November 16, 2009
BAH, HUMBUG - FOOD SECURITY TO GET COAL IN ITS STOCKING
As if the cold-heartedness of G-20 leaders wasn't glaringly apparent already, given their reluctance to reign-in reckless banking practices that enrich the few at the expense of the many and to enact responsible climate change policies, now they have watered down a declaration to be made at this week's World Food Summit that would have committed them to aggressively address the issue of global food security.
Rich countries removed from the final draft statement "both a new hunger reduction target and a commitment to boost agricultural aid to the high levels of 1980," according to the Financial Times .
If the declaration is seen as a rehash of old platitudes the food summit (like next month's Copenhagen summit on global warming) could end up as a farce, yet another cruel joke on the 1 billion people, or one-sixth of the world's population, suffering from poverty and hunger. "The summit was prompted by a surge in the prices of staples such as rice and wheat which last year sparked food riots from Bangladesh to Haiti," the FT story said.
Non-government organizations said the food summit, the first since 2002, would be a waste of time unless last-minute changes were made in the declaration, according to the story. Rich countries rejected the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's initial proposal to "achieve in five years the target level of 17% reached in 1980" by increasing agriculture's share of official development aid, which by 2006 had plunged to 3.8% of the total, the story said.
The rich countries are spending trillions on bank bailouts that line the pockets of Wall Street hucksters responsible for spreading economic chaos throughout the world. Poor and undernourished people, whose plight has been aggravated by the global financial crisis, receive a few crumbs.
As a result, every 3.6 seconds someone in the world dies of starvation – and 20,000 children a day die of poverty
For a shocking account of the devastating impact the industrialized countries' social-economic-political agenda has had, not only on the poor but the rest of us as well, check out the exceptional new documentary Collapse. "A chilling monologue of imminent catastrophe," The New York Times review said of author Michael C. Ruppert's one-man crusade to connect "the dots between population, economics and energy."
After seeing the film don't be surprised if you are moved to a) increase your charitable giving this holiday season and b) make a New Year's resolution to become active in restoring government of the people, by the people, for the people.
Either that or you might find yourself taking Ruppert's advice to stock up on gold and organic seeds.
Now that we have a global economy where everything affects everyone around the globe, the richer nations will have to bare more of the burden to help the people living in underdeveloped countries. There will have to be a lot of rethinking on all fronts (e.g., at some point all nations will have to acknowledge the big elephant in the room: over-population). Old institutions, such as the G8 (now the G20), the World Bank, and even the U.N. don't seem to be up to the task, and probably never were. As always, the change will have to come from people, people pressing for change.
I'm generally optimistic that as awareness grows of the need (through the Internet), more people will be moved to help. Charitable donations are certainly part of it (as long as the money actually goes to those in need), but I think ultimately innovative ways of helping people help themselves will be more effective in the long run.
I was watching a documentary on PBS about women in Afghanistan. The women didn't ask for money or food donations, nor were they particularly interested in books at this point (can't eat them). They asked for looms. Looms to make rugs they can sell. They want to have the tools to help themselves. I'm sure they already have the skills.
I would be happy to donate to an organization that helps people in sustainable ways. I think Oxfam is one of them. I believe they do things like build wells for farmers, etc. Maybe you know of other organizations?
Posted by: Diana at November 19, 2009 06:57 PM