"Poverty is not an accident" ----- "Poverty is created by our actions"
A new film "The End of Poverty?" is set to be released in November (trailer below). It is an important film for everyone to see - especially North Americans. Many North Americans have no idea how their spending habits negatively impact the lives of children and families around the world. They have no idea that they are so powerful and important. Every person - every thought - every decision matters. That may seem overwhelming at first, so focus on a manageable goal for conscious consumerism. (for example, choose to make 3 conscious purchases next trip to the grocery store... fair trade, organic, local. Choose to not make impulsive buys - wait 24 hours between the desire to have something and main the purchase, just in case you decide it isn't really necessary after all. Use your car and fuel conservatively - oil costs are in more than just $$)
Food for thought:
"90 % of children and adolescents in the world live in developing countries." - Which means that our day-to-day decisions are effecting a large proportion of children across the globe.
"In 2006, global military expenditure reached $1.2 TRILLION, where as developmental aid amounted to $107 BILLION." - It is up to each individual to take personal action to ensure equitable sharing of global resources. eg. reduce your personal consumerism, avoid impulse buys, buy for quality so products do not end up in toxic landfills so quickly, aim to by post-consumer recycled products (I just bought a computer carrying bag that was made from used plastic bottles), ensure that your batteries, computers and phones are disposed of properly or recycled when available, instead of throwing your used wares in the garbage consider freecycling or donating to a second hand store. Purchase fair-trade where available. I tisn't just an environmentally sound choice - it is choosing to use global resources more responsibly.
"2 BILLION people around the world earn less than $3 per day." "1.2 BILLION people do not have access to drinking water." "Each year, 15 MILLION children die of hunger-related causes." - Hunger is a function of poverty, poverty is a function of unfair allocation of resources, unjust expropriation of land to gain access to resources, and absence of educational opportunities...
You do not have to give all your money away to a family in another country to make a difference. You do not have give up your assets, television, cell phone, or fine dining to affect change. It is through a number of small conscious decision that all of us can make every day that will force a change in the infrastructure of resource acquisition, allocation and use. Simple and small change, that begin with a conscious decision that you as an individual, as a consumer refuse to 'buy into' this investment in poverty. Be aware as a consumer what you are buying, where did it come from? How long will it last? Are there toxic components that are going to landfill when I am finished with it? From food to electronics and clothing the price is more than what we see on the tag. Environmentally conscious decisions are generally ones that are making a socially just choice as well. (www.storyofstuff.com, www.thepriceofsugar.com, www.voiceyourself.com,
Find out how you are contributing to global poverty and how you can withdraw your personal investment in the perpetuation of soaring international poverty rates. After the release of the film there will be a follow-up article to support you in your efforts to make the small and subtle choices that are required to make this change.