This book opened my eyes and broke my heart.Because it is about the dear continent and people we are presently loving and serving, I wanted to share...
The author, former Canadian ambassador to the UN, gives a passionate and intellectual look at the sobering and gut wrenching reality of Africa and its incapacity to fight hunger, poverty, education, and infectious disease such as HIV/AIDS, without committed international support and action. For without, the modern-day holocaust in Africa will continue to relentlessly climb.
For those that may hold the view that its Africa's responsibility to overcome its issues of poverty and orphans (vs. foreign dollar & adoption as examples), this book holds food for thought... perhaps offering a more realistic perspective?!! And if present-day Africa doesn't cry moral and social responsibility (governmentally speaking), I'm not sure what does?!
"I have spent the last four years watching people die." With these wrenching words, diplomat and humanitarian Stephen Lewis opens his 2005 Massey Lectures. In 2000, the United Nations introduced eight Millennium Development Goals on fundamental issues such as education, health, and cutting poverty in half by 2015. In audacious prose, alive with anecdotes ranging from maddening to hilarious to heartbreaking, Lewis shows why and how the international community is falling desperately short of these goals. He probes the appalling gap between vision and current reality, but he also offers bracingly attainable solutions. (Book jacket)
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6 comments:
I like the subtle comment directed to us. heehee. Sounds good. Very true and I'd like to read more about it. Our thoughts are not at all that there should be no international aid or adoptions, that's not the issue...but the efforts to help Africa in its pursuit to become self sufficient...this can be in a variety of ways and international adoption is a great way -one of many.
PS. Look also into muhammadyunus.org/ and his books for another realistic perspective.
actually, nao, i didn't even think about you two till after i wrote it!! please, don't take offense. that's the problem africa can't be self-sufficient...africa is so far into debt that it can't be self-sufficient until most, if not all, the debt is cleared. the country's debt is so astronomical that any money that comes in goes towards there debt, one of the main reasons for the hunger and poverty. even then, the education and employment level is so low (living on $1 a day), that it can't even make enough money to pay the debt or once its paid off, to even thrive!! its a tough one...
Sounds like a great book : ) Stop by my blog, I gave you some awards! You are both my heros and a wonderful witness for our God~
We need to chat soon : ) Can I call you?
No offense taken at all...you know us better than that. As you say, it is a very tough one, and there needs to also be a focus on addressing the very issues you have...hunger, poverty,and employment level, etc. The root of these issues is what needs to be examined...why is employment low, why is national debt so high, why is there unequal distribution of food, why is there such a great need for adoption, etc? It's just merely asking the question of what is producing these issues in the first place and then tackling those. That's all...it's just another perspective...neither one better or more right. Just food for thought. :-) If you ever read that book, we'd love to hear your thoughts too. Love you, gemelita.
We have been looking into adoption. Thanks for the encouragement to kick it into a higher gear
Jeff
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