 was the worst of its kind in 15 years and was accompanied by localised drought in many of the areas worst affected.
Current estimates indicate 60% of Mauritanian households are food-insecure. A further 3.5 million people in Niger, 3 million in Burkina Faso and 1.7 million in Mali are also affected.
Tensions are also building up between farmers, migrants and nomads as the livestock of the nomads competes for what remained of the crops. Market prices for staple food have risen considerably. Livestock prices have fallen as farmers sell their animals so as to buy food; women are forced to sell their jewellery and spare clothes for similar reasons.
Desert Locust swarms are maturing in Northwest Africa and egg-laying has started in NE Algeria. Several immature swarms persist in southern Senegal and Guinea...These are likely to return in large numbers by mid-2005; this would lead to greater food insecurity in the Sahel countries.
The United Nations has increased its 2005 appeal for West Africa by USD 38 million in order to help countries battling with the aftermath of last locust invasion and localized drought."
It also reports:
"Spring breeding commenced during March in Northwest Africa...Several immature swarms that persisted in southern Senegal and Guinea during March will eventually move towards central Mali in April and May....Sahelian countries should prepare themselves for any swarms that could arrive from Northwest Africa from about late June onwards."
April 02, 2005
This Week's Good Idea - Get a White Band
Over the coming weeks, I hope to regularly post some Good Ideas. These are ideas for simple things we can do to try and put into practice a commitment to justice and generous living more in our own lives.
Jesus Christ wants us to let him rule over all areas of our lives. He wants his rule of righteousness, justice, blessing, and peace to touch every area, and shape the way we live and the things we do. Our faith needs to be put into practice both in our own personal lives, and in our interaction with the world around us. So, to start with...
THIS WEEK'S GOOD IDEA...
Buy a MAKE POVERTY HISTORY wristband.
MAKE POVERTY HISTORY is a campaign for debt forgiveness, trade justice, and improved aid for developing countries. It is supported by many Christian organisations including Tear Fund, World Vision, and Christian Aid. You can show your commitment to the campaign by buying - and wearing - a MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY wristband.
They cost just £1, and can be bought at your local Oxfam or Save the Children shop, or online from World Vision, Christian Aid, and other places.
You can also get a white band to put on your website or blog. Go here
March 31, 2005
Click
It happens every three seconds.
March 20, 2005
Female Genital Mutilation
FGM, 0therwise known as female circumcision, involves cutting the labia, and often cutting out the clitoris. The practice is usually performed on girls under the age of 7, and leaves physical and psychological scars for life. The stories are horrible:
"The lips of her vagina were cut and then stitched together, leaving just a small hole to allow urine and menstrual blood to escape. Then the old women made Kady jump over a fire, telling her it was part of the cure to ease the pain."
Burkina Faso is one of only 16 African states to have outlawed the practice. The Burkina government has had a major campaign against FGM over the last 10 years, supported also by the churches and many Muslim leaders. The campaign has been relatively successful. Statistics suggest that the proportion of girls being circumcised in this way has dropped from about 70% to about 40% in the last 10 years. The government is aiming to completely eliminate FGM by 2010, with the support of the UN.
It is a big struggle. Deeply ingrained social customs in remote, conservative villages are difficult to change. There is huge social pressure, which comes from traditional worldviews and values. Srangely enough, women themselves often become the enforcers of the practice. There are fathers who are distraught when their wives go behind their backs to have their daughter circumcised. When asked why she did it, the wife replies that her own mother and aunts convinced her it was the right thing to do.
Thank God that, in Burkina, at least, things are changing. A combination of effective legislation, education, and a telephone hotline called SOS Circumcision, is bringing about change in this, the third poorest country in the world.
March 17, 2005
Jesus and shopping
One of my biggest struggles when I return to the UK from Burkina Faso is shopping.
