Tuesday 26 February 2008

Give us this day our daily bread

Given I'm laid up feeling rough, I've ended up doing a lot of thinking and listening to the radio.

Crops are failing throughout the world. There is a huge shortage of wheat and rice. We in the first world will pay the extra, those in the third world are not able.

Twice I caught Bob Geldof on the radio saying we are the first generation who cannot say we 'didn't know' because we have television and the internet.We might not be seeing trains going past our windows full of people being taken to the concentration camps, but we are seeing our fellow humans and their children dying from lack of water, food and medical care and we do nothing or very little.

What would we think if we knew there were people with so very much who did nothing to stop us or our children dying?

I'm trying to find a way to do my bit to redress the balance. I cannot sort out the world and the corruption therein.

I can do something to affect climate change. I can turn off lights, I can keep doors closed and only warm the room I'm in. I can only use my car for essentials. And all the other things we know we can do.

I can find the best way to support those in the third world. I'm not sure how, I'm investigating various organisations and charities.

I can write to my MP (or Congressman)and say I don't want to see the odd 'Fair Trade' product in clothes shops and supermarkets, I want to see my country just refusing to import those items which rely on unfair trade.

If you care, listen to Something Understood a BBC radio program, 17th February edition. Although the BBC has this under religious programming, it is a program about morals more than faith.

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