This past month, S.A.T.S. looked at the current state of the world in terms of poverty and the inequity that exists between the rich and the poor nations. We looked at the importance of moving from acts of charity to justice. i.e. Not solely administering aid to the needy (charity), but working on changing the conditions which lead to people being in need (justice). We looked at the U.N.’s response in terms of the Millennium Development Goals, and the subsequent call to action in 2005 by groups such as Make Poverty History and the Micah Challenge to encourage world leaders to reach these goals by 2015.
We looked at the words of:
Martin Luther King Jr.: “The curse of poverty has no justification in our age…. The time has come for us to civilize ourselves by the total, direct and immediate abolition of poverty."
Nelson Mandela: “Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings… overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice.”
Proverbs 31:8-9: "Speak up for the people who have no voice, For the rights of all the down-and-outers. Speak out for justice! Stand up for the poor and destitute!”
8 Millennium Development Goals
1. ERADICATE EXTREME POVERTY AND HUNGER.
2. ACHIEVE UNIVERSAL PRIMARY EDUCATION.
3. PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY AND EMPOWER WOMEN.
4. REDUCE CHILD MORTALITY.
5. IMPROVE MATERNAL HEALTH.
6. COMBAT HIV/AIDS, MALARIA AND OTHER DISEASES.
7. ENSURE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY.
8. DEVELOP A GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR DEVELOPMENT.
The U.N.: “We will spare no effort to free our fellow men, women, and children from the abject and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty, to which more than a billion of them are now subjected.”
Steve Bradbury, Co-Chair of Micah Network: “What makes these goals so remarkable is their clear commitment to a timetable. The development community, and all who are committed to working for a more just and compassionate world, can and must use these goals to hold our leaders accountable and insist that they fulfill their promises. If we fail in this, the MDGs will undoubtedly go the way of many other “commitments” to end poverty – another set of broken promises to the poor, another tragic joke at their expense."
Micah 6:8: “He has showed you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Bishop Untener: “We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something and to do it very well.”
We discussed the following ideas regarding a possible response to these issues:
• Take one MDG a week and pray about it
• Join the Micah Challenge Prayer series at: http://www.micahchallenge.org/
• Learn from the MAKE POVERTY HISTORY & Micah Challenge websites
• Pick one MDG and do some research: www.un.org/millenniumgoals
• Give 0.7% of your family's income every year to reduce global poverty
• Commit to buying Fair Trade, and if possible, local goods
• Meet regularly with others to discuss current issues from a faith perspective
• Brainstorm ideas and discuss ways of working together
• Talk about global poverty with others
• Wear the White Band
• SIGN ON to both campaigns, by visiting their respective websites:
• Talk to your MLA and MP about poverty-related issues - ie. write a letter or email
• Encourage church members to sign the Micah call.
• Write an article for your church bulletin or local/school newspaper
Thanks to Maureen Morgan for this informative post!
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