In Gorom-Gorom, I have got used to seeing people battle simply to feed their family day-by-day. The local shop is probably smaller than your kitchen, and almost certainly has a smaller selection of food. So going to a supermarket that seems as large as Gorom-Gorom itself, with shelves weighed down with dozens of varieties of thousands of foods is always emotionally overwhelming when I first come back. We are blessed with such abundance – much of which of course comes from the very nations where people are struggling to feed themselves. And so we shop till we drop. But do we ever stop to think about what God requires of us in the way we shop?
Well, as Christians, we probably don’t buy stuff we consider immoral. But is that it? Does that then give us the right to just spend the rest of our money on ourselves as we like? In what way are we accountable to God for the way we shop? What does Christian discipleship have to say about shopping, and the whole question of stewardship of the wealth God has entrusted us with?
Continue reading "Jesus and shopping"
March 14, 2005
Speaking up for Africa
The Report from the Commission for Africa is out.
Have you even heard of it? And do you even care? Our news is of course dominated by home news and by events in Iraq. Yet, as Steven at two and two makes five notes, Africa tops Reuter's "top ten of forgotten emergencies" - Congo, Sudan, Uganda, West Africa, and AIDS.
God so loved the world...
A Christian attitude must include a concern for righteousness, compassion, and justice that extends beyond our own back yards to the world. We must care about more than just how international situations affect us. And an effective response must go beyond only giving out of our personal abundance.
There is not much new in the Commission for Africa report. And up to this point it is only words and good intentions. But it is a well-balanced report, calling for action from both the west and from Africa. It recognises progress in many parts of Africa, but calls for more to be done especially in regard to corruption and human rights. And from the west it recognises the need for action on aid, trade, debt, AIDS, and peacekeeping.
The key is implementation. What is different this time is that there does seem to be political will from some key leaders such as Blair. Others, however, are reluctant to go along. A Christian perspective must say that, as those who hold wealth and power, western nations have a moral obligation to act for the good of the poor and weak. And, as Christians, we should be calling our governments to act.
Take a look at the website for the Micah Challenge, which brings together evangelical groups speaking up for the poor. And also check out the "Global Week of Action" for April 10-16. Focusing on the G8 Summit and other main events for this year, this gives us all an opportunity to make our voices heard. As part of this, there are national campaigns, such as the Make Poverty History campaign in the UK. Do you know of similar campaigns in the US, Canada, or elsewhere? Is this kind of concern on the agenda for Christians where you are?
March 01, 2005
Fair Trade Fortnight
1-13 March is Fair Trade Fortnight.
When commodity prices fall it can have a catastrophic impact on millions of small scale producers in the developing world. Often, they may not even be able to cover what it costs to produce their crop. Many are forced into debt and others lose their land and their homes. The FAIRTRADE Mark is an independent guarantee of a fair deal for farmers in developing countries. The difference this makes to producers can be dramatic.
Among the guarantees behind the FAIRTRADE Mark are:
• Farmers receive a fair and stable price for their products
• Workers have the opportunity to improve their own lives
• Small-scale farmers gain a stronger position in world markets
• Greater respect for the environment
These are some Fair Trade goods you can buy in British supermarkets: Fruit, Coffee, Tea, Sugar, Fruit Juice, Chocolate, Roses, Wine, and even Footballs!
Over these next two weeks, please make a point of seeking out Fair Trade goods in your supermarket, and buying them. Begin a habit this week of buying Fair Trade goods, and make a difference for good by the way you shop.
And if your supermarket doesn't have Fair Trade goods, do ask the manager (gently) why not!
Continue reading "Fair Trade Fortnight"
February 21, 2005
Refugee crisis in Burkina
How can the third poorest country in the world take in 365 000 refugees over two years, and no-one even notice?
By the way, this is not a rhetorical question. It has an unusual answer. What do you think? How can it happen?
