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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
Posted by Keith at August 11, 2005 07:47 PM
Comments
I'm not sure exactly how I found your blog, but this was a timely post for me. Global poverty has been on my mind lately, along with the question, "What can I do?"
I am not sure where God is leading me with this, but you've helped me to see the problem more concretely, rather than an abstract concept.
Posted by: Bruce at August 12, 2005 06:48 AM
Sorry to hijack the central message, but this brings me to something about the Make Poverty History campaign that has been niggling at me since the end of the G8: What underlying philosophies are we supporting by asking for "trade justice", without defining it?
In the eyes of the media that seems to involve the opening up of western markets. Does this not inherently support the open market philosophy? I don't want to make judgements about the open market philosophy here, I'm just saying that if it's not being vociferously questioned, it gets unintentionally supported by every organisation behind the campaign.
Perhaps it is more feasible to get the G8 to commit to ending their open market hypocrisy than to get them to rethink their economic policies, but surely it's important to assess and make an according stand on even (or maybe especially) the futile causes?
This is of course not to detract us from the importance of what we need to do personally in order that we may lead truly just lives. As the video for the Drop the Debt campaign pointed out in 2000, we bear responsibility for poverty and injustice through our inactions as much as through our actions. This is a thoroughly biblical idea. Awareness of poverty etc must lead to action, though we should be aware of our limitations: Jesus didn't click his fingers so that the whole of Israel (or the world) was healed of sickness, disease and poverty. Having said that, I suspect that most of us (myself included) could do more.
Posted by: Jo at August 12, 2005 10:54 AM
Thanks for your comments guys. I can't write much now, but I do think, Jo, that the MPH have looked in detail at trade justice which includes a recognition that unrestricted free trade is not the answer. Look at my earlier post on trade, or the Christian Aid document they produced earlier this year.
Posted by: keith at August 13, 2005 12:59 PM
Hey there Keith. I really agree with the idea that we don't just give and forget. In our home we have decided that we sacrifice something that might be nice to a similar value of whatever we give. It gives us a constant reminder that we are not just living for ourselves and it becomes then a lifestyle. Its also good for the kids who are being brought up in a consumeristicly saturated environment.
I am looking at a new suggestion for the Bloggers for Africa site , next month suggesting people change their eating habits for a week and then give the equivalent money to those affected by famine. There's nothing wrong with toasted sandwiches and noodles for a week which can cut the grocery bill quite significantly and release funds for donation! Anyway that's next month!
There is a banner there with code if you would like to use or promate.
see ya mate!
Garth
Posted by: Garth at August 18, 2005 07:43 AM
