Live 8 - Canada, poverty and the future
July 4th, 2005 by Bill
Below is my e-mail contribution to Make Poverty History. Yup, I’m a little muddled but the spirit is there. But will anyone listen? We’ll see …
To: Hon. Rahim Jaffer, Member of Parliament, Edmonton—Strathcona
cc: Right Hon. Paul Martin, Prime Minister of Canada
I’m am writing to make you aware that I support the Make Poverty History campaign. Unfortunately, they’re their postal code based system sent my e-mail to the wrong MP. You are the MP for my riding, so I wanted to let you know that this is something I am behind.
On my own Web site, I’ve expressed my views (a little bit cranky and a little bit all over the map) - Canada, Live 8 and the usual horse manure.
I would like to add this, however. As I mention on my Web site, I’m concerned with poverty everywhere, not just Africa. As a Canadian, I am particularly disturbed by how many children live in poverty in this nation. In a country such as ours, this is nothing less than shameful.
Let me also add, I am not interested in relieving debt or supplying foreign aid simply to feel better about myself. I believe a "business" mentality should be applied - not in the sense of how much profit it will generate but in the sense that we need to see and measure results in order to be effective. As a people, we need to understand that what we do is actually producing the results we hope for and, when this is not happening, to rethink our strategy. I suppose I’m saying we need to see some project management skills applied, if they are not already.
We need to see that money is going where it is intended. That the people it is intended for receive it. We need to see that the relief of "debt relief" allows nations to do constructive work in their countries and that they follow through on this. We need to see people drinking clean water. We need to see food on every family’s table. We need to see everyone has access to adequate and appropriate education.
Many organizations exist already to monitor and gauge effectiveness, so this aspect is not really a great issue. What may be an issue is how we respond to those results.
The response of the current Liberal government is a non-response - something hopelessly inadequate and completely self-serving. I don’t believe the Liberal Party with it’s approach of "The party first, everything and everyone else second," is capable of leading anyone, anywhere.
Canadians, like people everywhere, need leaders who can actually lead. To do this, there must be more than a self-serving vision . ("Get power. Stay in power.") I believe your party, the Conservatives, could and should see this as an opportunity to step forward with a vision that goes beyond the usual cant of "reduce taxes, help small business," and articulates a message that says this is not simply charity, this is an investment in the future. And more than that, it is justice.
To be blunt, it would be nice to see a government with some balls. Could that be your party?
As Nelson Mandela said in his speech at Live 8, "…Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life."
I would only add that is also an investment in the future. That future, by the way, is coming up a lot faster than most people are ready for and from all corners of the world. I’d rather not see Canada left in the dust.
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