Continue reading "Refugee crisis in Burkina"
February 17, 2005
Kyoto
The Kyoto accord, which aims to reduce air pollution blamed for global warming, has finally come into force - seven years after it was agreed. It requires countries to cut emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
141 countries have ratified the treaty. Of the major developed countries only Australia and the US, the world's top polluter, have not signed up to the treaty. The US says the changes would be too costly to introduce and that the agreement is flawed. But even there, there is increasing discussion of environmental concerns, and pressure for cleaner technology.
It is only a first step, and there is a long way to go before many of the countries who have signed the accord will even achieve the limited goals set out. But it is good that some progress is being made. Failure to act would typically have worst consequences for Africa and the developing world.
Scientific opinion now seems overwhelmingly and increasingly convinced of the negative impact of human activity on the environment and climate. A Christian attitude to the environment embraces care for and stewardship of God's creation, as well as concern for the poor and vunerable most affected by its abuse. Unrestrained pursuit of prosperity seems both unbiblical in nature, and unsustainable in its consequences. Appropriate responses are going to be difficult to work out, but must be tackled.
For the latest information, and good discussion of the issues, the BBC has many good links.
February 13, 2005
Links to Sudan
I have updated my links at the side of the page and added some new ones. All are interesting - and there are a few more cross-cultural ones there. I'd like to draw your attention in particular to these two:
Joseph Hakim is a Sudanese Christian currently working with Serv Life in Uganda, where many of his fellow Sudanese have fled from the conflict. I am so glad to see an African Christian having the opportunity to join the conversation in blogworld, which has been so dominated by white, middle class, English-speaking blokes (like me in fact...). We do need to be hearing voices such as his. He has been writing recently on the peace deal in Sudan, and on AIDS.
Two and two makes five is the blog of Steven Nicholson, a North American pastor, also with Serv Life. In a recent post, he writes challengingly about the situation in Sudan, and our need to respond. No easy answers, but as Christians we cannot ignore Sudan, and need to be praying and seeking what the Lord requires of us in a stand for justice.
February 08, 2005
And forgive us our debts...
Good news: G7 finance ministers have backed plans to write off up to 100% of the debts of 37 of the world's poorest countries. Read more about it at the Jubilee website. Debt forgiveness is of course a Christian principle, building upon the concept of Jublilee found in Lev 25-26, and an expression of a Christian commitment to justice.
Currently, about 52 poor countries are in a debt crisis. They are forced to spend huge sums repaying old debts to the rich world while millions live in poverty. A child dies every 3 seconds because of preventable poverty, while every day Sub-Saharan Africa pays millions of dollars to the rich world in debt service. Many countries are forced to spend more on debt than on healthcare or education. You can read some background on the debt crisis.
So, this is a good start to the year, and is of course good news for my adopted home of Burkina Faso. There is of course a long way yet to go. As part of his proposed "new Marshall Plan" Gordon Brown is also asking the G7 to provide an extra $50bn (£26.69bn) a year in aid for the next decade. And then there is the trade issue yet to address. If you haven't yet done so, please join the Make Poverty History campaign to seek a better deal for the poor this year.
February 01, 2005
Untie the purse-strings
This weekend is the meeting of the G7 finance ministers. I know, it sounds boring, doesn't it?
But these people hold the purse strings. As part of this year's effort to get a better deal for the poor through the Make Poverty History coalition, let us call them to make good decisions. Every three seconds a child dies from a preventable cause. Justice and compassion must provoke Christians to pray, but also to speak up, and call our leaders to act.
If you are British, will you please take a few moments now to send an email to Gordon Brown to let him know that you expect him to deliver a result for the poor. We need the finance ministers to prepare the way for a breakthrough on aid and trade justice at the G8. And we want a result on debt agreed before they leave the meeting room.
Have you got your White Band yet? They are only £1, and are a simple statement of your commitment to the Make Poverty History campaign for this year. You can buy them online or at a nearby Oxfam shop.
If you want to be more informed about some of the issues, I have written more about Christian responses to injustice and Third World Poverty, and the issues of trade, aid, and debt.
And finally...is there any similar movement to this going on elsewhere in the G7 nations? I'd be interested to hear about it.
