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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.
Aid is not the whole answer to third world poverty. Yet aid, when given appropriately, is doing an enormous amount of good, saving lives and changing communities. But in real terms, as the latest report by Oxfam shows, the amount of aid given by rich countries has halved since 1960, and poor countries are also paying $100m a day to rich countries in debt repayments. If the present trends continue, the agency warns that 45 million more children will die needlessly in the next 10 years:
"As rich countries get richer, they're giving less and less….The world's poorest children are paying for rich countries' policies on aid and debt with their lives,"
In 1970, rich countries pledged to commit 0.7% of their gross national income to aid, but almost no country has achieved this. In 2003, the average aid budget of wealthy countries was just 0.25% of national income, and just 0.14% for the US.
We cannot follow Christ and cross over to walk by on the other side, ignoring the need lying before us. Compassion and justice must move us to act. Apart from our own individual response, we must call on our governments to increase aid, cancel poor countries’ debts, and reform trade rules. Why not join the campaign for justice for the third world, and make a difference…?
Posted by Keith at December 6, 2004 07:36 AM