January 06, 2005
New Years Revolutions
The tsunami disaster has provoked a huge and generous response in the first days of the year. With the turning of the year also comes the opportunity for us to make a better world. In particular, for those of us in the UK, 2005 is a unique opportunity to change the face of extreme world poverty that claims 30,000 lives every day.
We know that a Christian response to suffering must be prayer, compassion, generosity, and action. There are other ongoing crises, especially in Africa, which have disappeared from our screens and maybe faded from our memories – such as those of the Sudan, Congo, and the harvest loss of the sahel.
The BBC questions whether aid for the tsunami disaster will divert much-needed funds from Africa, noting that “Africa is the only continent to have grown poorer in the past 25 years. It is the continent with the largest number of people living on less than a dollar a day - 49% of the total population. One African in three is undernourished.”
We could not have prevented the tsunami, but there are things we can do to prevent disaster elsewhere. And giving money is not the only Christian response…
2005 is a unique opportunity for the British Government, with the help of the British public, to transform the world for good. These opportunities include
· The UK hosting the G8 meeting in Gleneagles
· UK presidency of the EU
· The UK leading an International Commission for Africa
· The 20th anniversary of Live Aid
British Prime Minister Tony Blair has repeatedly said he wants Africa to be a priority during Britain's presidency of the G8 this year. Both he and George Bush have made it clear that now is the time for action for Africa.
Many Christian organisations in the UK have joined the campaign to Make Poverty History. This is an attempt to see Britain use its influence for good during this year, by changing the rules that perpetuate needless poverty and suffering. The three main targets of the campaign are trade reform , increased aid, and debt relief.
I will be posting regularly on these subjects throughout this year. In the meantime, please visit the website of Make Poverty History and sign up to join the campaign. For one year, let us make a concerted effort to change the world for good.
December 09, 2004
Using the internet for good
The internet is sometimes hailed as unique for its “open-source debate” and “equal access to information for all.” In fact it is mostly of course another talking-shop and plaything of the rich west. If you are reading this, you are probably white, middle-class, male, and of course, English-speaking. Like me, in fact.
Like all things, it also seems to be used more imaginatively by the evil side of human nature than the good. But there are encouragements. Medical opportunities for the third world, for example:
Continue reading "Using the internet for good"
Money makes the world go round...
Today is anti-corruption day!
Corruption is a huge industry. Apparently more than $1,000bn is paid out in bribes every year around the globe.
Haiti, Bangladesh, and Nigeria come out as the most corrupt countries, according to Transparency International, while Finland and New Zealand are the least corrupt. Indeed, the top ten least corrupt nations are almost all - apart from Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Singapore - Scandinavian or Antipodean. Of the 145 countries surveyed, the UK was 11th least corrupt, and the US joint 17th with Belgium and Ireland.
Continue reading "Money makes the world go round..."
December 06, 2004
Walking by on the other side
One of the greatest frustrations I have experienced living in Burkina is that however much I do, the need never seems to get any less. No matter how many people I help, there is always a huge number of people struggling with poverty and sickness.
However, one of the greatest encouragements is being able to look at the lives of individuals and families who are alive, healthy, educated, or following Christ today in part because of the small input I was able to give. We can make a difference.
Continue reading "Walking by on the other side"
December 02, 2004
The locust swarm
You have probably heard of the locust swarm that has swept through West Africa. The latest report from Burkina is that 90% of the harvest from the north of the country has been lost – first because of bad rains, and then because of the locusts.
Here are some quotes from friends in the area:
“They came twice. Giant, colourful, swarms--clouds!-- of bugs came and ate everything off of the millet stalks. The first time they came through, I think they were in a hurry to get out east. But a couple of days later they came back through and cleaned up everything they hadn't gotten before. It was a depressing couple of days…”
“The famine this year looks like it will be about as bad as it gets. People in Djibo are already getting skinny and they have nothing to eat.”
